Can I use Claim Raven if I'm still on active duty?

Overview

Yes. You can use Claim Raven while serving on active duty or in the National Guard or Reserve. Educational, transition, records-organization, statement, and Pathfinder tools do not require you to wait until separation. A tool's availability does not decide VA eligibility or duty status. Product access and VA filing eligibility are different VA's current pre-discharge rules, your actual orders and separation date, exam availability, and official instructions control whether a BDD or other pre-discharge route is available. Claim Raven does not calculate or select that route for you.

Useful work you can do before separation

Preserve service records Keep complete service treatment, personnel, orders, duty-status, deployment, and separation records in a private source archive. Do not rename or edit originals. You retain the records that establish dates and context. Build a sourced service timeline Record exact dates and duty status only when a reliable source supports them. Keep active duty, active duty for training, inactive duty training, and unknown periods distinct. The timeline preserves uncertainty instead of guessing qualifying service. Use educational tools Use Pathfinder, Resume Raven, Raven Scribe, and Statement Builder to organize information and create drafts you review. Do not treat a generated draft as an official filing or established fact. Your work remains editable and veteran controlled. Read VA's pre-discharge instructions If you are approaching separation, use VA's current page to check the BDD window, eligibility conditions, required health assessment, records, and exam availability. The official route is reviewed before any filing decision. Verify claim data separately The dashboard can display claim information only when a supported source or import provides it. No dashboard record is expected before a claim exists in an available source. An empty dashboard is not mistaken for a product failure or an eligibility decision. Keep product and official responsibilities separate Question Controlling source Can I open and use Claim Raven tools? Current Claim Raven account and tool access Does this duty period qualify? Official records and current VA law and instructions Can I use BDD? VA's current pre-discharge eligibility rules and your verified separation facts What date or form controls? The current official VA page, form instructions, and any notice Does VA already have a claim? VA.gov and the official claim record Do not enter classified or unnecessary sensitive information Use only information you are authorized to handle. Keep passwords, multifactor codes, VA credentials, Social Security numbers, classified material, and unrelated medical details out of support messages and synthetic examples.

Official sources

Official sources VA: Pre-discharge claim https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/when-to-file/pre-discharge-claim/ VA disability compensation eligibility https://www.va.gov/disability/eligibility/

Related guidance

Related guidance Active Duty, Guard, and Reserve service dates and duty status /help-center/claims-and-appeals/static-active-duty-guard-reserve-service-dates-and-duty-status Pathfinder beta learning path /help-center/getting-started/static-pathfinder-beta-learning-path What Claim Raven can access /help-center/privacy-and-security/faq-what-can-claim-raven-access

More information

Start with the current VA pre-discharge rules Verify the official BDD and pre-discharge requirements before you decide how or when to file. Read VA guidance https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/when-to-file/pre-discharge-claim/

Common questions