Camp Lejeune timeline

Paralegal mistook my case for someone else's and final review is postponed to an unknown time. The NMA wasn't routed up yet, but after calling HQ, the NMA got sent up soon after.

I'm told I need to wait for my PEBLO to reach out and he will advise me further. I'm just going to call him and see what his next steps are here soon. I'll post again with any updates later today.
 
Quite the day. Final news is this:

C&P exam results posted, NMA routed up incorrectly. Still marked me as deployable. I go to the CO and inform him, he corrects it and sends it back. PEBLO uploads the corrected version into LIMDU Smart and reassures me that the correct one will be sent to the PEB.

NMA is fully consistent with me not being retainable now, and I'm told I'll have a review here soon with my lawyer. Then I'll review everything with my PEBLO before everything is kicked off to the PEB phase, where I'll anxiously await the final verdict from the raters.
 
20240405 Scheduled final review with lawyer for the 10th, and final appt with PEBLO for the 11th. The MEB phase will be over on the 11th, officially kicking me into the PEB phase unless I have an issue with something which I don't think I will.

Command is beginning to give me a hard time about PT. Surprising since my injury is common knowledge and I'm a thin dude. Trying to be very cautious to avoid disciplinary action, but I still have to advocate for myself. As it stands, I have no paperwork against me and I intend to keep it that way.
 
thanks4urhelp said:
20240405 Scheduled final review with lawyer for the 10th, and final appt with PEBLO for the 11th. The MEB phase will be over on the 11th, officially kicking me into the PEB phase unless I have an issue with something which I don't think I will.

Command is beginning to give me a hard time about PT. Surprising since my injury is common knowledge and I'm a thin dude. Trying to be very cautious to avoid disciplinary action, but I still have to advocate for myself. As it stands, I have no paperwork against me and I intend to keep it that way.
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Are you still on LIMDU? If so, PT should be a non-issue unless they want you to still "show up."

If your LIMDU expired, you need that thing renewed, otherwise they'll just keep messing with you.
 
BlackHillsMarine said:
Are you still on LIMDU? If so, PT should be a non-issue unless they want you to still "show up."

If your LIMDU expired, you need that thing renewed, otherwise they'll just keep messing with you.
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LIMDU expired but there's no way to renew it since the final action of my LIMDU case was DES referral. I've explained to my NCOs that my restricted medical status is indefinite until I receive a final decision from the PEB likely in September.
 
thanks4urhelp said:
LIMDU expired but there's no way to renew it since the final action of my LIMDU case was DES referral. I've explained to my NCOs that my restricted medical status is indefinite until I receive a final decision from the PEB likely in September.
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You should have limitations specific to your MEB. They’re listed on SMART under EMEBR. That is your only justification for not PTing.
 
Octopus_man said:
You should have limitations specific to your MEB. They’re listed on SMART under EMEBR. That is your only justification for not PTing.
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Yup, I've shown that before. The difficult part is my limitations were posted solely for my back issues, despite having some address for my leg issues with a no hiking/marching/rucking & pt at own pace, with a standing limit of less than 30 min and walking less than half mile.

Since these restrictions were made I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, CFS, DDD, hip strain, plantar fasciitis, etc. showing greatly limited ROM for several joints from shoulder, knee, and foot.

I've sat and tried to discuss this with medical, only to have my doctor tell me in no uncertain terms that I have 5 months left, and I need to face my issues instead of finding excuses for them, and that I won't be given any new restrictions (they never even reviewed the new diagnostics).

My CoC gave me the green light to simply show up and do a core exercise that I can somewhat tolerate, and I'm fine with this. Medical ignoring the diagnostics just feels wrong, and I feel like I have no recourse.
 
202210XX - Injury sustained.
20230524 First and only LIMDU cycle
20231025 Referred to IDES (154 days)
20240123 Case accepted by MEB (90 days)
20240129 VA/Legal Brief & Claims submission through MSC (6 days)
20240205 C&P exams scheduled through VES (7 days) (10th, 15th, 22nd, & 27th)
20240210 Tinnitus C&P (5 days)
20240215 Mental C&P (5 days)
20240222 General/Head-to-Toe C&P (7 days)
20240227 TBI C&P (5 days)
20240305 Sleep study C&P (7 days)
20240402 NMA received (28 days)
20240410 Final legal review, personal impact statement signed and submitted. (8 days)
20240411 Final MEB review prior to signature to send MEB package to PEB phase. (1 day)
 
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20240410 Spoke to my lawyer, he tells me that he typically greatly understates his estimates to save face, but wanted to let me know despite that he feels as though I have "a great chance" at 100%. He also believes that due to my injury originating in combat training there is a fair argument to submit for combat related disability. I'm not sure how that would pan out but we'll find out.

I'm slated to see my PEBLO tomorrow to sign off my board first thing in the morning. My lawyer suggested I don't request for review as my exams are excellent. The process should be pretty streamlined but I'm honestly pretty worried. I know this is right before that long period of radio silence, which is always awful. Gonna do my best to keep it together.
 
20240411 Case was sent to the PEB after convening authority signed off on it at noon today. I submitted a personal impact statement, did NOT submit rebuttal, and did NOT request for a medical review. Now begins the long wait and radio silence. Seems like Marines are getting proposals well before the 3 month mark, so that's encouraging.

In case I don't update this for quite some time I'd like to note that I will be reading over other posts likely daily, and will keep an eye on my inbox so feel free to message me for any personal questions. I'll obviously update here when I get my findings and when I'm found unfit. The last post I'll make is a complete composite timeline outlining any and all pertinent information that will be useful to someone just beginning this process in the Marines.
 
thanks4urhelp said:
20240411 Case was sent to the PEB after convening authority signed off on it at noon today. I submitted a personal impact statement, did NOT submit rebuttal, and did NOT request for a medical review. Now begins the long wait and radio silence. Seems like Marines are getting proposals well before the 3 month mark, so that's encouraging.

In case I don't update this for quite some time I'd like to note that I will be reading over other posts likely daily, and will keep an eye on my inbox so feel free to message me for any personal questions. I'll obviously update here when I get my findings and when I'm found unfit. The last post I'll make is a complete composite timeline outlining any and all pertinent information that will be useful to someone just beginning this process in the Marines.
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Made an account just to say thank you all the information you've posted has been very helpful during this process. My package just got sent yesterday, my Convening Authority Certification was surprisingly fast... How did you find out that the your package was accepted by the PEB? My Limdu smart tracker just says completed now with no other information...
 
KeyboardWarrior said:
Made an account just to say thank you all the information you've posted has been very helpful during this process. My package just got sent yesterday, my Convening Authority Certification was surprisingly fast... How did you find out that the your package was accepted by the PEB? My Limdu smart tracker just says completed now with no other information...
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It'll populate in MOL brother. Check your messages. Should say something like "Your medical board case has been referred to the PEB for action." some time before you finish your board, and after you sign off your package it'll probably be about 6 days or so before you get another message that says "Your medical board case has been accepted by the PEB for action."

My referral message came when I filed my claim with my MSC. My acceptance date was on the 17th, and confirmed their acceptance by calling Jeff at Naval PEB. Once I'm found unfit a VA claim will populate on va.gov.
 
thanks4urhelp said:
It'll populate in MOL brother. Check your messages. Should say something like "Your medical board case has been referred to the PEB for action." some time before you finish your board, and after you sign off your package it'll probably be about 6 days or so before you get another message that says "Your medical board case has been accepted by the PEB for action."

My referral message came when I filed my claim with my MSC. My acceptance date was on the 17th, and confirmed their acceptance by calling Jeff at Naval PEB. Once I'm found unfit a VA claim will populate on va.gov.
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So I checked my MOL Messages and surprisingly I have a message exactly like that back on the 5th of March, but my MEB wasn't completed until the 23rd of April... weird.
 
KeyboardWarrior said:
So I checked my MOL Messages and surprisingly I have a message exactly like that back on the 5th of March, but my MEB wasn't completed until the 23rd of April... weird.
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It should align with the day you submitted your claim with your MSC. The referral date is going to be much much earlier than your MEB being forwarded to the PEB.

Your acceptance day will be in the future and it will have a similar notice. I suggest you go into your settings and turn on email alerts to your personal email: it will send you an email stating you have a new notification and it effects your OMPF.

Your duty limit will show "V/PEB REFERRAL" IIRC. When accepted, it will show "Y/PEB CASE ACCEPTED". You can see this by going to MOL, then going to your BIR (basic individual record) and looking at your limit at the very bottom.
 
To give you more reassurance, my MOL said the following:

30 Jan 2024 @ 0303 Your medical board case has been referred to the PEB for action.

17 Apr 2024 @ 0301 Your medical board case has been accepted by the PEB for action.

I didn't even finish my C&P exams before March 5th to give you an idea. I think they just slot it in with them much earlier as it's pretty unusual for the case to get struck down, probably as a formality. I didn't even notice the message until much later.
 
20240429 My case has been assigned to a rater per the 1000 number. I'm going to assume that this is typical, but I wonder where fitness determination lies in all of this. I'll email my MSC asking for more details.
 
Spoke to the MSC briefly, looks like I was a bit misguided on how this process works. While the PEB can't determine your ratings until you are found unfit internally, the VA will rate your claims regardless. I assume this is what some of you meant when you refer to the parallel ratings system.

Seems as though this is put in place as a time saving measure so the VA has time to prioritize your claim and do it justice. From what I understand, if the VA finished their ratings but you are found fit the claim is simply thrown away. I wonder if that's the case or if your rating stays with you despite being found fit.

Looking at timelines on here it looks like it takes around a month for the PEB to determine your fitness. I was accepted to the PEB on the 17th of April, Jeff at the PEB told me that I need to wait until the 45 day mark before calling him up to see what's going on (he seemed unusually happy when I called, good to see him in good spirits)

As it stands now I'm simply waiting for my fitness determination and the VA has begun their rating process on my case file despite nothing populating on the claims tracker.
 
Interesting note: spoke to the 1000 number one more time today. They explained if you were found fit for whatever reason you would only keep your findings if your regular separation date came within a year of your exam dates.

In other news I will likely not hear anything until the middle of next month. Like I said before it will likely take a month for fitness determination to come in. My understanding after all these talks is that this determination will come in probably after the proposed ratings are made by the VA, and should I be found unfit there's some kind of review to ensure no errors were made prior to proposed ratings being forwarded to me. Some of you guys have gotten those ratings back lightning fast so I'm a little nervous.

I'm fully ready to separate admin wise. Hoping that I'll find a reasonable place to rent after orders are given. My doctor told me that there's no chance I'm found fit, lawyer seems to agree. I feel like regardless of how personal these posts can seem they will never capture the anxiety this process can create. Wishing everyone who weathers this process the best. Until next update...
 
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