CRSC packet preparation, done for you. Vet to vet.

CRSC packet preparation is the work of assembling and writing your Combat-Related Special Compensation claim so the board can verify it — not just read it. That means a complete DD Form 2860, a causation narrative connecting each VA-rated condition to a qualifying combat-related event, and the supporting records that prove the link. Standfast builds that packet with you and hands you a submission-ready file for your branch.

What a CRSC packet actually has to prove

A board approves what the paper proves. Every condition you claim needs an unbroken chain: a specific, documented event or exposure → the mechanism of injury → the medical evidence → the combat-related category it falls under. When any link is asserted instead of documented, the board has an easy reason to say no. Our entire job is to make every link verifiable.

What full packet preparation includes

• Eligibility & case read. We confirm you meet the preliminary CRSC requirements and identify which of your rated conditions are realistically combat-related.
• Records strategy. We map the exact records that prove each condition and tell you how to request what's missing (personnel file, service treatment records, LODs, deployment and hazardous-duty orders, VA rating decisions and code sheets).
• Causation narrative. A written, board-ready narrative per condition — event, mechanism, medical evidence, category — in the order the board reads it.
• Personal statement. Built from a recorded interview with you, so the board hears your account in your words, organized the way it reads.
• Chain-of-command and witness statements. Drafted for your signers in the board's memo format, so each signer only has to review and sign.
• Independent quality-control pass. A second set of eyes checks the packet before it comes to you for signature.
• DD Form 2860, completed. The current AUG 2026 federal form (dated 12 Aug 2026), filled correctly, including the item 14.k (Block 13 on the old form) narrative most retirees get wrong. How the form works →
• Branch-specific assembly. Each branch board has its own address, format, and expectations. We assemble and order the packet for your board.
• Preservation language. We include language that protects your effective-date position in case the rules shift again (the backpay rules changed three times between 2025 and 2026 — see below).
• One free revise-and-resubmit. If your board returns the packet for administrative reasons, tell us in writing within 90 days of the board's decision. It covers the original scope; a merits reconsideration or new conditions is a separate service.

The process

1. Free 15-minute review. We look at your retirement type, rating, and conditions and tell you straight whether a packet is worth your money. No cost, no obligation.
2. Intake & records roadmap. If there's a fit, we send a clear list of exactly which records to pull and how.
3. We build the packet (about 4 to 8 weeks from the day we have your records). Narratives, DD Form 2860, cover letter, and enclosure assembly. You review every word before it goes out.
4. Submission-ready handoff. We prepare and quality-check the packet; you sign it and submit it to your branch board. We stay on call while the board reviews it. Army HRC quotes 120 business days, roughly six months; the Navy CORB and other boards often take 12 months or more.

Who this is for

Retirees of every branch — Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard — including Chapter 61 medical retirees, 20-year retirees currently receiving CRDP, TERA, and qualifying Reserve retirees. If you have at least one VA-rated condition that traces to a combat-related event, you may have a case.

Estimate your CRSC before you commit

Get a ballpark first. This estimator uses the 2026 VA rates and the same caps a branch board applies. For the full toolkit — VA math, CRDP vs CRSC, and back pay — open the CRSC calculator.

What it costs

We charge a flat fee on purpose. Some companies take a percentage of your retroactive CRSC — which can mean thousands of dollars off the top of money you earned. You'll always know our price up front, and it never scales with your backpay. Full breakdown: what CRSC packet preparation costs in 2026.

Refile and refund policy. We prepare and quality-check the packet; you sign it and submit it to your branch board. We stay on call while the board reviews it. One free revise-and-resubmit if your board returns the packet for administrative reasons. Tell us in writing within 90 days of the board's decision. It covers the original scope; a merits reconsideration or new conditions is a separate service. Full refund if you cancel before we open your records. Once work begins there are no refunds; the flat fee covers the work, not the outcome.

Honest expectations

CRSC is case-specific and decided solely by your branch's board. We don't guarantee approval, a rating, or a backpay amount — no one honestly can. What we do is build the strongest documented case your records support, and if we don't think a packet is worth your money, we'll tell you that on the free call.