Updates on PDBR

Sailor80,

Confirm your PTSD was rated at 30% by the VA effective the date you left service in 2004. Did your rating for PTSD by the VA ever dropped below 30%? Are you part of the Sabo suit? I would love to see the PDBR's rationale to drop you to 10% given a VA rating of 30% and now 70%. I have seen this before and I believe The SABO lawyers are trying to address this issue. See my DES Outrages #1 and #15. PEB Forum Home - Add New Section.

I absolutely agree with Jason that the PDBR should not be making TDRL review decisions without granting a full and fair hearing opportunity. Sounds like great grounds for another class action suit.


Mike
 
Hello All,

This is my first post. I submitted my packet July 2009 and got my confirmation of receipt August 2009. I submitted my paperwork to the Sabo opt in and then waited. I was discharged with severance from the Air Force May of 2006 with 10%. June I recieved my disability of 50% from the VA, which less than year later was upgraded to 70%. Because of this I was enrolled in the Wounded Warrior program through the AF and subsequently was hired by the AF through their placement program. I was assigned a sponsor who would call me once a month and it was through him that I was made aware of the PBDR and CRSC. He didn't know about the SABO case.

Since that time I have had no contact from the SABR or the PDBR except through my own initiative of tracking down the DSN to the intake office. In August of last year I find out that my packet had come back in January requesting more information. I only found out about this because my sponsor went upstairs to inquire about my packet. It took me less than 20 minutes to get the information they needed from the VA. (good grief).

Since January of this year I have been pushing the issue. I've brought this up to our commanding general (General Shelton from AFSPC) in hopes that this would stirs something up. Nothing so far. I then contacted our command chief who connected me with the Chief of the SABR who has been really cool and quick on responding to my inquiries but it sounds like they are just as in the dark as I am. He told me that because my case has been pending for so long that it should be coming to some kind of conclusion soon. As of yesterday nothing has happened.

I have been reading that the Air Force is the worst for getting their cases resolved one way or another.
 
Maparker
Correct- my PTSD was rated at 30% by the VA the date i left service in 2004. My rating never dropped below 30- in fact 6 months ago it was bumped to 70%. (the 70% was effective 6 yrs after i left the navy so from what i understand it won't have any effect on the sabo lawsuit. I talked to the lawyers they said June 9th they were filing a motion for a settlement agreement. I was going to call to see what happened from there.

I haven't received my letter from the navy yet with their decision but in most cases from what i have read they tend to agree with the boards decision and they don't typically upgrade it. So if the PEB person (mr anderson) was correct the Navy will agree with the TDRL for 6 mos retroactive then back to 10%.

Jason,
I completely agree, I think that if they are going to TDRL for 6 months- they should re-evaluate after 6 months- not have it retroactive then say thats it sucks to be you...

Justrluk
I can't get back in to the Navy it has been almost 7 years, and I have had two reconstructive knee surgeries since. I am looking for Permanent Disability Retirement which i truly believe i am entitled to. I haven't really won anything- They are not really doing anything for me. I think about my case everyday and how the VA rates me at 70% now and the PDBR thinks that i should be back to the 10% and keep it a medical sep instead. I hope the lawsuit motions come through and will be eventually grant me the retirement i truly believe i deserve.

Hopefully we hear something soon for the lawsuit...

Theresa
 
Update for my process at least: documents received by SAF/MRBR from the VA after a FOIA request, and now they are mandated to review them to ensure certain pertinent documents were included. Once reviewed, records will be shipped to Washington DC where my case will be built and presented to the PDBR Board. I was told that my case should be ready to forward by 6/24. According to the folks that build the packages: "It has been our observation that it takes approximately 6-8 months from the time it arrives in Washington for a decision to be made." We'll see what happens. If my docket number has any play in the order in which cases are reviewed is a mystery.
 
Sailor80,

If they drop you below 50%, get your hands on both the PDBR recommendation and the Navy decsion letter. Have you read DES Outrage 15?

Mike
 
Well I haven't received my decision letter yet so i called Mr. Andersen and he told me that my case was help up by legal. Becaues I think the Sabo Lawyers came up with a settlement agreement... So I am now stuck in limbo- But thats ok I think the settlement will get me 30%- as soon as I find out more i will let you know. I called the lawyers and I am waiting for a call back.-

I haven't read it yet but I will do so now.

Thank you

T
 
Sailor80,

Sounds like you are in the same boat as I am. My case was started back in July '09 so I guess was one of the first to go both the opt-in route and the DD294 route. At one point I wasn't "registered" in the Sabo case. Then after a system revamp and update I was. The last time I talked to the lawyers they were saying that I hadn't opted in, but I had. That was confirmed by Mr. Anderson. I called the lawyers and left both the ssn and the i.d. number now I'm just waiting for a callback from the lawyers.

Right now my packet is in the "draft review" mode but its been that way for a while. I have no idea how long that takes to complete and then how long it takes to finally be presented to the board. I'm thinking because of the lawsuit and the lawyers ironing things out that its in a kind of pause mode.

It's been a frustrating 2 years!
 
Well I got a call back from the lawyer which was encouraging and discouraging. Discouraging because he was saying that July 15th the courts will come to some decision. Apparently they and them have settled. The problem now is that it will probably be another 9 months, at the outside, before everything is ironed out. Sucks for me because I've been at this for 2 years, great for the guys that had their packets in at the end of last year. Sucks again for me because I'm Air Force and according to the last couple of JSR the AF has been notoriously sloooooow and getting anything done. The lawyer agreed with this assessment and had no explaination. The lawyer did mention that because my case has been going on for so long he was going to bring it up to his superiors to see whether or not it would be worth pushing the PDBR to complete my case, or wait until the settlement is finished. I'm suppose to get a callback with the next 10 days to let me know what they (the lawyers) are going to do about my case. I'm not holding my breath.
 
Timeline update -

Documents from the VA finally make their way to Randolph AFB and package is off to DC on the 16th of June. I was told by the person working my case that they take from 6 - 8 months to decide, so we'll see what happens.
 
First time poster, long time reader. My documents went to Washington, D.C. in June as well. I was told the decision could take from 1 year to 1.5 years. My case was started in August 2010. I initially applied to the BCMR in January 2010, but then retracted my packet when I found out about the PDBR and the possibility of retroactive medical retirement. Looking forward to the results.
 
Well, I called in this morning (July 15th) and there was movement in my case. I submitted my case in October 2010, request for records for DOD and VA returned to PDBR in November 2010. Packet was sent to Crystal City in December 2010 and received January 2011. I was told that it is now being sent to doctor for review and then to the board! Either way it goes I will be happy! I have been out since 2003, rated 70% from the VA 6 months after discharge, then two years later 80%, and finally 90% back in 2009. I total respect and thank you's going out to LTC Parker and Jason for their help and expertise. We will see what happens in a few months hopefully! I know that I was late in the game filing and will have no other options for a court battle since I filed late. But either way, still fighting the good fight!
 
commosgt:

What number did you call to check on your package?? I'd like to follow-up, even though it has only been since June that my package went to D.C.

Thanks!
 
The contact number for the PDBR intake unit is 210-565-3256 and the fax number is 210-565-1248.

commosgt!
 
My case has been with the PDBR since August '09, came back in Jan '10 needing more info from the VA. I didn't find out about this until August '10 (no letter no phone call requesting the medical records from the Albuquerque VA). When I did find out I had the medical records sent to me within 3 days and then forwarded on to the SABR intake. Now it's August again and I still haven't heard a peep as to what is happening. Grrrrr..... this is getting ridiculous.
 
commosgt said:
The contact number for the PDBR intake unit is 210-565-3256 and the fax number is 210-565-1248.

commosgt!
Click to expand...

I've called there and have the email address for the case-worker that processed my files, but was wondering if you (or anyone out there) had a number for the office in D.C.? Don't know if we can contact that office directly, but I figure no one has more interest in making sure my case is processed than me! :cool:
 
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