VA decides your claim based on what’s in your file — so give them everything that helps: your medical records, a personal statement describing how the condition affects your daily life, buddy letters from people who’ve seen it firsthand, and anything else that backs up what you’re claiming. You can upload all of it yourself through VA.gov when you file.

Our recommendation: do this with a VSO. An accredited rep knows what strong evidence looks like and will catch what’s missing before VA does. But if you’re filing on your own, don’t file thin — evidence is what turns a claim into service connection.