A joint base means two boards
Joint Base Lewis-McChord combines an Army post and an Air Force base. On the Lewis side are I Corps, the 7th Infantry Division and its brigades, the 1st Special Forces Group, a Ranger battalion, and Madigan Army Medical Center. On the McChord side is the 62nd Airlift Wing, along with the Reserve 446th Airlift Wing.
That mix matters because CRSC is decided by the branch you retired from, not by where you live. Army retirees file with the CRSC branch at Human Resources Command. Air Force retirees file with the Air Force Personnel Center, typically through myFSS. The boards use the same law and the same four combat-related categories, but the submission routes and practical details differ. See our Army and Air Force CRSC guides.
Fact patterns we look at for JBLM retirees
- Stryker and vehicle injuries. Rollovers, crashes and injuries caused by the vehicle itself may fit instrumentality of war. An injury that simply happened near a vehicle usually does not.
- Special operations and Ranger service. Parachute, demolition and other hazardous duties can fit hazardous service when documented.
- Yakima and field training. Live-fire and maneuver training injuries can fit training that simulates war.
- Airlift aircrew. Flight duty and aircraft-related injuries may qualify with the right records. Aircraft noise claims need careful proof; see hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Deployments. Injuries from enemy action fit armed conflict when the record shows the event.
What CRSC is and is not
CRSC is a tax-free monthly payment for eligible military retirees whose retired pay is reduced because they receive VA disability compensation. The VA decides your rating. Your branch decides whether each rated condition is combat-related. CRSC does not change your VA rating, and a VA rating does not by itself make a condition combat-related. A board decides from credible documents, so the packet must show how the injury happened. Compare CRSC with concurrent retirement pay on our CRSC vs. CRDP page.
Local resources worth knowing
The JBLM Retirement Services Office is the right stop for retired pay, SBP and retiree benefit questions. VA health care facilities in the Puget Sound region serve South Sound veterans. For VA disability claims, county veterans service officers and accredited Veterans Service Organizations can help at no cost; Standfast does not file VA claims. Once CRSC is approved, DFAS pays it and you can see it in myPay. Our role is the CRSC packet.
How it works from the South Sound
- Take the 30-second quiz or book a free 15-minute review.
- Upload your DD-214, VA rating decisions and any CRSC letters through secure upload.
- We tell you which conditions look combat-related and provable, and which do not.
- If you hire us, we build the packet for a flat fee. You sign and submit it to your branch.
- Flat fee, quoted up front. Never a percentage of your back pay. Payment plans available through Affirm or Klarna at checkout, subject to approval.
- Founded by a combat-disabled Army Infantry retiree who filed his own 277-page CRSC packet. Meet Loy.
- Free 15-minute review before you spend anything.
We help retirees from every branch
Each branch decides CRSC through a different board. Start with yours:
What we do
- CRSC packet preparation: end-to-end build, intake to submission-ready.
- CRSC records review: what is combat-related, provable, and worth per month.
- CRSC reconsideration: rebuild a denied claim with a clearer link to a qualifying cause.
- DD Form 2860 help: completing the CRSC claim form, block by block.
- CRSC eligibility: see if you qualify.
- CRSC calculator: a working estimate of the monthly amount.
Frequently asked questions
I retired from the Air Force at McChord. Is my process different from an Army retiree's?
Yes. Air Force retirees file with the Air Force Personnel Center, and Army retirees file with Human Resources Command. The law and the four categories are the same; the route and practical details are not. We build each packet for the board that will read it.
Can Stryker rollover injuries qualify for CRSC?
They can when records show the vehicle caused the injury and the condition is VA-rated. Boards look at whether the military vehicle was the cause, not just the setting. Your branch makes the final decision.
Is Standfast affiliated with JBLM or the VA?
No. Standfast is a private, veteran-owned company. We are not affiliated with the VA, DoD, DFAS, HRC, AFPC or any branch, and we are not a law firm, VSO or accredited agent.
Do you only work with Washington retirees?
No. We work 100% remotely with retirees nationwide.
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Local or nationwide, start with a free review.
Everything is done by phone, email and secure file sharing, so where you live never limits the help. Tell us your situation and we will give you a straight, vet-to-vet read on whether CRSC looks like a fit.
Standfast Veterans Group (Standfast Claims LLC) is a private, veteran-owned CRSC packet-preparation company. We are not a law firm, not a Veterans Service Organization and not VA-accredited agents, and we are not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, DFAS, Army Human Resources Command or any branch of the Armed Forces. This page is general information, not legal, tax, financial or medical advice. Your branch's CRSC board decides every claim; we do not guarantee approval, a rating, a payment amount or back pay.