DUAL PROCESS FT RILEY

soldier09r

PEB Forum Regular Member
Registered Member
New at this so I will cut to the chase and state facts so bare with me. I am 33 y/o and active duty Army since June of 2001. Did 3 tours to Iraq to include the invasion and two others after. I did all three tours with 3 ID out of Fort Stewart, Ga. I spent my first 9 years in one spot and in the same unit. After the invasion and my first deployment I started drinking heavily, fighting, arguing, etc. Whenever we were off work I would drink with my buddies. Every chance free was spent drinking and partying. Didn't have time to process the horrors of war. I would always get blackout drunk and get in fights and a few times contemplated suicide and attempted once but wife thwarted that. Once I left Stewart things got worse. Never saw behavior Health until I got to Knox. Then was put in TBI clinic and seeing counselors weekly. Did this for two years then got sent to Germany. Same issues except things got worse. I just stopped caring about everything. Three years later I get sent to Ft Riley where I am now. First month here I have a nervous breakdown and see BH on post soon after.

I get progressively worse as the years go by. Shortly after arriving my wife decides to leave me. Nothing I could do. I wasn't the best husband but didn't expect this. I wore on her over the years. I got arrested shortly after finding out some things and then I am left on my driveway as I watch my family drive away from me the day after Xmas 2014. I go into a rage. Drink myself to oblivion and not have a care in the world. I lost everything. I have a suicide attempt in which I also cut my forearm. Taken to the hospital. I continue to drink and having problem after problem at work. I say that I have a problem with drinking but it's still not taken seriously even after everything that happened. I am a shell of what once was a human and nobody paid attention. Only a handful of people cared and checked on me. I am on wits end and still cant stop drinking. Get told that staying busy is the best remedy. I wanted to go to rehab to seek help because I could no longer function. I get denied. I get a DUI shortly after and all of a sudden its a huge priority that I get help. I finally get to REHAB where I am diagnosed with PTSD again and severe depression. I come back and receive a filed grade article 15 and reduced to SGT from SSG and also get 45 days of extra duty. Also find out that the unit is trying to chapter me out for committing a serious offense.

Fast forward to now January 2016. I was informed after seeing BH multiple times that I was recommended for an MEB. This was in December. January rolls around and I get the call from my PEBLO and everything starts moving. I have my C&P exams next week and then I guess I am at the Army's hands. I didn't hear anything about the Chapter until Tuesday this week (19th). I thought that chapter was a done deal and they would just let me medically retire but no. Now they are trying to expedite it and rush me into doing it. I know that my fate NOW rests on the CG's hands and I feel helpless. I am sure I missed a few things as well like financial ruin and constantly moving. I just feel like people are hoping the problem just sorts itself out. I don't know what I am going to do if the CG decides to chapter me. I can't have almost 15 years of honorable service be characterized by ONE incident. I am afraid of what I will do. I don't know, just lost in the sauce.
 
Hang in there. Since you have been referred for a MEB, the MEB and the chapter will both continue, depending on the nature of the charges, there is still the possibility that you can still medically retire.

Is the serious offense that they are attempting to discharge you for related to the DUI? Can is be explained away a bad judgement due to the TBI/PTSD?
 
The charge was initially a breathalyzer refusal and when I received UCMJ it was a DUI. That is what they are trying to chapter me out on. There is nothing else. My condition didn't just start. I was diagnosed a while ago and it got worse. I informed my chain of command that I was killing myself drinking and anybody who could read would piece together in my medical record that I am a ticking time bomb. I'm just very frustrated.
 
Got with an MEB attorney here so hoping for some kind of news. Life is at a complete stand still.
 
running into a tight time line since I am also about to ETS so I don't know yet how I will be separating from the Army. I just had my NARSUM this week. Well I was informed that my MEB would stop because of my CHAPTER so I inquired about that and low and behold my packet is not even at BDE yet!!! So after some investigating I get everything I need to get this taken higher and now I am waiting to hear back a decision. Legal tells me that the CG gets to decide my fate so here I am crossing my fingers for some good news. I don't know how I will take the news if it comes back Chapter. 15 years I put into this and to be just thrown out would be devastating.
 
Sounds like you need to get someone involved higher than them like your Congressman and/or Senators. I don't know if you saw on the main page an article about Senators wanting the Army to stop certain discharges. They are trying to royally give you the shaft and the tbh shouldn't be allowed to get away with it. Do not be afraid to dig in and fight with everything you got you gave a lot over the last 15yrs to have some retards screw you over. If you do call your rep/senator I can tell you, from someone who used to work on the Legislative side(both in district and on The Hill) before joining the Navy(and your case caught my attention because my brother in law was stationed out in Ft Riley and went through the PEB and also told me how crappy it is out there so I sympathize), call their district office, not the DC office. The district offices are more geared towards constituents issues; DC is more policy.

http://www.house.gov/ - use the Find Your Legislator link in the upper right hand corner and enter in your zip code. It will give you a link to your Rep's website and give you the contact number you need. When you call state your active duty army and want to speak to their military/veterans affairs person (EVERY office has at least one person who deals with these specific issue) Explain what's going on and most likely at some point they'll ask you to sign a release form so that they can act on your behalf. It's standard procedure so go ahead and fill the form out and send it back. You'll then get a case worker who will be solely responsible for your case (but don't feel afraid to contact their mil/vet person) and your rep will be made aware of your issue. Most of the time mil/vet issues get brought to the direct attention of the rep, if you have a good one.

http://www.senate.gov/index.htm - upper right hand corner you can select your home state and that will pull up your two senator's and their websites, and from there you can get their district office numbers. Rinse and repeat the same info for talking to their mil/vet rep.

I hope this helps you a bit and gives you the ammo you need to keep your fight going. I hate it when good people get screwed over due to overzelous idiots.
 
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Sounds like you need to get someone involved higher than them like your Congressman and/or Senators. I don't know if you saw on the main page an article about Senators wanting the Army to stop certain discharges. They are trying to royally give you the shaft and the tbh shouldn't be allowed to get away with it. Do not be afraid to dig in and fight with everything you got you gave a lot over the last 15yrs to have some retards screw you over. If you do call your rep/senator I can tell you, from someone who used to work on the Legislative side(both in district and on The Hill) before joining the Navy(and your case caught my attention because my brother in law was stationed out in Ft Riley and went through the PEB and also told me how crappy it is out there so I sympathize), call their district office, not the DC office. The district offices are more geared towards constituents issues; DC is more policy.

http://www.house.gov/ - use the Find Your Legislator link in the upper right hand corner and enter in your zip code. It will give you a link to your Rep's website and give you the contact number you need. When you call state your active duty army and want to speak to their military/veterans affairs person (EVERY office has at least one person who deals with these specific issue) Explain what's going on and most likely at some point they'll ask you to sign a release form so that they can act on your behalf. It's standard procedure so go ahead and fill the form out and send it back. You'll then get a case worker who will be solely responsible for your case (but don't feel afraid to contact their mil/vet person) and your rep will be made aware of your issue. Most of the time mil/vet issues get brought to the direct attention of the rep, if you have a good one.

http://www.senate.gov/index.htm - upper right hand corner you can select your home state and that will pull up your two senator's and their websites, and from there you can get their district office numbers. Rinse and repeat the same info for talking to their mil/vet rep.

I hope this helps you a bit and gives you the ammo you need to keep your fight going. I hate it when good people get screwed over due to overzelous idiots.


Jaj87, that is some outstanding advice!! I was barely read my chapter last week and already saw LEGAL and got an attorney. I also have the MEB attorney looking into this since I cant get any answers. I am now 5 weeks out from my ETS or "EAS" for other branches. I am literally at a stand still. I haven't signed my NARSUM yet because I felt that it did not fully capture the full scope of my claims. It should be good and ready to be signed by this week though. I am stressing beyond belief because the outcome of this is driving my anxiety through the roof. I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to write me!
 
Received my NARSUM two weeks ago but I declined to sign. Had to IMR's done so that the record is set straight. I meet with my MEB attorney tomorrow to discuss the IMR and I will hopefully be signing my NARSUM by next week sometime. My chapter, however, is still moving forward. I requested an ADMIN SEP BOARD to hopefully explain my situation. After 15 years I can not and will not go down without a fight. That has put a huge strain on me both mentally and physically. Praying and hoping for some good news.
 
I don't know how the Army works (like I said before I'm Navy, but hopefully someone who's a SME can shed light), but I know the process for the IDES is the same across all branches so you're doing everything right there. As for the punitive side, that's where I stop and can't really advise more. It sounds like you're doing everything you can right now. It sounds stupid and you've prob heard it before... but just keep crossing your T's and dotting your I's and don't give them any reason to pounce on you. Have you reached out to your reps/senator yet or are you saving that as a last resort?

To everyone - can anyone else who has experience with Army procedures chime in and give some advice?
 
I don't know how the Army works (like I said before I'm Navy, but hopefully someone who's a SME can shed light), but I know the process for the IDES is the same across all branches so you're doing everything right there. As for the punitive side, that's where I stop and can't really advise more. It sounds like you're doing everything you can right now. It sounds stupid and you've prob heard it before... but just keep crossing your T's and dotting your I's and don't give them any reason to pounce on you. Have you reached out to your reps/senator yet or are you saving that as a last resort?

To everyone - can anyone else who has experience with Army procedures chime in and give some advice?


I am having two attorney's represent me albeit one is my MEB attorney as well. I gathered some correspondence letters from former supervisors and also from my doctor for my case. I am now under 30 days before I am suppose to ETS and awaiting word about this chapter. Also put in for a medical extension this morning but hopefully someone makes a decision on this chapter so I can just move on with my life. I paid the price for my incident already and my quality of life has been deteriorated enough. I can't wrap my head around what the Army gets from trying to get me out with nothing whatsoever like I have been a screw up my whole career. As for the SENATE/REP contact I have printed out what I needed along with the chapter packet to be mailed off as a last resort. I am hoping one of my attorney's can make something happen because I believe this is the very thing that the senate was trying to stop a couple months ago.
 
Can any of ya'll possibly help me out with rank determination? I received my ratings and concurred with everything back in September 2015. My PEBLO then said due to my loosing a stripe that my package has to be sent in to the SECAF for rank determination. We still have not heard a thing. TIA
 
Can any of ya'll possibly help me out with rank determination? I received my ratings and concurred with everything back in September 2015. My PEBLO then said due to my loosing a stripe that my package has to be sent in to the SECAF for rank determination. We still have not heard a thing. TIA

I wouldn't know anything about that but I would make a new thread and ask. I was demoted first before my MEB OFFICIALLY took off.
 
Can any of ya'll possibly help me out with rank determination? I received my ratings and concurred with everything back in September 2015. My PEBLO then said due to my loosing a stripe that my package has to be sent in to the SECAF for rank determination. We still have not heard a thing. TIA
Did you ever get an answer??
 
Did you ever get an answer??

No I didn't :( Everyone says it all depends on the SECAF. It is weird though I looked in ebenefits the other day and my "estimated" completion date when from May 16- Feb 17 now to Feb16-May 16. I called my PEBLO asking is this accurate (I was excited hehe) she said no its all up to the case manager as to what exactly they do and don't update......left a lot of questions in my head.
 
Well I did receive some good unofficial news. The CG decided not to take final action on my case and referred it back to my BDE. My lawyer expects a favorable outcome. I can't wait to get this process over with so I can move on.
 
My packet has to go back up the chain so a final determination can be made. Been at this since December last year and barely getting this far. Once this is made I get to finally get my stuff sent up for ratings.
 
Grade Determination takes anywhere from 4-6 months. I just went thru it and mine took about 4 months. then I got my orders then they are trying to take more rank from me...
 
PLEASE HELP!

I have orders in hand, my date of separation is the end of august. I just received a article 15. and they are talking about most likely taking another stripe from me. If this happens, since I have orders already, will they need to complete another grade determination?? or will they let me slide on by to my DOS? I am so stressed and its killing me inside, Im so ready to get out already. if this is the case and I have to wait almost another 6 months, they will find a reason to admin separate me, I simply will not last that long.
 
PLEASE HELP!

I have orders in hand, my date of separation is the end of august. I just received a article 15. and they are talking about most likely taking another stripe from me. If this happens, since I have orders already, will they need to complete another grade determination?? or will they let me slide on by to my DOS? I am so stressed and its killing me inside, Im so ready to get out already. if this is the case and I have to wait almost another 6 months, they will find a reason to admin separate me, I simply will not last that long.

Brother, I have no idea at all. Every situation is different and will have different outcomes. I am sorry you are going through this. Any updates?
 
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