Unclassified. For veterans, by a veteran. No fees, no claims company.
Get my brief

Unofficial. Unredacted. Free.

They gave you a rifle manual. Not this one.

Answer three questions and get a free, plain-English Next Mission Brief for your situation: benefits, school, work, or building something. Written by a 100% disabled vet who learned it the hard way.

Start the 60-second brief Read the story first

Free. Three questions. Email only at the end.

The benefit nobody briefed me on

Program
Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E)
Also known as
Who it's for
Vets with a service-connected rating
Can cover
School, equipment, a counselor4
The author
Used it. Got the degree.

Tap or hover the black bar. VA decides eligibility, not us.

The story

The help exists. Finding it is the hard part.

It's buried under acronyms, forms, and people trying to charge you for what's free. TheUSVet translates it. No uniform-speak, and no sales funnel to a claims company.

“Had I known about VR&E I would have [used it.]”
A veteran with disabilities, quoted in GAO report GAO-21-4504
From
Jay Corey
To
Whoever's next
Re
Why I built this

I came home with a 100% rating and no map. Somewhere along the way I found Veteran Readiness & Employment, the program that ended up paying for my degree in advertising.

Nobody sat me down and explained it. So now I'm doing that for you, one honest brief at a time, in words a person would actually use.

Jay

Draft memo

The brief

Three questions. One clear next move.

  1. Tell us where you are. No SSN, no logins, ever.
  2. Get a short, plain-English brief matched to your situation.
  3. Every brief points to free, official, or accredited help first.

Not legal or medical advice. VA decides eligibility.

1/3 Where are you right now?

Field guides

Four tracks. Pick yours.

  1. Get out right

    Your last year in, translated: TAP, timelines, and what to file before you leave.

    For: Transitioning

  2. Benefits, decoded

    Ratings, claims, and how to find free accredited help without paying a claim shark.

    For: Disabled vets

  3. School on the VA

    GI Bill vs. VR&E, side by side. The comparison I wish someone had shown me.

    For: Education

  4. Build the next thing

    Writing, speaking, business. Turning service into a story and a living.

    For: Builders

The pledge

We'll never be a claim shark.

Some companies charge vets thousands for help that's supposed to be free, and VA has sent dozens of warning letters about it.6 So here are the rules:

  • We never charge for your benefits or take a cut of them.
  • We never ask for your VA.gov login, SSN, or bank info.
  • We never promise a rating. Only VA decides.5
  • We always point you to free, VA-accredited reps first.

About the author

Not an agency. A vet with a pen.

Jay Corey is a 100% disabled U.S. veteran, an advertising student at Academy of Art University through VR&E, and a writer and speaker on what comes after service. TheUSVet is where he writes down everything he wishes someone had told him.

Draft bio
Get my briefBook Jay to speak

Questions

Straight answers.

Is this the VA? A claims company?

Neither. TheUSVet is an independent, veteran-run publication. It explains things and points you to official and free accredited help. It never files claims and never charges for benefits help.

What is in the brief, exactly?

A one-page, plain-English rundown for your situation: which programs to look at, the official links, one first step to take this week, and the traps to avoid.

What does it cost?

Nothing. If Jay ever sells something (a book, a talk, a workshop), it will be clearly labeled and never tied to your benefits.

What happens to my email?

You get the brief, then a short weekly field note. Your address is never sold. One click unsubscribes you.

Next move

Your next mission starts with a brief.

Sixty seconds. Free. Built for where you actually are.

Start the brief
In crisis? You don't have to wait. Dial 988, then press 1, or text 838255, to reach the Veterans Crisis Line, 24/7.