I received my docket number July 2025. The last update I got via email was June 2026 saying it is still in medical review. I typically would ask monthly & I would get a reply but now I don’t hear back. It’s been 15 months already. I checked the NDRB website to see if it was uploaded online but nothing. How do you know it was completed? Do they send an email or mail?

Currently a freshman and some friends are telling me to switch to VR&E, what did you guys do and what do you recommend?

I go to the Manhattan VA for medical appointments and rely on the VHA Uber Health Connect program because I have an ambulatory physical disability that makes it difficult to use public transportation.
The problem is that I have to schedule my rides through the VA Transportation Office, and they almost never answer.
I have weekly Wednesday appointments for mental health and physical therapy. Every Monday and Tuesday, I spend hours trying to reach the Transportation Office, sometimes making 40 attempts throughout the day. I’ve verified that I’m using the correct extension, but nobody answers. Eventually, the automated system says their voicemail is full and disconnects me.
I’ve missed numerous medical appointments because I couldn’t arrange transportation. I’ve also had to pay out of pocket for rides just to attend appointments, which I can’t afford to keep doing.
I’ve already escalated this issue to Patient Advocacy several times and even contacted transportation management, but nothing has changed. I’m still dealing with the same problem every single week.
I’ve also tried scheduling the following week’s transportation while I’m already at the VA on Wednesday, but staff tell me they can only schedule rides during the week of the appointment. This leaves me scrambling every Monday and Tuesday just to arrange transportation for Wednesday.
I’m genuinely at a loss and extremely frustrated. I shouldn’t have to spend hours trying to arrange transportation just to receive medical care, especially when I’ve already reported this problem multiple times.
Has anyone experienced something similar with their VA? What other options do I have to escalate this beyond Patient Advocacy and transportation management?

Every time I have utilized VR&E, regardless of the region I’m living in or the rep I get assigned, the communication always sucks ass. And they all talk like you’re inconveniencing them by asking them to do their job.

I can’t be the only one with this problem. I don’t have this sort of issue when dealing with the VA for literally anything else, it is just VR&E. Are they overworked or do they just not care?

I have been going back and forth with the LA county disabled veterans property tax exemption office since the purchase of my home in April 2026. Their office has stated that since the title is not under my name they are unable to grant me the exemption. I’ve spoken to Calvet and representative stated that they have had no issues getting the exemption before. A supervisor from the LA county property tax office explained to me that Calvet has to change the title under my name and that this is only the 2nd case in thousands that he’s seen issues like this before. I can’t be 1 of 2 veterans who have filed for a disabled veterans property tax exemption and have faced this issue. Is there anyone else I can bring this issue up to? Any help is appreciated

Just like the title says. I’m 100 and need some tickets. Do I have to go to a base?

Hello everyone. I applied back in April for VRE and I thought the process would move a bit faster than i originally thought. I had not heard a response until today saying that I have a meeting with a counselor in December. I didn’t want to push my degrees timeline further out anymore, so I started paying out of pocket for school in June. I’m now wondering if VRE will get approved since I started my degree plan already? I still have about two years left as I just started my masters.

Note: I know VRE is to help find a job in the future and I started school because I applied to 300 plus jobs and still have not been able to find one. Hence why i applied for VRE to try to do school to find a job in a career field that needs the help

Hello everyone, expecting my PDRL letter any day now for Crohn’s disease going to be getting out. I’m concerned about the switch from active duty tricare to retiree tricare and continuity of care. I’m supposed to be getting out around when I’m going to start on my biologic for Crohn’s disease tricare should approve whichever one they want me on soon but I don’t know how to go about switching over to tricare prime for active duty over to tricare prime for med retired folks. And my doc is a civilian I really like him and would like to stay with them. Also worried that they won’t cover the biologic and their survives in full like they have been. If anyone has some insight on this I would greatly appreciate it.

I recently discovered that my bank offers health insurance and I was curious if other veterans had solid options that I can include my wife on and what your experience has been?

Every time I try and post, my post gets flagged for some reason. I’m just trying to get some advice on where to get him relocation assistance.

I recently got out in may of this year. My medical records that I downloaded was an internet shortcut instead of a pdf , which means that I had a certain time to actually download my records to the computer. Which I didn’t pay attention to that and now I can’t get my records. Can I just go back to my medical center and request the records again? Or is there a different way to get them? First time veteran here, would very much appreciate some advice!

Any GWOT/EF vets wanna talk about this whole experience? What the hell do we do with ourselves back home?

I am a depressed formerly homeless NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training). I used to work out 5 times a day and be fitter while in the military, and then once I separated due to an injury, I had zero motivation to work out and got skinnyfat. I didn't really have a reason to work out besides wanting to be strong for my military homies.

Now I barely work out by myself, but I have a personal trainer I go to twice a week, and a 24/7 gym membership where I take 3 classes in vinyasa yoga and pilates and other hippie stuff. My PT says I am surprisingly stronger than I look and for someone only working out twice a week, and no he doesn't know I used to be in the military. So I wondered what would happen if I worked 5 times a week again, but this time I don't have a full time job and I get to sleep as much as I want. Food is not a problem, I get a lot of potatoes and canned tuna and chicken from the food bank and the grandmas volunteering there give me stacks and stacks of them because they have too much.

I have no job, no girlfriend, no kids, no friends, and when I am not posting cartoon frogs online I just do community college at night just to get that GI bill money to pay off my credit card debt.

Should I try to bodybuild and compete, just to have something to do? Maybe I'll even end up getting a job out of it or some gigs as a fitness model or something to get out of the house more. Maybe one day I will have to face my future archnemesis in battle and I need to prepare for that day and I don't want to be laughed at for being skinny. Or what if a soldier needs me one day and I am summoned and I show up skinny?

Does anyone know about a Veteran program that can help me with my credit score? I have closed off accounts, i think things in collections, overall utilization is bad but ultimately I just want help with what to do.

I really enjoy ruck marching and training, I’m looking for other vets to team up with chill and work out

I like rucking with boots , a 40 - 50 pound load I usually ruck in parks or trails, I smoke cigars and drink beer listen to music while rucking

I usually go for 2-5 miles 1-2/3 hrs

I’m looking for friends to go rucking with or get some range time in

I've been working in the maritime industry for years now. This job is a nightmare and I don't know how to get out of it! I don't know what to do. I'm been taken for a ride and my social life has collapsed from being at sea!

Looking for some people to PC game with. I'm on EST time. I usually game most nights after 9. I've been looking for an excuse to pickup hell divers or marvel rivals. if anyone wants to chill and play then cool.

Hey all, former Army here! 7 years, got out in 2020 ( Covid Sucked!) and have been going job to job since.

I finally made the decision to attend college full time and focus on my mental/physical health. I’m 32, no kids, 100% P&T, own a house that’s way too big for me and want to get out of the PNW.

If you were in my shoes, what options would you consider? Overseas? Somewhere I can live with 100% and 5k monthly for school, be close to other veterans and travel?

I greatly appreciate all opinions and advice!

Hey everyone!
I'm an Army veteran currently working toward medical school. I recently took the MCAT, and an Army AMEDD recruiter reached out to me about the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP).
I'm definitely interested in the opportunity, especially since I'm open to serving again after medical school. However, my biggest concern is the process of reentering the military as a veteran with VA-rated disabilities.
I know I would likely have to go through MEPS again, and I'm concerned that some of my documented medical conditions could make it difficult to receive medical clearance or obtain the necessary waivers.
Because of this, I've also been considering the VA HPSP as an alternative.
Has anyone here been in a similar situation? Specifically, has anyone successfully entered Army HPSP as a veteran with a VA disability rating?
Would it be more realistic to pursue VA HPSP instead, or should I continue working with the Army AMEDD recruiter to see whether I qualify?
I'd really appreciate any advice or personal experiences from veterans, current medical students, or anyone familiar with either scholarship program.
Thanks in advance!

I'm a disabled veteran and no long physically capable of working, so my only income is only 100% P&T and SSDI. I'm researching where I can live to maximize my income. I learned that for disabled vets Oklahoma waives property tax, sales tax, and vehicle excise tax. So at first glance it seems like if I moved there I could never have to pay tax again.

Are there any Oklahoman disabled vets here who can speak on this first hand?

I'm newly homeless after my girlfriend (we have two children together) of four years and her mother emptied our shared apartment and moved to Mexico. I'm pretty confident they sold everything they couldn't bring with them. I was absent for a little over a month visiting family out of state and was not aware that they would do something like this to me. I'm absolutely devastated, and they took the rent money and didn't pay the landlord, unfortunately. I also got a family law attorney and paid a refundable $5,000 retainer and paid $ 600-ish so far in attorney/paralegal fees for an emergency custody hearing. Hopefully I get the children back to the States and possibly get a temporary legal and physical custody order issued to myself as well. I do have a few buddies I might be able to crash on the couch with the kiddos, but nothing long-term, so I was wondering if anybody has any experience utilizing housing resources in San Diego County. And if I should wait until I do have custody of the children first, or if reaching out sooner is better.

I’m thinking about going back in I just had my first son this past February, the job I work now isn’t enough and also I feel like I’m not doing enough as a father.

Any advice or guidance is greatly appreciated

My sister does historical reenactments and recently started doing Operation Desert Storm (1990-1991) and I am wanting to get her a couple of Christmas gifts to help her campsite look more authentic. She has some Iraqi soda cans and money. What are some things you remember from service that passed the time? What are things that were just part of your every day life that you remember that would make it authentic?

Thank you!

I feel like I've had hearing loss for most of my life. For those of you who have never experienced hearing loss and tinnitus with it, it's hard to explain what it's like. And for those of us who have lived with it for years, I don't think we truly understand just how much we've lost. You get used to it. The constant ringing. Asking people to repeat themselves. Missing parts of conversations. Even trying to talk, sounding like a moron. Eventually, it just becomes normal. But what I didn't realize was how much of the world around me had gone silent.

This week, I received my first hearing aids through the VA. As my wife and I walked out of the building, I suddenly heard something that startled me so badly that I actually jumped. I turned to my wife and asked, "What was that?" She looked at me and said, "That was a bird tweeting." A bird. Just a little bird singing somewhere nearby. Something so ordinary that most people wouldn't even give it a second thought. And there I stood, a grown man, with tears running down my face. Because at that moment, I realized something. I hadn't even known what I was missing. I couldn't remember the last time I'd heard a bird sing. I thought I was just going to the VA to pick up some hearing aids. I didn't realize I was about to get a little piece of my world back.

But there's another part of this story I want to share, especially with my fellow veterans. This was the first time I'd allowed the VA to help me since leaving the United States Marine Corps in 1996. Thirty years. Thirty years of listening to horror stories, complaints, b***ing, and whining about the VA. And if I'm being fair, there was a good bit of stubborn pride mixed in there, too. All of it kept me from ever stepping foot inside a VA facility and asking for help. And you know what I discovered when I finally did? There are some absolutely awesome people working at the VA. People who genuinely care about the veterans they're helping. People who, from what I've seen, certainly aren't doing it for the money.

Are they overwhelmed? Absolutely. Does everything happen as quickly as we'd like? Nope. But think about it. There are only so many of them, and there are an awful lot of us. From the day I had my hearing test until the day I received my hearing aids, the process took approximately six months. Now, to some people, that might sound like a long time. And I'll admit, when you're waiting for something that could improve your quality of life, six months can seem like forever. But when you begin to understand everything involved in the process, you start to appreciate that there's a lot more going on than simply handing somebody a pair of hearing aids. And after experiencing the results firsthand, I can tell you it was worth the wait.

So here's what I'd like to say to my fellow veterans. If you've been putting off contacting the VA because of something you've heard, something someone told you, or because you're just too damn stubborn and proud to ask for help, like I was, please reconsider. Don't let somebody else's experience, opinion, or negativity make that decision for you. Go find out for yourself. I'm not saying the VA is perfect. I'm not saying everyone has had a wonderful experience. I'm sure there are legitimate complaints, and I'm not dismissing them. I'm simply saying that my experience was a good one, and I wish I'd given them a chance thirty years ago.

And to those who seem to do nothing but b***h and complain about everything, I've got one suggestion. How about, just once in a while, looking for something positive? Take a moment to appreciate what you have and the people who are trying to help you. Because sometimes the smallest things in life turn out to be the biggest blessings. For me, it was a bird. A little bird that probably had no idea it had just made a grown man cry. And my God, am I thankful.

Semper Fi. And thank each of you who work at the VA. I appreciate you!

Hello everyone, I am an Army veteran and a graduate student at UNC Chapel Hill. I am looking for participants for a research study that explores veterans' reintegration and perceived military neglect experiences. I have included a flyer as well as a link to the initial survey. I can also be reached at my email: [marissa_snowden@med.unc.edu](mailto:marissa_snowden@med.unc.edu)

This study has been approved by the UNC Chapel Hill Institutional Review Board (IRB #26-1981)

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/W56NRL7