Question:

I was recently denied for plantar fasciitis. As we all know most condition happen when you get out of the military. I have medical evidence from my podiatrist which states that I have plantar fasciitis/foot condition and bilateral ankle condition from the military. If I file a supplemental claim,  I have to provide more evidence. I’ve already done x-rays, wear air cast, took medication, have ointment and orthopedics from my podiatrist. How can I get this service connected?

Jim's Reply:

I strongly disagree with your philosophy, "we all know most condition happen when you get out of the military." To be rated, a disabling condition must be service connected. If something goes wrong after service and you can't legitimately connect that back to service, you have to consider that it may not be a condition connected to your military service. If you're out more than a year and flat footedness isn't recorded anywhere in your service medical record, you're likely out of luck. I have a really bad hip. I ran a lot in service in 1967. Should I try to service connect that or accept that I'm getting older? I'll let you answer that.