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Built by a fellow Veteran for Veterans

Draft your own VA letters in minutes, not weeks, with Zero Dark Claims.

Self-help drafting software. Turn your own story into a clear, structured VA personal statement, nexus outline, or buddy/lay witness letter you can review with your doctor, VSO, accredited claims agent, or attorney. Built by a Veteran, used by Veterans in San Diego and across the U.S.

Start My Claim → Start drafting a letter How to talk about daily impact
No Veteran data stored. Ever.

Zero Dark Claims is software. It does not provide legal, medical, or financial advice, is not a VA-accredited representative, and does not file claims. The tool drafts content in your own voice for you to review and edit with a qualified professional.

Zero Dark Claims logo
Zero Dark Claims
VA Letter Builder

A Veteran-built tool to help you walk into exams and meetings already holding a clear, written story.

Start My Claim →
LETTER TYPES
12 Letter Types
★
Primary Claim Letters
  • 📄 Personal Statement 21-4138
  • 📄 Nexus / Medical Opinion
  • 📄 PTSD / Mental Health 21-0781
  • 📄 Secondary Service Connection
  • 📄 Increased Rating Statement
Supporting Statements
  • ⭐ Lay / Buddy / Witness 21-10210
Appeals & Disagreements
  • ⚖️ Disagreement / Appeal 20-0996/10182
  • ⚖️ Clear & Unmistakable Error (CUE)
  • ⚖️ Effective Date / Retroactive Benefits
Special Claims
  • 🏅 Individual Unemployability (IU) 21-8940
  • 🏅 Aid & Attendance / Housebound
  • 🏅 Caregiver Program Support Letter

Answer a few focused questions about your service, condition, and how it affects your life. The tool organizes your answers into VA-style language and structure you can download and edit.

  • ✔ Designed specifically for VA disability claims
  • ✔ No sign-in, no data stored on our side
  • ✔ Downloadable drafts you control and share
"I want Veterans to walk into their C&P exams and meetings with reps already holding a clear, written story—not starting from scratch."
Mission

Built by a Veteran, for other Veterans.

I built Zero Dark Claims as a Veteran for other Veterans, so fellow Veterans don't keep getting bled by claim sharks who charge outrageous fees for something we can and should understand ourselves.

I've watched buddies hand over years of hard‑earned back pay to people who barely understand how the VA thinks or what a rater is actually looking for in a claim.

This site is about putting a self-service drafting tool in Veterans' hands so they can walk into appointments with a VA-accredited VSO, claims agent, attorney, or their own doctor already holding a written draft — not a blank page. Zero Dark Claims is software, not a representative; the accredited people do the representation.

How it works

Built around the way the VA actually reads your file.

The letter builder gives you a structured place to write about your own service, symptoms, and daily impact in the same shape VA decision makers are used to reading. You do the writing; the tool handles the structure.

1

Choose your letter type

Personal statement in support of claim, medical nexus outline to bring to your provider, or a lay/witness statement matching VA Form 21-10210 style language.

2

Answer guided prompts

Fill in simple fields about your branch, service dates, duty station, in‑service event or exposure, when symptoms started, and how they affect your life now.

3

Download and review

Instantly generate a draft PDF you can print, sign, and use with your VSO, attorney, or doctor—or copy text into VA Forms and online submissions.

Writing stronger statements

How to describe how your condition affects daily life.

When a VA rater reviews your file, they are not just asking "Do you have this condition?" They are asking "How bad is it, and how does it limit your day-to-day life?" Clear details about your routine help them match your situation to the rating criteria.

Instead of only saying "I have back pain" or "I have anxiety," spell out what that looks like in your daily life:

  • How far you can walk before you have to stop or rest.
  • How long you can sit, stand, or drive before pain or symptoms force you to change positions.
  • How often you miss work, school, or family events because of your condition.
  • What tasks you used to do easily (PT, sports, chores, hobbies) that you now avoid or need help with.
  • How your sleep, mood, or concentration are affected.

VA raters are looking for specific, repeatable examples that show how often symptoms happen, how long they last, and how severe they are. Phrases like "several times a week," "most days," or "I have to lie down after 20–30 minutes of standing" are more useful than vague statements like "it hurts a lot."

When you use the letter builder, try to describe what a "good day" looks like, what a "bad day" looks like, how often each happens, and what you do differently now compared to before your condition started. That level of detail helps the rater see your real limitations, not just a diagnosis code.

Veteran feedback

What other Veterans are saying.

Early users are using Zero Dark Claims to walk into exams and meetings already holding a clear written story instead of trying to remember everything on the spot. The illustrative examples below reflect the kinds of feedback the tool has received from early Veteran users; specific identifying details are omitted.

"Having a clean personal statement draft before my C&P made it way easier to stay focused and not forget key events."

— Army Veteran, OIF/OEF

"The nexus outline gave my provider a clear starting point. She appreciated that it was already in VA-style language."

— Marine Corps Veteran

"I sent the lay statement draft to my spouse and squadmate and they were able to quickly tweak it to match what they've seen."

— Navy Veteran
Local focus

Serving San Diego Veterans.

Zero Dark Claims is built for U.S. military Veterans nationwide and is used by many Veterans across San Diego County — from active-duty transitions at MCAS Miramar, Naval Base San Diego, Camp Pendleton, and Naval Base Coronado, to long-time Veterans working their claims years after EAS.

Use the VA Letter Builder to draft your own personal statement, nexus outline, or buddy/lay witness letter, then take the draft to a VA-accredited representative — for example, the San Diego County Office of Military and Veterans Affairs (OMVA), 211 San Diego's Courage to Call, or a VSO listed by the VA San Diego Regional Benefit Office. Zero Dark Claims is not VA-accredited and does not file claims.

See our San Diego Veteran resources page for a curated list of public, official help options in the region.

Draft before you walk in

Show up to your appointment at OMVA, a VSO, or a private VA-accredited attorney in San Diego already holding a clear personal statement or nexus outline — not a blank page.

Open the Letter Builder →

Local resources, official sources

We link out to county, state, and federal Veteran resources serving San Diego — including OMVA, 211 San Diego, and the VA San Diego Regional Benefit Office's VSO list.

San Diego Veteran Resources →

Zero Dark Claims is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the San Diego County Office of Military and Veterans Affairs, 211 San Diego, or any VSO. Information about third-party organizations is for reference only.

Veteran Tools

Everything you need in one place.

All tools are session-only — nothing you enter is stored, transmitted, or kept after you close your browser. Your story stays yours.

✍️ VA Letter Builder — Pick Your Letter Type

Guided, step-by-step drafting for every major VA claim letter. Each guide explains what to include, common mistakes, and shows a redacted sample — then launches the free builder.

👥

Lay / Buddy Statement

VA Form 21-10210. First-hand accounts from fellow service members, spouses, or friends who witnessed an event or observed changes in your condition.

Open Lay Statement Guide →
📝

Personal Statement

VA Form 21-4138. Your own written account — the incident, symptoms, and daily impact — in your voice, structured the way raters expect to read it.

Open Personal Statement Guide →
🩺

Nexus Letter

Medical opinion template linking a current condition to service. What to give your provider, and how the "at least as likely as not" language actually needs to read.

Open Nexus Letter Guide →
🛡️

PTSD / Mental Health Statement

VA Form 21-0781. Stressor statement for combat, MST, or non-combat trauma. Covers what to include, what not to include, and how to describe the effect on daily life.

Open PTSD Statement Guide →
🤝

Caregiver Support Letter

PCAFC and General Caregiver Program. A structured account of the assistance the Veteran needs with daily activities, safety, and mental-health supervision.

Open Caregiver Letter Guide →
⚖️

Appeal / Disagreement Statement

Notice of Disagreement, Supplemental Claim, and Higher-Level Review (VA Forms 20-0995 / 20-0996). What to argue, what new evidence to point to, and what to leave out.

Open Appeal Guide →
📂

C-File Organizer

A self-help checklist. Enter information from your C-File or service records and get a structured summary of what you entered, plus general educational descriptions of common VA filing pathways to review with a VA-accredited representative. Session-only, zero data stored. Not a claim evaluation.

Open C-File Organizer →
🎖️

VA Assistant

General VA information — not specific to your claim. A session-only knowledge base covering disability ratings, PACT Act, appeals, C&P exam tips, education benefits, housing, mental health, business resources, state benefits, and more. Educational only; consult a VA-accredited representative for guidance on your own claim.

Open VA Assistant →

Prefer to go straight to the app? Skip the guides and open the full builder in a secure window.

Launch Zero Dark Claims Letter Builder
FAQ

Questions Veterans ask most.

Do you store any of my information?
No. All tools are designed so your inputs stay within your browser session only. We do not create accounts, store your identifying data, or keep copies of the letters, analyses, or chat conversations you generate. Your session clears when you close the browser.
Is this legal or medical advice?
No. Zero Dark Claims is drafting software. It is not a VA-accredited representative, does not file claims, and does not provide legal, medical, or financial advice. Always review your letters and any claim strategy with a VA-accredited VSO, claims agent, or attorney — and your own doctor or mental health professional where relevant — before submission.
Can I use the drafts with my VSO or attorney?
Yes. The drafts are designed to be shared and edited with your VSO, attorney, or other representative so they can adjust language, add evidence, and ensure everything matches your case strategy.
What is the C-File Organizer?
The C-File Organizer is a self-help checklist. It reflects the information you enter about your own claims file and service records back to you as a structured summary, together with general educational descriptions of common VA filing pathways (Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review, TDIU, PACT Act presumptive, and others) for you to review with a VA-accredited VSO, claims agent, or attorney. It does not evaluate your claim, recommend a strategy, or provide legal or medical advice. Everything you enter stays session-only and is never stored.
What can the VA Assistant help me with?
The VA Assistant covers the full scope of veteran benefits and resources — disability claims, the appeals process, C&P exam tips, rating math, PACT Act, education benefits (GI Bill, Voc Rehab), VA home loans, mental health resources, crisis support, state benefits, and veteran-owned business resources.
Will you guarantee my claim is approved?
No tool or person can guarantee an outcome. The software helps you organize your own story into a structured draft. Whether that draft is used, edited, or filed is your decision, made with your VA-accredited representative.
Do you help Veterans in San Diego?
Yes. Zero Dark Claims is built for U.S. military Veterans nationwide and is widely used by Veterans in San Diego County. The tool helps you draft your own VA personal statements, nexus letter outlines, and buddy/lay witness letters that you can review with a San Diego-area VA-accredited VSO, attorney, or your own doctor before filing. We are not VA-accredited and do not file claims for you.
Where can San Diego Veterans get free, in-person help filing a VA claim?
San Diego County's Office of Military and Veterans Affairs (OMVA) helps Veterans file VA disability claims and connects them to local services (HQ 5055 Ruffin Road, San Diego, CA 92123; main line 1-866-726-8831; Vet Connect 858-694-3222). 211 San Diego runs the Courage to Call helpline at 1-877-698-7838 for active-duty service members, Veterans, reservists, guard members, and their families. The VA San Diego Regional Benefit Office also publishes a list of VA-accredited VSOs you can work with — see our San Diego Veteran resources page.
Is Zero Dark Claims affiliated with the VA San Diego office or any VSO?
No. Zero Dark Claims is an independent Veteran-built drafting tool. We are not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the VA San Diego Regional Benefit Office, San Diego County OMVA, 211 San Diego, or any specific VSO or law firm. We encourage Veterans to review drafts with a VA-accredited representative or attorney before filing.