I Never Received An Ets Physical, Now I Want To File A Claim

[newjoncity]

I was discharged 10 years ago under CH 18 but never received an ETS physical. Now I want to file a VA benefits claim. Can anyone provide me with links or helpful information?

[Berta]

The term Chapter 18 doesn't tell us much.

A claim ,with a Chap 18, depends on your length of time in service and the Character of your Discharge and usually if this was a weight issue, the potential nexus is in the discharge itself.

Some Chapter 18 vets have certainly succeeded in service connection:

http://www.va.gov/ve...es5/1144863.txt

Some vets have had partial;awards at the BVA,with Chapter 18 discharges:

http://www.va.gov/ve...es2/0014362.txt

Chapter 18 weight issues are discussed here and this lawyer might have a contact area for questions.

http://www.armycourt...failure-to.html

You certainly should file a claim. Best to get a vet rep to help with that.

And of course I am just assuming this was a weight issue for the discharge and I could be wrong.

If the VA grants the claim, your earliest effective date for any monetary award will be the date of the claim so best not to wait to do it.

I just read a lot of legal mumbo jumbo in the Military Code of Justice , and the lack of the ETS physocal might be because of significant other inservice medical records that rendered the ETS physical moot.

I cant tell here for sure if that was the case.

I have friend retired after 32 years Navy. He didnt get a ETS physical and in his case, it concerned me, but ,if he files a claim, we will find out why.

Edited October 2, 2012 by Berta (see edit history)

[71M10]

Don't let the lack of an ETS physical stop you. They sent me to see a cardiologist and did multiple chest x-ray's and EKG's then cleared me for discharge. Now VA signed a paper back in 88 that states they had received my SMRs and ETS physical, but the physical is nowhere to be seen. If you had the physical and its existance/contents were inconvenient they would simply make it disappear if they had the chance.

They have everthing in my files, from the counseling statement for parking on the grass at the 8th street chapel, to the cleaning contract when I cleared quarters at Fort Bliss. Everything except that ETS physical where they had me visit a cardiologist......what could that indicate!

Get a copy of your service medical records to determine if there is sufficient documentation of your injury/ies and chronic conditions. You will most likely need a physician to do an examination and opinion on how those conditions still affect you. there is a section on the site that describes what is needed in a medical opinion and they also have all the exam forms.

Best regards,

[Rob m]

I never received an exit/retirement physical. I was told, if I planned on filing a claim with the VA, a retiement physical was not necessary and the VA would do it. I did recieve a VA physical but it wasn't very in-depth.

[SpcDearman]

here is my Exit Exam. Soldier, is there anything that is bothering you now that you may see as an issue later on? yes sir I have issues with my knees and with my Lungs. I also had a vehicle rollover accident that has really hurt my shoulders. Ok soldier thats all, you are now a civilian. It was so weak that I didnt even get a dental exit exam. I will definately attempt to get one more free dental exam/work done but my claim is first.

[broncovet]

I agree with "71". To get Service connected you need these 3 things, not an ETS physical:

1. You need a injury or event in military service.

2. You need a current diagnosis of a disease or injury.

3. You need a nexus statement connecting numbers 1 and 2 above.

Thats it. No requirement for a ETS physical.

This being said, an ETS physical can help, sometimes. For example, if the ETS physical notes you were treated or had a disease in service, well, you could use that physical as evidence that you suffered an injury or illness event in military service. You still need numbers 2 and 3 above.

If you file a claim with ONE year of discharge, you get a "presumption" that this condition occurred during military service (unless rebutted by the evidence).