About Funky VA Math
With more than 38 years of federal service—including 20 years of active military duty and 18 years in civilian federal service focused in medical operations—Tom Hurley, a former Army medic, founded Funky VA Math in 2019 with a focused mission: to help fellow veterans reach their VA disability goals by identifying the most effective ways to locate critical medical evidence.
Because as Tom often says, “Without the evidence, there is no case.”
That’s where Funky VA Math found its edge. Built from the trenches of real VA claims experience, Tom developed near-lethal precision in finding, organizing, and aligning medical evidence with the VA’s language and processes. It wasn’t flashy—it was tactical. And it worked. Word of mouth spread quickly, and by early 2020, Funky VA Math had earned over 100 verified 5-star reviews, all based on Tom’s personal commitment to help veterans—mostly pro bono.
But as the calls kept coming, it became clear: one-on-one advising, while deeply rewarding, could only reach so far. Veterans, active-duty members, survivors, dependents, and caregivers were all facing the same confusion—and Tom knew it was time to scale his impact.
So quietly, beginning in 2020, he started working on something bigger. What if there were a way to reach everyone—to teach what he had spent years learning—through a format that felt both familiar and timeless? What if he built a magazine?
Not just any magazine—a quarterly, print-based resource that looked and felt like a comic book but delivered serious, high-impact content. Something tactile. Something that cut across generations. The visual format would attract younger readers while still resonating with those who grew up with the comfort and clarity of print. This wasn’t about entertainment—it was about engagement. The comic-style layout was a strategic choice to break through screen fatigue, to stand out among the PDFs, emails, webinars, and blogs that overwhelm the veteran space.
By mid-2023, the concept had matured. Tom made the decision to step back from regular one-on-one advising and focus his full attention on developing what would become For The Veteran | By The Veteran—a quarterly print magazine crafted to serve not just veterans, but the entire extended veteran community: Active Duty, Dependents, Survivors, and Caregivers.
In January 2025, the inaugural issue—SURVIVOR—was released in limited fashion. Courtesy copies were sent to a diverse group that included veterans, active-duty members, survivors, dependents, caregivers, and even select members of the civilian sector. The goal? Honest, unfiltered feedback.
And it worked.
The accompanying survey provided insights into font size, readability, content layout, graphics, and story flow. But more than that, it revealed what readers were missing—and what they craved—from today’s veteran media. Using that input, Tom retooled the issue from top to bottom, refining its design, its content, and its delivery without compromising the mission.
With those improvements in place, Issue #1: SURVIVOR is now being released to the public in mid-April 2025, alongside the launch of a completely redesigned and veteran-friendly Funky VA Math website.
Just weeks later, Issue #2: The BDD Process will follow—focusing on what active-duty servicemembers should expect at the 180-day mark as they prepare to file for disability compensation through the VA’s Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) Program.
Going forward, each quarterly issue will dive deep into a major topic relevant to the community, while also offering side features on lesser-known but vital resources. Because veterans don’t need more noise. They need clarity, strategy, and something that truly speaks their language.
That’s why Funky VA Math was built.
That’s why For The Veteran | By The Veteran exists.
And that’s why Tom Hurley still answers the occasional call, email, or late-night message—from anyone, anywhere—looking for a way forward.
