Greetings! I am currently going through the IDES process which is currently in the PEB phase awaiting for the VA to assign percentage and service connections to my claimed disabilities. The PEB sent me a preliminary informal memorandum stating they were finding me unfit for all the conditions the MEB listed me as being unfit for. I have not received the DA199 form yet. When the VA returns my ratings, they will then send me the final VA 199. One of the conditions I'm listed as unfit for is my PTSD. They listed the follow V codes next to my PTSD (V1 and V3 No, and V4 Yes). To my knowledge, the V4 code relates to severance pay for I don't qualify for as I have over 20 years, and it basically says the condition occurred while in a combat environment. I think it should be coded for one of the other combat related codes that designates my PTSD a combat related injury. I acquired PTSD from doing foreign military claims while deployed in Iraq from Dec 2009 to Dec 2010. I had to collect claims from Iraqis all over the Bagdad province who wanted monetary settlements due to the military either killing, blowing up, or severely injuring their family members and also for blowing up, occupying or damaging their property. They had to submit evidence to me in the form of pictures or live evidence for me to investigate, adjudicate and determine a monetary settlement to pay them for their claims. I saw hundreds of pictures of dead bodies of women, children, babies and men, I saw burnt to a crisp bodies of babies clinging to their mothers. In a lot of cases, the people came in showing the damage done them from dismangled arms, kids with half their heads and eyes sockets gone along with other body parts missing or severely damaged. I was threatened physically and verbally by them when I couldn't provide them any payment or if they weren't satisfied with how much I was paying them. They threatened to blow us up or shoot us! I was scarred shitless every time I had to go out to the collection points to deal with these people. I did this for the 13 months while I was deployed and upon return from deployment, I was having some serious mental issues that continues on to this present day.
Do you all think that my PTSD warrants a V1 or V3 code? Instrumentality of War or combat?
Do you all think that my PTSD warrants a V1 or V3 code? Instrumentality of War or combat?