Kyle M. was not chasing a big check. He had a daughter. He knew his back and knees were going. He wanted VA healthcare coverage so that when the day came he would not lose everything paying for surgery the Army caused.
He came to Your VA Benefits with a single 10% ankle rating and $166 a month. He left at 70%.
Kyle served as an All-Source Intelligence Analyst with the 1st Special Forces Group Airborne. Thirty airborne jumps. Hard landings. A unit culture where you do not go to sick call. Where you do not complain. Where you keep moving no matter what your body is telling you.
By the time he separated, his back was deteriorating and his mental health was following. None of it was documented because that was not what you did in that environment.
The VA gave him 10% for his ankle. $166 a month.
Our team built the claim around the documentation that existed and the people who knew what Kyle had been through.
We pulled his official airborne jump logs showing the number and nature of his jumps. We gathered buddy statements from a fellow soldier and his former partner. We helped him write a stressor statement that included the suicide of a fellow soldier from his unit.
From there we built the medical case connecting his back, his radiculopathy, and his right shoulder to his documented service history.
The VA went from 10% to 70%.
Conditions granted: Lumbosacral strain and intervertebral disc syndrome at 40%, right lower extremity radiculopathy at 20%, right shoulder strain at 20%.
“I appreciate all of you so much. You have done more for me than I ever could have probably done for myself and have helped me open up so many possibilities.”
— Kyle, 2025
Unit culture can work against your claim. In high-tempo units, going to sick call is not something people do. That means conditions accumulate without documentation. If you served in a unit where that pressure existed, your file likely underrepresents what you actually went through. Buddy statements and personal records can fill those gaps.
Jump logs and service records are evidence. Official documentation of physical demands, like airborne jump records, can directly support musculoskeletal claims. If the paperwork exists, it belongs in your file.
You do not have to be chasing 100% for this to be worth doing. Kyle’s goal was healthcare coverage and protection against future medical bills. A rating increase can serve practical, long-term purposes beyond the monthly payment.
William Prosper is a veterans’ benefits consultant and the driving force behind Veterans Benefits International, a private advocacy firm laser-focused on getting U.S. veterans every benefit they’ve earned - and then some. With years of hands-on experience guiding service members through the VA claims maze, he knows exactly how to cut through red tape, fix broken claims, and force the system to do its damn job.
He’s helped thousands of veterans navigate everything from VA Form 21-526EZ to Higher-Level Reviews, supplemental claims, and Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) - a benefit many vets never even knew existed. His approach blends deep knowledge of VA regulations with blunt, plain-language coaching that strips away confusion and puts veterans back in control of their cases.
William’s reputation is built on results. His work has been recognized in veteran support circles, legal assistance networks, and online communities where he shares no-nonsense, step-by-step strategies to maximize benefits. Whether he’s dismantling bad VA decisions, identifying overlooked secondaries, or training other advocates, his mission is the same - make sure veterans and their families never settle for less than they deserve.
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