01 / Occupational profile
Your 13M occupational profile
Launch blast and overpressure
Common occupational factor
Rocket launches produce intense noise and blast overpressure at the firing position, repeated across live-fire exercises and deployments.
Overpressure and concussive exposure
Assignment-dependent
Crews positioned near the launcher during firing are exposed to blast overpressure from repeated rocket launches.
Heavy reload and maintenance work
Common occupational factor
Ammunition reload involves handling heavy rocket pods with cranes and hoists under time pressure, plus vehicle maintenance tasks like track repair or changing a 301-pound HIMARS tire.
Field and deployed rocket-artillery operations
Location-dependent
MLRS/HIMARS crews displace frequently between firing positions and operate in deployed environments supporting maneuver units.
02 / Your service
What did you actually do?
Your MOS is the starting point. Your actual assignment, era, equipment, location, and duties determine which parts of the occupational history are relevant. Use the Evidence Builder below to select your actual duties and see records that may corroborate them.
A 13M drives the self-propelled loader launcher and its ammunition resupply vehicle, performs operator and crew maintenance, and conducts ammunition reload operations using cranes and hoists to handle heavy rocket pods. More senior crewmembers operate the fire control system, enter firing data, fire the weapon on command, and conduct reconnaissance to find firing positions. Launches produce significant blast overpressure and noise at close range, and crews work around tracked or wheeled vehicles, hydraulic systems, and heavy munitions in field conditions.
The launcher fleet shifted from the tracked M270/M270A1 to the wheeled M142 HIMARS across the crewmember's career; cab environment, vibration profile, and recovery tasks differ between the two platforms.
Duties that may vary by assignment
- Driving the M270/M270A1 tracked launcher or M142 HIMARS wheeled launcher
- Operator and crew maintenance on launcher and resupply vehicles
- Heavy rocket-pod reload operations using cranes and hoists
- Operating the fire control system and entering firing data
- Firing the weapon system on command
- Reconnaissance to locate and occupy firing positions
- Repairing or replacing vehicle track or changing heavy tires
- Field operations in all weather conditions
Private, on this page only
Military Occupational Evidence Builder
Based on what you actually did in the military, what records might document it? Select only what applied to you. No name, file number, contact details, free text, or upload. Nothing is saved or sent.
Military service
Army · 13M Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS)/HIMARS Crewmember
For another specialty, open its guide from the MOS library. A job code alone does not establish individual duties or exposure.
Era(s) of service
Deployments
Already have a VA decision?
Your Evidence Builder identifies records that may document your service history. If VA has already decided your claim, the next question is different: what did VA accept, what did VA reject, and why?
Request a free decision review03 / Corroboration
Building your occupational history
Records matter because they can connect a job title to an individual's actual work and circumstances.
Launch blast and overpressure
Records that may corroborate it
- · Hearing-conservation audiograms (DD 2215/2216) and DOEHRS-HC records
- · Unit training schedules and live-fire range records
- · Evaluations describing crew position (driver, fire control, section chief)
Limit: Documented noise supports the in-service event only. A current hearing disability under 38 CFR § 3.385 or a tinnitus complaint, and a medical link, are still required.
Overpressure and concussive exposure
Records that may corroborate it
- · Live-fire exercise records and range logs
- · Evaluations describing firing-section duties
- · Sick call entries for headache or concussive symptoms following exercises
Limit: Blast exposure during training does not by itself establish a current neurological diagnosis; clinical findings and a medical opinion are required.
Heavy reload and maintenance work
Records that may corroborate it
- · Sick call and physical therapy entries during the assignment
- · Line-of-duty or incident reports for a documented injury
- · Evaluations describing reload or maintenance duties
Limit: Typical reload and maintenance demands do not by themselves establish that a specific joint was injured in service.
Field and deployed rocket-artillery operations
Records that may corroborate it
- · Deployment orders and unit location records
- · Unit command chronologies
- · ILER entry reflecting deployment location, where applicable
Limit: Deployment alone does not establish any specific exposure or injury; era, location, duties, a current diagnosis, and a medical opinion all still matter.
04 / Evidence standard
What your MOS can — and cannot — establish
May help document
Work performed, circumstances of service, consistency of an alleged exposure, and the nature or duration of duties where supported by individual records.
Does not automatically establish
A diagnosis, medical causation, severity, percentage, presumption, or entitlement to service connection.
05 / Medical evidence
Conditions that may be relevant to the occupational history
This is not a list of conditions to claim. A veteran's actual diagnosis and individual service record determine relevance; occupational evidence is not medical causation.
Hearing +
Tinnitus and hearing loss
Why the occupation may matter: Rocket launches are a recognized high-intensity noise source at close range.
Records and clinical evidence: Audiometry meeting 38 CFR § 3.385, service audiograms, and a medical opinion.
Occupational history alone does not establish this diagnosis or its medical relationship to service.
Neurological +
TBI residuals and headaches
Why the occupation may matter: Repeated blast overpressure from launches is part of live-fire rocket-artillery duty.
Records and clinical evidence: Documented event, current diagnosis, and a medical opinion.
Occupational history alone does not establish this diagnosis or its medical relationship to service.
Spine / joints +
Back and shoulder conditions
Why the occupation may matter: Heavy pod handling and vehicle maintenance load the back and upper body.
Records and clinical evidence: Current diagnosis, duty records, and a medical opinion.
Occupational history alone does not establish this diagnosis or its medical relationship to service.
06 / Exposure record
ILER and toxic exposure
For applicable exposure-related claims, VA may review the Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record (ILER) and a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) memorandum along with deployment and occupational records. An ILER entry does not automatically establish exposure or service connection.
07 / After a decision
Why a 13M claim may still be denied
An exposure finding is not the same as a grant. These are examples from the researched guide, not predictions about a particular case.
VA may accept
A duty or event consistent with the service record
But may deny
A diagnosis, medical relationship, or rating element
Record to examine
Decision findings, service and private treatment records, examination rationale, and medical opinions.
Blast exposure described too generally
Statements like "I was near the launcher when it fired" without frequency or distance are hard for VA to evaluate; training and range records may add the specifics.
No in-service complaint for repeated headaches
Headaches after live-fire exercises were often not reported at the time; buddy statements and training schedules may help fill that gap.
Hearing link rejected on separation audiogram
A normal separation audiogram alone does not decide a hearing claim, but examiners often rely on it without addressing the full noise and blast history.
Oakridge Claims / Appeals Focused
Already have a VA decision?
The important question is what VA accepted, what it rejected, and why. A decision review considers the decision, examinations, and the complete record — including private and VA records that may need development. Oakridge is appeals-focused — core work is post-decision, but initial and new claims are accepted on a case-by-case basis (no fee for pre-decision work).
Fees for eligible post-decision representation are governed by a written agreement. See fee details. No outcome is guaranteed.
13M questions
Does my 13M MOS prove I was exposed to blast overpressure a specific number of times?
No. It shows the occupational field; how often you were positioned near a live launch depended on your unit's training and deployment schedule. Range logs and evaluations may help document the specifics.
What shows which launcher I operated, the M270 or HIMARS?
Assignment orders and evaluations describing your platform and crew position are the usual starting points.
Is being near a rocket launch itself a disability?
No. Exposure is an event, not a disability. A current diagnosed condition and a medical link to service are still required.
Sources and legal references
General education only; not legal or medical advice. Oakridge Claims is a private business, not affiliated with or endorsed by VA. Nothing here establishes a representative-client relationship or guarantees a result. Free accredited VSO help is available.