Claim Raven explanation
What this means
VA excludes certain nonqualifying periods when computing countable service. This section lists circumstances involving lost time and other specified absences or statuses.
The overall dates on a separation document may therefore differ from the countable time used for a particular benefit. The precise status of an interval matters; not every absence or interruption is treated the same.
How this helps your claim
This helps you check a service-length calculation against official records. Identify the specific days or periods excluded and the rule VA used for each one.
What to check in your records
Use your decision, examination reports, and relevant records to check the following points.
- Locate the total service dates and any recorded lost-time periods.
- Check the official reason and status for each excluded interval.
- Compare VA's calculation with the service department's documentation.
Check the periods removed from the calculation
The time between entry and separation is not always identical to the service time counted for a particular benefit. If the decision subtracts an interval, you should be able to identify both its dates and the reason the interval was excluded.
Compare the calculation with official lost-time entries and any later corrections. Do not assume that all absences have the same effect. A clearly organized timeline can reveal a simple date mismatch without requiring you to make a broad claim that the entire service record is wrong.
Does this section decide whether my disability is service connected?
It addresses computation of service, which may affect an eligibility requirement. The relationship between a disability and service is a separate question. The same records may be relevant to both, but a service-length calculation alone does not answer the medical or factual connection question.
Official regulatory text
38 CFR § 3.15
eCFR snapshot: September 3, 2026. Layout and spacing are adapted for reading. The full section and its tables are included below.
§ 3.15 Computation of service.
For nonservice-connected or service-connected benefits, active service is countable exclusive of time spent on an industrial, agricultural, or indefinite furlough, time lost on absence without leave (without pay), under arrest (without acquittal), in desertion, while undergoing sentence of court-martial or a period following release from active duty under the circumstances outlined in § 3.41. In claims based on Spanish-American War service, leave authorized under General Order No. 130, War Department, is included.
Cross Reference:
Duty periods. See § 3.6(b)(6).
[40 FR 16064, Apr. 9, 1975]
Related references
- 38 CFR § 3.6: Active duty, Reserve training, and VA claims
- 38 CFR § 4.1: What a VA disability rating measures
- 38 CFR § 3.159: VA duty to assist: records and examinations
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