This is not some pie in the sky diatribe on what the VA should be. This is not a negative editorial about systemic failures. This is a veteran's user manual on the rules that govern the VA disability compensation process. Most are shocked to discover that the commonly held myths about the VA are false. What is the real purpose of disability compensation? What can be claimed? Documentation is not what you thought it was. Your military medical records mean little to the VA and are not an issue if incomplete. Your final physical means little to the VA and is not needed. So how are medical issues documented for real? When should claims be made to the VA? Yes, there are time standards for successful claims. Most get these answers wrong with disastrous results. I draw right from the laws and codes that govern the VA and provide context from my direct experience to illustrate how those rules are applied. You will know when to make claims, what to claim, how to claim, and a host of other common sense VA procedures. When finished, the veteran will have all the knowledge to make the VA function the way it was designed to and not get steamrolled by the bureaucracy or led astray by any of the veteran service organizations. By showing the reader where to look and what to look for, you will be able to make intelligent decisions as well as keep up with the subtle changes that occur in the laws over time. Nothing is stagnant. You will see just as I did that the system, while not perfect, can be made to function correctly in accordance with the governing laws. You, the veteran have a higher degree of control over your fate then most realize.