Ok, let me start by saying I just got a certified letter last week from the PDBR. This is a first time, unsolicited contact. They sent me a form to fill out and it instructs me to indicate why my rating should be adjusted and to attach any supporting documentation as well as VA determination letters, if any. Which turned on a light bulb in my head that had been dim a long time. I got MEB'd out of the Army in '05 for degenerative disk disease in the lumbar spine with sciatica in my left leg. I also had degenerative disk disease in my cervical spine with numbness and tingling in my left arm, but I was told by the medical officer handling my paperwork that I had to choose to be rated either for lumbar or cervical, that the Army would not rate me for both. I knew something seemed wrong. Then I was given custody of my full SMR to take to the out processing station, in a little over an hour I could be heading home. I had the discipline though to stop at a copy center and make a full copy of my SMR. I imagine not many soldiers do this, but I was one of the few. Especially since I had PTSD and was ready to take that uniform off and burn it, it took a lot of discipline. Like my good conduct medal, I was prouder of that than my ARCOM, because it was the hardest one. The records I copied included the radiology exam report for my cervical spine, which had sure enough disappeared from my SMR by the time the VA got hold of it. The VA , maddeningly, would not accept the documents I copied as valid evidence. WTF? You cant just forge a document like the ones I copied, but apparently the VA thought so because they flat out denied my claim for a cervical spine condition, apparently because the "official" copy of my SMR did not include them. 2 sections of the spine bad is an automatic 20%, but the VA held firm at 10% for lumbar only, just as the Army had done me, my copy of my SMR notwithstanding. You'd think the VA and the Army were conspiring together. It was only a couple of months since I had been discharged. Then I was awarded 50% for PTSD by the VA in '08, 3 years after my medical discharge. My family and social life, not to mention career were shot to hell. I didn't really know what I was applying for, I just hoped for a free therapist and free medication to try and get my life back together... No organisation represented me and I did the whole VA claim myself, not really knowing what to do..all I ended up having to do was report for a C&P exam 4 months after I mailed the paperwork in, 2 months later I had my decision and award.. 6 months total start to finish with no additional evidence requested. I was told by a DAV representative that this never happens so easily in such a time frame except in extremely rare slam dunk cases, especially with PTSD claims. Not having to appeal a denial is rare and that with DAV representation I should push for an increase to 70% and I.U. , which I did get in 2011. He advised me file a claim for SSDI, which was awarded in 2011 also. VA based their decision heavily upon strong evidence of record, including a recommendation for a combat award (ARCOM, non valor), a memorandum from JSRRC stating my unit had sustained casualties in combat, and service medical records indicating I had attended command directed group therapy, and doctors repeatedly noted that my mood seemed either depressed or agitated. In my reply to the PDBR, I enclosed my VA decision letters and the portion of the reason for decision letter that states this strong evidence of record. Evidence which was available to the Army at the time of my discharge. Why wasn't closer attention paid to the soldiers of a combat arms company known to have been involved in very intense fighting? But the Army didn't seem to care. I have learned a lot reading these forums. I know this process can take close to 3 years. I know that I wont get any back pay past 2011, and most of it would be before the 50% rating, but that's still 3 years that I was only rated 10% for my back and if they decide to honor my copies of my SMR, that makes a minimum of 20% for my back, and if they go with PTSD that's a minimum 50% provided that one was assigned to a combat unit and the record shows the unit was engaged, or so the research I have done indicates. I already finished paying back my severance, the stupidest BS in the world, they should call it a severance loan and not mislead people. If everything goes well, I will get enough money to make repairs to my house and build a fence so I can have a dog, even though I know will be several years before anything happens, its better than nothing. Does anyone think that the PDBR will consider my copies of my SMR to be legit? I told to them in a letter I included with the form and my evidence the story about having to choose only one section of my spine to be rated for, and of the Army's cover up of the evidence as shown by the absence of the documents in the "official" SMR. Perhaps the overt evidence of omission regarding my SMRs will strengthen my claim that the Army also selectively chose to ignore my PTSD symptoms when the evidence for that IS in my SMR. When I saw that the certified mail was from the Air Force it gave me false hope that competent people were fixing the mess the Army made, after all, the Air Force pay their personnel stationed on Army bases extra housing allowance as compensation for "substandard housing"! Then I learned here that the branch in which I served will have final say. So the people who conspired to screw me with a cactus dipped in rattlesnake venom will get to decide whether or not to do it again? I thought the whole point of this program was to help people like me who got screwed by the branch we were in. Great. You know, it would be nice to have access to Tricare instead of being left to rot by the VA for months on end. You'd think that being in priority group one would speed things up, but no. It would be nice to shop at the commissary and BX since I live close to a base. I write my congressman saying that the monetary benefits I receive only go so far when I need an emergency root canal and crown and cant wait a month and a half to get seen by the VA provider unless I want to risk dying from an abscess, and have to pony up 2 grand, because medicare wont pay it. Reimbursement later after a mountain of paperwork and several months isn't doing me any good this month, if you know what I mean. Emergencies do happen and a month or longer wait for a VA provider is just stupid, and medicare sucks. So much they won't cover. And now I read a post on here where someone is saying that the malaria pills can cause permanent brain damage that mimics the symptoms of PTSD, which might explain why the antidepressants have never worked, and the VA psychiatrist gets upset at me because his pills cant fix me! I took those damn malaria pills for 8 months! Oh and I took the non FDA approved Anthrax inoculation too, the one that actually gives you Anthrax for 3 or 4 days and gives you a big black golf ball sized welt at the innoculation site . No telling what that's going to do to me one day. The Army probably took all that out of my records too.
OK, just got a certified letter.
- Thread starter Dburt164
- Start date
Hello!
I hope my response will answer your questions! I went through the PDBR myself so I do have personal experience with it. The reason the PDBR was formed really was because of PTSD cases. Soldiers weee forced out of the military for other mental health reasons to intentionally skew that data of soldiers affected. While they will rate any condition the PTSD is the true reason for the board being formed (this based on news articles I have read about the board). The board has your service records as they request those, but if you have them you would be right to send them in as well. In my opinion you would be wiser to send in a medical release form for your VA records so the board can send that form to the VA and get your files. If you send in what you have there is no telling what paperwork you could be missing.
I see that you have already sent in a response to their letter with VA letters so if you still have that address you should write to it again with a medical records release form requesting them to gather records from the VA.
It is a long process, but it can be worth it. I was given retirement for PTSD which is a condition the Army never rated me for.
Have I answered all of your questions? Does this help you?
I hope my response will answer your questions! I went through the PDBR myself so I do have personal experience with it. The reason the PDBR was formed really was because of PTSD cases. Soldiers weee forced out of the military for other mental health reasons to intentionally skew that data of soldiers affected. While they will rate any condition the PTSD is the true reason for the board being formed (this based on news articles I have read about the board). The board has your service records as they request those, but if you have them you would be right to send them in as well. In my opinion you would be wiser to send in a medical release form for your VA records so the board can send that form to the VA and get your files. If you send in what you have there is no telling what paperwork you could be missing.
I see that you have already sent in a response to their letter with VA letters so if you still have that address you should write to it again with a medical records release form requesting them to gather records from the VA.
It is a long process, but it can be worth it. I was given retirement for PTSD which is a condition the Army never rated me for.
Have I answered all of your questions? Does this help you?
DBurt, good luck partner, sounds like you have a humdinger of a case to sort out. This message board has been very helpful for me and I wish you the best, not sure about your sitch though. Hang in there!
Keebs,
Do I understand correctly that you have/had PTSD while being outprocessed on an MEB & it was not considered by the MEB?
If so this is my same scenario. I have a letter from my active duty flight doc that I went to for counseling stating the diagnosis. I am VASC @ 70% for this condition. I sure hope the board considers this info, sounds like they did for you........the within 1 yr clause I guess, fingers crossed.
What say you oh wise moderator?
Keebs,
Do I understand correctly that you have/had PTSD while being outprocessed on an MEB & it was not considered by the MEB?
If so this is my same scenario. I have a letter from my active duty flight doc that I went to for counseling stating the diagnosis. I am VASC @ 70% for this condition. I sure hope the board considers this info, sounds like they did for you........the within 1 yr clause I guess, fingers crossed.
What say you oh wise moderator?
Hi Texas!
Yes that is what happened. They med boarded me for bi-polar disorder, which I have never had, rather than for the PTSD and they never officially diagnosed me with it either. I was granted my retirement for PTSD at 50% after they reviewed my VA medical records.
Best of luck to you! How many months are you into the process?
Yes that is what happened. They med boarded me for bi-polar disorder, which I have never had, rather than for the PTSD and they never officially diagnosed me with it either. I was granted my retirement for PTSD at 50% after they reviewed my VA medical records.
Best of luck to you! How many months are you into the process?
23 months in! 
30 Months In
Keebs, I literally went through the same thing. Finally was diagnosed with PTSD...when I looked around and said "I don't get all those amazing highs I keep hearing about." Turns out Hyper vigilance can be mistaken for that (which I still don't get). VA is a mess.
Having said that:
You are also eligible for retrograde Tricare...which can be important if you or you family has paid out expenses. For example, I had insurance, however my co-pays were in the tens of thousands. After about 10 months of searching, I figured out whom to contact to get the claims in, however YOU ONLY HAVE 1 YEAR TO MAKE A CLAIM.
Did anyone (or does anyone) have any issues with this, like I did?
Having said that:
You are also eligible for retrograde Tricare...which can be important if you or you family has paid out expenses. For example, I had insurance, however my co-pays were in the tens of thousands. After about 10 months of searching, I figured out whom to contact to get the claims in, however YOU ONLY HAVE 1 YEAR TO MAKE A CLAIM.
Did anyone (or does anyone) have any issues with this, like I did?
@Dburt164. hey brother welcome to the Board. I just got my certified letter letting me know I qualify for a review the early part of February like you did. I too have degenerative disc disease, herniated L4-L5, L5- S1 in Iraq OIF 3 and sent home from theatre. I had surgery and later found to be unfit and MEB'd out. the People on the board have answered all my questions and have been a great support. I too am looking forward to getting some closure on my case eventually. Needless to say was thinking I have waited 10 years to find out I have a chance to have my rating changed, I can wait the 2 more years. Either way there are a great bunch of folks here on the Board.
I did. I had zero idea that I had to go to the DHA to get a Timely Filing Waiver. Seems some are instructed to, Some are not told anything (i.e. me). Seeing I got out in 2003....? it's about $10K in co-payments.