How to Request Your DD-214 and Military Records
Whether you are pursuing VA benefits or a Military Discharge Upgrade, we recommend you request your Military Service Treatment Records (STRs) and Official Military Personnel File (OMPF). You'll want to request both your SRTs and OMPF. While it may not be required,...
How to Request Your Veterans Administration (VA) Records
Requesting military and VA records can seem daunting. If you've ever requested your records you may have noticed that often you receive: (1) a partial set of records, or (2) no records at all. To help ensure you receive a complete copy of VA records we request you...
When will the military provide me with legal assistance throughout the military’s Disability Evaluation System (DES)?
Unfortunately, the service branch you are in complicates the question. Some branches provide legal assistance from the outset when going through the Medical Evaluation Board (MEB) and through the Informal Physical Evaluation Board (IPEB). Other branches do not provide...
A general overview of the Military’s Disability Evaluation System (DES) in 2017
This is a general, 1,000 foot overview of the military’s DES. There are many nuances and service specific regulations that must be considered, but the below overview should be helpful in explaining the general process to service members and representatives. How and...
Common misconceptions regarding Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) in 2017
What is Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP)? CRDP is a program established by Congress that allows service members to receive their military pension and monthly VA compensation, assuming they meet the basic requirements: (1) 50% or greater VA rating or...
Three possible outcomes from the Physical Evaluation Board (PEB) and how early involvement can shift the tides in a service members favor
When unable perform your military duties, the MEB and PEB process begins. When a Medical Evaluation Board (MEB) determines that a medical condition prevents a service member’s reasonable performance of the duties required of his or her office, grade, rank, or rating,...
Requesting a VA Rating Reconsideration (VARR) during the Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES) in 2017
What is a VARR? It is a written request to the Disability Rating Activity Site (D-RAS) made after accepting the Informal Physical Evaluation Board (IPEB) findings or receiving the Formal Physical Evaluation Board (FPEB) findings. The request must be made in writing to...
Temporary Disability Retirement List (TDRL) considerations in 2017
What is the Temporary Disability Retirement List (TDRL)? When a service member is rated 30% or higher from the military’s Physical Evaluation Board (PEB), he or she will be placed on either the TDRL or Permanent Disability Retirement List (PDRL). While on TDRL, a...
Benefits associated with military medical separation versus military medical retirement
When a service member is unable to continue serving in the military as a result of disabilities, they are either separated from service with a disability severance payment or medically retired. The difference between separation and retirement has life long...