By law, Veterans typically can’t receive compensation from both military retirement pay and VA disability compensation at the same time. Generally, if you receive VA disability compensation, it’s subtracted from your DoD retirement pay. However, there are two noteworthy exceptions where dual compensation is allowed:
- Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC) and
- Concurrent Retirement and Disability Payments (CRDP) – for qualifying military retirees with service-connected disabilities rated at 50% or higher.
Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) provides tax-free payments to retired Veterans with combat-related disabilities. It is paid monthly in addition to whatever monthly military retirement and/or VA disability payment the Veteran is entitled to receive. The biggest advantage of CRSC is that veterans can receive military retired pay and VA disability pay at the same time.
Eligibility for Combat-Related Special Compensation
You may be eligible for CRSC if you meet all these requirements:
- You’re retired (and entitled to or receiving military retirement pay), and
- You have a VA disability rating of at least 10%, and
- You currently have your DoD retirement payments reduced by the amount of your VA disability payments.
Additionally, at least one of these must be true:
- You had 20 or more years of service in the military, National Guard, or Reserve, or
- You retired for medical reasons with a disability rating of at least 30% (under Chapter 61), or
- You’re covered under the Temporary Early Retirement Act (TERA), or
- You’re on the Temporary Disability Retired List (TDRL), or
- You’re on the Permanent Disability Retired List (PDRL)
You must prove that your disability or injuries are the result combat-related event with evidence like this:
- Service medical records. These must be from when your injury happened. They must show the severity of your medical condition and that it’s combat-related.
- Official service records. These include After Action Reports, Investigative Reports, personnel action requests (like DA 4187), and performance evaluations (like NCOERs and OERs).
- Decorations and award recommendations. These include Purple Heart citations, Combat Action Badges, medals, and decorations for valor.
The evidence must show that your injury happened while you were:
- Engaged in armed conflict (in combat or during an occupation or raid), or
- Engaged in hazardous duty (like demolition, flying, or parachuting), or
- Participating in war simulation activities (like live fire weapons practice or hand-to-hand combat training), or
- Exposed to instruments of war (like a military vehicle, weapon, or chemical agent), or
- Engaged in an activity you received a Purple Heart for.
The PACT Act greatly expands the list of medical conditions that qualify at the VA for presumptive service connection. A retired Veteran already service connected for these conditions is now potentially eligible for CRSC based upon the PACT Act’s presumption that the conditions are associated with burn pit exposure. If not already service connected for these conditions, retired Veterans may take advantage of the PACT Act by applying for and receiving a VA award of presumptive service connection. The VA’s award of presumptive service connection then makes the Veteran eligible for CRSC in addition to a possible increase in VA disability compensation.
You will also need to provide these additional documents:
- Retirement records. These include retirement orders and the Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer.
- Your VA decision notice
- Your DD214
Here’s how to request the documents you need:
- Decision notice: Send us a request in the form of a letter or note. Be sure to ask for “my VA rating decision letter,” and sign your name. Send your request to your nearest VA regional office.
Find your nearest VA regional office
- Military service records: Request your military service records (including your DD214) online, by mail, or in person.
Learn about how to request your military service records
Apply promptly to get the full amount of your back payments
There’s a 6-year statute of limitations for CRSC. To be sure you get the full amount of your back payments, you must file your CRSC claim within 6 years of any VA rating decision or the date you become entitled to retired pay, whichever comes first. If you file your claim after this 6-year limit you can only get up to 6 years’ worth of any payments due to you.
How to apply for CRSC
Send your completed application, along with any supporting documents, to your uniformed service. Don’t send original supporting documents since your uniformed service won’t return them. Send copies only. And we recommend that you make a copy of your completed application for your own records.
Fill out a Claim for Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) (DD Form 2860). You’ll need to download this PDF to your device instead of trying to open it in your browser:
You must apply for CRSC through your uniformed service.
Air Force and Space Force address
United States Air Force
Disability Division (CRSC)
HQ AFPC/DPPDC
550 C Street West
Randolph AFB, TX 78150-4708
Army address
Department of the Army
U.S. Army Human Resources Command
Attn: AHRC-PDP-C (CRSC)
1600 Spearhead Division Avenue, Dept. 480
Fort Knox, KY 40122-5408
Or send your application by email to [email protected].
You can also use eFAX: 502-613-9550.
Coast Guard address
Commander (PSC-PSD-MED)
Personnel Service Center, Attn: CRSC
2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20593-7200
If you have any questions about applying for CRSC, you can email the Coast Guard at [email protected].
Get more information about CRSC from the Coast Guard website.
Navy and Marine Corps address
Secretary of the Navy
Council of Review Boards
Attn: Combat Related Special Compensation Branch
720 Kennon Street SE, Suite 309
Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5023
Learn more about CRSC and the Navy CRSC mobile app from the Navy website.
