Okay Heres the REAL NVG VA DISABILITY Deal:

In short maybe...NVG specific disability ...NO. I heard the same old thing...I was a NVG schoolhouse flight instructor went to USAF NVG Instructors School....helos, jets, turboprops, etc flew for 24 yrs everything from the old ANVS-6 to the newest goggles. So I was well versed in the use and wives tales of "THE" automatic VA disability.

You have to tie your service connnected disability rating to something specific in the CFR38 "code" definitions like headaches, or eye strain, cataracts....loss of visual acuity. There is no NVG VA disability in the CFR rating tables. Look at the Tables....neck strain, visual acuity, headaches, etc. Each one has a code number. State something like this: Visual Acuity worsening hard to focus, headaches and neck strain/pain due to NVG flying.

How do you do this??? Step !. Document a Ironclad Case when you decide to punch out whether it be 20yrs or 5 yrs, or 1 yr. The VA doesnt care.

Im not coaching here.....but these boogers ARE bad for your eyes....
I have over 600 hrs of hard NVG time and the last 2 yars as a NVG instructor I swear those 4949's affected my vision.....always been 20/20 before that now I have a fissure and cataract/cloud in my right eye and am 20/45 Even though it was well documented in my USAF flight records and Medical exams since 08 that my NVG flying was causing headaches and eyestrain the VA rated me at 0% for the cataracts and visual acuity but gave me 10% for the headaches?? Go figure???? Its a game......put the ball in your court by documenting the small stuff as it pops up and COPY YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS, and put them in a plastic tub because you will need these later.

Mind you this was well documented in my medical records. Every year write down everything that has happened or is wrong...dont try to cover it up so you can keep flying. On your PHA or flight physical for example specifically state your concern....like "back pain /arthritis due to weight of NVG/Helmet", if you dont document it you wont get anything for it. This was my mistake, I didnt get that specific on my annual exams or when I saw the flight doc. Write it out the more the better and spread it out over your last few years. but when I went to the VA the Rating Officer he confessed he likes easy to find specific trails in order to tie a disability into a rating. Dont make them connect the dots for you...they miss things...and have to read pages and pages, believe me things get missed. if your looking for a rating Id say 10-30% out of a NVG/eye or neck strain........... I didnt know,I wish I knew this then I didnt plan to be a disabled vet.....I just wanted to fly and go TDY. If you dont document it .....IT DIDNT happen...see where Im going with this. Its FREE document everything even a cough and a chest cold.

I hate to see people get misinformed and lose out. VA ratings are for actual wear and tear on your bodies...and we have all had that especially with the ops tempo being so high the last decade. Be real about your concerns but dont skimp on the details build your case BEFORE you get out...go to the flight doc tomorrow and put it in writing in your medical records.....it could mean the difference of a lot $$ or nothing down the road if your symptoms worsen.

Also when you retire Acitve Duty, Reserve/Guard whatever request a exit physical and write down everything you think you have concerns about....
it will make the trail easier for the VA to follow!

Good LUCK ....hope this was helpful