Just finished med board while in bootcamp. What are the next steps?

I joined in September 2023 and the night before graduation from bootcamp I had a braininjury, I ended up in the hospital for a few months and then was told I could go home. I was then later told in March that I needed to return for paperwork purposes. My retirement date was April 29th with a 40% rating. The peblo at RTC was very vague and my case manager has been very hard to get ahold of since I left so I was just wondering what the next steps are? Specially I have no income right now and need to set up my disability pay. I was also told that I would need to file a disability claim with the VA for extra benefits and pay and wanted to know if anyone had any information about that as once again my peblo was very vague and because of my brain injury I have mild issues with memory and forget some things.
 
What branch were you in? I'm assuming Navy since you said RTC. How long were you in? Given that you worked with a PEBLO I'm guessing you're certain you were boarded out, but if you were boarded out you should be receiving payments from at least DFAS from the same payment method you got your basic pay. Have you checked myPay at all? I'm assuming that's the same across the branches.

I'm going to assume you were made to do LDES since you weren't able to file with the VA. Please do tell us a bit more about what went down. I might not have the answers you're hoping for but someone else might.
 
What branch were you in? I'm assuming Navy since you said RTC. How long were you in? Given that you worked with a PEBLO I'm guessing you're certain you were boarded out, but if you were boarded out you should be receiving payments from at least DFAS from the same payment method you got your basic pay. Have you checked myPay at all? I'm assuming that's the same across the branches.

I'm going to assume you were made to do LDES since you weren't able to file with the VA. Please do tell us a bit more about what went down. I might not have the answers you're hoping for but someone else might.
Yes Navy. I was in for 10 weeks when the med board started. My med board just finished on the 29th a couple days ago so haven't received any payments yet. I did IDES but was told today over the phone that I needed to file a claim with the VA. The night before graduation I was found hanging in the head, a friend of mine found me and started cpr while the rover went to get an rdc. I was then taken by ambulance to a children's hospital(at the time I was still 17) where I was put into a medically induced coma for 2 days, after those 2 days the doctors attempted to wake me up and found I was unresponsive and was in a coma for 14 day during which I went into cardiac arrest twice and was pronounced pronounced dead and then later brain dead. However after those 14 days I woke up and it was determined that by some miracle I wasn't brain dead but would never walk again. once again however, after a few days it seemed that by yet another miracle I was regaining my ability to walk. Now after several months of physical therapy I can now walk just as I could before I joined and the only differences that I can notice are slight problems with memory and that I still can't remember anything of what actually happened that night. I hope this helps.
 
Yes Navy. I was in for 10 weeks when the med board started. My med board just finished on the 29th a couple days ago so haven't received any payments yet. I did IDES but was told today over the phone that I needed to file a claim with the VA. The night before graduation I was found hanging in the head, a friend of mine found me and started cpr while the rover went to get an rdc. I was then taken by ambulance to a children's hospital(at the time I was still 17) where I was put into a medically induced coma for 2 days, after those 2 days the doctors attempted to wake me up and found I was unresponsive and was in a coma for 14 day during which I went into cardiac arrest twice and was pronounced pronounced dead and then later brain dead. However after those 14 days I woke up and it was determined that by some miracle I wasn't brain dead but would never walk again. once again however, after a few days it seemed that by yet another miracle I was regaining my ability to walk. Now after several months of physical therapy I can now walk just as I could before I joined and the only differences that I can notice are slight problems with memory and that I still can't remember anything of what actually happened that night. I hope this helps.
Whoa didn't expect that - brother I'm glad you made it. I've never heard of an early separation being given a medboard but your case will be extremely unique. I don't want to give you false info but I will tell you that you need to reach out to wounded warrior ASAP to get some good guidance. They will probably be able to answer the bulk of your questions: I just found out how helpful they can be thanks to @Brazzi and I think they could be especially helpful to you too. If anyone else has any idea how this situation would handle please do chime in.

Once again I'm glad you're alive. Value this life of yours: a lot of miracles kept you with us. Let the process benefit you now.
 
Whoa didn't expect that - brother I'm glad you made it. I've never heard of an early separation being given a medboard but your case will be extremely unique. I don't want to give you false info but I will tell you that you need to reach out to wounded warrior ASAP to get some good guidance. They will probably be able to answer the bulk of your questions: I just found out how helpful they can be thanks to @Brazzi and I think they could be especially helpful to you too. If anyone else has any idea how this situation would handle please do chime in.

Once again I'm glad you're alive. Value this life of yours: a lot of miracles kept you with us. Let the process benefit you now.
Thank you for the info on wounded warrior. I originally declined their help when they first called me because I guess I was pissed that I was being separated. From what I can remember of bootcamp I absolutely loved it and am still pretty pissed off they didn't let me stay in. But anyways I'll give wounded warrior a call today and see if they can give me the information I need. Thanks again for the help and kind words.
 
Thank you for the info on wounded warrior. I originally declined their help when they first called me because I guess I was pissed that I was being separated. From what I can remember of bootcamp I absolutely loved it and am still pretty pissed off they didn't let me stay in. But anyways I'll give wounded warrior a call today and see if they can give me the information I need. Thanks again for the help and kind words.
It's understandable to be frustrated at the system especially in your shoes: you were about to graduate. I think they'll understand immediately. I would just rest up and shoot them a call, they should be able to walk you through everything. They certainly see cases like yours a whole hell of a lot more often than we do.

On a moral note you completed training. I had Marines in my company who never walked the parade deck because of medical things, but they still went into the fleet as Marines after getting their EGA in a remedial ceremony. My point is you did something a majority of the population is afraid of and you saw it to the end. Now you just need to get the help you need and see what might be there for you in the near future.

Feel free to check back in with us! I would appreciate it if you did, I never thought of a scenario like this.
 
It's understandable to be frustrated at the system especially in your shoes: you were about to graduate. I think they'll understand immediately. I would just rest up and shoot them a call, they should be able to walk you through everything. They certainly see cases like yours a whole hell of a lot more often than we do.

On a moral note you completed training. I had Marines in my company who never walked the parade deck because of medical things, but they still went into the fleet as Marines after getting their EGA in a remedial ceremony. My point is you did something a majority of the population is afraid of and you saw it to the end. Now you just need to get the help you need and see what might be there for you in the near future.

Feel free to check back in with us! I would appreciate it if you did, I never thought of a scenario like this.
Thank you I definitely will. I'll probably have another dumb question tomorrow.
 
Thank you I definitely will. I'll probably have another dumb question tomorrow.
Definitely not dumb questions - just not typical.

This stuff usually happens at some point during a Marine/Sailor's career far removed from training. The typical process would be very fleet oriented - going to your doctor, doctor puts you on restriction for 3 months, no improvement leads to 6 more months of restriction, then referral to IDES if no improvement still. Then you meet your PEBLO, make your VA claim including your potentially unfitting (referred) condition, and then you get your VA exams. The whole time you're still working in your rate/MOS to your best ability, and it's a super slow and dragged out process. Your case is unique because it's happening within the heavily controlled confines of basic training. The fact that you're tracking a rating already is super confusing, as if your process was extremely expedited to the point it's breaking the typical timeline of events everyone on here is used to.

For the typical case, once your exams with the VA finish you'd make some elections with the PEBLO and send things off to the PEB from the MEB phase. That's where I'm at in the process and I've been in the system since October of last year. Those are the timelines a lot of us are used to, so forgive at least myself for being a little restrained in giving advice.

For what it's worth, it sounds like they're doing their best to take care of you. Recruits in my platoon who attempted self harm were separated under ELS and received nothing for their troubles except for a ban from reenlistment.
 
Definitely not dumb questions - just not typical.

This stuff usually happens at some point during a Marine/Sailor's career far removed from training. The typical process would be very fleet oriented - going to your doctor, doctor puts you on restriction for 3 months, no improvement leads to 6 more months of restriction, then referral to IDES if no improvement still. Then you meet your PEBLO, make your VA claim including your potentially unfitting (referred) condition, and then you get your VA exams. The whole time you're still working in your rate/MOS to your best ability, and it's a super slow and dragged out process. Your case is unique because it's happening within the heavily controlled confines of basic training. The fact that you're tracking a rating already is super confusing, as if your process was extremely expedited to the point it's breaking the typical timeline of events everyone on here is used to.

For the typical case, once your exams with the VA finish you'd make some elections with the PEBLO and send things off to the PEB from the MEB phase. That's where I'm at in the process and I've been in the system since October of last year. Those are the timelines a lot of us are used to, so forgive at least myself for being a little restrained in giving advice.

For what it's worth, it sounds like they're doing their best to take care of you. Recruits in my platoon who attempted self harm were separated under ELS and received nothing for their troubles except for a ban from reenlistment.
Yeah my case was expeditited by the CO of RTC, I've only heard of one other recruit getting med board and I met him while I was there his case was not expedited and he started the med board in January and got his results a couple weeks ago(for context he was raped by a fellow recruit during week 5 of training). As for the whole self harm thing the navy is not sure it was self harm. There is still an ongoing investigation, and I have my own reasons to think that it wasn't self harm although I still have amnesia and may never know for certain what happened.
 
Yeah my case was expeditited by the CO of RTC, I've only heard of one other recruit getting med board and I met him while I was there his case was not expedited and he started the med board in January and got his results a couple weeks ago(for context he was raped by a fellow recruit during week 5 of training). As for the whole self harm thing the navy is not sure it was self harm. There is still an ongoing investigation, and I have my own reasons to think that it wasn't self harm although I still have amnesia and may never know for certain what happened.
That is some pretty off the wall stuff. At least the military has an answer for whatever situation might crop up.

Best of luck with Wounded Warrior, they really do just want to help. Very kind individuals.

We'll be here for you too - if for nothing else to support you through this.
 
Any update? Hope you're well!
I'm sorry I completely forgot to post an update. I finally got my set up a couple weeks ago and received my first paycheck yesterday. I also got my retirement ID and am currently on a flight to cozumel mexico! Thank you so much for your help.
 
I'm sorry I completely forgot to post an update. I finally got my set up a couple weeks ago and received my first paycheck yesterday. I also got my retirement ID and am currently on a flight to cozumel mexico! Thank you so much for your help.
Enjoy your time, glad everything worked out man. Always a good thing to reflect on a story that ended up with a good ending. Keep the peace in your life and good luck with everything.
 
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