Sleep Apnea and Field Duty

redleg_64

PEB Forum Regular Member
Registered Member
I am a staff sergeant with about 12 years TIS and I was just diagnosed with moderate obstructive sleep apnea last week. A year or two ago I was diagnosed with chronic non-allergic rhinitis as well. I am a 13B by trade and after I completed my recruiting tour I attempted to reclass to 35P. I went to the DLI in Monterey, CA where I was dropped from the course after six months or so. A big part of my sub-par performance was because of constant daytime sleepiness, but that doesn't matter to my school - they are sending me on my way.

After talking to the army doctor he said he was putting me in for a P2 profile because of my sleep apnea and the fact that I need to use a CPAP machine. The profile states that..."CPAP machine must be used for a least 4 hours/night for at least 70% of nights. Service member not deployable to remote areas without reliable electricity." While I'm relieved that I have validation that something is going on with my health, I'm kind of bummed that I'll have to carry a machine around whenever I go somewhere. My main concern at this point is how compatible with my job is me being tied to a CPAP machine? In case you don't know, artillery units constantly head to the field for training exercised lasting from a few days to a few weeks at a time. The conditions are often rough and dirty. When I was in Afghanistan my platoon was assigned to an outpost pretty far off the beaten path. It took us a few months before we got electricity and phones/internet set up.

The P2 profile does not limit me ability to be a 13B, as per the 222221 PULHES code for the MOS, but does the CPAP machine make a difference? I'm told that there's not much I can do at this time except to PCS to an artillery unit and go from there and see if I'm going to have to suck it up or go through a MAR2 or MEB. Does anyone have some experience with CPAP machines and combat jobs?
 
The use of a CPAP may be a limiter when it comes to getting orders to deploy to an austere environment, however it is difficult to be found unfit for OSA solely.

Once you are assigned a CPAP, there are compliance features that are built into it in the form of memory cards which get read by pulmonology so the use can be tracked.

Now that you have been dropped by DLI, what do you want to do?
 
This was put on my permanent profile as of 12/01/2015:

Sleep Apnea(P2): Ch.3-41.c SM is stable on BiPAP machine. SM needs access to reliable source of electricity and spare parts and tubing for the BiPAP machine. If soldier is without BiPAP for greater than72 hours he cannot fire a weapon,
drive a vehicle, operate dangerous equipment, stand guard, or perform roles that require constant attention.Soldier should have a ready access to medicine refills and medical health care as directed by medical providers.

The SM meets retention standards for this condition
 
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