MEB done but DBQ’s completely WRONG

Makarov

Makarov

Well-Known Member
PEB Forum Veteran
Registered Member
Hi all.

I got a call from my PEBLO today that my MEB was signed off so all I had to do was sign that I agreed with the findings before it gets sent off to the PEB in D.C. Unfortunately, I notice a number (19) of ridiculous and all around WRONG information in my package. It’s so wrong that it almost looks as if they just wrote my name on someone else’s DBQs. I literally am getting referred to MEB for PTSD and MDD and the DBQ says that my symptoms are 0/5 “none at all” for all of the PTSD/MDD questions. I’m filing claims for things like Tinnitus and the DBQ asked if I have ringing or roaring in the ears and they checked off “no”. It makes absolutely no sense that they just marked everything “no” or “N/A”even though it’s Well documented in my record, I’m currently receiving treatment for these things, and I straight up had a conversation with the exam doctors about some of this stuff. I don’t know what to do. I have a meeting with my disability attorney tomorrow but how do I say that there are 19 major issues in my package? That just seems ridiculous and I’m not really sure how to deal with it nor am I confident that an appeal of the findings will fix what appears to be a major systematic issue. Has anyone else dealt with this?
 
I am sorry to hear this! Your attorney will help to guide you through the process. Is your attorney assigned or did you pay out of pocket for a private one? If its the military assigned one you may want to consult a private attorney just to compare. If a DBQ is completely wrong and doesn't reflect what was said in the meeting nor in your medical records you may be able to get a new exam. The key is to challenge it the entire way through. That way whether the issue pertains to the VA rating which will require a VARR or something else that needs to be challenged you can at least be consistent. You also have the opportunity to do a IMR as well.

I am curious as to what your attorney will say as this is one of my worst nightmares. Doing all the right stuff and then someone who doesn't care writes up an inaccurate DBQ.
 
my attorney was assigned to me. I will update this thread when I talk to him tomorrow. I just don’t understand how the DBQs from 3 different doctors could be so completely opposite of what we talked about during the exam. That doesn’t make sense to me.
 
I would be contacting the contract company LHI, VES, QTC to request new exams or make a formal complaint.
 
So I checked mine as well and I see a pattern that each dbq has similar questions regarding mental health and instead of N/A for this specific health exam they just no . I contacted MSc and was allowed to write in a document everything I had issues with to put in my files . Just don’t sign anything , breathe and advocate for yourself .
Qtc is bad so get on them thru your MSc or just yourself
 
Trying2staystong said:
So I checked mine as well and I see a pattern that each dbq has similar questions regarding mental health and instead of N/A for this specific health exam they just no . I contacted MSc and was allowed to write in a document everything I had issues with to put in my files . Just don’t sign anything , breathe and advocate for yourself .
Qtc is bad so get on them thru your MSc or just yourself
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@Provis so I spoke to my DES counsel. He said that I can write a Personal Statement to the VA outlining all the problems I have with the DBQ’s and how they are not consistent with my medical records. He said they have a duty to read my letter and look into my record further to verify what I say to be true. This way, I could continue on with the PEB since my issues were mostly with claimed conditions that were not “referred conditions” for the PEB. He did show how me that the questions i was reading for PTSD were on the “General” DBQ and walked me through the “PTSD” DBQ where they had my symptoms well documented and checked off the box meeting the 70% rating criteria. The only issue I have with that DBQ is that it asks if my PTSD is related to “hostile military action or terrorist activity” and the examiner wrote “no. It was a shooting in a civilian setting” even though it was absolutely a Saudi terrorist, recruited by Al Qaeda, who attacked our schools command and killed my students on a military base while I was at work on active duty. Doesn’t make sense to me but it’s not really worth fighting. I’m really just tired of this whole process so I will give my personal letter to my MSC so I can just move on and be done with this. The PEB finding matters to me more than the rating.
 
That "hostile military action or terrorist activity" might be your ticket to your retirement being tax free and qualifying for numerous other benefits, including having all your service time credited to you leave calculation and retirement if you end up working for in a federal government job later on in life. It might be worth asking the PEB to consider that is was under those conditions from what you describe and get that coded on your PEB results.
 
FmrArmyAvatr said:
That "hostile military action or terrorist activity" might be your ticket to your retirement being tax free and qualifying for numerous other benefits, including having all your service time credited to you leave calculation and retirement if you end up working for in a federal government job later on in life. It might be worth asking the PEB to consider that is was under those conditions from what you describe and get that coded on your PEB results.
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Thanks for that info. I was told it didn’t matter if it was combat related or not. My NMA says combat related for 3 reasons and my command is considering putting me up for a “c” device on my EOT but I’m not really sure what the correct way to do things because all of this is designed for combat zones under combat conditions and my case is a terror attack on US soil. It’s just a weird place to be where I meet the definitions and pre reqs for all this but it just doesn’t really feel right because I’m in a support position.
 
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If the incident you experienced was the Pensacola Naval Air station shooting, the FBI, DOD, and US Attorney General have called it a "Terrorist Attack", so I would argue that point that official government departments have labeled it a "terrorist attack" and you qualify. Here are just a couple of articles from official government websites (so they considered "official") to backup your claim if you want to pursue this. I would let your attorney do some leg work on this one, the worst the PEB is going to say is "no". Again, don't worry about what the DBQ says, argue this in a statement that is going the the IPEB.


www.defense.gov

Naval Air Station Pensacola Investigation Update

Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper said that the DOD will "take further prudent and effective measures to safeguard our people" as new information has come to light about the shooting at Naval Air
www.defense.gov
www.fbi.gov

Air Base Shooting an ‘Act of Terrorism’ | Federal Bureau of Investigation

FBI and DOJ officials released new details about a terrorist shooting last month at Naval Air Station Pensacola and highlighted a significant hurdle in the investigation—the inability to extract information from the deceased shooter’s encrypted phones.
www.fbi.gov www.fbi.gov
 
Yes I know they all call it a terrorist attack. It’s just that people, myself included, don’t really want to label it combat related when my role in the situation was to gather as many students in our classroom as possible, lock the door, and muster them appropriately. I never physically saw the shooter but I was there and was not super confident I’d be going home that day.
 
oddpedestrian said:
@FmrArmyAvatr

They classify all that as domestic incidents not terrorism for political purposes one Congressman tried to get a bill through to give the Ft Hood victims Purple Hearts and additional benefits but it died in committees.

www.congress.gov

H.R.705 - 113th Congress (2013-2014): Fort Hood Victims and Families Benefits Protection Act

Summary of H.R.705 - 113th Congress (2013-2014): Fort Hood Victims and Families Benefits Protection Act
www.congress.gov
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It just maybe worth a shot in asking the PEB for it, that's all I'm saying. It sounds like he already has a solid rating from his DBQ.
 
oddpedestrian said:
@FmrArmyAvatr

They classify all that as domestic incidents not terrorism for political purposes one Congressman tried to get a bill through to give the Ft Hood victims Purple Hearts and additional benefits but it died in committees.

www.congress.gov

H.R.705 - 113th Congress (2013-2014): Fort Hood Victims and Families Benefits Protection Act

Summary of H.R.705 - 113th Congress (2013-2014): Fort Hood Victims and Families Benefits Protection Act
www.congress.gov
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I wonder why that is? If that’s a domestic incident then what qualifies as a terror attack?
 
Oh okay I will do some more research but after Ft Hood it seems like a specific bill has to be introduced to give them equal benefits.
 
oddpedestrian said:
Oh okay I will do some more research but after Ft Hood it seems like a specific bill has to be introduced to give them equal benefits.
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Any info is good info. I appreciate the links. I will look more into myself. You might be right. Who knows
 
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