For my upcoming MEB, I'd like to have an idea of what to expect...

[andrewboyer5709]

Here's the story...
I'm Active Duty Air Force, and I had no problems before I joined the Air Force. I went to BMT on 20 FEB 07, and immediately had headaches & allergy symptoms. I went to the doctor again and again, and they just told me that I had sinusitus, allergies, etc... Basically they did nothing for me, so I went to my follow on technical training, still in TX, and they pretty much did the same thing most of the time. They put me on medications for headaches, sinusitus, allergies, pain killers... you get the picture. so finally I went enough times that they finally had to do something about it. I got CT scans, MRI scans, and some X rays done... NEGATIVE! All the medication I was on never helped for very long, and they all ended up just rebounding, and making the symptoms worse. finally two weeks before I left tech school, I had another CT scan done, and they found a benign tumor in my nasal cavity, which explained why i couldn't breathe through my nose, that was approximately 2 inches long and 1 inch wide. They STILL sent me to my permanent base in FL even though they knew this problem would have to be fixed by surgery. I eventually found out that I would have to go back to San Antonio to one of our bases to get surgery done, by a 32 year full bird COL. Luckily he knew what he was doing!!! my surgery took only 5 of the 8 hours it normally does, but I now have complications with being short of breath easily, dizziness, headaches, nausea, and my nose gets a lot of dried up mucus in it, which is VERY painful when it comes out. So, after all this I still feel like crap, and then I found out that where the first tumor was removed, there is another unidentified "mass" in the very back underneath my brain. So needless to say my Primary Care Manager (physician) put me up for a Medical Evaluation Board, and basically what I'm wondering is if my chances of getting discharged/retired are very good. I've been in for 1.5 years, and I am currently an E-3. I can't PCS, TDY, Deploy, run, or do a whole lot of "hard work" without having difficulties, all of which are documented for the board to see. WHAT DO YOU THINK I SHOULD EXPECT?????

[Jason]

Andrew,

Welcome! Your number of years do not matter, if you are unfit due to your conditions, you will be separated or retired. I suspect you should be retired, but it would take more facts to know.

I hope all goes well with you, both medically, and through the MEB/PEB process.

[andrewboyer5709]

Originally Posted by Jason

Andrew,

Welcome! Your number of years do not matter, if you are unfit due to your conditions, you will be separated or retired. I suspect you should be retired, but it would take more facts to know.

I hope all goes well with you, both medically, and through the MEB/PEB process.

what such things will determine what they decide?

[Jason]

The two issues are what conditions make you unfit and of those, what criteria you meet under the VASRD. I don't mean to be cryptic, I just can't guess at what they are saying in your file.

[xeno]

Hi,

Have you met with your PEBLO?
Have you seen your NARSUM?
What diagnostic code is on your MEB paperwork?

That will help someone in giving you a educated guess.

X

[andrewboyer5709]

Originally Posted by xeno

Hi,

Have you met with your PEBLO?
Have you seen your NARSUM?
What diagnostic code is on your MEB paperwork?

That will help someone in giving you a educated guess.

X

I have met with my PEBLO and he is telling me that he will be absolutely floored if the board comes back and says return to duty, I haven't formally met with him yet, but I should be by next week. I haven't seen my NARSUM yet, because the Captain that referred me for an MEB is still working on it. I apparently have no way of knowing what my diagnostic code is because that's through the VA supposedly... I really don't know how to find anything out either... thanx 4 the help!

[californiasurfboy]

The VA gets its codes and ratings from CFR 38. It is a little confusing, like reading stereo instructions or programming a VCR.

They are listed here on the pebforum here:

http://www.pebforum.com/conditions-ratings/

You can read in word .doc format here on VAs own website:
VBA 38 CFR Book C (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs)

or you can browse here online:
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations:

Anything labeled "Schedule of ratings" is the rating percents and description how they came to that rating.

[andrewboyer5709]

any idea if the MEB can make me cross-train as opposed to discharging me? supposedly there is an Air Force Instruction that the MEB can only discharge me, retire me, or return me to duty... any idea???

[andrewboyer5709]

I have spoken with my PEBLO and he explained the process of what will happen. He and my doctors all think I have a very high chance of being discharged/retired. I also read my NARSUM and everything is accurate... My diagnostic code is 374K or something like that... can't PCS, TDY, or deploy. just found out that my dental class 3 went down to a 2, which apparently has no effect on my MEB since I'm not getting MEB'd due to my dental issues at hand... that's the latest!

Originally Posted by xeno

Hi,

Have you met with your PEBLO?
Have you seen your NARSUM?
What diagnostic code is on your MEB paperwork?

That will help someone in giving you a educated guess.

X

[AFPEBLO]

Originally Posted by andrewboyer5709

any idea if the MEB can make me cross-train as opposed to discharging me? supposedly there is an Air Force Instruction that the MEB can only discharge me, retire me, or return me to duty... any idea???

No, for the AF the MEB or PEB cannot direct cross training, reference 36-3212.