About VA Claims Insider: The #1 most trusted name in VA disability claims since 2016.

Brian Reese
18 min readSep 7, 2021

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Hi! I’m Air Force Disabled Veteran, Brian Reese, and Founder @ VA Claims Insider. It’s nice to meet you. And WELCOME HOME!

Date: 6/23/2022

Dear Veteran,

This is the story of the VA Claims Insider MOVEMENT of Veterans Helping Veterans Worldwide™.

The Very Beginning: Air Force Hockey Team Conference Champions 2007

I created this page for you so you can learn more “About Us” and decide if you believe what we believe, and if we might be a good fit to work together.

The Reese Family: July 2021

VA Claims Insider is deeply personal to me, we’re wildly veteran-friendly, and our company journey mirrors the entrepreneurial story of the American Dream.

So there I was…awe…[INSERT A WORD HERE].

1st Lt Brian Reese in Kandahar, Afghanistan: May 2011

It all began in October 2012, when I left the United States Air Force with a variety of mental and physical conditions, some of which I was ready to be honest about, some of which I wasn’t.

Captain Brian Reese Leaving Afghanistan: December 2011

I started VA Claims Insider in the summer of 2016 from my spare bedroom in San Antonio, Texas (with $5,000 on a credit card and money I didn’t have at the time) while I was working for the Department of the Air Force as a federal civil servant.

Helping a Fellow Veteran at a Coffee Shop in early 2017

While I had always been an “intrapreneur” as both an active duty Air Force officer and federal employee, I had never started a successful company on my own from scratch, even though I always thought of myself as an “entrepreneur.”

My epiphany moment for our movement came in June 2016 during a very dark period in my life.

I was struggling with severe mental and physical pain, which led to alcohol and drug addictions, and eventually, culminated in a divorce in 2017. I was shattered and broken.

But God put it on my heart that I was created for a greater purpose: To Give Fellow Veterans Hope and To Help Them Celebrate Life Change.

VA Claims Insider Exists to Help Veterans Celebrate LIFE CHANGE!

I learned there can be beauty in the brokenness.

This began a transformational journey of overcoming social stigmas and persevering through adversity, in which I eventually got raw, real, uncomfortably vulnerable, help/treatment, and perhaps most importantly, SOBER.

So far in my young life of 38 years, I’ve faced complete brokenness three separate times (too broken to stand on my own two feet), and I’m sure even more trials await (Does any of this sound like you?):

  • CY 2011: When I went 7+ days of no sleep in Afghanistan due to constant rocket attacks, which led to severe Bipolar Disorder, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and even thoughts of suicide. But then my best friend walked me to the Role II mental health clinic at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.
  • CY 2015: When my now ex-wife came home from a 7-month deployment and told me she wanted a divorce. My son was only 3 years old, and my heart ached for him. It shook me to my core. But I got help and fought through it. I’m a better, stronger man now.
  • CY 2021: When I got into a serious car crash that should have ended my life. Thank God for our incredible first responders, doctors, and nurses as well as my family and friends, especially my wife, Laurel Reese. God had other plans for me. What’s next on this crazy journey called life?

Let me ask you a question now: Have you ever experienced any of these thoughts, feelings, or actions? Ever had to deal with adversity?

I’m telling you my story so you can (finally) understand that you’re not alone and we all face adversity! We’re not promised a perfect life. In fact, there’s no such thing.

Here’s the deal fellow Veterans: We all experienced trauma from our military service, and that can lead to all kinds of work/life issues once you take off the uniform.

A few things have helped me tremendously on my journey: God, family, friends, and a community of other veterans — YOU.

You helped save my life.

For that, I’m eternally grateful and I owe you a debt of gratitude.

Before founding VA Claims Insider in June 2016, my family didn’t know what I was going through, I didn’t have many friends to talk to, and I lacked a community of fellow veterans who knew, liked, and trusted each other.

So, I did what many of us do — I suffered alone in silence.

But deep inside my soul, I craved identity and purpose again that I’d lost since leaving active duty military service.

Truthfully, I missed spending time with you.

I missed SERVING YOU.

Then, through prayer and the power of pure vulnerability, I started sharing my story on Facebook Live (Yes, I was terrified), mainly as (#1) An outlet for me to vent and (#2) To serve others.

One veteran showed up, then two, and then three, and so on…and the rest is history. Seems like we all have a very similar story…

And I had a TON of experience fighting against the broken VA.

I struggled with the VA disability system for nearly 7 years and lost $100,000 of tax free compensation and benefits simply because I didn’t know any better.

So, with all I had learned, I decided to take decisive action and started helping fellow veterans on their VA claim success journey, too.

Since I had almost 5,000 hours of time-in-the-trenches at that point (more than 10,000 hours today), I decided to create VA Claims Insider TO GIVE VETERANS HOPE AND A PLACE TO CALL HOME.

Okay, quick recap since we’ve covered a lot already: The VA Claims Insider Movement began with $5,000 on a credit card, with money I didn’t have, and just an idea to serve U.S. military veterans and their families…we got this!!!

Fast forward to today.

  • We employ 150 veterans, military and veteran spouses, and supporters of the U.S. military.
  • We’ve served over 15,000 veterans in our #1 rated VA Claims Insider Elite program, and we’ve got big plans to continue bringing you the best of the best products/services to help you live Happier, Healthier, and Wealthier.
VA Claims Insider Senior Veteran Coach (SVC) Caleb MacLagan Serving Veterans!
  • Over 500,000 active duty, veterans, and spouses read our material every month to learn how to get the VA benefits they deserve for their service to our country, including our Newsletter, Blog, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

I’m extremely blessed to get to lead the VA Claims Insider movement, and serve our teammates and veterans, and we can’t wait to help YOU celebrate life change, too.

What “I” Believe

  • It’s not your fault. You’re not a liar. The problem isn’t you. The problem isn’t even the VA, honestly. The problem is the COMPLEXITY OF THE SYSTEM. And that’s where we come in. We’ll show you “WHAT” to do, “HOW” to do it, and “WHY” we recommend it, in our simple, straightforward guide. That’s why I wrote a book called You Deserve It. It’s being called the “Veteran Benefits Bible” for a reason. Download our #1 Amazon Bestseller with over 10,000 copies sold and 50,000 given away at no cost. Oh, and the eBook version is now FREE for you, right here, right now. Click >> HERE NOW << to secure your instant .pdf download.
  • You deserve VA benefits. Yes, you heard me correctly. YOU DESERVE IT! Mindset matters. A lot. Many veterans tell themselves they don’t deserve benefits. Look, that’s complete bullsh*t. YOU ABSOLUTELY DO DESERVE VA BENEFITS. Your VA benefits do NOT affect any other veteran’s benefits. They are mutually exclusive. If you choose not to pursue VA disability benefits, please remember that the only people you’re hurting are yourself and your family. If you’re looking for some inspiration, here goes: DO IT FOR THEM!
  • Don’t be afraid to fail. You can do everything right and still get denied. It’s still a very human process ripe with errors. We’ve had veterans get denied 3–4–5–6–7 times for the same condition, but they kept fighting, never gave up, and eventually won their VA claim and got the rating they deserve by law. Bottom line: The VA claim process is never over unless you quit. And we won’t let you quit! That’s part of why our VA Claims Insider Elite program is so valuable. You get to work with a VA Claim Expert “Veteran Coach” trained in my process and get some ACCOUNTABILITY plus you’re NEVER EVER ALONE! Even if you get denied, we will help you fight with the right strategy so you can win, service connect, and get rated at the appropriate level by law.
  • Veterans need to be in-community with other veterans. We weren’t meant to be alone. We all experience struggles. It helps to struggle well with others, not alone. Further, you can accelerate your results faster with a Mastermind of fellow veterans you know, like, and trust. One of our greatest competitive advantages is you get to join a vibrant community of Veterans Helping Veterans Worldwide™
  • Knowledge is not power. Knowledge is knowledge. Power is power. Knowledge can only become power through ACTION. If you get nothing else from this page, please always remember to take action. If you forget that, please just try to be a good human in whatever it is you’re doing. But for real, here’s one thing I’m certain of: You will never get the VA benefits you deserve unless you take action. You must literally will them into existence.
Team VA Claims Insider Learning New Leadership Lessons from Gettysburg
  • Nobody should care more about your VA benefits than you. If you’re sitting around waiting for someone to do this for you, you’re wrong (we used to say that in the military all the time). VA claims SUCCESS, and all success in life really, is the result of Preparation, Hard Work, and Learning From Failure. You must immerse yourself in the process and get educated. That’s where we can help! We will arm you with the right Strategy, Education, and Medical Evidence so you can own your VA claim and results. Here are 3 SUCCESS Quotes we believe in:

Preparation: “Before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success.” — Henry Ford

Hard Work: “Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get.” — Ray Croc

Learning From Failure: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” — Thomas Edison

  • Life change starts with being more vulnerable. Leadership is about influence. Influence is about trust. Trust is about vulnerability. The more vulnerable you are, the more others will listen to, follow you, and trust you. When in doubt, be MORE vulnerable. When you are, you’ll start to influence others and serve them even more at the same time. This will help you (and them) celebrate Life Change even faster.
  • Private industry is the main hope of innovation at the VA. It’s not up to governments to bring about radical innovation. They just aren’t built for it. It’s not that they can’t improve because they can — they’re just unlikely to take risks that could produce breakthrough results (radical innovation) for veterans and their families. Enter VA Claims Insider. We constantly challenge the status quo and never accept “good enough.” We will not rest until all veterans have the VA benefits they’ve earned for their service.
  • Our elected officials need to know WHY & HOW the VA is failing us. We spend a good deal of time advocating for veterans before our elected officials in the House and Senate. We will ALWAYS fight for you and your benefits. We need your help, too. Please consider contacting your elected officials in your state to support good veteran’s bills, fight bad ones, and expand VA benefits and care for veterans and their families. Many thanks in advance!
  • Profit is not a dirty word. Let me ask you a question. If we could help you get a tax-free monetary benefit worth hundreds of thousands of dollars (maybe even millions of dollars) over the course of your life, would you be willing to pay ~1.67% of your increase to get those benefits, faster, and with less hassle? I don’t know about you, but I sure would. That’s how our program and business model works. If we don’t win, you don’t pay. Yes, we are a for profit business and I’m very proud of that fact. Why? Because we can grow the pie (there’s no fixed pie in business), invest our profits to serve even more veterans, and give back to society. The American economy works well when for-profits, non-profits, and government agencies all work together to solve society’s biggest challenges. Let’s go!!!

What “We” Believe

VA Claims Insider Teammates at Dinner & Training, Las Vegas: August 2020

At VA Claims Insider, we believe ALL Veterans deserve to be treated fairly and as the patriots they are, and have the rights, privileges, benefits, services, and support of a grateful nation.

We WILL address these points by creating a vibrant community where we can have safe, raw, real, honest, and vulnerable conversations, which will enable the positive changes we want and need for ALL Veterans.

We WILL also support a variety of non-profit and for profit organizations who are working to address these larger social issues that impact Veterans and their families. America, It’s Time for Change!

Here’s our stance on issues affecting our Social WHY:

#1. We seek to be a voice that speaks out against injustices and be a presence that intervenes for the marginalized and oppressed, to stand with and speak for ALL Veterans and people of the community when they have been treated unfairly by striving for unity amidst diversity with intentional effort so that everyone is treated with honor, dignity, and respect. We’re not red states, white states, or blue states, WE’RE THE UNITED STATES.

  • We will work to support nonprofits, for-profits, and government agencies, to include both faith and non-faith based organizations, who are trying to represent and serve the whole community to build character, strengthen individuals, and nurture families, especially on issues most affecting veterans and their families.

#2. We must provide better access to mental health resources for Veterans and their families by connecting them with private medical professionals who understand the unique needs of the Veteran community to break the social stigma around mental health, help more veterans celebrate LIFE CHANGE, and work to end the military/veteran suicide epidemic.

  • We will work to support non-profits, for-profits, and government agencies who are trying to provide veterans and their families with better access to mental health resources, including but not limited to, supporting organizations working to end the military/veteran suicide crisis.

#3. We must work together to protect and expand healthcare and VA benefits for Veterans and their families by educating our elected officials in the House and Senate, rallying support for good bills, and stopping bad ones. We will use common sense and good judgement to help us make better decisions, faster.

  • We will work to support nonprofits, for-profits, and government agencies who are trying to protect and expand healthcare and VA benefits programs for veterans and their families.

From Money to Life Change

  • It’s your benefits: Your VA disability benefits are yours — that you deserve for your service to our country. Do you have the VA benefits you’ve earned? If you’re stuck, frustrated, and underrated, WE CAN HELP. Check out the VA Claims Insider Elite program HERE and Start Free Now.
  • It’s your house: VA home loans benefits exist to help veterans like you live the American Dream and provide a more stable environment for their families. Did you know you can get the VA funding fee waived, saving you thousands of dollars in closing costs if you have a VA rating of 10% or higher? We can show you how.
  • It’s your career: Did you know you can still have VA disability benefits and have a great job? The only time your VA rating affects your employment is if you’re receiving 100% TDIU or “Unemployability” benefits from the VA. Otherwise, your VA rating percentage (to include P&T status) does NOT affect your work or income. You can also work with one of our partner companies HireVeterans.com to find a new and exciting career that gives you purpose and meaning.
  • It’s your health: What kind of food do you eat and why? Are you able to create a fitness plan that works for you? Your health & fitness affects every other area of your life. If you’re stuck in this area, how about we co-create a new daily action plan tailored to your unique needs as a disabled veteran?
  • It’s your lifestyle: Do you take at least one vacation that inspires you every year? If you want to see your old college friends, can you do it or not? If not, let’s design a new lifestyle to make these things happen. Life Change also means helping you build meaningful relationships with other people.
  • It’s your freedom. Do you feel free to live and work on your terms? Are you living the life God created you to live? If not, we can help you get there by providing you with expert-level resources.
  • It’s your Life Change: Once you take control of VA disability claims, you realize that Life Change is so much bigger than your VA rating percentage or a number in your bank account. It’s about creating a Happier, Healthier, Wealthier life. WE CAN HELP!
  • At VA Claims Insider, we help veterans celebrate LIFE CHANGE! Since 2016, that’s why I’ve taught millions of veterans and trained hundreds of teammates in my proprietary process. Money is a small, but important part of living a Happier, Healthier, Wealthier life. But once you solve that, there’s so much more. Yes, Life Change often begins from getting the VA benefits you’ve earned for your service, followed by a few other important changes. And we can help you accelerate your results, faster! Ready to get started now? Click HERE to connect with a Veteran Coach and start free today.

How I “Lead” Our Movement

  • I take a different approach than most so-called “experts” out there. I will do and say things you’ve never heard before. That’s for a reason. We are wildly transparent and uncomfortably vulnerable here at VA Claims Insider. We will never accept the status quo and are always pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. We think differently here, every single day.
  • Our business is 100% bootstrapped and 100% remote. When you use our products and services, you’re directly supporting our teammates and veteran clients at the same time. VA Claims Insider employees are paid above-market salaries along with a 401(k) match after 1-year, unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO), and some of the best health benefits in the industry.
  • Our 5 Core Values are not optional. There’s a difference between a mistake and a material violation of one or more of our 5 ELITE Core Values (Empathy, Learning, Integrity, Teamwork, Enthusiasm) and Code of Conduct. We all make mistakes. I encourage them. However, we have a zero tolerance policy for violations of our Core Values and Code of Conduct. I expect our veteran clients to abide by them as well. If you don’t, you run the risk of termination from our programs.
  • We have bad days, too. I personally deal with Bipolar Disorder, PTSD, Depression, and Anxiety every single day, as do many of our teammates and veteran clients to varying degrees. The struggle is real, and we will lift each other up and support each other no matter what. Let’s support our teammates and our veterans together, live, in-community, and on-purpose. Let’s show each other Grace. If we do that, I think we can make the world a little bit better place.
  • I don’t believe in lecturing you about tactics. Instead, I show you how to focus on 2–3 strategic efforts that can result in “Big Wins” that are worth hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions of dollars. Master those first, file your own VA claim online with the right Strategy + Education + Medical Evidence, and get on with your life/career. If you master your personalized VA claim strategy, the tactics become much easier. If you’re educated, now you can take action to get the result! Boom!
  • There are tons of free services available to help veterans. If you have not exhausted your free options yet, please do not join our programs. If you’re considering filing a false claim, do not join our programs. That’s wrong and illegal. We can only serve veterans who want to be served in accordance with our Vision, Mission, and Core Values. We exist to serve (honest) veterans with valid VA disability claims who are sick and tired of being stuck, frustrated, and underrated. If you’ve never filed a claim before, you might want to think about working with an accredited VSO, agent, or attorney to file a claim for free BEFORE utilizing our paid resources.
  • Our goal is to make our free material better than anyone else’s paid stuff. We give away 95%+ of our material and aim to make it even better than others’ paid stuff. See for yourself with our Free Resources. The VA Claims Insider Elite Program is even more amazing.
  • If we didn’t serve you well, we don’t deserve to be paid. Period. We don’t do this for the money. Money is not a purpose. Money is a result. It’s the result of doing business on-purpose. If for some reason, you aren’t happy with your service, please reach out to us ASAP and tell us how we can get better. Bottom line is if we didn’t serve you well, and we didn’t help you get a VA rating increase, we shouldn’t get paid. We take each case individually and examine it on its own merits. Rest easy knowing that I expect our teammates to deliver an ELITE-level experience in accordance with our 5 Core Values. If we aren’t doing that, I need to know right away please. It’s also not their fault. It’s my fault if you got poor service. I’m ultimately responsible for everything that happens at VA Claims Insider.
Team VA Claims Insider Swag — We Got Your Six!

VA Claims Insider — Behind the Numbers

  • 2016 year founded
  • 500,000+ monthly readers
  • 125,000+ social followers
  • 15,000+ happy veteran customers
  • 10,000+ books sold and 50,000+ given away
  • 2,000+ 5-star reviews on TrustPilot, Google, and BBB
  • 150 “Insider” teammates who fight for you each day
  • What should we build next? Let’s co-create the future!

Again, Welcome Home Fellow Veteran.

You’re an “INSIDER” Now!

Be Blessed,

Brian Reese

Founder @ VA Claims Insider

USAF & OEF Disabled Veteran (2003–2012)

P.S. Need immediate help? You can “Contact Us” >> HERE NOW <<

P.P.S. Are you Stuck, Frustrated, and Underrated by the VA? WE CAN HELP! >> CLICK HERE NOW << to complete our free 3-step intake and start getting the VA rating and compensation you deserve (without the hassle).

About VA Claims Insider Founder, Brian Reese

Brian Reese is one of the world’s leading experts on Veteran Benefits, the author of You Deserve It, and founder of VA Claims Insider. He’s a former active-duty Air Force officer and deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom where he received the Defense Meritorious Service Medal for exceptionally meritorious wartime service. He is a Distinguished Graduate of Management from the United States Air Force Academy and earned his MBA as a National Honor Scholar from the Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University.

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Brian Reese

I help Veterans get the VA disability rating % and compensation $ they deserve.