Congrats! I see how both our cases wen't along at just about the same pace, so that's proof that IDES is starting to get better at this process. It's all the pre-NARSUM stage that seems to be ridiculous!
Fort Lewis Timeline Questions
- Thread starter Shel81
- Start date
I call crap on that statement, nothing getting better at Ft. Lewis it's getting even worse.
yes sir...... I finally get to review my 199 in the morning.......I'm so ready to hit the road and get the hell out of the desert
VA has been done with my husbands rating for about 3 weeks now.. And they still haven't sent it to the PEB, they say they are still "typing it up" Anyone else have this problem? Also, he has been trying to call his VA rep all week with no luck either...
Really sorry grizz. I know your situation is all jacked up and I feel for you. Sincerely man. I hope that whatever is going on up at Lewis is to seriously improve how they operate. I'm sure they are getting their butts handed to them for doing sloppy work. But I know that even if the situation up there is meant to improve things, it is irrelevant to you because you and probably 100s of other service members at Lewis/McChord are basically getting F'd over, but it is likely that once they get their crap together, you all will get better service. I really hope that is the case.
I guess I can call myself lucky since just prior to my MMRB recommended and initiated my MEB, I was almost compassionately reassigned to Lewis due to a family emergency and Lewis was the closest installation. My PCM at the time and BN CMDR were also trying to get me in the WTU here at Schofield Barracks en lieu of attempting to have me reassigned to the Lewis WTU. Since it seemed like nobody knew what to do and the fact that Schofield suddenly decided to quit doing the MMRBs for quite a few months because they were "waiting" for the MAR2 to become standard, I just wasn't having that, so I made contact with some Major on the East Coast after reviewing who was overall in charge of the implementation of the MAR2. I also was worried that I would have basically start my case over and have to suddenly have new doctors who did not know me or of my medical issues. I met with my BN CDR and told him to cancel m compassionate reassignment and go ahead with the MAR2. See, even my PCM and BN CDR were under the impression MAR2 was an actual policy Army wide at the time!
Since there were only a few authorized installations allowed at the time to "test" the MAR2, she was quite shocked when I told her Schofield had completely stopped doing MMRBs for apparently either a misunderstanding of the published ALARACT and MILPER Messages or for some other unknown reason but I could take a wild guess and probably be spot on. I honestly do not know how many months it had been since the last MMRB was conducted on Schofield, but after I made contact, you could say I started a $*&T Storm and suddenly I was called in for the first MMRB. They knew it was me who just made things harder for them. I pissed a lot of people off who ran the DA medical boards because it was extra work to do the MMRBs and I am sure they were enjoying taking a few months off from dealing with an increased workload that the monthly MMRB boards created. I really didn't care because it was overall hurting the Soldiers who where here; here waiting for a new policy that was still months away from implementation across the Army. But I did feel pretty good that I made it happen.
So basically grizz13, I do understand what it like to be in similar situation and being stuck with nobody to give any answers. I truly feel for all of you affected by the Lewis/McChord PEBLOs and whatever it is they are doing. I know the Lewis PEB is working as it should because they seem to be getting things done for most of us going through that PEB office. I'm sure there are some that have unusual cases that might be the cause of those delays. I wish you and everyone else the best of luck and sincerely hope things start improving for all of you.
I have been unable to contact my VA MSC (Sharon) at madigan as well.
I'll be going to Madigan today to see what's up with them. They usually call me every month about a status update, but no call for 2 months...
Well good news for me, appearantly the VA sent my packet to the PEB already and still no update on MyPEB or eBenefits. I still expect to be getting a call from a PEBLO or my assigned PEBLO Aug-Sep timeframe, since no PEBLOs can work on their cases here. Heard there are 2 PEBLOs at Madigan handling all the walk-ins and calls...
My husband talked with someone here at lewis saying that the PEB is done with it and they have his ratings in hand... Hes just going to go into the office monday morning and see if he can get someone to show it to him and sign off on it, since his PEBLO dropped him.
Well that is good news that VA finished your ratings and it's back to the PEB. You should be able to start contacting the VA to get a copy mailed to you or, if like I have told some people in the past, do what I did; contact your VA rep who you set up all your claims with and see if that individual can give you your ratings. They have access to this information.
I talked to her on Friday, she wouldn't give me the info really, just that it was sent back to PEB. Most of the VA guys here on Lewis are getting hammered by us soldiers right now since there are no PEBLOs to hand out info. They are not much of help to anyone making a request like that. I got turned away by my MSC and the VA at Waller Hall for a copy of the preliminary, the VA hotline was no help either. Next try is to see if VR&E counselor can get it for me.
Well, I can understand if they are being hammered why they would just stop giving out that info. What I did before contacting my VA rep, was call the VA hotline a few times. Eventually I got someone who was willing to snail mail me my ratings. This was after of course I was told that Seattle had already sent me my ratings in the mail. Still have not received anything in the mail from Seattle, but did get my ratings from the VA hotline guy in Phoenix, AZ. Go figure. Just a suggestion. After I got of the phone with the VA hotline guy in AZ, is when I called my local VA rep and told him how nobody on the VA hotline was willing to give me my ratings over the phone. He thought that was silly and told me right then what my prelim ratings were. I hope you are able to "harass" someone for your information. I hate it how your personal information is withheld from you, but I am sure there are some regulations or legal aspects as to why people cannot pass out that info, even after your confirm you identity all the way down to your pet dogs name. It's just frustrating. Good luck grizz13!
I got my numbers now, but still no one will give me anything on paper. I am sure I'm being watched on the site so I won't say what I am being rated at, but it is very satisfactory and in the neighborhood of what I was expecting. Just would like to see what they rated things for giggles on my part. It's one of my faults trying to control everything in my life and this is nothing I can control. 
Glad you got your ratings. Even after I received my prelim ratings over the phone, I didn't get a breakdown until the letter from AZ arrived a few days later. A week later I was called in to sign my DA 199 and again, it had the breakdowns of each rated condition. I was even given a determent to complete additional ratings once I got out, which actually pissed me off. I asked my VA rep why I would be deferred any rating since I was in IDES and the entire intent was so you walked out the door with ratings in hand. He came up with excuses and I didn't get any assistance from him. So now even though I was planning on filing additional claims once out, it looks like I will be waiting 11-12 months just to get ratings on the claims they deferred until I was out of service. I didn't have the energy to argue any more than I already had during my exit interview with my VA rep. I think he was actually getting iritated that I was so irritated. Whatever. I am glad you at least know what your prelim ratings are now. Hopefully you can relax a little knowing the end is very near! Congrats!
******************UPDATE****************
My Transition Brief is this Thursday
. I got a memo to do a turn in of my TA-50 early so that is what I will be doing tomorrow. I am so happy that the ball is rolling and I am almost done
. I did my appointment with my VA rep today and turned in the paperwork for my sleep apnea. I think it’s going to take a while for them to add it on but at this point I’m fine with that. I have got to say that now that I am at the end I really am nervous about being a civilian after 12 years of being a soldier but, I am so ready to start this new chapter in my life
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My Transition Brief is this Thursday
. I got a memo to do a turn in of my TA-50 early so that is what I will be doing tomorrow. I am so happy that the ball is rolling and I am almost done . I did my appointment with my VA rep today and turned in the paperwork for my sleep apnea. I think it’s going to take a while for them to add it on but at this point I’m fine with that. I have got to say that now that I am at the end I really am nervous about being a civilian after 12 years of being a soldier but, I am so ready to start this new chapter in my life . ******************UPDATE****************
My Transition Brief is this Thursday
Shel, total time from start to finish for you?
Shell, thats great. I do my final out Friday with Transition and then I am out the door! From my transition briefing a little over a week and a half ago, It only took me 3 days to clear everything and have just been waiting around for my final finance brief which determined my last pay check amount and my final pay with my severance which I receive around the 20-25th of August! You are almost done my friend! Good luck! Can't wait until tomorrow morning when I never have to put on this uniform again.
Thanks! I cannot wait!
Sorry I didnt get back sooner I am running around doing all lthis stuff so I can get my orders. Unoffically I started the process in March 2011 but , the MEB states July 2011 as my start date. if you go by the first date I have been in the process for 489 days but if you go by the days my PEBLO put in it is 351 days.