MOS and VA Disability Claims: What Our BVA Sample Shows
The intelligence and logistics categories differ by 10.2 percentage points in our sample. Small groups, missing labels and repeated decisions limit what that means.
Intelligence Brief
Clear guides, original reporting and a closer look at VA claims.
Board research
20 articles · All sections
When the Board Quotes a Lay Statement: What Our Sample Shows
In 77,151 condition records, quoted lay evidence appeared alongside more favorable outcomes. That finding does not mean a quotable statement doubles your chances.
BVA Grant Rate: What 98,625 Board Condition Records Show
The BVA grant rate across 98,625 decided condition records: 30.6 percent granted overall, but the rate swings from 3 percent to 93 percent based on your evidence.
Examiner Specialty Predicts C&P Adequacy: 73% to 26% in the Same System
Urology C&P exams come back adequate 72.8% of the time. Sleep medicine C&P exams come back adequate 26.3%. Same system, two different reports.
VA Service Connection: Direct, Secondary, and Presumptive
Compare direct, secondary, presumptive, and aggravation theories. Map your actual records to the connection question your claim needs to answer.
Combat Status Helps Less Than You Think: 6.6 Points of Grant Rate Difference
Combat veterans grant at 37.2%, non-combat at 30.6%. The 6.6-point gap is real but smaller than the § 1154(b) talking points suggest. What it actually does.
Judge Variance at the BVA: 40 Points Apart on Similar Volume
Two high-volume BVA judges show a 40.6-point grant-rate spread. The corrected record and decision counts explain why the comparison needs context.
The Board's Quiet Shift: Grant Rates 2023 to 2025
The Board's grant rate went from 26.9% in 2023 to 30.4% in 2025. Denials up 7 points. Remands down 10. The Board is getting faster but slightly tougher.
Branch by Branch: A 12.6-Point Spread in BVA Grant Rates
Air Force veterans grant at 34.1% at the BVA. National Guard veterans at 21.5%. A 12.6-point spread across services that should follow the same statute.
Freund v. Collins Update: A Fairness Hearing on August 13, and Where Your Reopened Appeal Stands
The VACOLS appeal-closure settlement now has a fairness hearing set for August 13, 2026. Here is where things stand and what affected veterans should watch for.
Get Intelligence Brief by email.
One email per week with new guides, reports and VA updates. Unsubscribe anytime.