Here's My Story...Any Advice?

AKpatient0

New Member
Registered Member
Hello,

I just found this forum. I'm NOT currently going through an MEB or RILO, but I smell one on the horizon. I've been in 19+ years, prior-enlisted Major...and I have about 2.5 years left on an Active Duty Service Commitment. I have pretty severe back pain with radiating symptoms down both legs on the lower side and radiating symptoms in my arms up top. Pain and radiating symptoms started about 5-6 years ago in combat skills training. A doc a deployed with treated me with pain killers and steroid injections over the course of the deployment. Since then, I've been on and off profiles for PT, but now the nails are in the coffin. I've tested AC only the last 3 times and my next one will probably be a composite exemption as I'm having a multi-level anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) and decompression surgery of the L4-L5-S1 next month. I'm also newly own a CPAP machine (to even overweight) for minor obstructive sleep apnea and I'm being treated by mental health for anxiety and depression stemming from a wrong-site pain management procedure at my MTF and some deployment shit I just can't shake. I'm sure there are a few other issues too, but these are the main ones causing me issues at the moment.

Like I said, no MEB yet, but I'm not naive enough to think that one isn't coming. I can still perform my duties for the most part, but my surgeon says I'll probably never run again. The AF seems to have a hard-on for PT over the last 5-6 years so I'm not sure how this restriction will go over.

I just really don't know what to expect with any of this.

Any advice, experience, and/or pointers will be great appreciated.

Thanks!

AK
 
Try and make it to 20 and you can collect both your 20 year retirement AND VA pension. I am an O3E and was medically retired at 17.5 years. Had I made it to 20 I would collect another thousand dollars per month for life. That's 12k per year, 120k over 10 years I'm missing out on. I know it sucks to suck up the pain and all, but if your chain of command will support you for one more year, then drop the retirement paperwork as soon as you can and get the VA CP exams in your last six months. Stall as long as possible. If you make it to 19 and they force a MEB on you, you can generally drag it out for a year to get to 20 if you appeal at every chance. I had a misdiagnosis and I non concurred and appealed at every chance. Mine took around 15 months total. I could have been out in 5 months if I had accepted the first lowball offer and a misdiagnosis
 
Hello,

I just found this forum. I'm NOT currently going through an MEB or RILO, but I smell one on the horizon. I've been in 19+ years, prior-enlisted Major...and I have about 2.5 years left on an Active Duty Service Commitment. I have pretty severe back pain with radiating symptoms down both legs on the lower side and radiating symptoms in my arms up top. Pain and radiating symptoms started about 5-6 years ago in combat skills training. A doc a deployed with treated me with pain killers and steroid injections over the course of the deployment. Since then, I've been on and off profiles for PT, but now the nails are in the coffin. I've tested AC only the last 3 times and my next one will probably be a composite exemption as I'm having a multi-level anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) and decompression surgery of the L4-L5-S1 next month. I'm also newly own a CPAP machine (to even overweight) for minor obstructive sleep apnea and I'm being treated by mental health for anxiety and depression stemming from a wrong-site pain management procedure at my MTF and some deployment shit I just can't shake. I'm sure there are a few other issues too, but these are the main ones causing me issues at the moment.

Like I said, no MEB yet, but I'm not naive enough to think that one isn't coming. I can still perform my duties for the most part, but my surgeon says I'll probably never run again. The AF seems to have a hard-on for PT over the last 5-6 years so I'm not sure how this restriction will go over.

I just really don't know what to expect with any of this.

Any advice, experience, and/or pointers will be great appreciated.

Thanks!

AK
_______________________________***:D*** Happy New Year! ***:D***________________________________

Welcome to the PEB Forum! :)

Indeed, due to all of the constant inconsistences with my IDES case file when in the DoD IDES process, a total of 20.3 months had elapsed prior to my official placement onto the DoD military TDRL albeit I already had well over 24 years AFS upon the referral and official acceptance into the DoD IDES via an U.S. Army perspective.

To that extent, any potential referral and acceptance into the DoD IDES process may yield additional DoD military disability retirement benefits in the form of DoD tax-free medical retirement compensation for a combat/combat-related finding by the DoD IDES Physical Evaluation Board (PEB).

Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) and Concurrent Retirement Disability Pay (CRDP) are two programs created by the U.S. Congress to allow eligible military retirees to receive monthly entitlements in addition to military retired pay. The purpose of these entitlements is to recover some or all of the military retired pay that military retirees waive for DoVA disability compensation.
  • CRSC is a special compensation for military combat-related disabilities. It is non-taxable, and military retirees must apply to their Branch of Service for receipt of payment

  • CRDP is a restoration of military retired pay for retirees with military service-connected disabilities. It is taxed in the same manner as your military retired pay, and it is normally considered taxable income unless a combat or combat-related finding is adjudicated when in the DoD IDES. Eligible military retirees receive CRDP automatically since no application is required
As such, you still can submit a CRSC application upon placement onto the DoD military TDRL/PDRL after the conclusion of the DoD IDES and having all required applicable documentation although your Military Department or branch of service will start your monthly CRSC payments as a military veteran typically 30 to 60 days (or even more in some cases) after your military branch sends you a CRSC approval letter.

Moreover, DFAS and the DoVA manages the CRDP/CRSC Processing program to pay eligible military retirees any retroactive CRSC, CRDP and/or VA disability compensation owed. Hence, a military retiree may be due funds from DFAS, the DoVA or from both agencies. DFAS and the DoVA remain in communication with each other to successfully establish and process CRDP and CRSC accounts.

That all said, please take care and I hope that you receive relief from your severe back pain; I can totally comprehend! :cool:

Thus, I quite often comment that "possessing well-informed knowledge is truly a powerful equalizer!"

Best Wishes!
 
I'm surprised that the sleep apnea didn't trigger an MEB. My MEB started with the sleep apnea and then they discovered everything else that I had been hiding. I had a fracture back, osteoporosis, PTSD, and many other things. My doctor was also helping me to avoid going through the MEB. Somehow I did manage to sidestep getting a MEB three other time. I do feel I was very lucky and I can't imagine it happening to anyone else.

You have more than 19 years on AD, correct? For me, I didn't want to get out but it was apparent I didn't belong in anymore. I would probably get the MEB rolling around 19 yrs. 6 months. You will still be retired as an officer if you don't complete your commitment, you will still get your retirement, and you will get whatever the VA decide on giving you.

I was enlisted with over 20 years toward AD retirement. I was give 80% from the AF. I now get 57.7% from the AF and 100% from the VA. I did make the mistake of apply for CRSC and was given 80% of that but that screwed me when I got 100% from the VA. My advice, if there is a possibility of getting 100% from the VA don't mess with CRSC. This is only for AKPatient0 because other cases may vary.

Just a warning because I don't know the entire story but right after I was MEB, a Major I worked with was discharged. I was told he was recommended for an MEB and they quickly put him out. This was about four years ago and I would hope thing have gotten better. My command also tried to get me to retire and not go through the MEB. I refused and told them if they didn't MEB me I would reenlist. Yes they made my life miserable but I still believe I did the correct thing.
 
Thanks for all the replies. As for the Sleep Apnea, my Sleep Doc said it was just below the threshold that requires an MEB, but there were other sleep factors as well that when added together made it so I require a CPAP.

Does anyone know how my active duty service commitment may play into this if it comes to an MEB?
 
I'm thinking you mean only the sleep apnea. Last that I have heard, the service member could remain on AD. I don't know if this had changed or not. They will review your medical record for anything else which was how they got me.
 
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