National Veterans Service
As the largest organization of combat veterans, we understand the
frustrations that can arise with making a VA claim. That’s why our National
Veterans Service (NVS) was created. Our nationwide network of skilled VFW
Veterans Service Officers helps you wade through all the bureaucratic red tape,
offering you a better opportunity to get the disability claim you deserve.
You don’t even need to be a VFW member to take advantage of this free
service. As a veteran, this is a service you’ve earned.
A VFW Service Officer will:
- Offer research and advice
to veterans who wish to handle their own claims.
- Assist veterans who
are filing original claims for compensation and/or
pension with the
Department of Veterans Affairs and complete the required
VA forms on
behalf of the claimant.
- Assist veterans in reopening claims for
service-connected disabilities and
complete the required VA forms.
- Follow up on status of claims filed by veterans with the VA Regional
Office.
- File Notice of Disagreement with the VA Regional Office if a
veteran
believes the decision made by the VA was incorrect.
- Review statements of the case from the VA regarding denials of claim and
assist veterans with the preparation of responses.
- Assist veterans
or surviving spouses in the preparation of appeals for
denial of claims
and file the appeals with the local VA Regional Office for forwarding to the
Board
of Veterans Appeals in Washington, D.C.
- Complete VA Forms
other than for original claims.
- Answer/research telephone inquiries
regarding medical, death/burial and
other miscellaneous benefits.
Filing and backing up your Veterans Affairs claim can
be tough. VFW Service Officers are the key to your success. These trained
experts develop your case with ease by reviewing and applying current law,
pertinent legislation, regulations and medical histories. As highly skilled
professionals, they assist veterans and their families in filing for disability
compensation, rehabilitation and education programs, pension and death
benefits, and employment and training programs. And they won’t hesitate to
request hearings before the VA and the Board of Veterans Appeals to present
oral arguments when needed.
LEARN MORE ABOUT VFW SERVICE OFFICERS:
The first step in filing your claim is to confirm you’re eligible
for compensation. Then, after you’ve signed a VA Form 21-22, a VFW Service
Officer can contact you to begin developing your case. Two key elements to a
well-rounded claim include evidence that an injury, illness or disease occurred
during your service and evidence of a current medical condition as a direct
result.
If you’re looking to increase your current disability rating,
we’ll obtain a copy of your claims file from the VA and, after careful review
of your medical records, discuss with you how we should proceed.
If the
VA has rejected your claim and you wish to reopen it, we help with that, too.
After reviewing your VA claims file, we can recommend a course of action that
may result in its successful reopening.
Another facet of VFW's National Veterans Service is the hospital
volunteer program, which includes the Veterans Affairs Voluntary Service
(VAVS). VFW was one of five groups comprising the original National Advisory
Committee in 1946 that formed VAVS.
More than 6,000 regularly
scheduled VFW volunteers provide more than one million hours of service annually
to our nation’s veterans in federal, state and community hospitals and nursing
homes through VAVS.
Volunteer opportunities vary by VA location.
Here are just a few experiences offered by some VA facilities:
- reading to patients
- transporting patients to appointments
- manning clothes closets
- providing camaraderie
If
you're interested in volunteering, please contact your local VA
facility.