The Veteran Field Manual is a free, independent educational resource that explains the U.S. veterans-benefits system in plain English. Every guide, video, and PDF is written to be understood by the person filing the claim, and traced back to the law it comes from.
What we publish
Three things, all free: a written field manual covering VA disability ratings, claims, appeals, and the benefits most veterans never collect; a companion video series on the same topics; and a set of interactive tools that do the arithmetic and paperwork the guides describe, entirely in your browser. The written guides here on the site are the reference layer, cross-linked to the tools so you can read the rule and then apply it in one place.
How the content is made
The standard is accuracy first, clarity second, and nothing invented in between.
- Traced to primary sources. Every rule, dollar figure, and deadline is pulled from the controlling federal authority, the U.S. Code, the eCFR, and the VA's published forms and rate schedules, never from a secondhand blog. Each guide lists the sources it draws on so you can check the original.
- Written to be used, not to rank. Guides are built around the decision a veteran actually has to make, with worked examples and the exact form numbers, rather than padded to hit a length.
- Kept current. Rates and thresholds change on a schedule; figures are labeled with their effective date and pointed at the VA page that carries the live number.
- Not a content farm. This site does not scrape or rewrite other people's articles. The value it adds is organization, worked math, and the tools. It turns scattered regulations into something a person can act on.
Who it's for
Two kinds of veteran: the one filing a first claim who needs plain English and a clear path, and the one who has done this before and just wants the governing citation for each rule without digging for it. The material is written so both can use it.
How it stays free
Everything is free: every PDF, every video, every page. There is nothing to buy, and the answers aren't hidden behind a signup. The work is funded only by YouTube ad revenue on the video series, so the veteran never pays. Nothing on this site is sold to veterans.
What this is not
The Veteran Field Manual is an educational resource, not a law firm, medical provider, or VA-accredited representative. It is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by, or representing the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or any government agency. It explains how the system works; it does not file, decide, or represent claims. See the full disclaimer for the limits, and the privacy policy for how the site handles data.
Veteran Field Manual is an independent educational resource. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or representing the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or any government agency. Informational only — not legal, medical, or VA-accredited claims advice.