I joined to tell this story because you guys are members of the forums that top the search results for these things. So, here it goes...
In 2007, I was discharged, medically. 10%, unfit, with some severance pay the VA fought with the DoD to gobble up. I had re-enlisted, and would not be spending that time in the military. At least according to my credit report, they decided to leave that $9,000 that remained unpaid alone eventually. I suspect that should I be in a situation to file taxes in the future that I haven't heard the last of it.
I was aware of the PDBR back in '09 or so. I vaguely remember a letter about it right around the time I applied for Individual Unemployability. The VA rated the boarded condition at 70% one month after discharge. It surprised me at the time, and hit 80% total. They approved Unemployability in 2010. I've never quite understood the rating. "Permanent and Total" but I verify employment (or lack thereof) once a year? Sure.
I moved around a bit, and had been IU for a few years before somebody decided to send that "Employment Verification." I missed it (went to the wrong address), and it took around a year to fix. The young lady at the local clinic filed it as an "appeal" and not "notice of disagreement." If somebody hadn't shown up out of nowhere to fix it, I would have lost my home and family that year. Electricity was scheduled to be cut the same day backpay arrived.
I was diagnosed with Stage II bladder cancer (half the average age for it) last year, around this time. I went through a few hoops as I panicked with both a, "I'm mortal?!" and, "My family!" type of crisis. Social Security was especially amusing, and based on correspondence, actually denied me because they could not get my VA records "in the next four days." I told him I would be lucky to get an acknowledgement I had requested anything in a few months, and that I had given him copies of my VA records, but a week later, I got a denial. Bear in mind, there is a real mortality rate with cancer, and bladder cancer has a documented reoccurance of around 80%. I was reasonably expected at the time to die, or have a MAJOR surgery. Glad Social Security works as intended. Nevermind my VA ratings.
I considered the VA, but I didn't see how claiming my non-rated conditions would make any difference. They exist. They might even rate a "natural" jump from 80% to 100%, but it still was going to stop if I died. I'm not married into my current family. We were going to get around to it.
I remembered "that PDBR thing." Something about Tricare and VGLI. I filled it out. My case, after all, could have caused the creation of the board, at the end of the day.
Four days ago, eleven months after filing, I emailed the board to ask for a status. Three days ago, they responded, "We have everything besides your PEB. If you can provide that, we can proceed with your case." My PEB? The first eight pages of my medical records, followed by another ten later on? Okay, but it has a story. One that confused me as I reviewed the scanned documents. I spent the entire day writing and rewriting an explanation of why these documents that should make sense simply do not.
"Effect of disability on continued military service is expected to be severe" stood out. "Member is considered severely handicapped." I had forgotten that board. As a matter of fact, I had considered travel to the VA facility where that doctor works, some time in the "chemo fog" days, with bail money, so I could kick that doctor in a sensitive place. This was idle speculation and I have NO desire to harm him. It appears he wrote six pages describing a 70% VA rating, and the board decided 10% was entirely reasonable. Maybe he was informed by the civilian "second opinion" I received through some magic with the nurse case manager. That backed up my military medical records and made more sense (my military records diagnose both "chronic" and "acute"). My board actually uses the code for "acute," only to have the text of the board, over and over, refer to it as a "chronic" condition.
I "requested reconsideration." My records show that was denied twelve days before the paperwork for the request is dated. I don't remember noticing that at the time, but it sounds right. I suppose my PEBLO told somebody that told somebody and they went ahead and told me to "go away" BEFORE my submission of additional evidence and the letter where I apparently, adorably, asked some line officers to "act with integrity." This board wouldn't exist if that had been the case. I am not exaggerating in my descriptions. My board, written by a USNR Captain, and with him acting as a junior member, directly said "severe," described a higher rating in excruciating detail, and rated 10%.
I "demanded" a "Formal PEB," but when I got to DC, the nice young woman assigned as "my" JAG officer told me they would screw me over if I went in there... paraphrased. At least one place in my records is a suggestion that I had become paranoid that the military was trying to screw me over. My secondary boarded condition is left over from an attempt to do that. "Personality Disorder (NOS)," or, "Administrative, Other than Honorable discharge within a week." I believed her and eIected to waive my "Formal PEB" inches away from where I had initialled to have one. I flew home, and waited out the end of service.
A month later, VA rating at 70% for my boarded condition, and later, 100% for Unemployability.
So, I sit here, this weekend suddenly far longer than it would have been otherwise, wondering about the little things. I took copies of my records a few days before discharge. My PEB cover page is the front page of my service medical records, with only my "Non Medical Assessment" and "reconsideration nonsense" located a bit further back in the records. The board appears to have my service medical records. How are they missing my PEB? It reminds me of the "good old days," and that paranoia that I am getting screwed over. Are parts of my records missing? Are they deliberately missing?
I suppose I will be back in the near future to write a conclusion. As of last month, I do not have cancer. I could be run over by a car obsessively checking the mail for board results, but I suspect I will be alive to see something happen with the board in the near future. A reasonable expectation would be the board doing their debating thing between 50-70%, with the correct answer being 70%. I find concern in the absence of my original board, and it has thrown off my assumption that the board would act in a reasonable sense. I've read hundreds of these cases now, including a number with my boarded diagnosis (higher than average approval rates, but average seems to be cases that perhaps should never have been filed), and I expected redress. Now, I am not as certain.
In 2007, I was discharged, medically. 10%, unfit, with some severance pay the VA fought with the DoD to gobble up. I had re-enlisted, and would not be spending that time in the military. At least according to my credit report, they decided to leave that $9,000 that remained unpaid alone eventually. I suspect that should I be in a situation to file taxes in the future that I haven't heard the last of it.
I was aware of the PDBR back in '09 or so. I vaguely remember a letter about it right around the time I applied for Individual Unemployability. The VA rated the boarded condition at 70% one month after discharge. It surprised me at the time, and hit 80% total. They approved Unemployability in 2010. I've never quite understood the rating. "Permanent and Total" but I verify employment (or lack thereof) once a year? Sure.
I moved around a bit, and had been IU for a few years before somebody decided to send that "Employment Verification." I missed it (went to the wrong address), and it took around a year to fix. The young lady at the local clinic filed it as an "appeal" and not "notice of disagreement." If somebody hadn't shown up out of nowhere to fix it, I would have lost my home and family that year. Electricity was scheduled to be cut the same day backpay arrived.
I was diagnosed with Stage II bladder cancer (half the average age for it) last year, around this time. I went through a few hoops as I panicked with both a, "I'm mortal?!" and, "My family!" type of crisis. Social Security was especially amusing, and based on correspondence, actually denied me because they could not get my VA records "in the next four days." I told him I would be lucky to get an acknowledgement I had requested anything in a few months, and that I had given him copies of my VA records, but a week later, I got a denial. Bear in mind, there is a real mortality rate with cancer, and bladder cancer has a documented reoccurance of around 80%. I was reasonably expected at the time to die, or have a MAJOR surgery. Glad Social Security works as intended. Nevermind my VA ratings.
I considered the VA, but I didn't see how claiming my non-rated conditions would make any difference. They exist. They might even rate a "natural" jump from 80% to 100%, but it still was going to stop if I died. I'm not married into my current family. We were going to get around to it.
I remembered "that PDBR thing." Something about Tricare and VGLI. I filled it out. My case, after all, could have caused the creation of the board, at the end of the day.
Four days ago, eleven months after filing, I emailed the board to ask for a status. Three days ago, they responded, "We have everything besides your PEB. If you can provide that, we can proceed with your case." My PEB? The first eight pages of my medical records, followed by another ten later on? Okay, but it has a story. One that confused me as I reviewed the scanned documents. I spent the entire day writing and rewriting an explanation of why these documents that should make sense simply do not.
"Effect of disability on continued military service is expected to be severe" stood out. "Member is considered severely handicapped." I had forgotten that board. As a matter of fact, I had considered travel to the VA facility where that doctor works, some time in the "chemo fog" days, with bail money, so I could kick that doctor in a sensitive place. This was idle speculation and I have NO desire to harm him. It appears he wrote six pages describing a 70% VA rating, and the board decided 10% was entirely reasonable. Maybe he was informed by the civilian "second opinion" I received through some magic with the nurse case manager. That backed up my military medical records and made more sense (my military records diagnose both "chronic" and "acute"). My board actually uses the code for "acute," only to have the text of the board, over and over, refer to it as a "chronic" condition.
I "requested reconsideration." My records show that was denied twelve days before the paperwork for the request is dated. I don't remember noticing that at the time, but it sounds right. I suppose my PEBLO told somebody that told somebody and they went ahead and told me to "go away" BEFORE my submission of additional evidence and the letter where I apparently, adorably, asked some line officers to "act with integrity." This board wouldn't exist if that had been the case. I am not exaggerating in my descriptions. My board, written by a USNR Captain, and with him acting as a junior member, directly said "severe," described a higher rating in excruciating detail, and rated 10%.
I "demanded" a "Formal PEB," but when I got to DC, the nice young woman assigned as "my" JAG officer told me they would screw me over if I went in there... paraphrased. At least one place in my records is a suggestion that I had become paranoid that the military was trying to screw me over. My secondary boarded condition is left over from an attempt to do that. "Personality Disorder (NOS)," or, "Administrative, Other than Honorable discharge within a week." I believed her and eIected to waive my "Formal PEB" inches away from where I had initialled to have one. I flew home, and waited out the end of service.
A month later, VA rating at 70% for my boarded condition, and later, 100% for Unemployability.
So, I sit here, this weekend suddenly far longer than it would have been otherwise, wondering about the little things. I took copies of my records a few days before discharge. My PEB cover page is the front page of my service medical records, with only my "Non Medical Assessment" and "reconsideration nonsense" located a bit further back in the records. The board appears to have my service medical records. How are they missing my PEB? It reminds me of the "good old days," and that paranoia that I am getting screwed over. Are parts of my records missing? Are they deliberately missing?
I suppose I will be back in the near future to write a conclusion. As of last month, I do not have cancer. I could be run over by a car obsessively checking the mail for board results, but I suspect I will be alive to see something happen with the board in the near future. A reasonable expectation would be the board doing their debating thing between 50-70%, with the correct answer being 70%. I find concern in the absence of my original board, and it has thrown off my assumption that the board would act in a reasonable sense. I've read hundreds of these cases now, including a number with my boarded diagnosis (higher than average approval rates, but average seems to be cases that perhaps should never have been filed), and I expected redress. Now, I am not as certain.