ARMY 2002-2010 — On finally filing a disability claim, eight years late

I separated in 2010 and refused to file a claim for eight years. I thought claims were for people who needed them — guys missing limbs, guys with TBIs you could see on a scan. I had migraines, tinnitus I couldn't sleep through, a knee that locked up on stairs. I told myself I was fine. A buddy who'd served with me filed his own claim in 2017 and got rated at 70%. He sat me down at a Veterans Day barbecue and walked me through what was actually eligible. Most of it I'd carried home with me. Most of it I'd never written down anywhere. I went to a DAV National Service Officer to file. He was a former 11B himself. He filed for me, sat with me through the C&P exam, and helped me appeal one denial. Took 14 months from first paperwork to final rating. I am now rated 60%. The reason I'm writing this: if you're eight years out and haven't filed, file. The benefits aren't charity. They're owed.