MEB Question Commander letter - unique situation

[angelsea234]

Hello - I am new to this forum. I've lurked around a bit and I am very appreciative of the vast amount of information available. However, I have a specific question that I hope some of you can help me with.

I am an active duty Air Force Captain currently at an AFIT (i.e. civilian school) assignment for graduate school. I have been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition (scleroderma - CREST) which is listed in AFI 48-123 and therefore, I will have a MEB. I was just informed that my commander needs to send a letter of recommendation describing my retention, usefulness, etc. However, since I am in an AFIT assignment (i.e. outside of my career field) I do not have an "immediate" commander, per se, just a program manager who handles my school paperwork (who I have never met) and a commander at the local ROTC detachment (who is not in my career field).

The MEB person I spoke with at my MTF said the commander of the local ROTC detachment can write the letter for me. I wish to terminate my career due to my illness as I am constantly sick and my disease is getting progressively worse. Unfortunately, I owe the Air Force 5 years of service in order to pay them back for the AFIT assignment. How much weight does this commander's letter have, especially if the commander is not in my career field (or, my "direct" supervisor, for that matter)? How can I best convey to the ROTC commander my medical situation and how it bears on my ability to be in the AF?

Because I don't have a commander, per se, I am concerned that I will not be treated fairly during this whole process. My PCM and my rheumatologist have diagnosed me and concur that I cannot deploy, cannot be exposed to sunlight, cold temperatures, and that I must be able to have constant rest. What can I do to make sure that I can terminate my AF career so that I can focus on my health?

[robs42]

i don't know if you missed it or not but i responded to your post in jofas thread about a cc's letter.

[Texan1003]

I posted my letter just now on a different thread read it and it may giv you some insight. watch for the replies as to whether it is a good letter or not. I think for most of us until you actually go through this process whether we are knowledgable or not we are still in the blind due to lack of control.

Good luck

[AFPEBLO]

Capt,

Being out of your career field is different, but it’s not unheard of, I’ve boarded several people in special duties who were working outside their norms. The commander’s statement carries a lot of weight and I agree with the MTF that it’s okay for your detachment commander to write the statement.

If you are comfortable with it, I suggest you schedule time with them to discuss your limitations, the impact on the mission and your desires. Offer to draft the statement or go in with a good draft in hand. Their statement should address the impact of your illness on your current duties as a student.

To address the impact on your traditional duties I recommend you consult someone senior in your career field. Do you have a functional manager or career advisor who could assist? (If not perhaps your previous commander) I would think they could consult fairly discreetly by limmiting discussions to duty limitations and impact on in garrison and deployed missions. This could be overkill, but it sounds as though you are concerned that you could be returned to duty. If it wouldn’t delay the process the PEB appreciates as clear of picture as you all can give them via the commander’s statement.

You can never guess the outcome but based on the limitations you describe I presume the PEB will find you unfit. I have not dealt with AFIT commitments but generally if discharged though the DES you do not have to payback special pay, reimburse for incomplete programs or serve out active duty service commitments. The principle is the discharge is beyond your control.

Best of luck.

[angelsea234]

AFPEBLO, thank you for the informative response. I met with the detachment commander and he was very understanding and sympathetic of my situation. I brought a draft letter detailing the impact of my illness on my abilities both as a student and in my regular career field - the detachment commander concurred and said he will write a letter outlining my limitations in both areas.

I'm hoping you may have some insight for my latest concern. Will my status as an AFIT student bear on my fitness determination? In other words, will the PEB see that the military has spent money for me to attend graduate school and subsequently find me fit despite my illness? I know you said it's hard to predict the outcome of these things, but I'm just wondering whether AFIT programs (and the like) come into the picture when the PEB is considering fitness.

[AFPEBLO]

Originally Posted by angelsea234

I'm hoping you may have some insight for my latest concern. Will my status as an AFIT student bear on my fitness determination? In other words, will the PEB see that the military has spent money for me to attend graduate school and subsequently find me fit despite my illness?

Please take this as just my opinion.

The three senior officers on the PEB certainly know the investment AFIT represents, but they have to apply same standard of fitness to each case (based on your office, grade, rank). I have not worked with someone currently in an AFIT program like you but I have worked with officers who also received a higher level of training, pay, etc. Each cases is different, some were fit some were unfit, but I did not see the AF’s investment come into play in any of them.

I’m glad to hear your commander’s statement is going well. I think with a good statement representing your limitations and what sounds like a solid medical team your case should be clear for the PEB.

Good luck and take care.

[Jason]

My take on this is that it is less important you are in school, it is how your condition impacts your ability to perform the duties of someone in your career field. However, if you are getting good grades, and your job in the AF is sedentary/office/professional work, then this may indicate fitness. Of course, ability to deploy, perform common military tasks, wear protective chemical gear, etc., can also impact the fitness finding. What I am saying is that it is a fact specific inquiry based on your circumstances. You want to present evidence of your conditions limiting impact on your expected duty performance.

Best of luck!

[angelsea234]

The base-level MEB met today to consider my case and I was informed that it is being returned to my doctor because of “incomplete information.” This is frustrating me to no end, and I hope someone can shed light on the issue for me.

Here is some background information: My primary care doctor drafted my NARSUM in early December and my case is just now being reviewed by the MEB due to the holiday backlog. On my NARSUM, my primary care doctor detailed my condition, labwork, etc. At the end of the report he stated that I had recently switched immunosuppressant medications (from Plaquenil to Sulfasalazine) and that my next follow-up appointment with my rheumatologist was scheduled to take place at the end of December. The NARSUM was turned in for MEB processing before this follow-up rheumatologist appointment was to take place.

At that December appointment the rheumatologist checked my bloodwork, said to keep taking the medication, and scheduled me to return in 2 months for yet another follow-up.

I was told today that the MEB decided that more information needed to be said about that appointment on my NARSUM in order for my file to be considered. The PEBLO told me that if my case was sent to the IPEB, they would just return it back to the base for the same reason. I am confused. Because I have a chronic autoimmune condition, I have follow-up appointments with the rheumatologist about every 6-8 weeks to check blood, evaluate how I am doing, etc. Are they going to keep kicking back my MEB paperwork and argue that they need more details of any future follow-ups? Can anyone provide some insight as to what my NARSUM should say on this point in order for the MEB to not think it is incomplete? I feel like I am in a catch-22 here.

Update - I tried asking my PEBLO about this and he just kept repeating to me that it was "incomplete" and did not elaborate any further or tell me why mentioning a future follow-up appointment was indicative of incompleteness. So, he was not a lot of help, and I hope someone here can help me better understand this.