To fight or not to fight? IRILO 19yrs TIS / CIS Do Not Retain

[Jaco4083]

Hello,

I have spent an hour or so reading other posts and haven't been able to hone in on the topic I am trying to address.

On April 2nd 2025, I will have 19 Years Active Duty TIS Enlisted Air Force.

19MAR25 I reviewed the Commander's Impact Statement, provided comments, signed it and sent it to the PEBLO.

I will address my difficult decision up front and then list my condition/symptoms/treatment at the end of this post.

Approach the IRILO (Probable MEB) with delay, argument, and appeals to hit 20​

or

Approach it with the intent to acquire a deservedly high rating and hope for PDRL​

Triggering Event: 1 year non-deployable profile, all PT components waivered

Honestly, I am not fit for duty. Just a 5 day office job is excruciating and just trying to show up and do the bare minimum makes the rest of my life completely unmanageable. I get home, eat, go to bed and there are still no guarantees I will make it to work the next day. I am on quarters 2-3x per month, I am sometimes late or ask to go home early. I have many medical appointments.​

I am still new to this process and educating myself. I worry that if I push myself to my utmost limits to demonstrate reliability and argue that I ought to be retained, I am then fundamentally making an argument for a lower disability rating. What if I spend the next few months torturing myself in desperation only to face down TDRL/PDRL with my own actions contributing to a justification for a lower rating? I am not looking to exploit the system, I just want some peace of mind going forward that if I don't recover from my debilitating condition, I will be taken care of a bit.

My house is a mess, I have zero social life, I barely have enough energy to cook so I mostly combine ingredients for healthy salads or wraps. I have just enough gas in tank to take care of my pets. I have to hire landscapers and I am considering housekeeping services. I have had to give up all physical passions like rock climbing, mountain biking, and trail running.

Background:

I was in excellent shape, 36yo, 9:45 on 1.5m run, 100 pushups in a row, rock climber and mountain biking enthusiast.
I got COVID in October 2022 (2.5yrs ago) at NCOA and it destroyed me. Suddenly, I had to catch my breath at the top of stairs. I began having pain everywhere, pervasive headaches, extreme fatigue, the list goes on. I had a brief period of recovery in August 2023, I was training hard again, I got a 95% on my PT test in October 2023. Everything seemed to be looking up until in December 2023 I had very bad respiratory infection (Maybe COVID?) and everything came back bigger, badder and with additional symptoms.

I have been under treatment this entire time, I have seen many specialists and done countless tests. Everything is neurological in nature and doctors tell me I need a prolonged period of rest to have a chance of recovering. They say it may be temporary, it may be permanent.



Symptoms:

Shortness of breath - Stairs are a challenge... Standing and talking for more than 5 minutes and I need to sit down

Chronic Fatigue - Everything is effortful, even relaxing yoga.

Chronic nerve pain - all over my body, never stops, managed down to a 4/10 with loads of meds.

Central Sleep Apnea - Due to neurological issues (not obstructive) I need a CPAP otherwise I'm useless. Never had issues before.

Parosmia - My sense of smell is messed up, chicken and turkey smell and taste like rot and decay, can't eat it. I really miss Chicken

Migraines - 2-3 per month that last hours, got some meds they help a bit

Depression - Major depression diagnosed, on meds

ADHD - Think this might have been there my whole life, got diagnosed, on meds, they help.

Bruxism - Due to constant pain i now grind my teeth severely while asleep, I was prescribed a mouth guard it's working.

Post-exertional Malaise - If I do too much in a day (doesn't take much) I'm almost bed ridden the next day for 24 hours. All symptoms exacerbated, I need injections for the pain.


Any advice is welcome, I am seeking to retain an attorney that specializes in MEB/IDES, VA Ratings, etc.

 

[Provis]

Hello,

I have spent an hour or so reading other posts and haven't been able to hone in on the topic I am trying to address.

On April 2nd 2025, I will have 19 Years Active Duty TIS Enlisted Air Force.

19MAR25 I reviewed the Commander's Impact Statement, provided comments, signed it and sent it to the PEBLO.

I will address my difficult decision up front and then list my condition/symptoms/treatment at the end of this post.

Approach the IRILO (Probable MEB) with delay, argument, and appeals to hit 20​

or

Approach it with the intent to acquire a deservedly high rating and hope for PDRL​

Triggering Event: 1 year non-deployable profile, all PT components waivered

Honestly, I am not fit for duty. Just a 5 day office job is excruciating and just trying to show up and do the bare minimum makes the rest of my life completely unmanageable. I get home, eat, go to bed and there are still no guarantees I will make it to work the next day. I am on quarters 2-3x per month, I am sometimes late or ask to go home early. I have many medical appointments.​

I am still new to this process and educating myself. I worry that if I push myself to my utmost limits to demonstrate reliability and argue that I ought to be retained, I am then fundamentally making an argument for a lower disability rating. What if I spend the next few months torturing myself in desperation only to face down TDRL/PDRL with my own actions contributing to a justification for a lower rating? I am not looking to exploit the system, I just want some peace of mind going forward that if I don't recover from my debilitating condition, I will be taken care of a bit.

My house is a mess, I have zero social life, I barely have enough energy to cook so I mostly combine ingredients for healthy salads or wraps. I have just enough gas in tank to take care of my pets. I have to hire landscapers and I am considering housekeeping services. I have had to give up all physical passions like rock climbing, mountain biking, and trail running.

Background:

I was in excellent shape, 36yo, 9:45 on 1.5m run, 100 pushups in a row, rock climber and mountain biking enthusiast.
I got COVID in October 2022 (2.5yrs ago) at NCOA and it destroyed me. Suddenly, I had to catch my breath at the top of stairs. I began having pain everywhere, pervasive headaches, extreme fatigue, the list goes on. I had a brief period of recovery in August 2023, I was training hard again, I got a 95% on my PT test in October 2023. Everything seemed to be looking up until in December 2023 I had very bad respiratory infection (Maybe COVID?) and everything came back bigger, badder and with additional symptoms.

I have been under treatment this entire time, I have seen many specialists and done countless tests. Everything is neurological in nature and doctors tell me I need a prolonged period of rest to have a chance of recovering. They say it may be temporary, it may be permanent.



Symptoms:

Shortness of breath - Stairs are a challenge... Standing and talking for more than 5 minutes and I need to sit down

Chronic Fatigue - Everything is effortful, even relaxing yoga.

Chronic nerve pain - all over my body, never stops, managed down to a 4/10 with loads of meds.

Central Sleep Apnea - Due to neurological issues (not obstructive) I need a CPAP otherwise I'm useless. Never had issues before.

Parosmia - My sense of smell is messed up, chicken and turkey smell and taste like rot and decay, can't eat it. I really miss Chicken

Migraines - 2-3 per month that last hours, got some meds they help a bit

Depression - Major depression diagnosed, on meds

ADHD - Think this might have been there my whole life, got diagnosed, on meds, they help.

Bruxism - Due to constant pain i now grind my teeth severely while asleep, I was prescribed a mouth guard it's working.

Post-exertional Malaise - If I do too much in a day (doesn't take much) I'm almost bed ridden the next day for 24 hours. All symptoms exacerbated, I need injections for the pain.


Any advice is welcome, I am seeking to retain an attorney that specializes in MEB/IDES, VA Ratings, etc.

Hit 20 years. Its worth it. Not hitting 20 years means risking being given a big severance check and losing your retirement.

You understand the mission. Do not minimize anything. Try to get the highest rating possible to protect yourself if you don't reach 20 years for at a minimum to medically retire and at a maximum minimize potential income loses due to not being able to collect concurrent receipt of your pension with VA compensation. Hiring an attorney even though they are very expensive is always worth it in my opinion. The goal is that they can help maximize delaying tactics while making sure to appeal everything.

I will send you references for private IDES attorneys. The cost from start to finish is around 10k. My wife's attorney was a flat fee but not sure if that's the case for all of them. I liked the flat fee because I knew what we were getting and we could budget accordingly. Lastly, work now on listing all of your conditions. I am sure you have more that you aren't even thinking about or is something you don't have an issue with all the time. You want to max out your VA to 100%.

 

[Jaco4083]

Hit 20 years. Its worth it. Not hitting 20 years means risking being given a big severance check and losing your retirement.

You understand the mission. Do not minimize anything. Try to get the highest rating possible to protect yourself if you don't reach 20 years for at a minimum to medically retire and at a maximum minimize potential income loses due to not being able to collect concurrent receipt of your pension with VA compensation. Hiring an attorney even though they are very expensive is always worth it in my opinion. The goal is that they can help maximize delaying tactics while making sure to appeal everything.

I will send you references for private IDES attorneys. The cost from start to finish is around 10k. My wife's attorney was a flat fee but not sure if that's the case for all of them. I liked the flat fee because I knew what we were getting and we could budget accordingly. Lastly, work now on listing all of your conditions. I am sure you have more that you aren't even thinking about or is something you don't have an issue with all the time. You want to max out your VA to 100%.

Thank you for the reply and for the dm! I am going to setup a retain with Joel Pettit today. His retainer is only $5000 and after the entire process concludes he credits you back anything leftover. He also does monthly invoices with detailed descriptions of what work he did and exactly how much that will cost from the retainer.

I will try to delay and survive as long as I can.

If I don't reach 20 years, do you have an opinion on whether or not I would likely be qualified for PDRL? I know that you only have some details of my condition, I am just asking in general. I understand the DoD disability ratings are different than the VA when consider TDRL/PDRL. I imagine it's difficult to make a prediction, I am hoping to find comfort in perhaps my worst case scenario is a decent PDRL rating even if I don't make 20yrs, I wouldn't be left with nothing.

I am frightened of the prospects of TDRL limbo and possibly ending up with absolutely no compensation. I guess in that case I could still make a VA claim.

 

[Provis]

Thank you for the reply and for the dm! I am going to setup a retain with Joel Pettit today. His retainer is only $5000 and after the entire process concludes he credits you back anything leftover. He also does monthly invoices with detailed descriptions of what work he did and exactly how much that will cost from the retainer.

I will try to delay and survive as long as I can.

If I don't reach 20 years, do you have an opinion on whether or not I would likely be qualified for PDRL? I know that you only have some details of my condition, I am just asking in general. I understand the DoD disability ratings are different than the VA when consider TDRL/PDRL. I imagine it's difficult to make a prediction, I am hoping to find comfort in perhaps my worst case scenario is a decent PDRL rating even if I don't make 20yrs, I wouldn't be left with nothing.

I am frightened of the prospects of TDRL limbo and possibly ending up with absolutely no compensation. I guess in that case I could still make a VA claim.

As I said in a PM that's great that you have talked to Joel. Make sure to talk to several attorneys before pulling the trigger. Also, ask what the total cost could be. Each attorney can bill out differently. Some take more risk and will charge you a fixed fee for the whole thing no matter how much of their time is uses. Others will do a retainer but depending on how extensive your case is you may end up spending more.

Reaching 20 AFS is the best route even if medically retired since you max out compensation with 20AFS. You have a lot to lose so ensure whoever, you hire that you have a gameplan from the start so that you do what needs to be done at each step to ensure an optimal outcome.

 

[Jaco4083]

As I said in a PM that's great that you have talked to Joel. Make sure to talk to several attorneys before pulling the trigger. Also, ask what the total cost could be. Each attorney can bill out differently. Some take more risk and will charge you a fixed fee for the whole thing no matter how much of their time is uses. Others will do a retainer but depending on how extensive your case is you may end up spending more.

Reaching 20 AFS is the best route even if medically retired since you max out compensation with 20AFS. You have a lot to lose so ensure whoever, you hire that you have a gameplan from the start so that you do what needs to be done at each step to ensure an optimal outcome.

I took your advice, I talked to several before pulling the trigger on Joel. He provided that $5,000 is the average for cases, it could likely cost less if the case resolves in only a few months, it could be upwards of $10K if these things drag out for a year and there is a lot of work involved. I am comfortable with that, I really like Joel and he is very knowledgeable. In the free consultation, he took his time listening and helping me figure out what it is I want to do.

His rates are on the low to medium end and very affordable when considering alternatives.

Going forward we are going to delay, delay, delay. He described that the closer I get to 20 years the stronger of an argument there is to allow me to do 20. Pressure builds upon the board as time passes.

Thank you again for your help

 

[Provis]

I took your advice, I talked to several before pulling the trigger on Joel. He provided that $5,000 is the average for cases, it could likely cost less if the case resolves in only a few months, it could be upwards of $10K if these things drag out for a year and there is a lot of work involved. I am comfortable with that, I really like Joel and he is very knowledgeable. In the free consultation, he took his time listening and helping me figure out what it is I want to do.

His rates are on the low to medium end and very affordable when considering alternatives.

Going forward we are going to delay, delay, delay. He described that the closer I get to 20 years the stronger of an argument there is to allow me to do 20. Pressure builds upon the board as time passes.

Thank you again for your help

Glad to hear it! Its always best to talk to different attorneys. Even if you stick with your original choice at the very least you will feel good about your decision!

 

[pebblesnlani]

Hello,

I have spent an hour or so reading other posts and haven't been able to hone in on the topic I am trying to address.

On April 2nd 2025, I will have 19 Years Active Duty TIS Enlisted Air Force.

19MAR25 I reviewed the Commander's Impact Statement, provided comments, signed it and sent it to the PEBLO.

I will address my difficult decision up front and then list my condition/symptoms/treatment at the end of this post.

Approach the IRILO (Probable MEB) with delay, argument, and appeals to hit 20​

or

Approach it with the intent to acquire a deservedly high rating and hope for PDRL​

Triggering Event: 1 year non-deployable profile, all PT components waivered

Honestly, I am not fit for duty. Just a 5 day office job is excruciating and just trying to show up and do the bare minimum makes the rest of my life completely unmanageable. I get home, eat, go to bed and there are still no guarantees I will make it to work the next day. I am on quarters 2-3x per month, I am sometimes late or ask to go home early. I have many medical appointments.​

I am still new to this process and educating myself. I worry that if I push myself to my utmost limits to demonstrate reliability and argue that I ought to be retained, I am then fundamentally making an argument for a lower disability rating. What if I spend the next few months torturing myself in desperation only to face down TDRL/PDRL with my own actions contributing to a justification for a lower rating? I am not looking to exploit the system, I just want some peace of mind going forward that if I don't recover from my debilitating condition, I will be taken care of a bit.

My house is a mess, I have zero social life, I barely have enough energy to cook so I mostly combine ingredients for healthy salads or wraps. I have just enough gas in tank to take care of my pets. I have to hire landscapers and I am considering housekeeping services. I have had to give up all physical passions like rock climbing, mountain biking, and trail running.

Background:

I was in excellent shape, 36yo, 9:45 on 1.5m run, 100 pushups in a row, rock climber and mountain biking enthusiast.
I got COVID in October 2022 (2.5yrs ago) at NCOA and it destroyed me. Suddenly, I had to catch my breath at the top of stairs. I began having pain everywhere, pervasive headaches, extreme fatigue, the list goes on. I had a brief period of recovery in August 2023, I was training hard again, I got a 95% on my PT test in October 2023. Everything seemed to be looking up until in December 2023 I had very bad respiratory infection (Maybe COVID?) and everything came back bigger, badder and with additional symptoms.

I have been under treatment this entire time, I have seen many specialists and done countless tests. Everything is neurological in nature and doctors tell me I need a prolonged period of rest to have a chance of recovering. They say it may be temporary, it may be permanent.



Symptoms:

Shortness of breath - Stairs are a challenge... Standing and talking for more than 5 minutes and I need to sit down

Chronic Fatigue - Everything is effortful, even relaxing yoga.

Chronic nerve pain - all over my body, never stops, managed down to a 4/10 with loads of meds.

Central Sleep Apnea - Due to neurological issues (not obstructive) I need a CPAP otherwise I'm useless. Never had issues before.

Parosmia - My sense of smell is messed up, chicken and turkey smell and taste like rot and decay, can't eat it. I really miss Chicken

Migraines - 2-3 per month that last hours, got some meds they help a bit

Depression - Major depression diagnosed, on meds

ADHD - Think this might have been there my whole life, got diagnosed, on meds, they help.

Bruxism - Due to constant pain i now grind my teeth severely while asleep, I was prescribed a mouth guard it's working.

Post-exertional Malaise - If I do too much in a day (doesn't take much) I'm almost bed ridden the next day for 24 hours. All symptoms exacerbated, I need injections for the pain.


Any advice is welcome, I am seeking to retain an attorney that specializes in MEB/IDES, VA Ratings, etc.

Hey brother (or sister). I'm sorry to hear all of this about you. Your conditions/symptoms read just like mine, except I don't have Parosmia and my sleep apnea is obstructive. I'm barely 2 years in, YES 2 years. I commissioned very late in life (let's just say when I was commissioning, others were retiring). With that said, when I decided to join, I was in a state of great health, no conditions, no medications. I joined and just "tanked".
Anyway, this is not about me, but if I were you I would absolutely without a doubt fight to get to that 20. You are so close and gave your all, and assuming your good years to this service. You're entitled to everything and then some. You should be at least granted limited duty. I too work a desk job 5 miserable days a week because there is not much I can do, and the military will definitely use you up until your last breath. Hang in there. This is a long process anyway (minimum 6 months) so if you can drag it out as much as possible. DO JUST THAT. I'm rooting for you!!!