IDES Process has started. Please help

[Gangly]

First off, thank you in advanced for your assistance.

I’m in a difficult situation. I’m at 17 1/2 years of service and have been referred to the IDES process for a spinal cord injury, chronic testicular pain and chronic back pain. The testicular and back pain are secondary to the spinal cord injury that occurred while training.

I’m requesting to continue to serve to finish my commitment of 20 years; however, I am a helicopter pilot. Due to the nature of my injury and resulting symptoms I am permanently unable to fly. I require to take low dose narcotics, nerve pain medication and antidepressants to control the pain to allow me to function.

My question is simply, i want to stay in and finish my 20 years. What are my current chances with the new changes being made to being allowed to continue service? My executive officer told me he thinks I will be medically retired because I am unfit to be a pilot and therefore since that is my job i would have to be retired. Any input is greatly appreciated.

 

[lucky208]

Here is .02 since I'm starting this process. If your intent is to stay in, then make that known to your DOC/PCM. Schedule a time to discuss your intent with your commander and reiterate your intent to want to stay in the military. Your stated situation precludes from flight duty so your service / branch would have to find an alternate job- think of all the nonflying positions in your command and figure out how you could do that job- show that you are still effective and a viable member of the command- this information will be helpful when your commander write the commanders statement. Your intent plus commanders endorsement may be persuasive enough to keep you in but there are no guarantees.

Hope that helps.

 

[Gangly]

Here is .02 since I'm starting this process. If your intent is to stay in, then make that known to your DOC/PCM. Schedule a time to discuss your intent with your commander and reiterate your intent to want to stay in the military. Your stated situation precludes from flight duty so your service / branch would have to find an alternate job- think of all the nonflying positions in your command and figure out how you could do that job- show that you are still effective and a viable member of the command- this information will be helpful when your commander write the commanders statement. Your intent plus commanders endorsement may be persuasive enough to keep you in but there are no guarantees.

Hope that helps.

Lucky,

I appreciate your reply. I have already spoke to my PCM and commanding officer and they know my intent is to stay in. I have submitted for a lateral transfer to a job that I would be “fit” to serve; however, the odds are I won’t get it because it doesn’t have a lot of slots available and has a high amount of people submitting for it.

In speaking with my XO (2nd in command for anyone not Navy), he is expecting that I will be medically retired unless I get accepted for the lateral transfer. But, I was wondering if anyone had any recent experience with the new change in direction that Trump and Mattis recently established.