r/VeteransSuccess

I honestly did not know if realize that my dd214 was messing up civilian opportunities in some areas. I want to say I’m relieved, and I am to a degree. But it has been a really tough few decades since discharge. I hope this unlocks some things. I’m just glad that the bcnr said the narrative reason was “erroneous” - you damn right it was!

Just wanted to let anyone on the fence about applying for their upgrade or not to just send it. I had an OTH from the navy for popping hot for coke. Spent about a year and half collecting character statements and doing treatment while in but still got the good ol’ OTH. Spent 7 years feeling bummed out/deserving of it/not sure how to even start the process of applying. I found the paperwork on the VA website, typed my story (punctuated and articulated way better than this mess), collected my old paperwork and character statements from when I was in, and applied for a General. Two years later I have an Honorable and working towards getting disability started. Beyond grateful for whoever was on my review board

https://preview.redd.it/vej4tn0ffsah1.png?width=476&format=png&auto=webp&s=3150530a64cacee43914e5b7c1c3cf8c67aa43c1

Doubled down on the ADHD claim went from 30% to 70%

Hey so I am new to all this. I left the army in 2015 but have never filed a claim with the VA after all these years. I have never even been to the VA or doctor for about 11 years now. I was just wondering if anyone else has dealt with this situation and how they went about filing with VA and what steps I should take before filing a claim. I know my process will probally be more difficult due to the big gap of medical records but just looking for some tips that may help me get started. Thanks in advance!

Got 100% p&t no rep or anything. Took about 4 years and wasted probably a year or so still stuck in the army mind set of not needing help.

Now heres a twist I was approved yesterday and fell off a ladder today and broke my humorous...humorous isnt it 🙃 I think life wanted to test me or equalize the good news with bad news

I went from 20% to 70% in 37 days. I also have a pending Supplemental claim in progress. Much thanks to everyone here for the knowledge and support, You guys are great!!

https://preview.redd.it/tvx0fjv2spah1.png?width=982&format=png&auto=webp&s=d705f7f38b1a163a21157f6c3ef2632750fac86f

Holy fast processing times! Finished my C&P exam yesterday, DBQ's were uploaded that afternoon and just got the message about my rating today. I still have a deferred condition that is being scheduled but I'm releived to have crossed the finish line. Thank you for all the resources here. I couldn't have (and didn't for a long time) make it without the additional knowledge and info I learned from r/VeteranBenefits and r/VAClaims. Cheers!

https://preview.redd.it/bv9vtyamnn9h1.png?width=491&format=png&auto=webp&s=d3454919dc3a00ce4053e76d028cc6767f3bfee4

https://preview.redd.it/s7yy4xr5kn9h1.png?width=645&format=png&auto=webp&s=a226971debdd0da369bbd868396203b8b5ae522a

I had 10% from when I was discharged until today. I had a severe hip injury and MST claims that I never bothered to submit because I had no idea what to do.
My hip was the real fight, after 4 years of documented service injury reports, the VA denied my claims until I finally got a surgeon to write the connection letter to service. My MST claim only took a detailed statement from what happened and an honest C&P exam. I just got my award for 90 this am. I feel so stupid for going ten years without doing this but I am so happy I did it. I feel so relieved.

I joined the reserves to help pay for college at 17. It was great until I had my first panic attack at 21. This lead to a pretty bad spiral that resulted in a bipolar diagnosis and an axiety disorder. The military did not like that so I was medically discharged.

I spent the next year in a medicated haze. By the time I was able to advocate for myself and pursue VA disability, I realized that I never received any discharge papers. No DD214 or reserve equivalent. Also my chain of command said the civilian doctor's diagnosis was enough and that I did not need a medical board.

The VA only accepts discharge papers as proof of service. I spent the next 7 years trying to recover my paperwork. My old unit could not help me because they switched to a digital system and Marine headquarters would not repond to dozens and dozens of paper applications sent through snail mail. So many phone calls gone unanswered. I don't understand why they bother having a phone line.

The national archive had no record of me. I wrote my congressman. I wrote my senator. I paid a third party organization to recover my paperwork. None of it helped. I tried to hire a lawyer but no lawyer would talk to me until the VA gave me my initial disability rating decision. Which I couldn't get because I couldn't prove that I served. Many times over the years I became disheartened and gave up.

My dad then calls me 7 years into this process and says he met a guy at a bar that works for the NCIS. He pulls my records and tells me that my discharge was incomplete. It was not filed correctly.

8 years of my life spent in squalor due to me being unable to work living off of $1,100 a month from social security.

After finally understanding what the problem was, I filed a complaint through the inspector general of my first unit. I got a response from a Seagent Major. He personally contacted Marine headquarters and had a discharge certificate made for me the next day.

From there the VA process went smooth and I was quickly awarded full disability. Expedited filing due to my homeless status. I was living on a friend's couch. The VA classifies that as homeless.

All is well that ends well I guess, but fuck am I still peeved about it.

4 years and 7 months of service followed by 8 years of the worst hardships that I ever imagined that I would face. The immense feeling of hopeless that I felt on a day to day basis had me wishing for death. And it was only fixed because my dad got drunk with a guy at a bar that happened to work for the NCIS.

I did a BDD when I got out, I’m 25 and 100% P&T. I’ve been out for a little less than a year. And I feel like I’m mentally dying. I can’t really talk to my family or anybody close to me about this because I know nobody will really understand.

I currently go to school and have a part time job and pursue martial arts, but I feel so damn lazy, so unmotivated to do anything that a lot of day I just want to sit here and cry.

I was Supply, and most of my injuries came from Doing/teaching martial arts while in the military. So I don’t deal with any combat related PTSD, but my ANXIETY being out of the military is almost debilitating. I have no clue what to do. On the outside I probably seem fine, but it feel like I’m melting on the inside.