u/CEMartin2

Served from 1990-1994. Then returned home and worked as an investigator for the Prosecutor from 1997 to 2014. Saw a lot of terrible, terrible stuff in civial law enforcement (child abuse, domestics, etc). My wife often opines that I may have PTSD. The VA has asked me several times at annual checkups if I have PTSD/Symptoms--I normally say "Not from the USAF". I did do law enforcement in the USAF, but nothing overly terrible, no deployments or TDYs.

Is there non service-connected PTSD assistance by the VA? Any LEOs here, that have sought anything on this? I don't really want to go and hear that it's because I'm a veteran. In fact, the only reason I would go to prove the wife wrong that it's not PTSD.

Just got notified that I will be contacted by a subcontractor (Leidos QTC) for an exam to "complete my claim".

Last week, after 22 years, I finally won an appeal for Chronic Bronchitis... but the VBA didn't assign a percentage. I am assuming this is C&P trying to circumvent the service connection the Appeals Judge granted.

Anyone ever been sent for a C&P AFTER appeal?

I'll note that I have three other Appeals pending (waiting for hearing). No open claims.

April 29, 2026, I finally recd a service connection for Chronic Bronchitis. I say finally, because I've been trying since 2004.

Served 1990-1994. Got a URI in tech school that quickly turned into Bronchitis and Pneumonia, with scarring in one lung. After some medical leave, a waiver for some of my training, I was able to go on to my first base, then a finish my enlistment at a second base. At the second base, my paperwork got screwed up and I didn't get my final physical, dental, hearing, etc (USAF, btw).

Returned home in 1994, and my respiratory issues continued, slowly getting worse over the years... repeat URIs, Bronchitis, and even Pneumonia.

In 2004, a fellow vet and cowoekr told me about disability benefits. I applied and got a denial: no record in your file.

In 2012, while cleaning up my basement, I found a bunch of old paperwork from when I honorably discharged--including documentation of my issues. I filed again, and was again denied for "no records of ongoing problems". My private physician swore they had sent my post-service records to VA.

2017, after continued respiratory problems, I tried for a third time, using the online system instead of mailing or faxing in forms. I had to pause my claim, clicking I would upload supporting files later. The next day, I logged on and the claim had been closed--no files uploaded.

In 2018, I decided enough was enough, and began reachign out to whoever I could for help with this. My congressman helped me finally get my Claims File. I filed my 4th attempt in April 2019, for Bronchitis and Sinusitis. I went to a C&P exam in May, but it was just for Sinusitis--the examiner, who "didn't have time to read my records" that I brought with me, said there was nothing about me claiming bronchitis. She then talked my ear off for 1.5 hrs, telling me about her son's new job, her youth growing up on a peach farm, and how terrible allergies are in the Louisville, KY area. And yes, the claim was ultimately denied.

5th Claim was filed, for Chronic Bronchitis. It vansihed from the online dashboard a few days later. When I called the White House Hotline, they couldn't tell me why the claim was gone.

Filed another claim... denied, because I used the "wrong form".

During all my research into the whole claims process (my county only had a part-time VSO who was of no help), I learned that the constant ringing in my ears (from exposure to aircraft) was compensable. I filed a claim for that October 2019. That claim was approved with service connection and a 10% rating by the end of November.

I moved on to a shady organization that claimed they would help me, for a fee. Shelled out several hundred dollars for a Nexus Letter with a nice pulmonary specialist from Colorado and filed yet another claim for Chronic Bronchitis. The shady group could never be rached for any help. When I got me denial, I severed my connections with them.

April 2020, after more calls to the "hotline", and reading helpful boards and sites like this one, I filed a Supplemental Claim for Chronic Bronchitis... it too got denied. I complained that I hadn't even been given an exam.

June 2020, I filed my first request for a Higher Level Review. The phone interview for that was in September 2020, and the HLReviewer agreed the VA had messed up... and sent it back for them to give me an exam. C&P did an ACE exam... and denied the claim in October 2020.

October 2021, I filed my Appeal... and waited....

June 2025, I finally had my online appeal hearing. After explaining ebverything, I then uploaded a timeline with medical records, neatly organized for the Judge.

And, as I stated above, it was finally service connected last week. So now I'm waiting for my Appeals Board letter, new rating, and 6 years of back pay.

Moral of the story: Never give up.

After many years of fighting, refiling, HLRs and an appeal hearing last year, I've been notified that board granted service connection and I'll get a letter

Is there a way to download this letter, like we can do with regular denial letters?