Everyone that gets out of his or her respected military service always embarks on a very mystical adventure that no one really seems to know much about. That adventure is the grand quest for knowledge about the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) claim system for service related disability.

A lot of my fellow Marines who reached the end of active service (EAS) have came to me with inquiries about how to go about making claims for things like tinnitus (ringing in the ears), knee or shoulder pain, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Well, fear not, my NIU brothers and sisters in arms. If you somehow missed your opportunity to submit your claim, I’m here to advise you on what worked for me and my claim for VA compensation.

First off, let me just take a moment to say I don’t necessarily advocate trying to live off the government or anything of that nature. I feel if you simply try to live off the government then you should probably reconsider your choices. However, I do believe that we as veterans are entitled to what Uncle Sam owes us.

If you haven’t already, find an organization to help go through your medical records, which you should have made a copy of before you got out of the military. In my opinion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) is a great choice. They’ll go through your records and find what they believe to be a valid service-related illness or injury. Once they’ve sorted through everything, they’ll explain to you what they’re submitting and make sure you know what exactly you’re claiming. Once you’ve completed this step the “hurry up and wait” game begins.

One thing to keep in mind is you have one year from your end of active service to go to a VA hospital and add things to your medical records that can be used in consideration for your claim. For example, if you hurt your shoulder but never went to sick bay and got it documented, you can still get it documented.

My biggest advice is to make an appointment at the Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital at 5000 S. Fifth Ave. in Hines, and get that all taken care of now. I have some friends who procrastinated and never documented their shoulder injuries from carrying their packs and now have limited range of motion and no medical benefits or compensation to show for it.

Once you’ve received your rating from the VA (it took me eight months) you’ll receive compensation and back pay for your claim. You can still challenge the rating that you received (they tend to underrate PTSD ratings) if you think you were underrated. Also, if you receive a more than 30 percent disability rating, you can receive more compensation for dependants.

Remember that the damage done to your body is permanent. This is your opportunity to receive compensation and be taken care of if you’re ever unable to work due to service-related injuries. This is not just for you; it’s for your family and its future, as well.