Our Story
The Book Nobody Handed Us
In 1987, I walked out of a VA office with a 0% rating and a piece of advice that cost me years of compensation: "You can't appeal. You just have to live with it."
I didn't go back for a long time. I didn't think it was worth trying.
Eventually, a fellow veteran sat me down and explained how the system actually worked. I filed again — the right way — and reached 100%. Since then I have helped dozens of other veterans do the same.
"Nobody handed us a roadmap. These books are that roadmap."
Ethan Reed, my co-author, served in the 75th Ranger Regiment. The Army's own Medical Evaluation Board formally recognized his service-connected conditions before he left uniform — the institution itself acknowledged what his service cost him.
We wrote these books because that information gap is still costing veterans money and access to care every single day.
Michael Westcott
U.S. Army Combat Engineer · Desert Storm Veteran
100% Service-Disabled Veteran
Principal engineer and firm owner. Spent years helping fellow veterans navigate the VA system after reaching 100% himself. Co-author of The Complete VA Playbook series.
Ethan Reed
Combat Veteran, 75th Ranger Regiment
100% Service-Disabled Veteran — Military Medical Retirement
The Army's own Medical Evaluation Board formally recognized his service-connected conditions before he left uniform. His rating came through the MEB/PEB process — the institution acknowledged what his service cost him.
What Makes These Books Different
Every other guide in this category tells veterans what to do. Ours makes you do it on the page — fill-in exercises, worst-day description templates, C&P prep sheets, and VASRD criteria in plain English. This is a workbook, not a read-once guide.