C&p Question

[E-4 Marine]

Hi all,

My name is Oli and I am a Marine Corps Veteran. First of all, thank you to all the veterans and spouses on this site for your service and assistance to veterans. On October 2010, I requested my SMR from St. Louis to obtain records for my claim. After four months of following up with no luck and not receiving the records I called the VA in Jan 2011 and made an informal claim for hearing loss/tinnitus and chronic lower back pain.

In early February, I decided to take matters into my own hands and requested a copy of my C-file and luckily the records that I needed were in my C-file, so I was able to submit my claim via the DAV on FEB 22nd. I was surprised when I received a duty to assist letter on February 23rd that stated that a "medical examination has been scheduled” under the heading “what have we done.” On March 03rd, I received a letter that a C&P was scheduled. I called my DAV rep, who confirmed that it was for both hearing loss/tinnitus and chronic lower back pain. Went for my C&P on this past Friday, and they informed me that I was only scheduled for a C&P for the hearing loss/tinnitus. So I just wanted to know whether the VA usually schedules a C&P on different days as I was claiming two separate conditions, or was this an error on their part? Also is it a bad sign that a C&P has been scheduled for hearing and not for my back?

P.S. Five months later, still no SMR from ST. Louis.

Semper Fi,

Oli

[Pete53]

You can call the C&P Exam people at your VAMC and ask them what the exams are for and even who are the Doctors?

Welcome to Hadit

[LarryJ]

Welcome, Jarhead.

Sometimes the National Archives in St. Louis will not have your SMR's, but, instead, they will be at the VA's archives, also located in St. Louis (yes, there ARE two repository's for Veterans' records and they are both in St. Louis). I don't have the address for the VA's archives handy to me right now, but you can Google it I'm sure and come up with the address.

just sayin'............

[Notorious Kelly]

Hi Oli,

Welcome to Hadit and thank you for your service.

Sounds like you've got your ducks in a row

Yes, they often schedule C & P's on different days. I'td be good to follow up on that and ensure one's scheduled for your back.

All the best!

[john999]

Read your VCAA letter carefully. If it does not mention your claimed back injury something is wrong. They should send you to a C&P for the back if it is in your VCAA letter. Did you send them any medical records from private sources. You have to tell the VA where these records are or provide them.

[westcoastlv]

The National Archives is a waste of time. I only found this out when I called the National Archives (after months of waiting for the VARO to get my husbands records) to request his records myself, and just happened to get someone on the phone that was helpful and knowledgable. She told me that they didn't have his records because he was discharged after 1995. She said that they would be with the Department of XXX (his branch of service).

I then called the Department of the Navy. They instructed me to fax a request for his C-File (they worded it for me as well - something to the effect that I was requesting his Military Service Records to be sent to me on a CD). Lo and behold, I received the CD within 10-days. I then printed it all out and faxed it to the VARO.

If you wait for the VARO to get your records, it will never happen. The Department of the Navy was on point and sent me everything I needed in less that 2-days. I hope the Department of the Marines (or whoever they are) is just a quick. You really have to take matters into your own hands because as far as I know, the VARO still hasn't received anything from Archives, and it's been 7-months. Luckily, I did it myself.

[LarryJ]

"I hope the Department of the Marines (or whoever they are) is just a quick."

The Marines are a "department" of the US Navy.............................................the Men's department!

sorrry, but I jist couldna hep myself!