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Connector

MSO & VSO
What to do next

Military Service Organizations and Veterans Service Organizations already exist to help. This page matches your situation to the right group, then gives you one clear next step.

Quick difference: VSOs handle VA claims and veteran advocacy. MSOs focus on service members, spouses, and family life. Affinity groups (Black, Hispanic, Native, AANHPI, student, faith, and more) exist when you want a community that already knows your story. Many families use more than one.

Start with the job

Pick the situation that matches today. Every row opens a concrete next step, not a brochure.

What do you need right now?

File or appeal a VA disability claimUse a VA-accredited VSO (DAV, VFW, American Legion, PVA, AMVETS). Claims help is free. Do not pay a claims “coach.”
Find accredited help
Separating or retiring in the next 12 monthsBuild your transition plan, then book a VSO appointment before you ETS so your claim package is ready.
Open Transition Planner
Active-duty family support or PCS stressStart with Military OneSource (confidential counseling, tax help, spouse employment), then add USO, NMFA, or Blue Star Families for community.
Open Military OneSource
Find a local post or chapterAmerican Legion, VFW, Team RWB, and wear blue communities are fast ways to meet people who already understand the life.
Find a post
Run, walk, or remember with a communitywear blue: run to remember hosts free Community Runs with a Circle of Remembrance for Gold Star families, veterans, and supporters of every pace.
Find a wear blue run
Find an affinity or identity-centered communityBlack, Hispanic, Native, student, Jewish, AANHPI, and other affinity VSOs/MSOs are listed below when the traditional post does not feel like home.
Browse diverse orgs
Caregiver supportVA caregiver programs, stipends, respite, and organizations built for the people who show up every day.
Open caregiver guides
Gold Star or surviving familyBenefits, peer support, and recognition for surviving spouses, children, and parents. wear blue and TAPS are strong first stops.
Open Gold Star guides
Crisis or thoughts of suicideCall 988 then press 1, text 838255, or chat online. Free, confidential, 24/7. You do not need to be enrolled in VA care.
Get help now

Veterans Service Organizations (claims & advocacy)

DAV, Disabled American VeteransFree VA claims assistance and appeals. Strong local network of National Service Officers.
Find a DAV office
VFW, Veterans of Foreign WarsFree claims help plus local posts for community and legislative advocacy.
Get VFW claims help
American LegionAccredited service officers and 13,000+ posts nationwide. Good first call if you want both claims help and a local community.
Open Legion benefits
PVA, Paralyzed Veterans of AmericaAccredited representation with deep experience in spinal cord injury, MS, and related claims and benefits.
Find PVA support
AMVETSNational service officers for claims, plus employment and community programs.
Open AMVETS programs
NABVETS, National Association for Black VeteransVA-accredited claims representation with advocacy and chapter support focused on Black veterans and their families.
Open NABVETS
Jewish War Veterans of the USANation's oldest active national veterans organization. Claims help, community, and advocacy for Jewish service members and veterans.
Open JWV
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)Post-9/11 advocacy plus Quick Reaction Force care management for veterans and families who need a fast handoff to help.
Open IAVA
VA accredited representative searchOfficial VA directory of accredited VSOs, attorneys, and claims agents. Confirm accreditation before you share records.
Search VA directory

Military Service Organizations (families & community)

wear blue: run to rememberFree Community Runs and Circle of Remembrance for Gold Star and surviving families, veterans, and supporters. All ages, abilities, and paces welcome.
Find a community run
USOAirport lounges, installation centers, deployment support, and family programs at home and overseas.
Visit the USO
National Military Family Association (NMFA)Scholarships, spouse employment advocacy, and policy work that tracks what PCS families actually need.
Open NMFA
Blue Star FamiliesCommunity chapters, spouse employment, caregiver support, and the annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey.
Join Blue Star
Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN)Research-backed family support and financial readiness tools grounded in real survey data.
Open MFAN
Wounded Warrior ProjectPrograms for wounded veterans and caregivers: mental health, peer connection, independence, and benefits navigation.
Open WWP
Team Red, White & BlueLocal chapters focused on fitness, community, and connection for veterans and supporters.
Find a chapter
Team RubiconDisaster-response volunteering that puts military skills back into community service.
Join Team Rubicon
Travis Manion FoundationCharacter-building service and peer support for veterans, families, and Gold Star kin. Now also carries forward The Mission Continues service platoons after their 2025 merger.
Open TMF
Semper Fi & America's FundDirect support for combat-wounded, ill, and injured service members and their families across every branch.
Open The Fund
Hire Heroes USAFree career coaching and job placement for transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses.
Get career help

How to work with an MSO or VSO

1. Name the job you need doneClaims package, appeal, local community, spouse job search, caregiver relief, or crisis care. One job at a time beats a vague “help me with benefits.”
Pick a path
2. Confirm accreditation for claims workOnly VA-accredited representatives can lawfully represent you before the VA. VSOs do this at no cost. Skip anyone who asks for upfront claims fees.
Verify accreditation
3. Bring your recordsDD-214 (or Statement of Service), medical records, nexus letters, prior rating decisions, and a simple timeline of events. Incomplete packets slow everything down.
Get records
4. Keep one point of contactWrite down the organization, rep name, phone/email, and next appointment. Use our transition checklist if you are separating soon.
Open checklist

Why this page exists

USMilitaryMoves is committing over $1,000,000 by 2036 to the MSOs and VSOs that serve military-connected families. Until that foundation is fully formed, this connector is the practical piece: help families find the right organization and take action without getting sold.

Read the foundation commitment →

This page is general information, not legal or benefits advice. Laws and programs change. Confirm details with the organization, VA, JAG, or an accredited representative before you act.

Giving back $1 million+ to the organizations that serve military families by 2036

Our mission is to give back over $1,000,000 by 2036 to the Military Service Organizations and Veterans Service Organizations that show up for service members, veterans, and their families every day. As the network grows, so does the giving.

Every tool on USMilitaryMoves stays 100% free for military families. The commercial platform and partner seats fund those tools now. A separate Foundation is planned after that revenue is real — families will not have to use the network to qualify for help.

MSO & VSO connector, what to do next →

Separating soon?

Pair VSO claims help with a real transition plan

Use the free Transition Planner for housing, income, and next-career steps, then walk into your VSO appointment with a cleaner packet.

Open Transition Planner