This whole thread bothers me. It bothers me because even the original poster's question does nothing to help anyone. It is a gripe or perceived problem with "young troops," trying to get discharged for medical reasons, but that is a hypothetical or rhetorical gripe.
This post bothers me, too, because of the tenor towards this forum and the actions of moderators (or me) in telling people they are mean or that "freedom of speech" is implicated.
Here's a heads up. Do not throw backhanded aspersions towards my moderators or this board or folks seeking information here. Freedom of speech as referencing the First Amendment applies to government actors. Playing that card does not make sense here.
Respect is one of the keystone principles we have here and snarky comments and being nasty will not be tolerated. Don't get snarky or cute with my staff.
You don't like things here, there are two courses of action. Suggest a change or leave. That's it. The latter might be by your choice or it might be by my action.
Anyone else sick and tired of these young troops trying to get medically retired in lieu of getting shit canned by a chapter for poor performance?
Yes, I do understand that there are folks out there who don’t fall under this generalization, but damn, do your time and get out if the service isn’t for you. I guess I’m just sick of everyone feeling entitled to a 100% paycheck, especially these guys who go to mental health to fish for a diagnosis to get paid on. And yes, it does happen.
I wonder why this bothers anyone when talking about hypothetical cases. The military does a great job in denying meritorious claims. If there was an accounting or look at "false" or "baseless" claims getting wrongly paid vice meritorious claims, it would clearly tilt towards the military denying too many claims.
As far as young troops getting over vice getting screwed, I can recount dozens of cases where the young troop got wrongfully denied their benefits over the cases where they "got over." I have had several clients in basic training who were initially wrongfully denied benefits because they were "new." A young private who reported in good health and then got MRSA after his eighth week of training that ate up half his leg. A young Marine who took several hits to the head in combatives fell off an obstacle and had a TBI who was initially discharged for personality disorder. An airman who was raped at her first duty station, but was discharged for adjustment disorder but was found by the VA to be 70% disabled. An Army cadet who never had any prior history, but developed diabetes in his third year at the USMA.
I rarely see young troops (or any troops) "getting over." By and large, the military is quick to deny and slow to acknowledge disability compensation.
Be careful, the mods will tell you that you're too mean
Wrong approach and wrong tenor to take here.
Don't disrespect my moderators. They volunteer here and are not here for you to abuse or make snarky comments about. You came to this site to get help. They have offered input and have offered help. Think about why you would want to disrepect them or this forum.
That’s funny. Veterans always telling civilians “ I fought for your freedom” but then when someone says something they don’t like they freak out and censor you. Too funny. Apparently freedom of speech doesn’t matter.
Wrong. Pretty much everyone here is a Veteran. No civilians, really, except for some family members seeking help.
First Amendment applies to the government. You get nasty with people here, I will shut it down. You might want to check yourself on this point.
There are certain questions I will not entertain if you lied to meps about a pre-existing condition and then show up here trying to figure out how to pin it on the service that's outright fraud I don't care if meps didn't catch it you have no honesty and if for some reason you didn't mention it then you should absolutely be telling your doctors now. You can still prove aggravation but not always
It does seem some people are way too goal-oriented on getting boarded, for service members who have a lot of time in I understand for people on their first enlistment I do not. For the most part, the benefits of a retirement are being eroded yearly and Congress has passed many perks that were just for retirees to disabled veterans.
Using the pre-discharge program should suffice you get SC for your issues as soon as you are released from service and you finish your enlistment. I see way too many "I need to get boarded NOW I need to get out now" questions that I'm not feeling all that comfortable answering nor should warrant an answer.
So many folks are "damned if they do, damned if they don't." Ask or push for your rightful benefits, you are damned as seeking benefits, so you don't get them. Stay silent, suck it up, well, you never complained, so you don't deserve your benefits.
Again, the military is just fine- really, overly fine- with denying benefits that are due. It's not like just complaining gets you a disability. It takes a lot of documentation, opinions and verification to get benefits in the first place.
Would you be able to provide any statistics to support this?
No statistics. Just my opinion. Am I not allowed to have an opinion here?
You can have an opinion. Just do not take an attitude with my moderators who are just here to help.
Did anyone state that you are not allowed to have an opinion here?
No. You asked me for data you know damn well I don’t have. It was obvious I was sharing my opinion. The only reason you adk that is because you didn’t like what I posted. You should have disregarded instead of asking about data.
See above. Be respectful.
How would I know that you do not have any data?
Where did I mention that I did not like what you posted?
We are a group forum and our purpose here is to help those out who are undergoing a MEB, a PEB or any issues that may be related.
As a moderator I here I serve the members by researching, providing evidence based answers and cleaning up the hundreds of spam posts that make it through the firewall daily.
Remember this! The mods are here to help, they volunteer, and if you have a problem with them, raise it with me. Do not get into a battle with them over nonsense.
If someone truly has mental health issues then this board should be their very last stop. They should be worried about getting treatment not getting paid.
Again, if they seek their due benefits, they are accused of not having a problem that merits benefits. They stay silent on this issue, when commands and MTF's are all too often seeking to erroneously discharge them, well, they must not have that serious of a condition. It is a classic "Catch-22."
He was saying the medical board not the forum board....You still have an obligation to provide honest advice coaching people to beat an admin or EPTS discharge makes the cause just as bad as the DOD when they attempt to screw people out of earned benefits. Someone needs to take the high road here.
If you can find a single post in the more than ten years and in the more than 180,000 posts on this forum where anyone has coached anyone about how to "game the system," please do so.
Or, you can appreciate the fact that suggesting that we don't take the "high road here" is blatantly disrespectful.
I was actually referring to this board but in much the same way that you've mentioned.
I would imagine that most people on this forum found their way here because they are going through an MEB.
I doubt many people seeked this place out for general VA advice.
Hence the name of the board.
In no way am I ever knocking a legitimate disabled vet... But I will knock these fishy ones every day.
Of course treatment should always come first. However, when a service member has symptoms of PTSD or another serious mental illness and the military is trying to administratively separate them with an adjustment disorder they need to be able to fight it then and there before it is too late. Getting it corrected after discharge through the BCMR's is nearly impossible and the military has a track record of using improper diagnosis to quickly and cheaply discharge people. Oftentimes its not young troops trying to take advantage of the system, its the system trying to take advantage if young troops that don't know how things are supposed to work and are afraid to question their leadership.
You are correct, Congress has set laws and neither the VA nor the DoD like to follow the law or their own regulations. In my case I have an honorable discharge (not sure what your info about OTH discharges has to do with anything) and I am service connected for the mental disorder that the Air Force used to discharge me. I didn't break my enlistment contract, the Air Force did when they improperly and likely illegally used an adjustment disorder diagnosis to discharge me.
Yes, good point!
The rest of the above posts.....I don't know why folks with so little experience about the details of cases would come here, seeking help, then complain about others "getting over" and then double down on the disrespect by arguing about things that you only know little about and likely only have your own cases and a few that you have heard about, but, want to come here and disrespect my moderators who are only here to help.
Think about why you post, what your purpose is here and whether you are helping anyone.
My patience is being tested.