OCD Lesion Repair and Bilateral Hip Replacements

[paulito]

Greetings!

I am currently getting ready for my first hip replacement, after several years of PT/MRI/X-ray, and other medical appointments. I have also been in PT for my knee (pre/post-surgery) and now lower/mid back for more than 365 days (chronic PT coverage). See timeline; on a 469 profile with MR (military restrictions) left knee for greater than 365 days. In Aug 2025, I will also have been on a 469 profile with MR for greater than 365 days for his left hip. While I have experienced right hip pain for greater than 365 days, a 469 profile was not initiated until 25 June 25.

The knee surgery was for an OCD lesion repair with hardware; I am getting the hardware removed this month. Estimated full recovery is 4-6 post-surgery. My first hip replacement is scheduled for Oct, followed up by my second in Dec. As an AGR member in the Air Guard, I am trying to figure out the next steps. I currently have 20 yrs of sat service, but just under 15 yrs of TAFMS (active service). It seems as though my unit is hesitant in submitting the paperwork to initiate a med board, which might be affected by my current role as a recruiter (non-deployable). Not sure if this factors into the situation, but I do currently have a VA rating of 60% from my AD time.

I am just looking to get some guidance and advice on how to proceed. I appreciate it!

 

[Provis]

Greetings!

I am currently getting ready for my first hip replacement, after several years of PT/MRI/X-ray, and other medical appointments. I have also been in PT for my knee (pre/post-surgery) and now lower/mid back for more than 365 days (chronic PT coverage). See timeline; on a 469 profile with MR (military restrictions) left knee for greater than 365 days. In Aug 2025, I will also have been on a 469 profile with MR for greater than 365 days for his left hip. While I have experienced right hip pain for greater than 365 days, a 469 profile was not initiated until 25 June 25.

The knee surgery was for an OCD lesion repair with hardware; I am getting the hardware removed this month. Estimated full recovery is 4-6 post-surgery. My first hip replacement is scheduled for Oct, followed up by my second in Dec. As an AGR member in the Air Guard, I am trying to figure out the next steps. I currently have 20 yrs of sat service, but just under 15 yrs of TAFMS (active service). It seems as though my unit is hesitant in submitting the paperwork to initiate a med board, which might be affected by my current role as a recruiter (non-deployable). Not sure if this factors into the situation, but I do currently have a VA rating of 60% from my AD time.

I am just looking to get some guidance and advice on how to proceed. I appreciate it!

If you can do your job as a Recruiter then you may not be unfit. Especially if you haven't gotten enough time to recover. Just remember that the PEB stands for Personnel Evaluation Board. If they think you can be useful they will keep you in. My wife was AGR with 17AFS and 20 good years. We had wished for her to finish. Hitting 20 AFS is the gold standard. So if you can make it I would do it. If you won't make it just continue treatment and as soon as referred start interviewing private IDES Attorneys. That is what my wife did and it was a Godsend. Especially since her Reserve unit had no clue what was going on and everything she did was out of an active duty military base several states away. My wife hired one before she was officially referred becasue it was a forgone conclusion. A year earlier they referred her to a fit for duty exam. She convinced her commander to withdraw it to give her more time to see if she could get better. So at the 1 year mark her unit sent her off to that exam and since her condition is chronic she was referred. Super scary when you have so much to lose and you are that close to reaching 20 AFS. If you get 20 AFS then you get all of your earned pension and all of your VA compensation. Anything short of that you risk losing a lot of compensation since any chapter 61 pension recieved is offset by any VA compensation recieved. So if you don't qualify for CRSC then you lose out on thousands a month in compensation.

 

[paulito]

If you can do your job as a Recruiter then you may not be unfit. Especially if you haven't gotten enough time to recover. Just remember that the PEB stands for Personnel Evaluation Board. If they think you can be useful they will keep you in. My wife was AGR with 17AFS and 20 good years. We had wished for her to finish. Hitting 20 AFS is the gold standard. So if you can make it I would do it. If you won't make it just continue treatment and as soon as referred start interviewing private IDES Attorneys. That is what my wife did and it was a Godsend. Especially since her Reserve unit had no clue what was going on and everything she did was out of an active duty military base several states away. My wife hired one before she was officially referred becasue it was a forgone conclusion. A year earlier they referred her to a fit for duty exam. She convinced her commander to withdraw it to give her more time to see if she could get better. So at the 1 year mark her unit sent her off to that exam and since her condition is chronic she was referred. Super scary when you have so much to lose and you are that close to reaching 20 AFS. If you get 20 AFS then you get all of your earned pension and all of your VA compensation. Anything short of that you risk losing a lot of compensation since any chapter 61 pension recieved is offset by any VA compensation recieved. So if you don't qualify for CRSC then you lose out on thousands a month in compensation.

Hey Provis!

Thank you for the response and the information. If I were to get retired under chapter 61, would I get my Guard pension at retirement age, or just the chapter 61 retirement? The goal is to complete my 20 AFS, but in the event it doesn't work as planned, it's good to know what that compensation looks like. Thats a bummer about your wife.

 

[Provis]

Hey Provis!

Thank you for the response and the information. If I were to get retired under chapter 61, would I get my Guard pension at retirement age, or just the chapter 61 retirement? The goal is to complete my 20 AFS, but in the event it doesn't work as planned, it's good to know what that compensation looks like. Thats a bummer about your wife.

So you would have any medical retirement offset by any VA compensation you receive. So you have a lot to lose. If you have a 20 year letter then when you reach the age to qualify to get your Guard retirement you can get concurrent receipt of VA pay and Guard Pension. If you are young that can be a long time and a lot of money lost between now and when you reach age 60 (or less if reduced by qualified deployments). If my wife didn't get approved for CRSC she would have lost out on $1,500 a month in compensation for 20+ years until the time she reached age 60. My wife joined at age 17. Got up to E-6 during the first 8 years of service. During that time she got her 4 year degree and was approved for a direct commission to become an officer. She was on the fast track when her health went downhill. She made it from O1 to O4 in 12 years time. She had 1-2 PCS's to reach 20 AFS for active duty retirement and she was hoping to retire as an O5. She went on to graduate with a Masters Degree in Leadership with a perfect 4.0 GPA. I was and still am incredibly proud of her and the sacrifices she made to excel in her career while still being an amazing wife and mother.

I want everyone's career that is cut short to get what they deserve. Many here wanted to get to 20 but their bodies let them down. There are a minority that come on here trying to game the system and try to medically retire when they aren't a good candidate. Thankfully, its pretty rare. Though most that try to game the system or Guard or Reserve. It makes it harder for those who are truly broken because docs are less likely to help when they think that Soldiers are taking advantage of them to try to medically retire.

 

[paulito]

So you would have any medical retirement offset by any VA compensation you receive. So you have a lot to lose. If you have a 20 year letter then when you reach the age to qualify to get your Guard retirement you can get concurrent receipt of VA pay and Guard Pension. If you are young that can be a long time and a lot of money lost between now and when you reach age 60 (or less if reduced by qualified deployments). If my wife didn't get approved for CRSC she would have lost out on $1,500 a month in compensation for 20+ years until the time she reached age 60. My wife joined at age 17. Got up to E-6 during the first 8 years of service. During that time she got her 4 year degree and was approved for a direct commission to become an officer. She was on the fast track when her health went downhill. She made it from O1 to O4 in 12 years time. She had 1-2 PCS's to reach 20 AFS for active duty retirement and she was hoping to retire as an O5. She went on to graduate with a Masters Degree in Leadership with a perfect 4.0 GPA. I was and still am incredibly proud of her and the sacrifices she made to excel in her career while still being an amazing wife and mother.

I want everyone's career that is cut short to get what they deserve. Many here wanted to get to 20 but their bodies let them down. There are a minority that come on here trying to game the system and try to medically retire when they aren't a good candidate. Thankfully, its pretty rare. Though most that try to game the system or Guard or Reserve. It makes it harder for those who are truly broken because docs are less likely to help when they think that Soldiers are taking advantage of them to try to medically retire.

OK, thank you for the clarifying information. Glad to hear your wife found success and utilized the resources and benefits available. Also, a stellar career! Yes, definitely a bummer when folks try to be beat a system that is in place for those who cannot finish their time, due to the medical situation. Thanks for the input and sharing the story!