Resources for Veterans

Getting Help

Resources for veterans ...

Get Help Now – Crisis Resources – If you are in crisis, please call 911, go to your nearest Emergency Room, or call the Veterans Crisis Line available 24/7 at 988.

Veterans Crisis Line – For veterans and family members. Communicate via phone (988), chat, or text with a professional counselor.

Be there for Veterans and Service membersVeteransCrisisLine.net

Resources for Veterans: VA Mental Health Services

Suicide Warning Signs – Are you or a family member at risk for suicide?

PTSD Info from other Vets – Learn about posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from Veterans who’ve experienced it. Hear their stories. Find out how treatment turned their lives around.

National Center for PTSD – Extensive information, resources, and help for military veterans and their families from the international leader in PTSD research, education, and public awareness. One of the best resources for veterans!

Guide to VA Mental Health Services for Veterans & Families (PDF)

Military Sexual Trauma Fact Sheet – What is MST? How can the VA help?

Vet Centers

I have a separate page on this site about the lesser-known Vet Center Program, an especially valuable resource for combat veterans, MST survivors, and their families. 

Veterans Disability Benefits

Knowledge Books – Well-written guides to VA disability benefits, healthcare, and more from VetsFirst.org

Veterans Benefits for PTSD – Peer-reviewed Wikipedia article with details on VA benefits for veterans suffering from PTSD. Comprehensive but succinct.

VetsFirst.org – “VetsFirst.org is a program of United Spinal Association that assists veterans and their eligible family members in obtaining the benefits they are entitled to, deserve and need.” Excellent resource for *all* vets.

Online Discussion Forums

Veterans Benefits Network Forums – Online forum run by and for veterans to discuss VA benefits of all kinds. The vets on this forum provide accurate information and superb support to fellow veterans.

Feedback and advice from peers remain one of the best resources for veterans to tap.

Note that the forum uses the Tapatalk platform, so when you join—which you must do to read posts—you will see something about Tapatalk.

Veterans’ Blogs

Asknod Veterans Claims Help – Although the main blog author (“Asknod”) writes in a rambling style—which can be hard to understand at times—he and his colleagues provide extensive, very helpful information about veterans disability benefits.

Plus, he has a wry, biting sense of humor that is fun to read once you get used to his writing style.

Asknod is the go-to website for info regarding VA disability benefits for Hepatitis C.

A high percentage of veterans born in the 1945—1965 time frame suffer from Hepatitis C, sometimes referred to as HCV, which stands for Hepatitis C Virus.

Reference 
Backus, Lisa I., Pamela S. Belperio, Timothy P. Loomis, Gale H. Yip, and Larry A. Mole, "Hepatitis C Virus Screening and Prevalence Among US Veterans in Department of Veterans Affairs Care", JAMA Internal Medicine 173, no. 16 (2013): 1552 ("... HCV infection prevalence was elevated in the veteran 1945-1965 birth cohort (10.3%) compared to other veteran birth cohorts and well above the estimated 2.4% prevalence in this birth cohort in the general US population.").

Here are some links to Hepatitis C posts on Asknod.org:

Breach. Bang. Clear. – A raucous blog written by two bad-ass vets, a Soldier and a Marine, with opinion, commentary, news, weapons, tactics, irreverence, humor, seriousness, and good writing. One of the really fun resources for veterans.

This Ain’t Hell – but you can see it from here – Incisive commentary, up-to-date news, Feel Good Stories, humor, and Stolen Valor reports. All the authors are combat veterans. Very popular site.

Note that the URL for the site changed in 2019 to ValorGuardians.com, but it's the same site. Do not type in the old URL, thisainthell.us, because it might take you to a malware site.

Be forewarned! Read this quote, from the This Ain't Hell FAQ page:

TAH [This Ain't Hell] is a military/veterans blog. Its readership is largely (though not exclusively) serving military and veterans.

Expect coarse language, blunt discussions and articles, and rather “rough and tumble” commentary. 

If you’re an easily offended “special little snowflake”, you might want to reconsider spending time here.


Compensation and Pension Examinations - C&P Exams

On VA.gov - VA claim exam (C&P exam) - Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) web page with extensive, well-written, and detailed information about C&P exams of all types. VA produces some great resources for veterans.

On PTSDExams.net - Advice for Veterans – VA PTSD Compensation and Pension Exam – Advice for veterans who have filed a VA disability benefits claim for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and have been scheduled for a Compensation and Pension examination (C&P exam).

On PTSDExams.net - Advice for Veterans – PTSD Military Sexual Trauma (MST) C&P Exams – Suggestions for MST survivors to file a successful claim for VA disability compensation benefits, although much of the information applies to veterans disability benefits claims in general.

On Swords-to-Plowshares.org - What to Expect at Your C&P Exam – Well-written article for veterans that explains what you can expect at your C&P exam and how to prepare. 


Legal Help for Veterans

GI Rights Hotline – Information about discharge upgrades.

National Veterans Legal Services Program – Free legal representation before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. For individual representation services, call 202-265-8305 or send a request via email to info@nvlsp.org

NOLO – Information about hiring a VA-certified veterans disability lawyer.

Modern Military Association of America (MMAA) is the nation’s largest organization of LGBTQ service members, military spouses, veterans, their families and allies. Formed through the merger of the American Military Partner Association and OutServe-SLDN, we are a united voice for the LGBTQ military and veteran community. Legal Help - MMAA assists members of the LGBTQ military and veteran community with discharge upgrades, legal name changes, and a wide range of other legal issues.

Stateside Legal – Legal information for military members, veterans and their families. See Jim's Mailbag on the site for one of the best resources for veterans online.

Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program – Help with appeals to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

Quote from the Veterans Consortium website:

At the Veterans Consortium, we will review your case and provide you with a free attorney if you meet all of the following criteria:

  • You are a veteran (or qualifying family member of a veteran);
  • You have received a denial from the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA); 
  • You do not have an attorney to help you; and,
  • We find at least one meritorious issue we can argue before the Court.

Find Travel Discounts for Veterans

Military Veterans’ Travel Guide - I like this website because they do not bombard you with intrusive advertising and they spend a lot of time researching each topic, including this one. 

Here's a quote from their site:

Many travel and leisure providers offer discounts to military veterans as their own gesture of appreciation for the time these veterans have served. However, it can often be difficult to locate veterans’ discounts on general travel websites or know where to get the best possible travel deal.

This guide aims to provide resources that veterans can use to find travel discounts. There is a wide range of continuing and promotional discounts and incentives available, and these can often be found via resources like travel clubs, booking websites, flight websites, resorts, and cruise lines.


PTSDexams.net is an educational site with no advertising and no affiliate links. Dr. Worthen conducts Independent Psychological Exams (IPE) with veterans, but that information is on his professional practice website.


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