The Hidden Costs of Military Service: Why 90% of Veterans Leave Money on the Table
How military culture, pride, and predatory practices prevent veterans from claiming earned benefits.
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With a simple walk through my government building, I came across a maintenance worker who had an "I Served: Desert Storm" sticker on his toolbox, and I thanked him for his service. We started talking, and before you know it, he confessed that it's been over 30 years since his discharge, and he's never filed a single VA claim—despite having cancer that he firmly believes is from toxic exposure working around aircraft. He also revealed that he has a daughter with disabilities potentially linked to his toxic exposure. This 54-year-old Navy veteran has left hundreds of thousands of dollars on the table, and he's not alone.
The shocking truth? An estimated 90% of veterans never file VA disability claims, leaving billions in earned benefits unclaimed.
I shared with him something that always resonates with veterans: when you rent a car, you sign a contract that obligates the rental company to provide certain services and protections. This contract also says that when you are done using the vehicle, YOU are responsible for any damage to it. Well, when you signed up for the military, that was also a contract—and the government is obligated to take care of whatever happened to you during your military service. You're not asking for charity; you're claiming what you contractually earned.
As someone who fought the VA system for 23 years before achieving 100% Permanent and Total disability rating, I've seen firsthand why veterans walk away from money they've rightfully earned through their service and sacrifice. The problem isn't just paperwork confusion—it's a perfect storm of cultural barriers, psychological obstacles, and predatory practices that keep veterans from claiming their earned benefits.
The Five Barriers Keeping Veterans from Their Benefits
1. Military Culture Discourages Reporting Injuries
During active duty, leadership rarely encourages service members to report injuries. Going to "sick call" is often seen as weakness, malingering, or letting down your unit. How many times did you hear the Platoon Sergeant yell after a troop departing formation to go to sick call, saying something crass like, "There goes Corporal Gonorrhea, you better get a shot too!" Then suddenly you're known by a VD nickname for the rest of your time in that unit. Leadership will say that it's meant as a joke but as a young, enlisted troop you aren't going to want to call attention to yourself in this way; hence, it's really a deterrent in disguise. This is how veterans leave the military without documented injuries because they were conditioned not to report them while serving.
2. Youth and Military Bravado Create Dangerous Delays
Most veterans leave service in their twenties and thirties, still holding onto that "I'm infantry, (devil dog, squid, etc.) I don't need help" mentality. Not to mention they start to live just "suck it up and move on". Sometimes, ailments don't reveal themselves until later—joints deteriorate, PTSD symptoms worsen, toxic exposures manifest as cancer. By then, veterans have spent years making excuses and minimizing their conditions. Life gets busy with careers, families, and responsibilities, and filing claims gets pushed aside.
3. The Pride Factor Affects Everyone
Whether you're a male veteran with traditional "tough guy" mentality or a female veteran with Type A personality who had to prove herself in a male-dominated military, the result is the same: pride prevents you from asking for help. You wait, thinking you can handle it yourself. Before you know it, decades have passed, your conditions have worsened, and you're not even sure what you can connect to your service anymore.
4. The VA System Seems Overwhelming
Veterans can feel overwhelmed and don't know where to start. Or they get intimidated by complex paperwork, medical terminology, and bureaucratic processes. Every veteran with a VA horror story wants to share it and scare the bejesus out of other veterans. Without proper guidance, many give up before they even begin, convinced the system is too complicated to navigate alone. Plus no one wants to admit they do not have the thousands of dollars to hire someone when they aren't sure it will be successful.
5. Predatory "Claim Sharks" Exploit Veteran Confusion
Perhaps most damaging are the predatory claim preparation services that legally confiscate up to 33% of veterans' backpay. These "claim sharks" deliberately make the process seem impossible, using fear-based marketing to convince veterans they can't succeed without paying massive fees. Were they there when you got hurt? Why do they deserve a third of your earned backpay?
The Real Cost: Nearly $1 Million in Documented Cases
The financial impact isn't theoretical. Here are real examples from veteran advocates who help veterans reclaim their benefits:
• EA: $200,000 backpay after achieving 100% P&T rating in 2023
• WD: $113,000 after upgrading his 1972 discharge from "Other" to "Honorable"—49 years after service
• AB: $179,701 in retroactive compensation alone
• GR: $167,373 across multiple awards from 2009-2021
• 17 additional veterans: Combined backpay exceeding $300,000
Total documented backpay: Over $917,000
Presumed predatory services fee: $302,813 dollars
That's not lottery money—that's compensation veterans earned through their service, sacrifice, and injuries. Money that belongs in veterans' pockets, not in the hands of people who weren't there when they got hurt.
The Transformation Stories
Consider PJB, who went from 30% to 100% Permanent and Total in less than one year. Before his increased rating, he'd been fired from his job - stemming from PTSD. His family was renting a house in poor condition and had no health insurance, so he was experiencing marital difficulties due to financial stress, as well. Then he asked Sarge for help.
After receiving his 100% P&T rating and backpay, he bought a beautiful home for his family. He's now a stay-at-home dad actively engaged in his children's activities. Most importantly, his spouse and children now have health insurance, stability and security they'll never lose.
It's Not As Difficult As They Want You to Think
Here's the truth predatory services don't want you to know: filing VA claims isn't as complicated as they make it seem. Veterans successfully navigate this system every day with a little bit of guidance and support.
The key is having someone who understands both the military experience and the VA system, someone who's walked the same path and can provide veteran-to-veteran guidance without taking a third of your earned benefits.
The Solution: Veteran-to-Veteran Support
Real change happens when veterans help veterans. That's why I founded Boots 2 Benefits and the IGY6.2 Movement—to provide tactical guidance without the predatory fees. The "2" in our name symbolizes partnership: you're never alone in this process. It's always Sarge and the veteran, working together.
My upcoming book, Operation FUBAR, launches in less than 30 days with step-by-step guidance that leads veterans through the claims process. Unlike predatory services that profit from confusion, this approach empowers veterans with knowledge and confidence to succeed.
Every veteran has the option of a free 30-minute consultation to understand their options. There are no pressure tactics with Boots 2 Benefits. Through the IGY6.2 Movement's pay-it-forward model, financial hardship never prevents a veteran from getting help. When veterans receive their backpay, most choose to support the next veteran in line—creating a sustainable cycle of veteran-to-veteran support.
Your Next Mission
If you're a veteran who's been waiting, stop letting pride, confusion, VA horror stories, or predatory marketing keep you from benefits you've earned. This is why I believe my advocacy matters: there are millions of veterans like that Desert Storm sailor, leaving money on the table while struggling with conditions connected to their service.
If you know a veteran, encourage them to explore their options. Share this article. Make the introduction. Sometimes all it takes is one conversation to change a veteran's life—and their family's future.
The hidden costs of military service shouldn't include leaving your earned benefits behind. You served. You earned it. Now file with confidence.
Julie "Sarge" Muster Bryson is the founder of Boots 2 Benefits and author of the upcoming Operation FUBAR book series. A U.S. Army veteran who helps veterans navigate VA disability claims through veteran-to-veteran advocacy. Learn more at Boots2Benefits.com.
