First - Understand Your Timelines
Disclaimer: I am not an authorized representative of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). I am not presenting information about VA benefit claims. I'm sharing my experience. Check the www.va.gov website for specific requirements and programs.
OVERVIEW
Let's discuss the VA part. Most of this will occur in the last six months, especially if you can file a claim through the Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) program.
If you have a service-connected condition, you can file a claim for disability benefits 180 to 90 days before you leave the military. The BDD program allows you to have your claims reviewed, and you could receive your rating very soon after your end-of-service date. If your paperwork is submitted on day 89, according to the VA website, you will not be eligible for the BDD program. It is highly recommended that you file your BDD through the nearest pre-discharge office.
My experience: First, I didn't know I had to attend a mandatory VA briefing before submitting my paperwork. I learned about the mandatory briefing from someone else who was also retiring. They asked if I was going to the once-a-month brief. Later, I filed for my BDD with 30 days left before I hit that 90-day deadline, thinking I had enough time. I barely made it. Through a series of life events for me and the person assigned to file my pre-discharge claim, my claim was reviewed on day 91 and signed and submitted on day 90, the very last possible day. The point of the story - do not wait. File as soon as you are legally allowed to.
PREPARE
The other part is preparing for your VA claim by documenting all your issues and concerns in your military medical records. Why does this preparation start three years out?
My experience: I'm going to take you on "My Sleep Apnea Journey." It took me nearly seven months to get diagnosed with Sleep Apnea. The effects of sleep apnea are like you've been up for 24 hours straight and then trying to continue to function the following day. That's how I felt for a very long time, and when I complained to my medical provider about it, I was first sent to behavioral health to rule out any issues in my control. TRICARE pays for the machine over 12 months. So, by the time I got the machine, I would only have ten months left in the Army. I have to pay out of pocket for those last two months, or I can return the machine and try to get the VA to provide the machine. I'm paying for those last two months.
My Sleep Apnea Journey
I had to journal in a notebook the time of night I went to bed, when I woke up, how much caffeine I drank, if I took naps, and if I looked at my phone before bed; I had to do this for two weeks. They reviewed my journal and then made suggestions, and then I had to do the journal again for two more weeks. Well, that's one month gone. Then, at the end of that month, it was ruled out that I did everything I could to manage my sleep better, and it improved just a little.
You are in charge of your medical care
You are in charge of your medical care. There is a time and place for hard and demanding training, but treat yourself like an expensive football player if you're hurt, get seen, and get fixed.
My experience: I remember the time a Special Forces guy, who I did not know, dragged me into the PA's office and told the PA to "fix me." He did that because I had the idea in my head from my first duty station that I had to 'suck it up' and not be a 'sick-call ranger.' On that day at SOCSOUTH and later in my future assignments at AWG, working with retired CAG officers and doctors, it was drilled into me that when you limp along and do not get treated to get healthy as quickly and safely as possible, you are a liability to the team, you shorten the time you are effective in that organization, and instead of fixing something that easily fixable, you could limp along and injure yourself permanently and be a 30-year-old with a 50-year-old body.
When you finally get out…
When you finally get out, who will be there to make sure you remember to take your medication?
Not the one who told you to 'suck it up.'
When you finally get out, who will be there to make sure you can walk up those stairs?
Not the one who called you a 'sick-call ranger.'
When you finally get out, who will help you pay your bills?
Not the one who told you to 'just power through it.'
When you finally get out, did you prepare yourself and your family by getting your injuries documented?
The VA evaluates based on documentation. Provide as much proof as possible.