A successful VA claim has three elements: An event in Service; A current condition; A nexus between the event in service and the current condition. So how do you prove an event in service if there is no record of the event because there were no record keepers in Afghanistan, Southwest Asia or on board that battleship in Vietnam? VA rules and regulations address this problem. There is special treatment for combat veterans under 38 U.S.C §1154(b) implemented by 38 C.F.R. … [Read more...]
At separation: What I wish they’d told me…
There is that point in almost every conversation with a veteran or their family when they say “boy, I wish I’d known that at the time I (he/she) left service.” It’s difficult and occasionally heartbreaking to have to explain to a veteran that if they had filed a claim within an earlier time period, submitted certain evidence or asked for benefits a different way they might now be better off. While online information has helped in recent years, even the internet-savvy can find themselves … [Read more...]
