Long story short: Was in Army National Guard, head injury in Iraq, Join Air Force Reserve, VA 70% awarded, WPAFB eval, unfit - no Pay no points, ARFC- unfit, IPEB- unfit. I want to stay in.
I was an Army NG Infantryman from Sep 2004-Sep 2010. MOB'd to Iraq 2008-2009, exposed to concussive blast and got hit on the head with a vehicle hatch the same day during my tour. Chronic headaches and difficulty remembering new things started. Medical documented everything through my deployment but I mostly just drank water (with some aspirin) and carried on. Returned stateside took the normal post deployment tests and was referred to the VA to continue care for headaches. I ETS'd SEP 2010 to enlist with the Air Force Reserves (actually enlisted in OCT 2010) for Non-Destructive Inspection.
During a VA visit on 1MAR2011 the doc was doing some testing to try and figure out how to reduce headache frequency. He then referred me to the DAV Rep and I say "no need I'm not disabled, there are plenty others who deserve it more than I", he insisted and said there are more to disabilities than physical ones. I conceded and the DAV Rep had me fill out some paperwork. After a couple weeks the VA began testing/evaluating anything on the DAV forms over the remainder of the year.
June/July 2011 AFR unit sends me to NDI tech school. Earn Top Graduate (still good at hands on learnin')
Dec 2011 VA Disability award letter comes in the mail = 70% "This can't be right" (too high). Call DAV and discuss. Apparently results indicated TBI with moderate Neurocognitive disorder, side effect (headaches) and Mild PTSD and were all supported by results and sick call records while overseas. By this time I have already become the "picks it up quick" and "gets things done" guy in the shop and just kept driving on.
2012 webPHA (first) and all PHA's through 2016 I indicate headaches and mild ptsd (being honest). Saw a doc after the first or 2nd one and he basically dismissed it as no concern. By 2016 I had become the lead NDI specialist and was the only qualified 7 level, held a flawless QA Personnel Evaluation record, and multiple "exceeds" EPRs.
May'ish 2016 I was called to medical for a provider visit. New doc this time and he didn't like my PHA or the VA records he reviewed (this is about when they started the joint record sharing era) and wanted me to be evaluated at Wright Patterson AFB.
DEC 2016 - WPAFB - Doc asks why I'm there. I literally say "I dunno, I was forced to come here because my base provider thought it necessary, so I am following orders". He looked confused and proceeds to begin his charade with the help of an intern. Part way through my eval we are at a stage where I am timed to arrange dice with colored patterns to match an image shown, midway through this the doctor gets up from his chair and begins to hover next to me as the intern continues to change the images. Doctor whispers to himself "fascinating". Time is up and we are about to move on when the doctor says "That was an impressive display, I have not seen anything like it before". The end of the eval comes and the doc comes in to discuss results. He said that he doesn't have definitive diagnosis yet but I did score in the lower 5th percentile for delayed memory recall, however, I ranked superior in the 99th percentile for "perceptual reasoning" using the block design reconstruction and visualization processing (I told him I learn with my hands and he proved me right).
The doctor asked me if I was there to try and get out with a medical discharge. I looked at him in disbelief and said "No sir, I came here because I am following orders. I intend to stay in if you don't mind". He sat back looking befuddled rubbing his chin and said "you know, you are an oddity, most guys come here looking to get out and try their best to fake these tests or make up symptoms that are hard to prove, but I fully believe everything in your records is true, yet here you are wanting to stay in and work. What does someone in my position do in a situation like this?"
I reply with "Well Sir, you can always say I'm fine and let me go home to do my job as I always have".
He came back with "Unfortunately it won't be that easy, there are regulations in place and the data shows that you may not be qualified for worldwide duty, I may end up putting you down for garrison duty only so you can continue your services at home station".
I was struck "Sir? How is that fair to the other guys in my shop? They can deploy but not me? I am just as capable as anyone else, in fact I am the most qualified individual to do so!” He kind of raised his eyebrows with a look like, (yikes if he’s the best in the shop, I would hate to see what the others can do). I caught it and said "has anyone thought to even discuss my performance with anyone in my unit before deciding if I was capable of doing my job before spending tax dollars to send me here?"
Doc “what is your job?”
Me, bug eyed in disbelief “You don’t know what I do? I work in NDI”
Doc “What is NDI?”
Me “Non-Destructive Testing, Inspect planes for cracks using multiple methods of detection”
Doc “interesting, so take it from my point of view, imaging you are going out to do an inspection but when you get to the plane you forgot what it was you were there for, or, you perform some work but forget a part of it before you return to the office”
Me “Not possible”
Doc “How is it not possible”
Me “ Sir, If you understood the nature of our work and how we perform it, you would know we utilize TO’s that literally walk you through each step of the job in step by step instructions, No memory required. As far as forgetting while en-route I’m sorry but no. When I have a task I am purely focused on completing it, but if that 0.01% chance happened I would be reminded or it would be taken over by another, as I am but a single inspector within a team of inspectors.”
Doc “I see, so perhaps I could write it in a way that you can perform your duties, but you must have someone with you?”
Me (at this point I think the doctor is actually insane and needs to be evaluated but I keep my cool) “Sir, no, that’s not the…. Look just call someone anyone in my unit, talk to the flight supervisor, the chief, commander, QA, anyone, it doesn’t matter since they all know who I am and the work I do. Then you will see that this whole evaluation is non-sense. I chose this job because it’s a perfect fit for my strengths and my weaknesses, I have to remember very little, and all the work I do is hands on. You proved through this demonstration that is how I work best, please let me keep doing what I do best. There are far too many others out there half ass’ing their job or are trying to get out because they don’t want to be here yet they are turned away and stay until they ETS. Then you have someone who actually WANTS to be here, has no negative history and does good work. Yet because I can’t remember unimportant details of a story or all the animals you listed 30 minutes ago, suddenly I am incapable of doing the work I have been doing for almost 6 years? It makes no sense.”
Doc “I’ll tell you what, it’s obvious to me the service is very important to you so I will call and talk to some people in your unit to see about my decision. Since your unit thinks highly of you, it shouldn’t be a problem if you are restricted to home station if that’s what is comes too.”
Me “…”
Doc “would it be ok to contact your spouse to ask questions about you while you are traveling home?”
Me “sure” and I went home and received a letter shortly after with the diagnosis similar to the VA (TBI)
January UTA/Drill weekend I go around talking with everyone about the whole thing and ask if the doctor called anyone. Nope. Life went on
Dec 2017 I am talking with the QA supervisor working out when I can transfer to QA, no word from medical by this point. My Flight supervisor says to check with medical before we start the transfer so it doesn’t end up causing problems because they will have to approve the transfer. I call them & talk to PEB/MEB person and they say “oops” and request me to go down there to sign some things. It’s the PEB paperwork that never got started. I sign it saying I will take it to the highest level possible to try and get a “fit” designation. It outlined that my condition originated prior to my Air Force enlistment, true, and the PEB is not determining disability rating, only fit or unfit for global duty, that’s ok with me so I signed.
Jan 2018 – Home station – Unfit – No pay no points
May 2018 – Get Participation waiver approved, start doing weekends again
Oct 2018 – AFRC – Unfit – no pay no points
Nov 2018 – P waiver approved and participate again I get the VA to send me to a local Neuropsychology center to have them re-evaluate me for the items WPAFB tested me on.
Feb 2019 I get results. For the memory I bumped up to 32nd percentile, not excellent but a marginal improvement, and my block performance went down a bit to 91st.
Mar 2019 I handover results to base medical to be forwarded to IPEB
APR 2019 I get a call from IPEB – Unfit – I was told they reviewed the new results. Email with details and forms to fill out for FPEB are in my inbox but I can’t get them yet (SMIME issues).
Am I nuts? Shouldn’t the better score lead them to say “hey, this guy’s performance has been spot on since he joined, scored bad once on a memory test, then scored low avg on another, maybe we are over reacting”? I am absolutely baffled at this whole situation. Perhaps it’s just the risk of sending someone with a TBI overseas is not something they want to take in case it exacerbates the existing condition?
Regardless of what happens, the paperwork says even if PEB determines me to be fit, AFRC’s decision will stand and I will only be able to remain at home station. It's possible I may get a group career adviser position, but I need to finish 5 classes by August for my CCAF to be eligible. Will being in a non-deployable position negate whatever comes from the PEB? I will have 15 years comes October, I want to do my 20, is it looking like I am just screwed?
I was an Army NG Infantryman from Sep 2004-Sep 2010. MOB'd to Iraq 2008-2009, exposed to concussive blast and got hit on the head with a vehicle hatch the same day during my tour. Chronic headaches and difficulty remembering new things started. Medical documented everything through my deployment but I mostly just drank water (with some aspirin) and carried on. Returned stateside took the normal post deployment tests and was referred to the VA to continue care for headaches. I ETS'd SEP 2010 to enlist with the Air Force Reserves (actually enlisted in OCT 2010) for Non-Destructive Inspection.
During a VA visit on 1MAR2011 the doc was doing some testing to try and figure out how to reduce headache frequency. He then referred me to the DAV Rep and I say "no need I'm not disabled, there are plenty others who deserve it more than I", he insisted and said there are more to disabilities than physical ones. I conceded and the DAV Rep had me fill out some paperwork. After a couple weeks the VA began testing/evaluating anything on the DAV forms over the remainder of the year.
June/July 2011 AFR unit sends me to NDI tech school. Earn Top Graduate (still good at hands on learnin')
Dec 2011 VA Disability award letter comes in the mail = 70% "This can't be right" (too high). Call DAV and discuss. Apparently results indicated TBI with moderate Neurocognitive disorder, side effect (headaches) and Mild PTSD and were all supported by results and sick call records while overseas. By this time I have already become the "picks it up quick" and "gets things done" guy in the shop and just kept driving on.
2012 webPHA (first) and all PHA's through 2016 I indicate headaches and mild ptsd (being honest). Saw a doc after the first or 2nd one and he basically dismissed it as no concern. By 2016 I had become the lead NDI specialist and was the only qualified 7 level, held a flawless QA Personnel Evaluation record, and multiple "exceeds" EPRs.
May'ish 2016 I was called to medical for a provider visit. New doc this time and he didn't like my PHA or the VA records he reviewed (this is about when they started the joint record sharing era) and wanted me to be evaluated at Wright Patterson AFB.
DEC 2016 - WPAFB - Doc asks why I'm there. I literally say "I dunno, I was forced to come here because my base provider thought it necessary, so I am following orders". He looked confused and proceeds to begin his charade with the help of an intern. Part way through my eval we are at a stage where I am timed to arrange dice with colored patterns to match an image shown, midway through this the doctor gets up from his chair and begins to hover next to me as the intern continues to change the images. Doctor whispers to himself "fascinating". Time is up and we are about to move on when the doctor says "That was an impressive display, I have not seen anything like it before". The end of the eval comes and the doc comes in to discuss results. He said that he doesn't have definitive diagnosis yet but I did score in the lower 5th percentile for delayed memory recall, however, I ranked superior in the 99th percentile for "perceptual reasoning" using the block design reconstruction and visualization processing (I told him I learn with my hands and he proved me right).
The doctor asked me if I was there to try and get out with a medical discharge. I looked at him in disbelief and said "No sir, I came here because I am following orders. I intend to stay in if you don't mind". He sat back looking befuddled rubbing his chin and said "you know, you are an oddity, most guys come here looking to get out and try their best to fake these tests or make up symptoms that are hard to prove, but I fully believe everything in your records is true, yet here you are wanting to stay in and work. What does someone in my position do in a situation like this?"
I reply with "Well Sir, you can always say I'm fine and let me go home to do my job as I always have".
He came back with "Unfortunately it won't be that easy, there are regulations in place and the data shows that you may not be qualified for worldwide duty, I may end up putting you down for garrison duty only so you can continue your services at home station".
I was struck "Sir? How is that fair to the other guys in my shop? They can deploy but not me? I am just as capable as anyone else, in fact I am the most qualified individual to do so!” He kind of raised his eyebrows with a look like, (yikes if he’s the best in the shop, I would hate to see what the others can do). I caught it and said "has anyone thought to even discuss my performance with anyone in my unit before deciding if I was capable of doing my job before spending tax dollars to send me here?"
Doc “what is your job?”
Me, bug eyed in disbelief “You don’t know what I do? I work in NDI”
Doc “What is NDI?”
Me “Non-Destructive Testing, Inspect planes for cracks using multiple methods of detection”
Doc “interesting, so take it from my point of view, imaging you are going out to do an inspection but when you get to the plane you forgot what it was you were there for, or, you perform some work but forget a part of it before you return to the office”
Me “Not possible”
Doc “How is it not possible”
Me “ Sir, If you understood the nature of our work and how we perform it, you would know we utilize TO’s that literally walk you through each step of the job in step by step instructions, No memory required. As far as forgetting while en-route I’m sorry but no. When I have a task I am purely focused on completing it, but if that 0.01% chance happened I would be reminded or it would be taken over by another, as I am but a single inspector within a team of inspectors.”
Doc “I see, so perhaps I could write it in a way that you can perform your duties, but you must have someone with you?”
Me (at this point I think the doctor is actually insane and needs to be evaluated but I keep my cool) “Sir, no, that’s not the…. Look just call someone anyone in my unit, talk to the flight supervisor, the chief, commander, QA, anyone, it doesn’t matter since they all know who I am and the work I do. Then you will see that this whole evaluation is non-sense. I chose this job because it’s a perfect fit for my strengths and my weaknesses, I have to remember very little, and all the work I do is hands on. You proved through this demonstration that is how I work best, please let me keep doing what I do best. There are far too many others out there half ass’ing their job or are trying to get out because they don’t want to be here yet they are turned away and stay until they ETS. Then you have someone who actually WANTS to be here, has no negative history and does good work. Yet because I can’t remember unimportant details of a story or all the animals you listed 30 minutes ago, suddenly I am incapable of doing the work I have been doing for almost 6 years? It makes no sense.”
Doc “I’ll tell you what, it’s obvious to me the service is very important to you so I will call and talk to some people in your unit to see about my decision. Since your unit thinks highly of you, it shouldn’t be a problem if you are restricted to home station if that’s what is comes too.”
Me “…”
Doc “would it be ok to contact your spouse to ask questions about you while you are traveling home?”
Me “sure” and I went home and received a letter shortly after with the diagnosis similar to the VA (TBI)
January UTA/Drill weekend I go around talking with everyone about the whole thing and ask if the doctor called anyone. Nope. Life went on
Dec 2017 I am talking with the QA supervisor working out when I can transfer to QA, no word from medical by this point. My Flight supervisor says to check with medical before we start the transfer so it doesn’t end up causing problems because they will have to approve the transfer. I call them & talk to PEB/MEB person and they say “oops” and request me to go down there to sign some things. It’s the PEB paperwork that never got started. I sign it saying I will take it to the highest level possible to try and get a “fit” designation. It outlined that my condition originated prior to my Air Force enlistment, true, and the PEB is not determining disability rating, only fit or unfit for global duty, that’s ok with me so I signed.
Jan 2018 – Home station – Unfit – No pay no points
May 2018 – Get Participation waiver approved, start doing weekends again
Oct 2018 – AFRC – Unfit – no pay no points
Nov 2018 – P waiver approved and participate again I get the VA to send me to a local Neuropsychology center to have them re-evaluate me for the items WPAFB tested me on.
Feb 2019 I get results. For the memory I bumped up to 32nd percentile, not excellent but a marginal improvement, and my block performance went down a bit to 91st.
Mar 2019 I handover results to base medical to be forwarded to IPEB
APR 2019 I get a call from IPEB – Unfit – I was told they reviewed the new results. Email with details and forms to fill out for FPEB are in my inbox but I can’t get them yet (SMIME issues).
Am I nuts? Shouldn’t the better score lead them to say “hey, this guy’s performance has been spot on since he joined, scored bad once on a memory test, then scored low avg on another, maybe we are over reacting”? I am absolutely baffled at this whole situation. Perhaps it’s just the risk of sending someone with a TBI overseas is not something they want to take in case it exacerbates the existing condition?
Regardless of what happens, the paperwork says even if PEB determines me to be fit, AFRC’s decision will stand and I will only be able to remain at home station. It's possible I may get a group career adviser position, but I need to finish 5 classes by August for my CCAF to be eligible. Will being in a non-deployable position negate whatever comes from the PEB? I will have 15 years comes October, I want to do my 20, is it looking like I am just screwed?