ACTIVE DUTY ONLY — COHORT-BASED PROGRAM

File Before You Separate.
Get Rated Faster.
Start Your Civilian Life With Your Benefits Already in Motion.

The VABN BDD Program is the only cohort-based education program built specifically for active duty service members — taught by a former VA Rating Specialist who adjudicated BDD claims from the inside.

$397

PER COHORT ENROLLMENT

📅 Next Cohort: July 6th — Limited seats available.

ENROLL IN THE NEXT COHORT

What is Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD)?

The Strategic Advantage of Filing Before Separation
  • Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) is a VA program that allows active duty service members to file a disability claim before they leave the military.
  • Why does this matter? If you wait until after you separate to file, your claim goes into the standard queue, and you could be waiting months for exams and a rating decision. By filing through the BDD program while you are still in uniform (you must file between 90 and 180 days before separation), you complete your exams early. This means your effective date is locked to the day after you separate, and your disability pay can begin much sooner after you transition to civilian life.
  • The window is narrow. The process is complex. And you are already managing terminal leave, TAP, family logistics, and everything else that comes with transitioning out. The VABN BDD Program walks alongside you during this critical window — giving you the education, tools, and live support to build your claim correctly the first time.

Are You Eligible for BDD?

The BDD program is available to active duty service members who have between 90 and 180 days remaining on their contract at the time of filing. The 90-day mark is your hard deadline — once you cross it, BDD is no longer an option. You may still begin the standard claims process before discharge, but you will not receive the BDD benefits of faster processing and a locked effective date.
The earlier you start preparing, the better. We recommend beginning your education up to 2 years before your separation date — getting your documents organized, your medical records in order, and your conditions mapped — so you are fully prepared to file the moment your 180-day window opens.
Not sure where you stand? Contact our team at support@vabenefitsnavigator.com.

Who This Is For

You are the right fit for this program if:

Active Duty Service Members

You are within 180 days of separation and have not yet crossed the 90-day mark — or you are planning ahead and want to be fully prepared to file the moment your window opens.

Available for Exams

You are available for 45 days after filing to attend VA exams.

Focused Filers

You want to learn the VA's diagnostic code criteria and how to word your claim in the language VA raters use to evaluate your case.

Self-Directed Learners

You want to understand the system and build your own claim, not hand it off to a VSO.

Transitioning Personnel

You are separating voluntarily (ETS) or through a medical process and want your rating decision as fast as possible.

  • Anyone looking to be educated on the BDD claims process from a retired VA rater that adjudicated BDD claims for the VA.
  • Anyone that has less than 90 days and does not qualify for the BDD program, but wants to submit their claim the day after separating from service.

This program is not the right fit if:

You have already crossed the 90-day mark before separation

If you have already crossed the 90-day mark before separation — BDD is no longer available to you. You may still begin the standard claims process before discharge, but you will not receive BDD benefits (check out our 30-Day Bootcamp or VABN University instead).

Service members with highly complex cases

You are filing for 5+ conditions, dealing with Military Sexual Trauma (MST), or navigating appeals — VABN University is a better fit for your needs.

What You Get

A 3-Month Program Designed for Your BDD Window

Investment: $397

Proprietary Claim-Building Software — 6 Months Access

Use our patent-pending software to generate lay statements and map your conditions to 38 CFR diagnostic codes — the exact language VA raters use to evaluate your claim. Your access extends 6 months so you may still have the tools after separation, when your C&P exams and rating decision arrive.

  • The software will transition you from in service to out of service.

3 Exclusive Cohort Sessions — One Per Month

Three 1-hour live group sessions open exclusively to BDD cohort members. No one else in the VABN community has access to these calls. Bring your questions about the software, the BDD process, your SHA Part A form, or preparing for what comes after separation.

Twice Monthly, Live AMA (Ask Me Anything) Calls

Open Q&A sessions to get your specific VA claims questions answered live by a former VA rater.

Twice-Monthly Software Training Sessions

Twice-monthly walkthroughs showing you exactly how to use the VABN software to build a bulletproof claim.

Up to 12 Live Touchpoints Over Your 3-Month BDD Window

Consistent expert support from enrollment through separation.

Why VABN?

Learn the System from the Inside Out

VA Benefits Navigator is “The West Point of the VA claims disability space.” We don’t file your claim for you – we educate you on how to master the process yourself.

Our curriculum and software were developed by Dewayne Kimble, a former VA Rating Specialist who adjudicated over 15,000 claims. Dewayne knows exactly what raters look for, what triggers denials, and how evidence must be structured.

Co-founder Don Fried knows the personal toll this process can take. After years of navigating the VA system himself, and watching his father — a veteran of three wars — fight the VA for 15 years before receiving his 100% rating, Don partnered with Dewayne to build the formal education system that every service member and veteran deserves.

You aren’t guessing what the VA wants. You are learning the exact criteria from someone who sat on the other side of the table.

Investment.

$397

Per Cohort Enrollment — includes full 3-month cohort program access + 6 months of software access. Cohorts run throughout the year. 

📅 Next Cohort Starts: July 6th

ENROLL IN THE NEXT COHORT
This program is designed for active duty service members only. Once you have separated from service, please visit our 30-Day Bootcamp or VABN University pages to find the right program for your situation.

Have questions about your eligibility window? Contact our team at support@vabenefitsnavigator.com.