First Time - Long Time... IDES meeting - AF Reserve

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rainfallowllightning

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Registered Member
I've been creeping on this forum for a while and as everyone knows, this process is a lot. the long and short of my case: ~10 years AD, ~4 years Reserves, got 100% from the VA last year, notified mental health and medical - process "started" in the fall.

So far in 2026 I have provided all of my medical records: private and VA, to medical. I see I'm on profile now and non-deployable and now I'm waiting on my commander to fill out the IRILO Impact Statement. I have a meeting with him this weekend to discuss. He's new, but very personable. My disqualifying conditions (I believe) include PTSD and migraines, though like many of you I have plenty of others. I've drafted the form for my commander, but left a few areas blank.

At this point, I think I want out. I go back and forth on this decision, which in my experience means my heart isnt in it any more.

Aside from telling the truth (obv), how should I "prep" for this meeting with my commander?
Any recommendations on how to discuss my conditions? I'm assuming the end goal if I dont want to stay in is for him to check "do not retain" but again, I'm not entirely sure how this long, confusing process works and how its (probably) different for Reservists.
Also, I see many people here getting C&Ps from the VA... since I just went through that process and all of mine are within 2 years old or so at this point... will I have to do that should they MEB me?

Thanks in advance.
 
rainfallowllightning said:
I've been creeping on this forum for a while and as everyone knows, this process is a lot. the long and short of my case: ~10 years AD, ~4 years Reserves, got 100% from the VA last year, notified mental health and medical - process "started" in the fall.

So far in 2026 I have provided all of my medical records: private and VA, to medical. I see I'm on profile now and non-deployable and now I'm waiting on my commander to fill out the IRILO Impact Statement. I have a meeting with him this weekend to discuss. He's new, but very personable. My disqualifying conditions (I believe) include PTSD and migraines, though like many of you I have plenty of others. I've drafted the form for my commander, but left a few areas blank.

At this point, I think I want out. I go back and forth on this decision, which in my experience means my heart isnt in it any more.

Aside from telling the truth (obv), how should I "prep" for this meeting with my commander?
Any recommendations on how to discuss my conditions? I'm assuming the end goal if I dont want to stay in is for him to check "do not retain" but again, I'm not entirely sure how this long, confusing process works and how its (probably) different for Reservists.
Also, I see many people here getting C&Ps from the VA... since I just went through that process and all of mine are within 2 years old or so at this point... will I have to do that should they MEB me?

Thanks in advance.
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Be careful. Just because the VA service connected your conditions doesn't mean the AF Reserves will determine your health conditions are duty related. Its fine if you are just trying to get out instead of waiting until your enlistment contract is finished but if you are planning on medically retiring that's not guaranteed. Also, if medically retired the only additional benefit will be Tricare. If you are 100% and get CHAMPVA then you already have a medical option for family. Tricare is better IMHO. The only way to net more money if your chapter 61 pension is completely offset by VA compensation is if you get approved for CRSC after getting medically retire.

Its much harder to get medically retired in the guard or reserves because the condition needs to be duty related and most of the time you are not on duty as a guard or reservist. Proving that your condition was caused by past AD or current Reserve time while on duty is not easy and can be very hard next to impossible depending on who is making the decision. The Army Guard is the worst. Not sure about AF Reserves.

Also, i you can squeak it out one more year and they find your conditions unfitting and duty related you can get issued a 15 year letter allowing you to Retire at eligible Reserve age if your DOD % is 20% or lower.
 
Good to know. Thanks! I've got pretty solid medical documentation attributing my PTSD and migraines to my deployment to Iraq while on AD and through responding to suicides while on AD. I personally would be surprised if they determined it was not duty related... but who knows.
 
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