Standard ETS: file before you leave, without missing the window

Understand what a standard end-of-service-obligation separation is, and how it differs from a medical separation, medical retirement, or administrative separation.

• A standard ETS (Expiration of Term of Service) means your enlistment or service obligation is ending on its own schedule, not through a medical board or disciplinary action.
• Because there is no medical board involved, VA disability filing and DoD separation processing happen on separate tracks that you coordinate yourself.
• If a medical board is referred at any point before you separate, your situation may shift toward the Medical Separation (IDES) or Medical Retirement pathway instead.

Learn the Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) filing window and what it changes about how your claim is processed.

• VA's Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) program lets you file a disability claim between 180 and 90 days before your separation date.
• Filing in this window lets VA begin reviewing your service treatment records and scheduling exams before you leave service, rather than waiting until after discharge.
• BDD's stated goal is to deliver a decision within 30 days after separation. This is a program goal, not a guarantee for any individual claim.

Understand the standard pre-discharge claim path once the BDD window has closed.

• If fewer than 90 days remain before your separation date, VA's BDD program is generally no longer available to you.
• You can still file a standard disability claim before or after separation using VA Form 21-526EZ; it is simply processed outside the BDD program's pre-discharge track.
• Filing sooner does not guarantee a faster decision once you are outside the BDD window, but it still starts your claim in VA's system.

Understand the purpose of the pre-separation physical and the forms behind it.

• Before separating, service members generally complete a Separation History and Physical Examination (SHPE), documented on forms including DD Form 2807-1 and DD Form 2808.
• The SHPE exists to document any condition connected to your service, establish a baseline health record, and give you a final structured opportunity to report health concerns, exposures, or risk factors before you leave.
• Answer the SHPE accurately and completely. It becomes part of the service treatment record VA reviews if you file a disability claim.

Understand what this form is and when it applies to your situation.

• VA Form 21-526EZ, "Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits," is the form used to file an original VA disability claim, including while you are still in service and anticipate separation.
• The fastest filing method is online at VA.gov, which also supports BDD claims; the form can also be mailed to VA's Claims Intake Center or submitted through a Veterans Service Officer.
• The same form is used later for other claim types, such as adding a new condition or requesting an increase, so the form's purpose depends on how you complete it, not just which form you use.

Understand what records support a pre-discharge claim while you still have access to them.

• Your Service Treatment Records (STRs) are central to a BDD claim; VA uses them, along with your SHPE, to evaluate current conditions before you separate.
• Supporting documents commonly requested include dental records, mental health records (if applicable), and, for dependents' benefits, birth certificates and direct deposit information.
• Records are easier to gather while you are still in service than after separation, when you may need to request them through VA, the National Archives, or your branch's records office instead.

Understand the exam-scheduling commitment that comes with filing a pre-discharge claim.

• To use the BDD program, you must be available to attend VA exams within 45 days of the date you submit your claim.
• Certain circumstances make BDD unavailable even with 90+ days remaining, including being seriously ill or injured, terminally ill, an inpatient at a VA hospital, or unable to attend exams within the 45-day window (for example, an overseas assignment outside Landstuhl, Germany or Camp Humphreys, Korea).
• If you cannot commit to the 45-day exam window, a standard claim filed before or after separation may fit your situation better than BDD.

Understand what the DD-214 is and how it fits into filing and evidence.

• The DD Form 214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," is generally issued after at least 90 consecutive days of active duty and documents your dates of service, last duty assignment, decorations, and characterization of discharge.
• It is a standard piece of evidence VA and other agencies use to verify military service for benefits, so keep the original and copies once you receive it.
• You do not need your DD-214 in hand to start a BDD claim before separation, since you are not yet discharged, but VA will use it once issued.

Avoid losing access to the streamlined pre-discharge filing option by filing too late.

• The most common timing mistake is waiting until fewer than 90 days remain, which closes the BDD window and moves you to the standard claim path by default.
• Set a personal reminder near the 180-day mark so you have the full window to gather records and meet the exam-availability requirement.
• If you do miss the window, filing a standard claim is still a valid option. It is not a lost opportunity to file, only a lost opportunity to use BDD's pre-discharge track.

Avoid filing before your separation date and record set are established.

• Filing before your separation date is stable, or before your SHPE and current records are complete, can lead to a claim missing evidence VA needs to evaluate it.
• A known separation date is part of BDD eligibility; if your date is not yet firm, confirm it before filing rather than filing on an estimate.
• An incomplete claim does not automatically fail, but missing evidence can extend the time it takes VA to reach a decision.