Veteran Resources · From a Marine, To Marines
You Earned It.
Use It.
The resources every vet should know — VA crisis line, GI Bill, claims, transition, housing, caregivers, vet-owned business. Curated by a Marine, ranked by what actually moves the needle.
Crisis & Mental Health
If you or a vet you know is in crisis right now, this is the only section that matters. The line is staffed 24/7 by people who get it — many of them vets.
Veterans Crisis Line
Free, confidential, 24/7. Dial 988 then press 1, or text 838255. Online chat also available. You don't have to be enrolled in VA to use it.
📞 988 (Press 1)
Vet Centers (Readjustment Counseling)
Free counseling for combat vets and their families — PTSD, MST, bereavement, transition. No VA enrollment required. Located in every state.
📞 1-877-927-8387
VA Mental Health Services
Full continuum: outpatient therapy, inpatient, residential, telehealth. Same-day mental health care available at every VA medical center.
Give an Hour
Free mental health services from licensed providers for post-9/11 service members, vets, and their families — including those who don't qualify for VA care.
Wounded Warrior Project — Combat Stress Recovery
Workshops, peer support, and clinical care focused on combat-related mental health. Open to post-9/11 wounded vets.
Healthcare & Benefits
Apply once, then maintain it. The VA system is a paperwork war — show up with your DD-214, your service-connection list, and a notebook. Bring an advocate if you can.
Apply for VA Health Care
Online enrollment for VA medical benefits. Have your DD-214, financial info, and current insurance ready.
VA.gov — Manage Your Account
Single sign-on for appointments, prescriptions, claims status, secure messaging with your care team.
MyHealtheVet
Patient portal — refill meds, view labs, message your provider, download your full medical record.
VA Community Care
Get care from a non-VA provider when VA can't see you in time or there's no facility close enough. Eligibility rules apply — check first.
TRICARE (Active / Reserve / Retired)
DoD health plan for active duty, retirees, and eligible family members. Different from VA — you may qualify for both.
Disability & Compensation
If your body or your head took damage on the job, that's a service-connected disability. Don't leave money or care on the table because the form is annoying. Use a VSO — they file it for you, free.
File a VA Disability Claim
Step-by-step claim filing on VA.gov. New rating decisions are typically issued in 100–125 days.
Find an Accredited VSO (Veterans Service Officer)
Free claim help from accredited reps at DAV, VFW, American Legion, etc. They know the codes and the appeals process. Use them.
Disabled American Veterans (DAV)
Free benefits assistance, transportation to VA appointments, and one of the strongest VSO networks in the country.
📞 1-877-426-2838
VFW Claims Help
Service officers in every state. Free claim filing and appeals representation for vets and their families.
PACT Act — Toxic Exposure
Major 2022 expansion of presumptive conditions for burn pits, Agent Orange, and Camp Lejeune water. If you served in those environments, file.
Education (GI Bill)
Use it. Transfer it. Don't let it expire on you. Post-9/11 has tuition + housing allowance + book stipend. The VR&E (Chapter 31) program is a separate, more generous track if you have a service-connected disability.
Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33)
Up to 36 months of education benefits — full tuition at public schools, capped private/foreign, monthly housing allowance, $1,000/yr books.
Apply for GI Bill Benefits
VA Form 22-1990. Online application. Decision usually in 30 days. Get your Certificate of Eligibility before you enroll anywhere.
VR&E (Chapter 31) — Veteran Readiness & Employment
If you have a service-connected disability, Chapter 31 often pays more than GI Bill — and you keep your GI Bill. Worth the application.
Yellow Ribbon Program
Participating schools split the cost of tuition above the GI Bill cap with the VA. Critical for private and out-of-state public schools.
GI Bill Comparison Tool
Compare schools by cost, GI Bill benefit, graduation rate, and veteran enrollment. Avoid for-profit predators — check this before you sign.
Transfer GI Bill to Spouse / Kids
Active duty can transfer benefits to dependents. Must commit to additional service. Read the rules carefully — once you separate, you can't transfer.
Transition & Employment
Civilian world doesn't speak DD-214. Translate the resume, build the network, take the cert. The first job out is rarely the right one — that's fine, just make sure it's a step, not a hole.
DoD SkillBridge
Last 180 days of service: do a paid internship at a civilian company while still on active duty. The hire-rate is north of 80%. If your command will sign it, take it.
TAP — Transition Assistance Program
Mandatory transition curriculum. Show up sober, take notes, do the homework. The VA Benefits brief alone is worth the day.
Hire Heroes USA
Free 1-on-1 career coaching, resume writing, mock interviews. One of the best vet employment nonprofits in the country.
Hiring Our Heroes (US Chamber)
Hiring fairs, fellowships, military-spouse employment. Strong corporate employer network.
Veterans Employment Center (VA)
Job board, employer directory, military skills translator. Free.
American Corporate Partners (ACP)
Free 1-year mentorship pairing with a corporate executive. Best-kept secret in vet career development.
Housing & Homelessness
Use the VA loan — it's the single best home-buying benefit in the country. If you're already without housing or near it, the homeless line gets a same-day callback. Don't wait.
VA Home Loan
Zero down, no PMI, lower rates. Reusable. The Certificate of Eligibility (COE) takes minutes online. Don't pay for a service to do it for you.
National Call Center for Homeless Veterans
Free, confidential, 24/7. Same-day callback to a local VA homeless coordinator.
📞 1-877-424-3838
HUD-VASH (Housing + Case Mgmt)
Permanent supportive housing voucher (HUD) paired with VA case management for homeless vets. Talk to a VA homeless coordinator.
SSVF — Supportive Services for Veteran Families
Rapid rehousing and homelessness prevention for very-low-income vet families. Local nonprofits run it — find your provider.
Family & Caregivers
If you're carrying a vet at home, you don't carry it alone. There are stipends, respite care, and peer networks built specifically for the people behind the uniform.
VA Caregiver Support Program
Stipend, respite care, training, mental health support for caregivers of eligible vets. Two tracks — General and Comprehensive (PCAFC).
📞 1-855-260-3274
Hidden Heroes (Dole Foundation)
National network for military and veteran caregivers. Local chapters, advocacy, peer support.
TAPS — Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors
24/7 peer-based support for anyone grieving the death of a service member or vet, regardless of cause.
📞 1-800-959-8277
Blue Star Families
Programs and research for active-duty and veteran families. Strong advocacy on quality-of-life issues.
Veteran Business & Entrepreneurship
If you're starting or running a business, get the SDVOSB / VOSB cert and get on the federal contracting list. Boots to Business is a free crash course on the entire stack.
Boots to Business (SBA)
Free SBA entrepreneurship training for transitioning service members, vets, and military spouses. In-person and online.
VetCert — VA Vet-Owned Business Verification
Get certified as VOSB or SDVOSB to access federal set-aside contracts. Replaces the old CVE program.
Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOC)
SBA-funded centers offering free business plan reviews, mentoring, training. One in every region.
Bunker Labs
National network for veteran entrepreneurs. CEOcircle, education programs, founder community.
Patriot Boot Camp
Tech-startup accelerator for veteran founders. Mentorship, capital intros, alumni network.
Brotherhood & Community
The single most reliable predictor of a good post-service decade is whether you're still around other vets. Pick one. Show up.
Team Red, White & Blue
Local chapters across the country. Physical and social activity rooted in vet community. Lowest-friction way to find your people.
Team Rubicon
Vet-led disaster response. Deploys to natural disasters and humanitarian crises. Mission-driven brotherhood with a job to do.
The Mission Continues
Vet-led service projects in underserved communities. Service after service.
American Legion
Largest vet service organization. Posts in every state. Strong on advocacy, scholarships, and local community.
VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars)
Membership requires overseas service in a campaign or expedition. Posts, advocacy, scholarships, and one of the best VSO networks.
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)
Post-9/11 vet community and policy advocacy. Strong on PACT Act, women vets, and burn pit issues.
Vet-Owned & Proud
Run a vet-owned business?
Send it over and we'll consider it for the list.
Submit Your BusinessStill Dangerous. Still Useful.
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