Asthma/BMT/MEB

C

Confused123

PEB Forum Regular Member
Hello All,

I hope I am posting to the proper forum with my question. My son is currently in BMT and is supposed to start Indoc for PJ on July 19th. June 11th he called to say he was transferred to the 319th and is being discharged for asthma.

Apparently his TI sent him to the clinic because he looked a little pale after a 30 minute run. During a cursory exam he gave my son before he sent him back to his flight, the doctor said he heard a wheeze. Over the next couple weeks he was put on PT restriction then taken off PT restriction. A couple days after being taken off PT restriction he had the methacholine challenge test, which he failed because his lung function decreased by 32% at 1mg. During all the tests and doctor's appointments, he never an asthma attack, never had trouble breathing, and kept trying to tell them he was fine.

Here's the issue - he has never been diagnosed or treated for asthma, has never had any type of respiratory problems, he isn't having breathing issues now, and he doesn't have to use the rescue inhaler they gave him. He played three sports in school, ran, and worked out hard for almost a year to get himself ready to go into PJ training. He passed the PAST three times before he left and there was never any indication that he had asthma, activity induced asthma, or any kind of breathing problems whatsoever.

Because of the overmanning issue, he's been told he's being sent home because he has asthma :)confused:). This situation has blindsided us all. We're simply stunned by the news and don't understand what is happening.

Can somebody please shed some light on this for us? They have all his medical records back to 2000 (when he was 8 years old) and other than one remark in 2003 that his little brother has asthma, there is no mention of asthma anywhere. So if he is sent home for this, will this be considered fraudulent enlistment? Is he going to get in trouble for this?

Thanks so much for answering all my questions.
 
On the facts you gave, no, this is not fraudulent enlistment. Seems to me the issues/questions are whether he is fit or unfit, and if unfit, then what benefits are due to him. Whether he can complete PJ training or be assigned a PJ billet is a different issue altogether (though, from what you are saying, it sounds unlikely that he will be able to).
 
Thank you Jason. I am glad to hear that he most likely won't get in trouble for this. We had pretty much already accepted that PJ is out. The question now becomes will they reclassify him or send him home. Since the AF is overmanned, I'm (sadly) thinking he is for sure coming home, but I'm just a mom and I don't know anything.

This whole thing is such a heart breaker. The worst part being the letter he sent home apologizing for letting us down. How sad that he would even think something that is totally out of his control is somehow a failure on his part because we all know it's not.

I can't imagine his level of frustration - he's spent a year getting ready for this only to be stopped just 5 weeks after getting in. Now he's sitting in the 319th going stir crazy. Hopefully the process and end result (whatever it may be) will take only weeks instead of months.

Thanks again.
 
Greetings confused 123, I would not worry about fraudulent enlistment with the facts that you presented. Most of the cases I have handled of this nature will depend on the specialist physician recomendations and the PFT (pulmonary function test) scorings , and addtional testings if required which will provide if he is either Fit for Duty or Unfit. If he is found unfit the majority of the folks get an Entry Level Dischage (Honorable) as recommended by his command. BTW I to was found with Athsma a year ago after 27 years of service which was to my surprise also, Good Luck, Chief jr
 
I see no reason to think this would not be compensable. If unfit, they would have to show this condition BOTH Existed Prior to Service AND was not service aggravated.
 
Confused,

I am sorry your son feels this way. Take it from a 10 yr AF vet, 2 combat tours and Purple Heart recipient....he has nothing to apologize for. By volunteering for the best air and space force the world has ever known, he has done more than 99% of his peers. I hope the Air Force can find a job for him to do...we do still have undermanned career fields. My best advice (if he wants to stay in the AF) is to research these careers(AFSCs) and make the pitch to his TI/Commander at the 319th and show them his passion for staying in the AF--no matter what capacity he is being used. Good luck!

Nate
 
Is there anywhere I can go to learn what the procedure is for those in BMT? He said yesterday that he signed a form that said something about going to MEB across the top, and that everyone is telling him he will for sure be sent home. I told him that he shouldn't count on anything until he has actual orders in his hand, but there is so much conflicting information that we're all confused (including my son). He gave me the contact information for his PEBLO, and said for me to call him to try to clear up some of the confusion. Should I do that or would that make matters worse (if he would even speak to me).

He's going to be 19 in July - so young to have to navigate your way through something like this without fully understanding the process and what you're up against. As far as his attitude goes, it's day by day. He's either frustrated and wants nothing more than for this to get fixed, or he's lost the wind out of his sails and just wants to come home. I can understand his feelings - I am frustrated too because none of us know what questions to ask or how to fix this. I don't know if I should prepare for him to come home or not...

Thank you all so much for your support. Just having someone to talk to about this is making it a bit easier.
 
Jason said:
I see no reason to think this would not be compensable. If unfit, they would have to show this condition BOTH Existed Prior to Service AND was not service aggravated.
Click to expand...

Jason, since there is no record of it and the only sign of it was the failed Methacholine Challenge, is there a chance he'll be found fit to serve? He said last week the doctor told him that he was the healthiest asthmatic he'd ever seen because he's never had an asthma attack even though he has asthma (based on the test).

When my son asked about the possibility of it being a false positive, he was told that was impossible since he failed it so big and so early. Is the one failed test enough to make the Air Force send him home?
 
Yes, fitness means he has the ability to reasonably perform the duties expected of someone of his grade and AFSC. So, if his condition does not interfere (significantly) with his duties, he could be returned to duty by the PEB. Alternately, he may not even have an MEB initiated (though, it sounds like he has been notified of something to do with an MEB based on the memo you referenced above).

The MEB/PEB process is no different for those in BMT than for anyone else. There are entry level separation regulations, but they do not appear to apply in this case. So, I think that he can gain a good understanding from this site. If there are any specific questions, feel free to ask. (Please note, I have dealt with a few cases where military members in basic training are told that they will be separated and the command tries to avoid proper processing of the case. It is possible that the command does not properly process him and if they indicate that they are not going to evaluate him for disability processing, he needs to fight this. The evaluation may result in return to duty or in the award of benefits, but he absolutely should not be administratively separated without a review).
 
Well, the local MEB at Lackland spoke - he was declared unfit for duty. The PEBLO said that now the case goes to the formal MEB at Randolph and I should expect him home in 4-5 weeks. The good news is that they said it's an honorable medical and he'll get his benefits. I am not sure exactly what benefits he'll get, except for the GI Bill. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

I'm not just saying this because I'm his mom and biased (because I am) but he's in incredible kid. While most kids would be kicking the dirt and pouting, as soon as he heard the news, he contacted a college he was considering and spoke with the admissions clerk as well as the football and cycling coaches, then he called me and asked me to submit his application. Looks like my kid got himself a spot in the fall term. Now we're crossing our fingers that he'll get out in time for the fall semester.

Zach is feeling better about things now. He realizes that the Air Force isn't picking on him - that by sending him home, they really do have his best interests at heart. He isn't looking at this like he let anyone down anymore, and he understands this isn't a failure but instead just a "no" that someday he may be thankful for.

Thank you all so much for your advice and support. I appreciate it more than you could ever know.
 
Glad we could help and that your son is feeling better...

That said, it sounds like someone is skipping a step. The MEB would determine whether he fails retention standards and if he should be referred to the PEB. Then an informal PEB meets and makes preliminary recommendations and findings. If the outcome is good and your son accepts, then his case would be finalized. However, if he is not happy with the outcome, then he can demand a formal PEB and they would have to schedule that. Appeals from adverse findings are taking months (and I mean it is not unusual to see a wait of 5-7 months). So, I don't think the 4-5 weeks is remotely likely unless they skip some steps.

I don't want to cause any distress, just be prepared for a longer wait. How long is hard to say, it could be only a few months, but if you read some of the timelines on this forum, you will see some members wait quite a while.
 
Hmmm. The PEBLO said that it would take 2-3 weeks to get the results back from Randolph and if he didn't fight it then they would process him out. He said if he fought it then it could take up to 8 months or more. I guess based on what you're saying, that he's at the informal PEB stage at Randolph then, right? Zach said that based on asthma being such a big deal with the Air Force (especially in his career field) that the chances of him prevailing if he fights it are slim to none, so he decided it was wiser to cut bait at this point. I doubt he would feel that way if he was diagnosed with something else, but asthma seems to be a really big deal. Well, all we can do is keep hoping. I do know that he was transferred into the med hold on June 11 and had the local MEB yesterday. Does the time frame seem normal or quick on that?

One thing - his recruiter is a really good guy and happened to be in San Antonio this week. He called me as he was on his way over to visit - I'm sure he'll be able to explain everything to us once he gets done talking to Zach.

Edit - the "skipping steps" part could be my misstating the name of the step he's at. Sorry.
 
It sounds like his case is being forwarded to AFPC before being sent to the IPEB at Randolph.

It is not just a fit vs. unfit question. If rated at 30% or more, he would be medically retired. Less than that, he would receive severance pay.
 
I've heard about severance versus medical - What's the difference? I'm so sorry for these stupid questions, I really have tried to search and find the answers myself. However while trying to wade through the volumes upon volumes of (sometimes conflicting) information, I have learned that I'm not as smart as I thought I was, because I just don't get the military way of doing things! Ha Ha
 
With severance pay, he gets 2 times years of service (the minimum is 3 years, so in your son's case, that would be 6) times base pay. Basically, he would get 6 months of base pay. With retirement, he would get the percentage awarded times his retired monthly base pay (less taxes) monthly for life. In addition, he would get TriCare coverage for himself and for any future eligible dependents, the right to shop at the PX/BX and commissary. He would have the same benefits that a length of service retiree would have.
 
Got my son home on Thursday. The IPEB results are not exactly what we hoped for. They said he is unfit for continued service due to a physical disability which existed prior to service and was not aggravated by military service. They recommended an honorable discharge with no benefits and no severance. His separation code is JFM and his reenlistment code 2Q. He has never been diagnosed or treated with asthma before and other than the issues at basic, he's never had an asthma attack.

On 02Jun10 he went in for minor dehydration and the tech stated she heard wheezing and said my son reported a "history of severe asthma" so she referred him for follow up.

On 09Jun10, it was noted that the lungs were clear with no wheezing and he was returned to duty with no limitations. At that time he was asked a series of questions such as are you out of breath after running (yes - who isn't? - they marked that as positive for asthma symptoms), do you sometimes wake up coughing or breathing (he said sometimes - they marked 1-2 per week). They asked him if he ever had asthma and he said he thought he might of had it when he was a toddler, he was wrong - his little brother had it, not him. He recanted this statement once I told him it was is brother and not him who had asthma, however they wrote in his records that he has a history of "severe asthma until age 11". The final assessment says "Asthma - patient is a very motivated young Air Force member who has been able to pass three PT tests and has been working currently for a job in special forces. He is very interested in pursuing an Air Force career and has tried to maintain training despite having dyspnea symptoms. Pt does have a positive methacholine and associated symptoms as well as a history of asthma as a child. Because classification of severity is based on course of symptoms over time, I am unable to classify patient's asthma severity at this time. Severity should be documented as patient's clinical course is followed. ...Although chronicity definitions may vary, this AFI defines chronicity as asthma symptoms that 'persist or recur over a prolonged period of time generally more tha 12 months'. This patient meets this definition of chronicity."

We provided his medical records and there is no history or diagnosis of asthma whatsoever. On page two of the 14Jun10 doctor report, it says "18 y/o with newly diagnosed condition in clinic complete MEB". The final diagnosis is "unclear history of asthma, no report of respiratory problems on MEP's physical, CMRs have not arrived for review. Regardless of CMRs current diagnosis of asthma is disqualifying and patient is not fit for military at this time".

There are so many things wrong with this work up that I don't know where to begin. To say I'm furious is an understatement. My son spent 5 weeks in the 319th sitting on his tail doing nothing and it almost drove him mad. Now he is out and I really want to know how we make this right. I can't help but feel that he got royally screwed and I want to know what we can do to correct this so that he can (at least) pay for college, which he is starting on August 16th.

Sorry it was such a long post -
 
He should demand a formal PEB hearing.
 
I'm no lawyer, but you have nothing top lose by appealing to an Formal Board. I can see many holes in the case already. For starters, I'd get every medical doctor/record you can (family dr) from time before the AF to document he didn't have asthma. I'd get the whole "severe asthma until age 11" stuff outta there... I'd get sworn statements from everyone that knew him he passed PT test after PT test without issue(no attacks).

The AF seems to be saying on the one hand he is "newly diagnosed" and at the same time arguing "chronicity" which they can't do because if you are right he has NEVER had asthma in the past. As I mentioned...lots of issues a good lawyer could work with.

All this is my .02 cents.

Good luck.

Nate
 
Your son should have been given the IPEB decision and had to sign something either agreeing with it or NOT agreeing with it. By not agreeing with it, he would not accept the decision and appeal. I believe it is a Air Force form 1180.

Nate
 
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