Can I meet an MEB

Slick1020

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Registered Member
I was down for about 3 years for blood pressure and lower back problems going on and off DNIF with no flying time. Should have met an MEB but people wanted to see me fly again. I got everything under control and was allowed to fly again after eating like a vegetarian, running 2.5 miles a day instead of 1.5 miles, and steroid injections in my back. I went through IQT then started my mission qualification training for my jet. I pulled a muscle in my lower back after completing 7 rides in the jet. Then I was DNIF for two weeks. I went back to flying then I started to experience pain throughout my right leg. Pain that would wake me up at night. So I consult with the flight doctors and they ground me until they can evaluate me. I was taking 800 mg of ibuprofen 3 times a day for the pain. The flight doctor said it was Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS) after my evaluation. I think I may have started jogging too early after my lower back injury which may have caused this temporary bout with ITBS.

ITBS is something runners and cyclists get when there is an overuse injury of tissues of the outer thigh and knee. The iliotibial band runs along the lateral or outside aspect of the thigh and is an important structure that stabilizes the knee as it flexes and extends. Inflammation of the IT band can occur as it crosses the femoral epicondyle on the lateral side of the knee joint. Iliotibial band syndrome is an overuse injury causing pain on the outside part of the knee especially during running when the heel strikes the ground. RICE and anti-inflammatory medications are first-line treatments.

So I am limping around the squadron and standing on one leg hurts. The doctors were going to let me fly because I begged them and I told them I had a deployment coming up. I realized I cannot hold down the rudder pedal for a significant period of time which will be required for a certain training ride. Otherwise I am good to do everything else. The doctors tell me if I'm taking 2-3 ibuprofen a day I shouldn't be flying and that's against the rules. They told me to not take any over the weekend and come back in two weeks. I was told I couldn't meet an MEB for ITBS.

After the weekend was over I knew I needed to let my leg heal. So I told the flight doctors to DNIF me because if I can't hold down the rudder pedal I cannot perform at the level necessary for a certain training ride to compete my training. And it's a safety issue when flying.

Since I can't do combat survival training right now I cannot deploy. ITBS is like an ankle sprain in my opinion and it will heal. I think my CC thinks ITBS makes me non deployable. When in fact I just can't complete any training until it heals or it will prolong the healing process. He basically told me I should endure the pain. I said to myself if I endure the pain how is the inflammation going to go down because I can't take motrin? I got a 99.3% on my last fitness test so I do run pretty hard at age 35 and I ran my 1.5 miles in 9:58.

I was told yesterday I might meet an MEB. My leadership needs to speak with the doctors in order to make this determination. Sounds like my CC's mind was made up. I think he is upset because I had to drop out of the deployment. I know MQT funding will be cut off after 1 October. I told him if my ITB heals I can still finish MQT and he made it seem like this is my last chance. One of the flight doctors had told me I can't meet an MEB for ITBS.

So what can I expect to happen to me? Can I meet an MEB for ITBS which will heal in a few days or weeks?
 
Something's not right here. It sounds like you're Air Guard, since you're talking about them "running out of funding" for your MQT. If I'm wrong, let me know.

Let me get this straight....the USAF has just paid to put you through a several-year process that has cost them millions of dollars, and you think that they are going to MEB you for being DNIF for too long for ITBS? Now your commander might have some leeway in making some administrative decisions against you (and if he doesn't like you, that may be a bad thing) but he can't just put you into an MEB for this. It doesn't work that way.

If you have an injury that has the possibility of being permanently DNIF-ing or affecting your ability to deploy, then your flight docs have some ways to formally identify that and start the process. Otherwise, your CC has to listen to the flight docs when it comes to injuries and recovering from them. He's not a doctor....he may be a jerk and try to get you to "push through the pain" but trust me, your health is more important than making the next rotation overseas. Talk to your docs about it and let them know what your commander is saying, and maybe they'll run interference for you and get the CC to stand down. If that doesn't work, tell him flat-out that you can't push on the rudder pedals while flying or to stop the jet. Also, you may get hurt pretty badly doing a PLF post-ejection. I know of no commander (in today's Air Force) who will stand up to anything safety-related. Speaking of that, talk to your safety officer as well. He doesn't work for your squadron CC, he works directly for the Wing King and may have a role to play as well.

As for your MQT funding being cut off, NGB (again, if you are Air Guard) has a pot of money specifically to get new guys up to at least a mission ready level. There's no way they are going to pull the plug on a guy who is in MQT and make him into a part-timer. As you know, MQT isn't just about getting your required sorties. It's time spent in the vault, time spent picking the Weapons Officer's brain, time learning the local area, etc. Guard Bureau knows this, and should pony up some days in FY15 to allow you to finish up. Something is seriously wrong if they really do end your orders at the end of September.

Personally (and I may be wrong) it sounds like you've got a CC who is using his limited knowledge of medical admin and NGB's funding to threaten you into filling a blank spot on his deployment roster. I don' know you or know the exact situation, but he sounds like a jerk to me for doing this. Unfortunately, whether deserved or not, you're not getting off on the right foot as a new guy. Hopefully you have other allies in the Squadron, or just wait a while until someone else screws up and takes you out of the spotlight. Been there, done that.

Shoot me a PM if you want to discuss this in private.
 
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