Practical, vetted resources organized by category. Everything here is free or veteran-specific. If you know of a resource that belongs on this list, reach out through the contact page.
A list without a sequence is how people bookmark fifteen tabs and open none of them. Use this page as a desk, not a museum. Pick the lane you are in today. Do one official action. Then, if you still need a human, pick one organization from that section. Not three. One.
CombatProse is a veteran resource hub, not a claims shop and not a crisis clinic. Official benefits live on VA.gov. Hard nights live on the Veterans Crisis Line.
Start here on CombatProse
These are the pieces people actually stay on. Read one, then use the official links below.
- Veteran Startup Funding in 2026: VetVC, SBA, and Grants You Should Know — money to start, without the pitch-deck fog.
- Project Patriot Pipeline: Your SkillBridge Edge in 2026 — the transition pipeline that still has a door.
- Stellate Ganglion Block for PTSD: What Veterans Need to Know — what SGB is, what it is not, and how to ask.
Still in uniform and inside 180 days: Project Patriot first. Already out and the claim is the fire: Intent to File before career links. Tonight is the problem: Mental Health only.
How to use this page without getting hustled
Official first. If the action is a claim, a dependent, healthcare enrollment, GI Bill, or a payment, start on VA.gov. Third-party sites can explain. They cannot stamp a received date.
Free help before paid help. Hire Heroes, SCORE, a VSO, Give an Hour — those are meant to be used without a credit card. Paid claim companies exist. None of them are required. If someone guarantees a rating, hang up.
One inbox. When you create accounts at VA.gov, eBenefits, SBA, and a mentor platform in the same afternoon, you will lose the confirmation emails. Use one email you check. Screenshot receipts. Write the date VA shows as received.
Start list, not a blanket endorsement of everything those orgs sell.
Benefits & VA
- VA.gov — Central hub for all veteran benefits. Start here for disability claims, healthcare enrollment, education benefits, and more.
- eBenefits — Manage your VA benefits online. Check claim status, view payment history, and access your service records.
- VA Claims Insider — Expert guidance on disability claims, with resources and community support for navigating the VA rating system.
The first move on a new claim is still an Intent to File, not a Facebook group. Read VA Intent to File: Received vs Submitted. The stamp that counts is received, not processed, and you get one year to put a complete application in VA’s hands.
If you already have a combined rating of 30 percent or more and a spouse or child is not on the award, that is a different form. VA 21-686c: When Dependent Pay Starts is the post. The wedding date is not payday.
A VSO (DAV, VFW, American Legion, and others) will build and submit a claim for free. Use them if the paperwork is winning. Use VA.gov if you just need the date stamped today.
Entrepreneurship
- SBA Veterans Business Outreach Center — Free business counseling, business plan development, and referrals to SBA financing for veteran entrepreneurs.
- Bunker Labs — Veteran entrepreneurship community with accelerator programs, networking events, and the free Launch Lab Online platform.
- VetsinTech — Technology training and startup support for veterans. Coding bootcamps, cybersecurity programs, and tech industry networking.
- SCORE — Free mentoring from experienced business owners and executives. One-on-one mentorship for every stage of business development.
No offer and no written business? Pick one. Half-built LLC plus half-built résumé is how a year disappears. Money map is the startup-funding piece above. SAM.gov / VOSB later.
Career Transition
- Hire Heroes USA — Free career services for veterans: resume review, interview coaching, job placement, and employer partnerships.
- American Corporate Partners — Free mentoring with Fortune 500 professionals. Year-long one-on-one mentorship for transitioning veterans.
- Veterati — Free on-demand mentoring calls with professionals across business, tech, government, and entrepreneurship.
TAP is a briefing. It is not a job. If you are 6–18 months from separation and you still do not have a written civilian target, read Military to Civilian Transition Book TAP Skips. Then book one mentor call. Bring a job posting and a draft résumé.
SkillBridge still has a door if you are inside the window — Project Patriot is the write-up. If you are already out, use Hire Heroes.
Mental Health
- Veterans Crisis Line — Call 988 then press 1, text 838255. Available 24/7. You don’t have to be in crisis to call — it’s there for hard nights too.
- Give an Hour — Free mental health services from licensed providers who volunteer their time for veterans and military families.
- Cohen Veterans Network — Free outpatient mental health care at clinics nationwide. Evidence-based treatment with shorter wait times than many VA facilities.
If you need the line, use the line. Do not finish this article first. VA mental health and Vet Centers are still official doors; Cohen and Give an Hour are extra chairs when the wait is the problem. The SGB explainer on this site is not a replacement for care.
Financial
- USAA — Banking, insurance, and investing for military members and veterans. Consistently high customer service ratings.
- Navy Federal Credit Union — Military credit union with competitive loan rates, low fees, and extensive branch and ATM network.
- Military OneSource — Free financial counseling and a wide range of support services for veterans and military families.
A bank is not a benefits counselor. If the problem is a VA overpayment, start in the VA app and the debt letter. If the problem is TSP after separation, that is a briefing topic, not a new checking account. Military OneSource is the free human on this list when the budget is the fire.
Community
- Team Red White & Blue — Fitness and social events nationwide. Runs, hikes, workouts, and community gatherings. Free to join.
- The Mission Continues — Service projects and fellowship. Veteran service platoons doing community improvement work across the country.
- Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America — Advocacy and community for post-9/11 veterans. Instrumental in passing major veterans legislation.
Community is not a substitute for a claim or a job. It is how you stop doing both alone. If the group chat is dead, Beat Transition Drift is the 30-day version. Then show up to one event.
What this page is not
Not every program in America. Not a ranking. Not legal or medical advice. If a free or veteran-specific resource belongs here, send it through contact. Paid claims pitch with a guaranteed percentage? Do not.
Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988, press 1 | Text 838255 | Chat online — available 24/7.