Formal Board - What's it Like? Why are we on trial?

kr808

New Member
Registered Member
Can anyone who has been through a formal PEB hearing please elaborate on what it's like? Are you standing there at parade rest making your case, as if you're being NJPed? It sound incredibly intimidating and I don't understand why wounded, ill and injured service members are made to feel like criminals. Am I misunderstanding? Also, is our assigned JAG, or anyone else, allowed to be there with us?
 
For me it was like this. I was called into a room and offered a seat on one side of the table me and my attorney. The other side was an active duty 05 and 04, and a medical 06. They all three had laptops up and briefed me that they could see my entire service history, awards, officer evaluations, full medical records, etc. they asked the questions and I answered. They were polite and I had prepared in my mind some remarks before I went in. My attorney told me I could not take notes or bring any paperwork in with me, nothing at all. I thought this shouldn’t be the case as it could mean that if I had a late breaking diagnosis (which I actually did!!) that would be unfair.

It turned out as I expected. We talked they broke and my lawyer and I left the room and they deliberated for 20-30 minutes and brought us back in the room and said they didn’t accept my new diagnosis and that they found me unfit.
 
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