This was my outcome in my first med board. (Currently undergoing a second med board...awaiting VA ratings) For me, this meant no deployments, no overseas assignments, and very few choices when it came time to PCS. They actually just extended my orders here since I am at one of the nation's best hospitals. When I asked about the fit, they told me: "non-deployability will not be the sole basis for an unfit determination." Which I agree with. At the time, I could do my job - largely administrative - the majority of the time. Since then, my health has deteriorated and this second med board has found me unfit. But, if you are at 19 years and your goal is to do the 20 and retire, this should be no problem at all. The whole process is going slow right now. You can always drag your feet with appeals and such to try to make it to 20.
*If they find you unfit, your package goes to VA for ratings. The VA is taking a ridiculously long amount of time to rate. Then it has to go back to PEB for finalized ratings. This whole process takes no less than 4 months and sometimes as many as 9 or 10 months. (VA is a disgrace) Then when you are presented with the findings by the PEBLO, you can request a formal board. All of this will definitely get you to 20.
Please have a bit more respect in general towards the VA, many VA employees are Veterans.
I previously worked at the VA, and I would say 95% of the employees I worked with, really care about taking care of Veterans. The VA system itself is overwhelmed in many of the states, by the mass amount of Veterans.
Yes, there is that 5% of incompetent folks that work in the VA, that might misplace a file, or sit behind the desk and play solitaire. That 5% is the disgrace.
The reason and the facts why it seems to take so long. Example;
The Army alone as almost 30,000(FY 2013) wounded, ill or injured soldiers in the Integrated Disability Evaluation System.
There is a lot of fraud in the VA system. Some it is from other Veterans submitting erroneous documents and claims and even folks who have never even served in the military. There are folks out there, claiming they served in our past wars(Vietnam, WWII) and "their" records were burned up in the 1973 Fire at the National Personnel Records Center (St. Louis, MO).
One Veteran may have a file that consist of 2,000 pages of documents.
How long do you think it will take to validate the service connection of a Veteran with 2,000 pages with a Disability, Injury, Illness, Disease, etc..? Do you really want them to rush our medical files and papers across their desk along with our ratings?
Please read this article, but ignore the negative comments.
http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/958...ssed-a-trip-to-the-nashville-regional-office/
Most importantly, I learned that VBA (at least this office) isn’t filled to the brim with people who hate Veterans and who want them to suffer without the compensation they deserve. They are there to help (especially in that Public Contact Office) and the employees I met, from what I saw, really are doing their best. As I sped to the airport, I started agonizing over this piece: how to tell you that there are RVSRs and VSRs who care deeply about your claims and the issues you submit claims about. I know that just because I say it doesn’t mean you believe it. The people who care are out there-–and many of them are working on your claims right now.
Please Stay Positive and be patience
