Service Connection — VA

Service connection is the VA's official finding that your disability is related to your military service. It's the foundation of every VA disability claim — without it, you can't get a rating or compensation.

**There are three types of service connection:**

- **Direct:** Your disability was directly caused by something that happened during your military service. For example, a back injury from a training accident, or hearing loss from repeated weapons fire. - **Secondary:** A condition you developed because of a service-connected disability you already have. For example, if your service-connected knee injury caused you to walk differently for years and that led to hip problems — the hip problems can be secondarily connected. - **Aggravation:** You had a condition before you joined the military, but your service made it significantly worse.

**To prove service connection, you generally need three things:** 1. Evidence of an in-service event or exposure that could have caused or contributed to your condition 2. A current diagnosis from a doctor 3. A medical link — often called a nexus — showing that the in-service event caused or worsened your current condition

For some conditions, the VA automatically grants service connection without you needing to prove the link. These are called **presumptive conditions**. If you were exposed to Agent Orange, burn pits, or other hazardous materials, many conditions are presumptively covered — meaning the VA assumes service caused them.

Service connection is different from your disability rating. Once you're service-connected, the VA assigns a percentage rating (0%–100%) that determines your monthly benefit amount.