A complete claim file tells a whole story: you served, something happened or got worse, you were treated for it, and here is the record of all three. Every document below plays a part in that story. Here is what each one is and where to get a copy if you don't have one.
DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge
The single most important paper you own as a veteran. It proves when and where you served and how you were discharged. Nearly every benefit starts by asking for it. Lost yours? You can request a replacement for free through the National Archives at archives.gov/veterans. Do it now, not the week you need it. Requests can take a while.
Service treatment records
Your medical records from your time in uniform: sick call visits, injuries, hearing tests, deployment health assessments. These records show what happened while you served, which matters because service connection is about exactly that. They come with your military records through the same National Archives request.
VA medical records
Records of treatment at VA facilities after service. If you use VA health care, you can download your own records free with the Blue Button tool at va.gov after signing in. Download them once or twice a year and file them away, so your copy is always close to current.
Private medical records
Civilian doctors, urgent care visits, imaging centers, chiropractors, physical therapy. Federal law gives you the right to copies of your own medical records from any provider; a small copying fee is sometimes allowed. Call the office, ask for the records department, and request everything they have on you.
VA decision letters and rating decisions
Every letter where the VA decides something: granted, denied, deferred, or a rating assigned. These are keep-forever documents. They carry your official ratings and effective dates, and every later step refers back to them. File every one, even the ones that stung.
Claim correspondence
Everything else the VA mails you about a claim: evidence requests, exam notices, status updates. These letters often have deadlines in them, which is exactly why they should live in one folder instead of a pile on the counter. For current claim status, the source of truth is your account at VA.gov.
Nexus letters and DBQs
Two document types with confusing names and simple jobs. A nexus letter is a written medical opinion in which a provider connects a current condition to your service. A DBQ, short for Disability Benefits Questionnaire, is a standardized VA form a provider fills out to document a condition in the format the VA uses. If a doctor has written either one for you, it belongs in the file.
Buddy and lay statements
Written accounts from people who witnessed what you went through or see what you live with now: someone you served with, a spouse, an old friend. A statement from someone who was there fills gaps that records alone can miss. Your VSO can point you to the current VA form for these.
Personal statements
Your own written account, in your own words. What happened, what you deal with, how it affects work and daily life. Keep a copy of every statement you submit, and date them.
Financial records
Award letters and payment records. Useful for taxes, loans, and catching payment changes. One folder, dated file names, done.
Put it in order once, benefit every time
Gathered everything? The companion guide, how to organize your VA claim documents, turns the stack into a filing system in an afternoon. And the day-to-day record of what you actually live with belongs in a symptom journal.