Wanted to chime in too...did 5 in the Corps, got out honorably...But, and I advise this to you guys still in...I went to the VA on a nearby base 60 days prior to my EAS. I screwed my back up, have extremely flat feet, and of course bad knees. I have a chronic(never get better) degenerative disc disease, so that may have swayed the outcome a bit.
I am rated at 60%, should have been more according to the VA, but that was more than I expected. I can not express the importance enough of GOING BEFORE YOU GET OUT!! 2 - 3 months after separating, I got an award letter in the mail, one month later, I began receiving benefits. You guys deserve the benefits/compensation if you're actually hurt! It lost me a job or two that I was very qualified for, so I'd say that the compensation is merited.
Go to the VA before you get out!! Talk to your local D.A.V. or V.F.W., get some advice, trust me it is worth it.
For those of you fighting the VA, I advise the same thing, get with your local D.A.V. or any other veteran group. They are there to help you, they have lawyers and know how the system works! You can appeal to the VA annually I believe.
Keep all your medical records, go to medical and make copies! I'm not saying they would try to remove anything, but you never know! I had an MRI and several x-rays to document my problems, the more evidence you can present the better chance you have to succeed.
Semper Fi