Ramstein Experience IDES 2021

Fastmiteclip

PEB Forum Regular Member
Registered Member
Figured I would add my story since I used this forum to help me to know what needed to be done and what should be done when I found out I would go through a medical fit for duty review. (E-8/20 TIS, Stationed at Tactical Assignments of AFSC for 15 years of service)



At 17 years TIS started going to MH for a variety of reasons. At 17.5 years TIS went through a 3 week inpatient functional rehabilitation program for back issues and a bunch of other stuff. At 18 years TIS went through 6 week inpatient program for MH. Weekly MH apts at LMRC with monthly follow ups at RAB until now and continuing. A bit before 19.5 TIS submitted for retirement could not apply earlier due to DEROS. Retirement date approved 1 Dec 2021 with Terminal 13 July 2021. Had the same PCM up until this for the three years of this journey (very supportive and actually cared about care) and the same doc at MH (very supportive and kept me as a patient at my request). Was honest with them about my issues and they worked with me for meds and other things. Found out going for some knee injections that my PCM changed and instantly started asking how I was still in service and about all the MH stuff. Convo seemed off from the beginning and that led to Feb 2021 PCM notified me he was submitting paperwork for fit for duty review. At this point I already had an approved retirement date and figured I would be presumed fit for duty and continue as is until terminal but wait there is more.



AFFORM 469 – Feb 24 2021 – IRILO MEB

1st Peblo Contact – Mar 1 2021 – Notification/MEB Questionnaire

CC Notified/AFFORM 1185 – Suspense 8 Mar 2021

AFFORM 1185 – Mar 3 2021 (5:06PM) - 1stSgt sent me the form to fill out.

AFFORM 1185 – Mar 3 2021 (7:30PM) – Sent form back to CC with all required information. Happened to check email at home this night.

SUSPENSE OF MAR 8 2021 NOT MEET (Figured as my CC can never sign stuff on a deadline)

Contacted Peblo – Mar 10 2021 (1:36 PM) – Notified her that my CC had not signed the information and I followed up and was told he is aware of it in his inbox but not the suspense date. Basically did nothing with it. Informed her that she will need to pimp it if she ever wants the form back.

2nd Peblo Contact – Mar 10 2021 (3:20 PM) – Was told she contacted my CC to inquire of paperwork.

AFFORM 1185 (CC Signed) – Mar 17 2021 (4:44PM) – received CC signed 1185. I signed and sent back that night to Peblo.

3rd Peblo Contact – Mar 18 2021 – Acknowledged receipt of 1185 and routed to SGB for Determination with final destination to AFPC for their determination

4th Peblo Contact – Mar 24 2021 – Notified me I was found not Fit for Duty. AFPC gave me two options

1. Keep retirement date but can’t start VA disability (BDD program) until after separation, and care could not be elevated if worsens.

2. Terminate my retirement date and go through a full MEB

I chose option 2. Peblo sent me a MED HOLD MEMO I needed to fill out terminating my retirement date. Figured if I was found not fit for duty have them take care of the VA stuff while still getting a paycheck and to get a decision before leaving service.

MED HOLD MEMO Returned – Mar 25 2021 – Had to sleep on my decision to make sure what I wanted to do.

5th Peblo Contact – Apr 13 2021 –I called earlier in the day asking if I needed to do anything since had heard nothing for two weeks. Later that day I got an email that notified I was placed on VA Tracker and sent me all my medical records.

1st MSC Contact – Apr 14 2021 – Received meeting date (Apr 20 2021) for initial IDES Paperwork and overview of program. Compensation claim put in to VA.gov as claim received.

2nd MSC Contact (VA Form 21-526EZ) – Apr 20 2021 – Filled out disability paperwork and reviewed medical records together for disability claim. I did not sign paperwork and kept to double check disability claims and medical records.

21-526EZ – Apr 21 2021 – Sent paperwork back to MSC signed and uploaded myself to VA.gov

VA.gov claim moved to initial Review.

1st VR&E Contact – Apr 22 2021 – set apt for Apr 29 2021 to discuss the VA VR&E program as MEBing out of the military and not being fit for duty you automatically are accepted to the program.

2nd VR&E Contact – Apr 29 2021 – Briefed on program and now I need to figure out if I want to start program before I actually separate.

3rd MSC Contact (VA Form 21-0781) –Apr 30 2021 – Received email to ASAP fill out paper work and send back. Va.gov claim moved to evidence gathering

VA Form 21-0781 – May 2 2021 – Sent paperwork back and uploaded to VA.gov



Waiting on VA appointments and for me to make decision on VR&E program
 
Interesting story, especially given the presumption of fitness. Thanks for sharing.
 
12 May 2021 Update.

1st VES Contact – 5 May 2021 – Updated contact information for C&P Appointments (4 exams)

Two Appts made (Psych/Audio)

9 May 2021 – Emailed VES about other two appointments being scheduled.

1st C&P Exam 10 May 2021 – In person Audio

(Tone/Pressure Test w/tech & Exposure w/Dr…35min appt)

2nd C&P Exam 11 May 2021 – Virtual Psych

(Virtual w/Italy Provider…1hr exactly basically answered questions from the DBQ with examples)

2nd VES Contact - 10 May 2021 – Provided dates of last two appts.

3rd C&P Exam 31 May 2021 – General Med

4th C&P Exam 2 June 2021 - Eyes
 
2nd C&P Exam 11 May 2021 – Virtual Psych

2 June 2021 – DBQ uploaded to tricareonline.com by VA

(Virtual w/Italy Provider…1hr exactly basically answered questions from the DBQ with examples)

2nd VES Contact - 10 May 2021 – Provided dates of last two appts (General/Eyes).

3rd VES Contact – 19 May 2021 – Notified of two additional appts (EKG/X-Rays).

3rd C&P Exam - 31 May 2021 – General Med

(Lasted about an hour. Not what I expected as it felt more like a record review)

4th C&P Exam - 2 June 2021 – Eyes

(Drove two hours away for 15 min appt)

4 June 2021 - DBQ uploaded to tricareonline.com by VA

5th C&P Exam - 26 May 2021 – EKG

(Standard EKG)

6th C&P Exam - 7 June 2021 – X-Rays

(Location did not have my apt scheduled. Took all day since they were working me in-between scheduled patients)

8 June 2021 – Notified PEBLO and MSC of completion of exams. MSC responded with “she will notify when all exams are released)

26 June 2021 – 26 DBQs uploaded to tricareonline.com by VA

(Read through and a lot of notes annotated by Doc were never discussed in apt. Overall big things that mattered were reported accurately)





Waiting on Next Step.
 
1 July 2021 – MH NARSUM Updated

6 July 2021 – Gen Med NARSUM Updated

8 July 2021 – Signed AF618/Received MYPERS notification email of IPEB





Waiting on Next Step.
 
15 July 2021 – VA Claim Updated – Sent to Rater

20 July 2021 – Second VA Claim Appeared Closed out – BEL (Benefits Estimate Letter)

21 July 2021 – Received BEL Letter

After three attempts calling VA to have my BEL emailed directly to me I was successful.

22 July 2021 – Received MYPERS notification email of AF356 sent to PEBLO





Ready to Retire (Original Terminal Date was 13 July 2021). Waiting on Next Step.
 
@Fastmiteclip Would you recommend IDES at Ramstein? any tips or advice for one who is starting the process now?
The biggest thing starting at ramstein did was mess up my timeline on leaving overseas. Outside of that doing the ides was in my favor and would have been no matter the location. Just look at your situation and If you have six months plus to burn then do it.
 
The biggest thing starting at ramstein did was mess up my timeline on leaving overseas. Outside of that doing the ides was in my favor and would have been no matter the location. Just look at your situation and If you have six months plus to burn then do it.
was the process painful/stressful at all? I'm trying to decide between LDES and IDES at Ramstein. I don't particularly want to stay any longer here, but if it is worth it in the end, I will tough it out.
 
Not painful a bit stressful as your not in control but look at like this. LDES is taking a year and could be longer to getting your rating and due to covid the system is backed up. IDES makes you a priority as you have to have your rating before they discharge you and your VA money will kick in within 60 days of your discharge. I would do IDES personally.
 
I am ready to leave Ramstein, I have been here for 3+ years already and now on a med hold but I think you're right. I am trying to not be irrational and impulsive by leaving with LDES. I've been thinking long and hard about the IDES and if it would hurt to be here for a bit longer. Are you projected to stay longer than 6 months?
 
I originally was supposed to start terminal July 13 before the med board so i know what you mean about ready to leave. Having a better safety net on separation is worth it in my opinion. I should be out of here within sixty days. I'm just waiting on my separation orders which i was supposed to have last week and don't have them. Its in your best interest to do IDES. Plus once you start the IDES process and two months down the road you are like F this you can switch to LDES but you can never switch back to IDES so that better be on large F this.
 
I originally was supposed to start terminal July 13 before the med board so i know what you mean about ready to leave. Having a better safety net on separation is worth it in my opinion. I should be out of here within sixty days. I'm just waiting on my separation orders which i was supposed to have last week and don't have them. Its in your best interest to do IDES. Plus once you start the IDES process and two months down the road you are like F this you can switch to LDES but you can never switch back to IDES so that better be on large F this.
My DOS is September and now pushed out 6 months. You're right. It's a hard decision but I think it is goin go to be worth it in the end. Any tips for the C&P Exams? I really appreciate the insight and advice.
 
My DOS is September and now pushed out 6 months. You're right. It's a hard decision but I think it is goin go to be worth it in the end. Any tips for the C&P Exams? I really appreciate the insight and advice.
Here is the best thing i could come up for advice.

For the VA claim what happens at the physical and what is documented there is the most important part. There were a lot of things I was never seen before and at the physical I identified it to the doctor and he gave a diagnose on the spot. But some you do need to show some type of treatment over the years. Like headaches you need some visit every once in a while in your records.

What I did first is I went to this website. And I looked at all the things the VA would give you rating for.

VA.gov | Veterans Affairs

Once you do that you narrow in on what symptoms affect each percentage.

So lets do headaches as an example.

On the above website go to Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders and open the word doc labeled 4.124a.

On page 10 it list migraines which is outlined below.

8100 Migraine:


With very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks
productive of severe economic inadaptability.................................50



With characteristic prostrating attacks occurring on an average once
a month over last several months................................................30



With characteristic prostrating attacks averaging one in 2 months over
last several months.................................................. 10



With less frequent attacks 0





Looking at that the most you can get for headaches is 50 percent and it list what symptoms are needed. So the verbiage they use is the verbiage you need to use at the appointment. For headaches prostrating, prolonged and amount are what matter.


Prostrating: Means you have to stop what your doing when you get a headache.

Prolonged: how long they last

Amount: as described above


Once you have an idea of what percentage you think you fall in to then you need to find the DBQ or the form the doctor uses. (VA.gov | Veterans Affairs)

Here is the one for Migraines


This will give you an idea of what they are looking for. So for my apt basically the doctor went down the form and was like tell me your symptoms. So your wording matters as they wont ask you do you have this from the form.

So then the more you have that line up with the percentage is what you normally would get. On some of mine the dude wrote what ever the fuck he wanted and basically did not listen so that happens also. That’s why you hear so many bad things. You cant control this but you just appeal and go to another apt.



Hope this helps.
 
Correction. Had the email this morning that my orders were ready and in prda.

DOS of 4Feb22
Oh ok. I found out on Friday that I'm 70% DoD TDRL and 90% VA. I was expecting PDRL since I have about 22 years of service. I thought about appealing TDRL, but will accept it. Just ready for this process to be over. Plan on contacting my PEBLO today to sign AF 1180.
 
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