Commanders Statement

S

Somekindofusername1990

PEB Forum Regular Member
Registered Member
14 year Active Duty Army here

My company commander checked boxes for me being deployable (been non-deployable for a year), and being able to function and perform my duties in austere environments (my EBH profile states the opposite). He didn’t write anything in the comment boxes and checked the box that I perform well and that my medical conditions have no negative impacts on my duty performance.

For context, I’m a 14 year combat arms guy with three deployments to the Middle East. I hit some low points at the beginning of this year and attempted suicide by hanging. I was removed from my leadership position and placed in an administrative role. I was a top performer before that but the impact it had on me over time led me down a dark path that I kept well hidden from everyone at work.

My referred conditions are PTSD with Adjustment Disorder and Anxiety. My concern, my Commander is new and doesn’t know anything about me. He filled out that form without asking me a single question. My goal is to be found unfit and be the best version of myself for myself and my family, outside of the Army.

How much weight will his statement (or lack thereof) have on my fit/unfit finding at the PEB?
 
Somekindofusername1990 said:
14 year Active Duty Army here

My company commander checked boxes for me being deployable (been non-deployable for a year), and being able to function and perform my duties in austere environments (my EBH profile states the opposite). He didn’t write anything in the comment boxes and checked the box that I perform well and that my medical conditions have no negative impacts on my duty performance.

For context, I’m a 14 year combat arms guy with three deployments to the Middle East. I hit some low points at the beginning of this year and attempted suicide by hanging. I was removed from my leadership position and placed in an administrative role. I was a top performer before that but the impact it had on me over time led me down a dark path that I kept well hidden from everyone at work.

My referred conditions are PTSD with Adjustment Disorder and Anxiety. My concern, my Commander is new and doesn’t know anything about me. He filled out that form without asking me a single question. My goal is to be found unfit and be the best version of myself for myself and my family, outside of the Army.

How much weight will his statement (or lack thereof) have on my fit/unfit finding at the PEB?
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The commander's impact statement for the Army has little sway. I would not worry about it.
 
Commander’s statements are often senseless. Medical records will likely be weighed heavily.
 
I agree with chaplain and Provis. It still may be worth your time to ask for a discussion with the commander and see if he’ll reconsider. I typed mine up and sent it to the commander. I realize that’s an option not available to everyone, but perhaps a discussion could be helpful. If nothing else, at least he’ll have a better understanding of what you’re going through and maybe he’ll take better care of the next soldier going through the process.
 
Somekindofusername1990 said:
14 year Active Duty Army here

My company commander checked boxes for me being deployable (been non-deployable for a year), and being able to function and perform my duties in austere environments (my EBH profile states the opposite). He didn’t write anything in the comment boxes and checked the box that I perform well and that my medical conditions have no negative impacts on my duty performance.

For context, I’m a 14 year combat arms guy with three deployments to the Middle East. I hit some low points at the beginning of this year and attempted suicide by hanging. I was removed from my leadership position and placed in an administrative role. I was a top performer before that but the impact it had on me over time led me down a dark path that I kept well hidden from everyone at work.

My referred conditions are PTSD with Adjustment Disorder and Anxiety. My concern, my Commander is new and doesn’t know anything about me. He filled out that form without asking me a single question. My goal is to be found unfit and be the best version of myself for myself and my family, outside of the Army.

How much weight will his statement (or lack thereof) have on my fit/unfit finding at the PEB?
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Just talked to some people on the inside and things have changed making my previous advice incorrect. The branches are increasingly relying on the Commander's impact statement and using it to determine fit or unfit.

Based on this new information I suggest you try to get your commander to fill out a new one. Make sure to have something in writing such as an email so you can use that as evidence later on that shows that you were trying to get it changed to accurately show your limitations due to medical conditions.

My advice for anyone going forward will be to make sure its correct and if not try to get it changed. Also, make sure to have request in writing. So for example if you talk to your commander and they are unwilling to fill out a new one then follow up with an email recapping the request so that you have it in writing.
 
Update:

Spoke with my PEBLO, Commander, & MEB Counsel. Commander agreed to update his statement after I sent him an email detailing my conditions and their impact on my duty performance.

The statement was sent back to my PEBLO and swapped out with the original document.

My last QTC exam was 29 NOV, waiting for my Narsum.
 
This sounds like my situation. 13 years in and want to get out the best version of myself as well.

I just received the commander's statement as well that I don't agree with either.

I will send an email first to see how it goes.

Thanks for your update as well.
 
Somekindofusername1990 said:
Update:

Spoke with my PEBLO, Commander, & MEB Counsel. Commander agreed to update his statement after I sent him an email detailing my conditions and their impact on my duty performance.

The statement was sent back to my PEBLO and swapped out with the original document.

My last QTC exam was 29 NOV, waiting for my Narsum.
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Any update? I had my last VA medical review in the first week of March 2024. I still have yet to hear back from my PEBLO or anyone so for now I'm waiting.
 
C8_Z06 said:
Any update? I had my last VA medical review in the first week of March 2024. I still have yet to hear back from my PEBLO or anyone so for now I'm waiting.
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Were you able to get your statement corrected? I had a similar issue with being marked as deployable, but after speaking to my CO he agreed to correct it swaying things vastly in my favor.

The user you're asking about has his/her timeline posted elsewhere, I'll link it here:

Fort Cavazos Timeline

(SEP 25, 2023) MEB Brief w/PEBLO (OCT 13, 2023) MSC Proposed Claims (NOV 20, 2023) First C&P Exam (NOV 29, 2023) Final C&P Exam (DEC 18, 2023) Received NARSUM (DEC 19, 2023) Scheduled Legal w/MEB Legal Office (DEC 22, 2023) Signed NARSUM (Concur) (DEC 26, 2023) NARSUM forwarded to PEB I will...
www.pebforum.com www.pebforum.com
 
Copy, thanks! To answer your question, no, my CO would not change their marking. I was told by my PEBLO that the significance of my medical conditions would 99.9% ensure that I would not be retained by the military regardless of my CO's statement to retain me. I took 3 months off of con leave to learn how to walk again a few years ago following a surgery. My command knows.. very strange but my 1st Sgt explained to me that if needed I could be coded to never PCS outside of my state for the rest of my career (10 years) and if needed I could deploy in place.
 
thanks4urhelp said:
Were you able to get your statement corrected? I had a similar issue with being marked as deployable, but after speaking to my CO he agreed to correct it swaying things vastly in my favor.

The user you're asking about has his/her timeline posted elsewhere, I'll link it here:

Fort Cavazos Timeline

(SEP 25, 2023) MEB Brief w/PEBLO (OCT 13, 2023) MSC Proposed Claims (NOV 20, 2023) First C&P Exam (NOV 29, 2023) Final C&P Exam (DEC 18, 2023) Received NARSUM (DEC 19, 2023) Scheduled Legal w/MEB Legal Office (DEC 22, 2023) Signed NARSUM (Concur) (DEC 26, 2023) NARSUM forwarded to PEB I will...
www.pebforum.com www.pebforum.com
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Copy, thanks! To answer your question, no, my CO would not change their marking. I was told by my PEBLO that the significance of my medical conditions would 99.9% ensure that I would not be retained by the military regardless of my CO's statement to retain me. I took 3 months off of con leave to learn how to walk again a few years ago following a surgery. My command knows.. very strange but my 1st Sgt explained to me that if needed I could be coded to never PCS outside of my state for the rest of my career (10 years) and if needed I could deploy in place.
 
C8_Z06 said:
Copy, thanks! To answer your question, no, my CO would not change their marking. I was told by my PEBLO that the significance of my medical conditions would 99.9% ensure that I would not be retained by the military regardless of my CO's statement to retain me. I took 3 months off of con leave to learn how to walk again a few years ago following a surgery. My command knows.. very strange but my 1st Sgt explained to me that if needed I could be coded to never PCS outside of my state for the rest of my career (10 years) and if needed I could deploy in place.
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You'll find a lot of notation saying that while a commander's statement can help, it has a harder time hurting. If you have exams stating your ROM is shot and you can't do X Y and Z but your CO is claiming you're John Basilone storming the front, the board of doctors will likely favor the medical opinions provided to them over your CO stating otherwise.

You'll be taken care of.
 
C8_Z06 said:
Any update? I had my last VA medical review in the first week of March 2024. I still have yet to hear back from my PEBLO or anyone so for now I'm waiting.
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I was recommended for Medical Retirement and started terminal leave at the end of February with my official retirement date of 29 April.
 
C8_Z06 said:
Copy, thanks! To answer your question, no, my CO would not change their marking. I was told by my PEBLO that the significance of my medical conditions would 99.9% ensure that I would not be retained by the military regardless of my CO's statement to retain me. I took 3 months off of con leave to learn how to walk again a few years ago following a surgery. My command knows.. very strange but my 1st Sgt explained to me that if needed I could be coded to never PCS outside of my state for the rest of my career (10 years) and if needed I could deploy in place.
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My CO’s original statement was not even close to reality for my case. He also marked me as deployable and having no physical limitations. He also took command when I was actively in an IOP for a month. Following that, I was on permanent profile for my feet and conducting profile PT at the gym on my own. Basically, he never saw me. I can’t speak on how my case would’ve turned out if he didn’t change his statement but I will say, my providers told me “that man is not a doctor, we’re the doctors”. You should be ok, keep us posted.
 
thanks4urhelp said:
You'll find a lot of notation saying that while a commander's statement can help, it has a harder time hurting. If you have exams stating your ROM is shot and you can't do X Y and Z but your CO is claiming you're John Basilone storming the front, the board of doctors will likely favor the medical opinions provided to them over your CO stating otherwise.

You'll be taken care of.
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Thank you. I have learned that the MEB process is very foreign to Active Duty members and isolating for the individual member. It was with this forum that I found peace. However, I was upset upon my CO's initial statement when I was uninformed of the process.
 
C8_Z06 said:
Thank you. I have learned that the MEB process is very foreign to Active Duty members and isolating for the individual member. It was with this forum that I found peace. However, I was upset upon my CO's initial statement when I was uninformed of the process.
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It's pretty annoying yeah. The burden of investigation is left almost entirely up to the service member, and hyper vigilance is required to make sure nothing is messed up. If you aren't vigilant you risk your case sitting and collecting dust: it's bizarre.

I've been relatively lucky as the case has been mostly smooth, but it certainly can go awry from this point.
 
I am currently waiting on my PEB, my commander put on his statement that I was a liar and I’ve been pursuing the MEB process due to me being ABCP. Which all of this is a lie. I was avoiding medboarding, I was prior Combat Arms and my injuries started catching up to me after reclassing to logistics. My PEBLO pretty much said the PEB doesn’t care very much about the commanders statement. I’m kinda lost on what to do.
 
Robert2002$ said:
I am currently waiting on my PEB, my commander put on his statement that I was a liar and I’ve been pursuing the MEB process due to me being ABCP. Which all of this is a lie. I was avoiding medboarding, I was prior Combat Arms and my injuries started catching up to me after reclassing to logistics. My PEBLO pretty much said the PEB doesn’t care very much about the commanders statement. I’m kinda lost on what to do.
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Your PEBLO is right - the board is aware of the massive conflict of interest the commander's statement is and it's in the best interest of the commander to say whatever necessary to maintain their numbers. This isn't an effective strategy, and the more outlandish a statement is the less credible it will likely seem. Don't stress. Just keep moving through the process.
 
thanks4urhelp said:
Your PEBLO is right - the board is aware of the massive conflict of interest the commander's statement is and it's in the best interest of the commander to say whatever necessary to maintain their numbers. This isn't an effective strategy, and the more outlandish a statement is the less credible it will likely seem. Don't stress. Just keep moving through the process.
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Thank you this actually kinda helped a lot I’m tired and stressed out. They are projecting me to be out in about a month or 2
 
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