Disabled American Veterans (DAV)
Next up is the DAV. Ya’ll, I have to be honest. Until I went through my transition class before getting out of the Navy I had never heard of the DAV. Now I cannot imagine navigating through my veteran benefits without the help of the DAV. Before I separated they were able to sit down with me and pour through my medical record (which was way too thick for someone that had only been in four years!) and pre-screened everything in order to assist me in making my VA medical claim.
They set me up with a seat in a VA claim class that went step-by-step and showed everyone present how to fill out every confusing form that is required for a disability claim. And then they even packaged everything up to mail out for each student! Because of the DAV I was able to schedule all of the medical appointments I needed with the VA prior to my separation date and, within three months of getting out of the Navy, I knew what my disability rating would be, how to fight mistakes in my claim and who to call with any questions I may have about changing my status in the future.
The DAV mission statement says “we are dedicated to a single purpose: empowering veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. We accomplish this by ensuring that veterans and their families can access the full range of benefits available to them; fighting for the interest of American’s injured heroes on Capitol Hill; and educating the public about the great sacrifices and needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life.”
This organization should be the first one you or your veteran calls when they have a question about how to get help for any situation that may pop up once the DD214 has been signed. I could continue to rave about the amazing amount of help I have received from the DAV, but I’ll let you explore its website and see the benefits open to all American military veterans.
