Recent content by Ed Mercanti

Excellent response by Provis. But I'd add that, unless Scatterman was serving AGR, the likelihood of his diabetes being considered service related is slim to none.

Are you retired from the military?

Damn. Note to self. Don't answer this stuff when your tired ;-)

And if it wasn't for the infantrymen fighting battles in the jungles of Vietnam I wouldn't have been in a supply depot in Hanoi when a box fell on my head . . . The law was written to give special compensation to people who sustained disabilities as the result of combat or simulation of combat...

Then what was the hostile or belligerent force??

Whats a TCN?

Fathawkdown is correct that PDRL is correct and the "L" stands for "List." The military rates you for the disabilities that prevent you from performing your duties. The concept is that you are compensated for the disabilities that terminate your career. The VA rates you for industrial and...

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. That being said, it used to be that a suicide is not considered in line of duty unless the person was not mentally responsible for his or her actions, and nobody could actually commit suicide if they were mentally responsible. Military...

This doesn't make sense when you said your daughter is "active duty" and not reserve. We know she is on active duty for her training. But is she regular army or reserve/guard? Sounds to me like she is reserve/guard. They don't like spending training funds for a reservist/guardsman who is on...

MEB/PEB takes precedence unless the separation can carry an UOTHC discharge.

Yep. Provide the evidence and you get the CRSC.

If you broke your back on a military parachute jump and have the documents to prove that, its eligible for CRSC. As for Gulf War Syndrome, it is from being in theater, not in combat so it would probably not be eligible for CRSC.

I agree with Floridainjuredincombat. Appeal the PEB findings. Get records from your former unit to show you were there when it was involved in an indirect fire attack in a combat zone. While your panic disorder may have made you more susceptible to PTSD, the combat attack is what triggered...

The original intent of CRSC was for people disabled while engaged in actual combat. Damn near Purple Heart stuff. Then it got expanded to people who were disabled while simulating war (doing the same thing as being engaged in combat but in an exercise scenario). Then it got expanded to...

Instrumentality of war is something unique to the military. I believe that police use bulletproof vests and they are sold to civilians as well.