Good morning from Europe!
Long time lurker here; this forum has been an incredible resource throughout my IDES/MEB process (since July 2020 ), especially considering I am Active Duty Air Force in an OCONUS location. I apologize for the long post, but I wanted to be as thorough as possible, as I know brevity is often met with follow up questions and clarifications.
I am an AD Air Force Officer working as a Special Agent with the Office of Special Investigations (O-4 select with an unknown pin on date - likely won't make it to pin on?) I have a question about that below.
Entered Active Duty on 9 May 2012, so just over 9.1 years of AD service
My current base pay is 6628.20/month
I am married with no children
I received my ratings yesterday from my PEBLO: 80% DoD (TDRL) and 100% VA (Unknown if P&T?)
Ratings for conditions on the DoD side were listed as: PTSD (Unstable @ 70%) and Chronic Back Pain with Stress Fractures (Permanent and Stable @ 40%) and GERD with Esophagitis (Not rated by DoD, but rated on VA side @ 10%)
So from my understanding, I will be PDRL regardless of my PTSD deterioration and/or recovery (unlikely due to combat and job-related traumas), is that correct?
My questions are as follows:
Question 1: Have I calculated my military retirement pay correctly? This is without combat-related designations.
Base Pay = 6628.20 X 0.75 = 4971.15
VA Rating @ 100% = 3321.85
4971.15 - 3321.85 = 1649.15 (offset) taxed @ 20% (Not sure which tax rate to apply? Federal or state? I am a FL resident so there would not be any state income tax if that is the tax rate)
Assuming it's 20% income tax = 1649.15 X 0.20 = 1319.32
So, I would receive one paycheck from the VA for 3321.85 and one paycheck from the DoD for 1319.32 for a total of 4641.17? Please let me know if my calculations are correct? I'm a gun-toter, not a calculations guy!
Question 2: My PTSD is marked as 'YES' for incurred in a combat zone or during combat operations; however, combat-related is marked as 'NO'. Is this worth fighting for the combat related designator? If so, what are the financial/long term benefits?
From my understanding, if I fight this at the FPEB to reflect 'combat-related', then I would receive the complete offset, tax-free (1649.15), which would increase my total compensation from 4641.17 to 4971.00 per month? Is that accurate? Are there any other benefits to fighting for this? I know this is separate from CRSC (question on that later). I had my intake with the appointed ODC lawyers yesterday to determine whether combat-related was worth fighting for (she estimated it would be a 4 week turnaround to submit a paper case in absentia to FPEB). I sent her all of my evidence in support of my 'combat-related' designation, such as my Joint Commendation Medal with Combat Device, AFG and NATO campaign medals, letters from SOC leadership, as well as the impact and subsequent severe PTSD symptoms upon return, all of which was captured in my Trauma treatment assignments (included as evidence to her as well). I deployed in a joint capacity with members of the SOC community to AFG and witnessed first hand the death of two US teammates and friends upon return from mission, as well as hundreds of kill confirmations, drone strikes, as well as being fully imbedded with AFG military forces for weeks at a time with no other US presence. I traveled thousands of miles across the country in support of counter-insurgency operations. So, all of that to say, do you think this is worth fighting for at this point? I am in a toxic work environment currently and I cannot get out of Europe and back to the US quick enough, so I am not sure if we should fight this now or later?
Question 3: How does one determine their P&T status on the VA side prior to retirement?
My lawyer did some research in my VA paperwork yesterday and said, based on the verbiage used, even with the VA taking my 70% rated PTSD out of my VA calculations, they still met a 100% rating on the VA side; so, she foresees me being awarded P&T based on their verbiage and use of USC 35 something or other, can anyone weigh in on this? What are the benefits of P&T at 100%? Is there any way to find out for sure that I will be awarded P&T status at this point in the game?
Question 4: With my TDRL designator, when can I expect to be seen for PTSD on the outside for re-evaluation? What is the average waiting period for this? Do I have to wait three years to go PDRL?
Question 5: In the event they lower my PTSD rating (unlikely according to my MH team, PEBLO and the lawyers); would the offset payment be removed at that point, as I would go down to 40% DoD?
Question 6: I've read multiple posts about CRSC, and I wanted to see if someone was able to help me calculate the potential benefit and whether it is worth pursuing once retired; please see below:
Base Pay = 6628.20 (O-3 with 9.1 years in)
DoD disability percentage = 80%
Active duty years = 9 years 1 month
VA compensation = 100% (one spouse, no children)
Approved CRSC percentage (Would apply only to the 70% for PTSD I assume?)
Question 7: I know this question is outside the scope of TDRL sub-forum; however, how does PTDY and leave work from OCONUS? I know we are authorized UP TO 30 days, which I requested yesterday. However, are we allowed to take our leave first (we have 60 days) and then our permissive TDY on the back end? Reason being, we are trying to travel Europe on the front end with our leave and then house hunt CONUS on the back side? Can any personnelists, travel or finance folks help me to answer this?
Question 8: Having been selected to the rank of O-4 (Major), how does that play into things? I will not even be on Active Duty service to pin on? Any benefits to this at all?
Question 9: Transfer of Post 9/11 GI Bill: I've heard we are able to transfer our GI Bill benefits during the MEB, is this accurate? Has anyone done this successfully? I want to set up my spouse and future kids for success, if possible, so I would like to do this prior to exiting AD service in the coming months.
Thank you all so much for your assistance with these questions; I have six days to respond to my AF 1180 after consulting with my lawyer, so I want to make sure I am making sound decisions, specifically for the combat-related designator. Cheers!
Long time lurker here; this forum has been an incredible resource throughout my IDES/MEB process (since July 2020 ), especially considering I am Active Duty Air Force in an OCONUS location. I apologize for the long post, but I wanted to be as thorough as possible, as I know brevity is often met with follow up questions and clarifications.
I am an AD Air Force Officer working as a Special Agent with the Office of Special Investigations (O-4 select with an unknown pin on date - likely won't make it to pin on?) I have a question about that below.
Entered Active Duty on 9 May 2012, so just over 9.1 years of AD service
My current base pay is 6628.20/month
I am married with no children
I received my ratings yesterday from my PEBLO: 80% DoD (TDRL) and 100% VA (Unknown if P&T?)
Ratings for conditions on the DoD side were listed as: PTSD (Unstable @ 70%) and Chronic Back Pain with Stress Fractures (Permanent and Stable @ 40%) and GERD with Esophagitis (Not rated by DoD, but rated on VA side @ 10%)
So from my understanding, I will be PDRL regardless of my PTSD deterioration and/or recovery (unlikely due to combat and job-related traumas), is that correct?
My questions are as follows:
Question 1: Have I calculated my military retirement pay correctly? This is without combat-related designations.
Base Pay = 6628.20 X 0.75 = 4971.15
VA Rating @ 100% = 3321.85
4971.15 - 3321.85 = 1649.15 (offset) taxed @ 20% (Not sure which tax rate to apply? Federal or state? I am a FL resident so there would not be any state income tax if that is the tax rate)
Assuming it's 20% income tax = 1649.15 X 0.20 = 1319.32
So, I would receive one paycheck from the VA for 3321.85 and one paycheck from the DoD for 1319.32 for a total of 4641.17? Please let me know if my calculations are correct? I'm a gun-toter, not a calculations guy!
Question 2: My PTSD is marked as 'YES' for incurred in a combat zone or during combat operations; however, combat-related is marked as 'NO'. Is this worth fighting for the combat related designator? If so, what are the financial/long term benefits?
From my understanding, if I fight this at the FPEB to reflect 'combat-related', then I would receive the complete offset, tax-free (1649.15), which would increase my total compensation from 4641.17 to 4971.00 per month? Is that accurate? Are there any other benefits to fighting for this? I know this is separate from CRSC (question on that later). I had my intake with the appointed ODC lawyers yesterday to determine whether combat-related was worth fighting for (she estimated it would be a 4 week turnaround to submit a paper case in absentia to FPEB). I sent her all of my evidence in support of my 'combat-related' designation, such as my Joint Commendation Medal with Combat Device, AFG and NATO campaign medals, letters from SOC leadership, as well as the impact and subsequent severe PTSD symptoms upon return, all of which was captured in my Trauma treatment assignments (included as evidence to her as well). I deployed in a joint capacity with members of the SOC community to AFG and witnessed first hand the death of two US teammates and friends upon return from mission, as well as hundreds of kill confirmations, drone strikes, as well as being fully imbedded with AFG military forces for weeks at a time with no other US presence. I traveled thousands of miles across the country in support of counter-insurgency operations. So, all of that to say, do you think this is worth fighting for at this point? I am in a toxic work environment currently and I cannot get out of Europe and back to the US quick enough, so I am not sure if we should fight this now or later?
Question 3: How does one determine their P&T status on the VA side prior to retirement?
My lawyer did some research in my VA paperwork yesterday and said, based on the verbiage used, even with the VA taking my 70% rated PTSD out of my VA calculations, they still met a 100% rating on the VA side; so, she foresees me being awarded P&T based on their verbiage and use of USC 35 something or other, can anyone weigh in on this? What are the benefits of P&T at 100%? Is there any way to find out for sure that I will be awarded P&T status at this point in the game?
Question 4: With my TDRL designator, when can I expect to be seen for PTSD on the outside for re-evaluation? What is the average waiting period for this? Do I have to wait three years to go PDRL?
Question 5: In the event they lower my PTSD rating (unlikely according to my MH team, PEBLO and the lawyers); would the offset payment be removed at that point, as I would go down to 40% DoD?
Question 6: I've read multiple posts about CRSC, and I wanted to see if someone was able to help me calculate the potential benefit and whether it is worth pursuing once retired; please see below:
Base Pay = 6628.20 (O-3 with 9.1 years in)
DoD disability percentage = 80%
Active duty years = 9 years 1 month
VA compensation = 100% (one spouse, no children)
Approved CRSC percentage (Would apply only to the 70% for PTSD I assume?)
Question 7: I know this question is outside the scope of TDRL sub-forum; however, how does PTDY and leave work from OCONUS? I know we are authorized UP TO 30 days, which I requested yesterday. However, are we allowed to take our leave first (we have 60 days) and then our permissive TDY on the back end? Reason being, we are trying to travel Europe on the front end with our leave and then house hunt CONUS on the back side? Can any personnelists, travel or finance folks help me to answer this?
Question 8: Having been selected to the rank of O-4 (Major), how does that play into things? I will not even be on Active Duty service to pin on? Any benefits to this at all?
Question 9: Transfer of Post 9/11 GI Bill: I've heard we are able to transfer our GI Bill benefits during the MEB, is this accurate? Has anyone done this successfully? I want to set up my spouse and future kids for success, if possible, so I would like to do this prior to exiting AD service in the coming months.
Thank you all so much for your assistance with these questions; I have six days to respond to my AF 1180 after consulting with my lawyer, so I want to make sure I am making sound decisions, specifically for the combat-related designator. Cheers!