Found unfit at PEB, what now?

1

153D154F

PEB Forum Regular Member
Registered Member
Hey hey.

Drilling TPU here. I was found UNFIT for continued service in my formal, non-duty PEB back in September for type II diabetes; not service connected and no disability rating. I've been in 25y and have my 20y letter in hand. I've never been to the VA as I was on flight status and was concerned that any sort of rating would disqualify me from flying and per my own ignorance, I thought I had to be separated/retired to be rated by the VA. Obviously, I'm learning now that's not the case. Questions:

-Once the PEB concluded and found me UNFIT, I simply returned to my unit and continue to show up for regular drills. There's been no guidance from any higher organization and none of us know what happens next. My unit has no clue what to do as they've never had a pilot found medically unfit at PEB somehow and are pushing me to retire but I don't want to lose any sort of financial advantage(s) to being medically retired, if that's a thing. In my mind, now that they've found me UNFIT, they should medically retire me, not force me to retire, but I'm unsure which is more fiscally advantageous.

-Should I go ahead and start my own VA process or wait? I've been told both but given no clear reason why on either.

-Any other guidance?
 
153D154F said:
Hey hey.

Drilling TPU here. I was found UNFIT for continued service in my formal, non-duty PEB back in September for type II diabetes; not service connected and no disability rating. I've been in 25y and have my 20y letter in hand. I've never been to the VA as I was on flight status and was concerned that any sort of rating would disqualify me from flying and per my own ignorance, I thought I had to be separated/retired to be rated by the VA. Obviously, I'm learning now that's not the case. Questions:

-Once the PEB concluded and found me UNFIT, I simply returned to my unit and continue to show up for regular drills. There's been no guidance from any higher organization and none of us know what happens next. My unit has no clue what to do as they've never had a pilot found medically unfit at PEB somehow and are pushing me to retire but I don't want to lose any sort of financial advantage(s) to being medically retired, if that's a thing. In my mind, now that they've found me UNFIT, they should medically retire me, not force me to retire, but I'm unsure which is more fiscally advantageous.

-Should I go ahead and start my own VA process or wait? I've been told both but given no clear reason why on either.

-Any other guidance?
Click to expand...
Non Duty related IDES means when found unfit you are kicked out without medical retirement or severance. Since you have your 20 year letter you will be put in gray area retirement and receive VA compensation until the time you reach eligible age to collect your non regular retirement.

You can't get more than the combination of your VA compensation and earned pension so immediately retiring via chapter 61 is more advantageous due to getting Tricare right away. If you are 100% VA you can get CHAMPVA in the meantime until you can retire in the Guard/Reserves.

Basically at some point in the near future you will be put in the retired reserves awaiting pay status.
 
153D154F said:
Hey hey.

Drilling TPU here. I was found UNFIT for continued service in my formal, non-duty PEB back in September for type II diabetes; not service connected and no disability rating. I've been in 25y and have my 20y letter in hand. I've never been to the VA as I was on flight status and was concerned that any sort of rating would disqualify me from flying and per my own ignorance, I thought I had to be separated/retired to be rated by the VA. Obviously, I'm learning now that's not the case. Questions:

-Once the PEB concluded and found me UNFIT, I simply returned to my unit and continue to show up for regular drills. There's been no guidance from any higher organization and none of us know what happens next. My unit has no clue what to do as they've never had a pilot found medically unfit at PEB somehow and are pushing me to retire but I don't want to lose any sort of financial advantage(s) to being medically retired, if that's a thing. In my mind, now that they've found me UNFIT, they should medically retire me, not force me to retire, but I'm unsure which is more fiscally advantageous.

-Should I go ahead and start my own VA process or wait? I've been told both but given no clear reason why on either.

-Any other guidance?
Click to expand...
Also, if you haven't already... go and apply for VA benefits and list anything that you have that is a medical issue. The VA can sort out what is service connected and what is not. Also, there are a lot of presumptive conditions so if you have every deployed to the Middle East or Afghanistan that will help you a lot since there are loads of conditions that will automatically be service connected if you have a diagnosis and proof that you have deployed to those regions.
 
Provis said:
Non Duty related IDES means when found unfit you are kicked out without medical retirement or severance. Since you have your 20 year letter you will be put in gray area retirement and receive VA compensation until the time you reach eligible age to collect your non regular retirement.

You can't get more than the combination of your VA compensation and earned pension so immediately retiring via chapter 61 is more advantageous due to getting Tricare right away. If you are 100% VA you can get CHAMPVA in the meantime until you can retire in the Guard/Reserves.

Basically at some point in the near future you will be put in the retired reserves awaiting pay status.
Click to expand...
Much appreciated. Seeking clarity here, you mentioned that I'll be put in gray area retirement....non-regular retirement, then said that retiring via Ch. 61 retirement is more advantageous. Is retiring via Ch. 61 even an option to me since I've been found UNFIT via NDPEB?
 
153D154F said:
Much appreciated. Seeking clarity here, you mentioned that I'll be put in gray area retirement....non-regular retirement, then said that retiring via Ch. 61 retirement is more advantageous. Is retiring via Ch. 61 even an option to me since I've been found UNFIT via NDPEB?
Click to expand...
Not an option for you to get chapter 61 retirement. That is a medical retirement and you would need to be found unfit with a condition rated 30% or higher that was caused or aggravated by your service while on orders. The reason you didn't get to claim everything through the VA and go through the normal process is that your medical condition did't have a LOD meaning if they find you unfit they kick you out. Non Duty related IDES has only 2 outcomes. Fit and stay in. Unfit and kicked out with out any benefits. There is a special rule for Soldiers with 15 good years but less than 20 good years. where you get a 15 year letter and it works the same as a 20 year letter. This does not apply to you since you have 20 good years already. That' s a good thing! With your 20 year letter you will get all of your pension and all of your VA compensation as long as your VA% is 50% or higher.

So the main thing to do is if you have't already I would apply with the VA for every health issue that you have and you can collect that compensation starting now. Once you reach the age to retire apply 6 months before reaching eligible age for your non regular retirement (That's what a guard/reserve retirement is called) and you will get a separate check from DFAS for your pension.

There isn't a benefit regarding compensation since any VA compensation must offset a chapter 61 retirement and for most people their VA compensation is higher than their chapter 61 retirement meaning zero money for medically retiring. The big plus is getting tricare right away. You will have to wait for that until you get your non regular retirement at age 60 or slightly less if reduced from qualifying deployements.
 
Ok, thanks again for the info. I understand all. I need to repeat one key detail to make sure I fully understand however...

-Now that I've been found UNFIT by the NDPEB, I will be separated from the Army without benefits.
-Since I have 20+ years in and my 20y letter in hand, will I still be given the option to retire vice being kicked out? If not, what type of discharge is that going to be?
 
153D154F said:
Ok, thanks again for the info. I understand all. I need to repeat one key detail to make sure I fully understand however...

-Now that I've been found UNFIT by the NDPEB, I will be separated from the Army without benefits.
-Since I have 20+ years in and my 20y letter in hand, will I still be given the option to retire vice being kicked out? If not, what type of discharge is that going to be?
Click to expand...
If you have 20 year active duty retirement earned you will retire right away. If you have less than 20 years active duty time but have a 20 year letter you will be put in gray area retirement until you reach the eligible age to retire. So if only a 20 year letter then you just get kicked out and forced to be in the Retired Reserves with no benefits other than the ones you earn once you reach the eligible age to retire. If you only have a 20 year letter make sure to apply for your retirement 6 months before you reach eligible age.
 
Well, I got an unexpected memo in my IPERMS today stating that they're going to push me out in 30days. Says "mandatory retirement", med disqualified, honorable but what does all that mean? Is my DD214 going to look like it would had I retired "normally" (I'm a reservist")? Is there a way, (and a benefit) to try and fight it and retire "normally"? No one at my unit has ever dealt with someone like me (20+ years, have my 20y letter but found UNFIT, NDR) so no one knows anything.
 
153D154F said:
Well, I got an unexpected memo in my IPERMS today stating that they're going to push me out in 30days. Says "mandatory retirement", med disqualified, honorable but what does all that mean? Is my DD214 going to look like it would had I retired "normally" (I'm a reservist")? Is there a way, (and a benefit) to try and fight it and retire "normally"? No one at my unit has ever dealt with someone like me (20+ years, have my 20y letter but found UNFIT, NDR) so no one knows anything.
Click to expand...
They are kicking you out and putting you in the retired reserves. You will retire at eligible age for the Reserves.
 
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