10% to 70% VA Disability: The Elite Member Success Story of Navy Veteran Vernon Wingfield

For more than 30 years, Navy Veteran Vernon Wingfield carried the weight of experiences from the Persian Gulf War that he didn’t fully understand. He carried stories he couldn’t quite explain, even to himself. 

And for years after coming home, he tried to push those memories aside—going through a divorce, meeting with counselors now and then, but never quite connecting the dots. 

When Vernon finally decided to file for VA disability in 2020, he got denied again and again. 

He didn’t know what he was doing wrong. He filled out every form he could find, wrote letters explaining what he’d been through, and kept hoping someone would understand. But nothing was working. 

After multiple denials, Vernon did what millions of veterans do—he searched online for answers. 

That’s when he found VA Claims Insider. And that’s when everything changed. 

Since joining the VA Claims Insider Elite Program, Vernon has increased his VA rating from 10% to 70%. But even more important than his VA rating increase, he finally got something he’d been missing for over three decades: acknowledgment that what happened to him during his service was real. 

The Background

Vernon grew up on a farm in upstate New York. After high school, his father’s job transferred the family to South Louisiana. Vernon gave college a shot but quickly realized it wasn’t for him. With his father having served in the Navy, Vernon decided to follow in his footsteps. 

He enlisted in 1988 and trained to become an electrical or interior communications specialist. By 1991, Vernon was in the Persian Gulf War.

He spent much of his deployment on ships, sometimes transferring between vessels on a bosun’s chair while both ships were moving at 15 knots. On one mission in Saudi Arabia, he witnessed a bus explosion. It was a scene that never left him. 

After separating in 1993, he served three more years in the Louisiana National Guard and four additional years in inactive status—more than a decade of total service.

Still, Vernon admits there was always the question in his mind: Did I really go through as much as it feels like I did? 

Years of Not Really Knowing

For years, Vernon tried to move forward without fully understanding what was going on. 

Then he met his second wife, whom he describes as phenomenal and insightful. Coming from a family with a strong medical background, she was the first to recognize the weight he’d been carrying. 

“Vern, you’ve got PTSD,” she told him. “You’ve got anxiety and a whole bunch of things.” 

She noticed that whenever he opened up about his military experiences, he struggled. “I know you don’t like to talk about it,” she said, “but I feel like you should do something about it.” 

That encouragement pushed Vernon to file for VA disability in 2020. 

Flying Blind

The problem was, Vernon had no idea how the VA disability process worked. He didn’t know what to include in his claims, how to describe his symptoms, or even where to start. 

Like many veterans, he thought more information was better. But by trying to cover everything, he made it harder for the VA to see what really mattered. He got denied every time. 

He continued to submit statements and 781 forms, trying to explain his experiences, but nothing changed. 

Finally, after his third denial, Vernon began researching how to properly file a claim—and soon discovered VA Claims Insider. He started reading through the blog articles and watching videos, realizing for the first time how the VA system actually worked. 

“Since then,” he says, “I just feel like there’s been somebody in my corner.” 

Working With a Veteran Coach

Vernon enrolled in the Elite Program and got paired with a Veteran Coach. He says it completely changed how he approached his claims. He felt prepared for every next step and finally felt confident in the process. 

Then came a breakthrough moment. 

“When my coach told me, ‘Vern, you have to talk about your worst days because that’s what you’re there for,'” Vernon remembers. 

His coach explained that examiners don’t need to understand how he manages to function—they need to see the full picture of how his service affects him. That was a turning point. 

Vernon realized the military had conditioned him to suck it up and not complain. But the VA process required the opposite—he needed to be honest about the things that weren’t perfect. 

He also learned why his earlier approach had failed. After watching a video where Brian Reese explained the “spray and pray” approach—submitting too much unfocused information—Vernon saw exactly what he’d done wrong. 

The Increase

With all of his newfound understanding, Vernon’s VA rating increased from 10% to 70%. In his words, he’s ‘a hundred percent success story.’ 

He now understands the VA disability system and himself better than ever before.  

Moving Forward

Vernon’s only regret is not finding VA Claims Insider sooner. But he was hesitant at first because, as he puts it, “you just don’t know what you don’t know.” 

He speaks genuinely about Brian Reese and the VA Claims Insider team. “You can tell that Brian is a hundred percent genuine,” Vernon says. “You can tell in all the videos that everybody there is as genuine as they can be.” 

His advice to other veterans is straightforward: seek help and support if you’re uncomfortable and don’t know what to do. Be specific and have examples ready, because that’s what will help examiners understand what you’re dealing with.  

When it comes to navigating the claims process, he believes VA Claims Insider is the gold standard. 

For Vernon, the journey from 10% to 70% was never really about the numbers. 

“To be honest, it isn’t about money,” he says. “It’s about the acknowledgment of the things that happened and the things that made me the way I am. Please acknowledge that this happened. Claim denials are crushing. Accepting it changes everything.” 

For Vernon, that acknowledgment has brought peace, validation, and the freedom to move forward without carrying the weight alone.

About VA Claims Insider

• VA Claims Insider is the #1 most trusted name in VA disability claims. 
• Work directly with a VA claims coach who can educate you through the claims process.  
• 25,000+ disabled veterans have served in our membership programs since 2016.  
• 30% average rating increase for veterans who complete our #1-rated Elite program.

Author

Eric Webb

Eric has written and worked in the field of Veterans Disability since 2020 and enjoys writing educational content for the veteran population. His prior work has been published in the Official Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). He holds a Degree in Health and Exercise Science.