Hello, first I would like to say a huge THANK YOU for having a site like this. I've asked many organizations and people about my predicament and I keep getting conflicting answers so I'm hoping you may be able to help me by giving me some straight answers. The answers to my questions are probably somewhere on this site but I was unable to find it. I was active duty air force security forces from 1993 to 1997 and then joined the air national guard as an AGR as soon as I got out of active duty and have been an AGR for the entire time. I am 35 years old and hit 16 years of combined active and AGR time last week and currently hold the rank of MSgt. I've been having lower back pain since 2003 when we were in Baghdad; I'm guessing that all the gear and equipment I wore and hauled around there may have accelerated it. Anyways, I went to the army medic while I was there and just took some motrin and that was that. We weren't living in the best conditions at the time and I didn't have it put in my medical records since we had a lot more important things to worry about at the time, plus I didn't want to come off as "that guy". Not sure if this would help my case at all but I also received the AF Combat action medal while in Iraq. I guess at this point I'm kind of grasping at straws. Anyways,when I returned state side I was told by certain higher ups not to put it in my medical records since it might get me kicked out and affect my security clearance, plus I was able to handle the pain at the time, I just made frequent trips to the chiropractor. Anyways, this past September the pain in my lower back and legs became unbearable so I got an MRI. The results showed that I had degenerative disc disease, my sciatic nerve was almost severed, and I had ruptured discs. In October of 2008 I got a microdiscectomy which wasn't a success. I then received the same surgery a month later in November of 2008. It worked for about a week and then I started having more complications, to include spinal fluid leaking to my brain which was causing severe migraines and depression. I recently received another MRI and it showed that the disc has disintegrated beyond repair and it is also starting to cause nerve damage, though we won’t know if it’s permanent until they operate again. So next week I'm getting my lower back fused and the Doctors are hoping that this will fix it, though the doctors did say that I will be having back problems for the remainder of my life. I was told by my units medical officer that since I'm getting my back fused I will have no choice but to go in front of an MEB and because of the sensitivity of my current position and because I have a Security Forces AFSC I will be more than likely getting the boot . I was also told that since I'm a title 32 AGR that I will not receive any type of medical retirement or benefits and that I will be basically out on my own, other than VA disability. I would normally suck it up and say that's how it goes but if I'm medically kicked out of the military I'm pretty sure no federal law enforcement agency or even a local police department for that matter would hire me. I was hoping to put this surgery off as long as possible so I could hit my eighteen year mark which would put me in "sanctuary" but the pain became intolerable and I kept passing out from the spinal fluid leakage or pain, not sure which one. So at this point I have no choice but to get the surgery. I'm sorry for the long message but I really hope someone can give me some advice or peace of mind so I can focus on the upcoming surgery and not worry about what bridge I'm going to live under when I get the boot. So I guess my main question is will I receive or am I entitled to any type of retirement even though I’ve only been in 16 years? Thanks again for any help you can offer.
AGR being forced out medically
- Thread starter thedomshow
- Start date
welcome. sf HUA 
im going through the same situation. when you go through your MEB fight and dont give up. if you are rated over 30% you will receive all the entitements of a 20 yr retiree. under 30% you will get a severance. the big problems you will run into is lack of education to the system. youve com to the right place. all the info yoi could ever need is here. we're all in the same boat and here to advocat for each other. did you say an LOD was conducted? from this point on i would ensure everything is properly documented in your med records. get copies of everything. if you need any help along the way, im always here @ least once a day. good luck. dont give up and keep us updated.
im going through the same situation. when you go through your MEB fight and dont give up. if you are rated over 30% you will receive all the entitements of a 20 yr retiree. under 30% you will get a severance. the big problems you will run into is lack of education to the system. youve com to the right place. all the info yoi could ever need is here. we're all in the same boat and here to advocat for each other. did you say an LOD was conducted? from this point on i would ensure everything is properly documented in your med records. get copies of everything. if you need any help along the way, im always here @ least once a day. good luck. dont give up and keep us updated.Wow! Thanks for such a quick reply! So as long as I'm rated at 30% or more I would get a full 20 year retirement? Does it matter that I'm full time Air National Guard (Title 32 AGR). One of the things I was told from a VA rep via the telephone was since I'm not regular active USAF (title 10) the 30% rule doesnt apply to me and that I need to try and tough it out to 18 years before I go in front of an MEB. Which was my plan but my body just started breaking beyond my control
Thanks again!
Thanks again!