Dear Brothers or Sisters in Arms,

Have you tried to file a claim with the VA only to be told “F.U.” Vet? Yeah, me too.

Three years ago, I found myself neck-deep in the bureaucratic quagmire known as the VA claims system, no map, no compass, just a lost LT with no damn clue which way was up. It felt like trying to square away a formation full of boots: frustrating, endless, and full of smoke blown in every direction.

So, like any stubborn Marine with a chip on his shoulder and a BA in English (go figure), I decided to dig in and do what we do best: improvise, adapt, overcome and raise a little hell.

I studied the system like it was a field manual written by the enemy. VA regs, court rulings, DBQs, C&P exams, and enough policy pages to make your eyes bleed. I learned how to write nexus letters to give to my doctor that actually connect to dots, statements that speak VA’s language, and how to stack the deck legally, without selling your soul or waiting around for someone else to “green light” your future. And the wild thing? It started working. Not just for me, but for a handful of other Devil Dogs and fellow warfighters I quietly helped on the side. The Corps may not have taught us how to file a claim, but it damn sure taught us how to watch each other’s six.

 

So now, I’m making it official.

Foxtrot Uniform Vets is my way of saying, “Screw it, I’ve got your back.” A nonprofit by a vet, for vets. No ranks, no fees, no BS. No percentages of your back pay. No contracts tighter than a drill instructor’s haircut. No pressure. I can help guide you through the questions and paperwork, kind of like a salty team leader yelling directions while you’re knee-deep in the suck. But just like no one else can qualify on your weapon or run your PT test for you, you still have to do the work: you file your claims, you show up to your VA medical appointments, and keep your boots laced.

Yeah, it takes effort, but let’s be real: you’ve rucked farther, sweated harder, and dealt with worse, like mandatory fun days. I’m just here to make it a little easier and help you avoid stepping on the admin heavy paper pushing landmines. All I ask? If the Spirit of Chesty Puller moves you and you win your claim, get an increase or even grasp the elusive brass ring and get that 100%…maybe send a bottle of good bourbon my way. We’ll raise a glass to those who didn’t make it back, and to the ones who are still fighting, just in a different battle space.

This isn’t a business. It’s a mission. Because after fighting wars overseas, we shouldn’t have to fight another one just to get the benefits we earned.
If you or another veteran needs help, whether it’s writing a personal statement, organizing your records, making sense of this whole messed-up process or just figuring out where to begin, Foxtrot Uniform Vets is here.

No suits. No sales pitches. No PowerPoint ranger tactics. Just straight-up help from someone who’s been in your boots. Let’s start getting what you earned.

Semper Fi,
SGT / 1LT Dereck Enderle
USMC & National Guard
Founder and President Foxtrot Uniform Vets
Not lawyers. Not doctors.
Just a vet helping vets.

From Combat to Claims — Navigating the Fog of War at Home