Hello everyone. I am fairly new to the forum, and have been canvasing this site a little while, educating myself on the various processes. I wanted to take some time to share my story with other AF personnel, to shed light/compare stories.
I have 14 years in the service; 2 on active duty, and 12 years active duty in the Air National Guard (ANG), the majority of which were Title 32 AGR.
First I’ll start with the AF’s preferred method of force management – the fitness program. I’ve had a history of fitness failures, which in retrospect were most likely attributed to my current medical issues. I receive my medical care from the Navy, since there is not an AF base in the local area. Adding an interesting dynamic to the situation, is the fact that AF medical administration is handled through the ANG, whereby I have to provide my medical records to ANG medical officers who act as “case managers.”
The ANG case managers have been hostile towards medical concerns and fitness failures since the onset of my issues. Initially threatening me with medical disqualification, I was often deterred from seeking help for symptoms I was experiencing several years ago. At the point that my symptoms became severe, I finally decided I could not postpone seeking help. Despite documentation of symptoms such as elevated uric levels in my legs, and neuropathy in my legs, a formal diagnosis was never made, thus medical reviews for fitness failures always ended with, “there were no documented medical conditions precluding the member from passing the fitness test.”
Finally in early 2016, I sought help and was diagnosed with Gout and Psoriatic Arthritis. Unfortunately for me, this was too late. After failing another fitness test, I was recommended for demotion from MSgt to TSgt. A week after this action, I was notified that I would be boarded for both conditions. Despite an impressive rebuttal which addressed the medical issues, and post-diagnoses, the ANG case managers persisted in denying that these conditions could have caused me to fail fitness tests, and my commander deferred to their recommendations, and forwarded my demotion to the demotion authority. I was demoted nearly a year after the initial demotion notification.
Subsequent fitness tests have resulted in failures. Recommendations from my primary care manager (PCM; Navy) have resulted in case managers unilaterally denying me the recommended exemptions, for which I had to file an IG complaint to get this medical group to adhere to policy by forwarding fitness exemptions to the DAWG. Oddly enough, the same case managers that violated policy, for which the IG complaint was filed, were the members of the DAWG which also denied my exemptions – fox guarding the henhouse. This DAWG also violated HIPAA and made contact with my PCM to discuss my medical issues, and persuade him into rescinding his original recommendations. All in all, several regulations were violated, a federal law, all in an effort to “enforce” another regulation J Fortunately, I have meticulously documented EVERYTHING.
(Adding insult to injury, my unit had the gall to require me to complete a retention interview, asking me if I would be interested in re-enlisting when my ETS comes up.)
Medical issues/medications included in the MEB: Psoriasis (Methotrexate), Psoriatic Arthritis (Methotrexate), Ankylosing Spondylitis (Methotrexate), Gout, and Fibromyalgia (Gabapentin). Medical issues which have not been incorporated into the initial MEB: Chronic Migraines (receiving Botox injections), Chronic Pain Syndrome (Percocet, Vicodin, & routine pain management interventions), and the accompanying mental health issues (documented) that one might have with the aforementioned (i.e., depression and anxiety).
The process has been very bumpy to say the least. Documents are gathered by the ANG, forwarded to the active duty AF base that facilitates MEB processing, and most conversation between me and the active duty base are handled via email. The initial package was submitted early December 2016 to the active duty base, and the only update I’ve received from them, as early as January 2017, is that I “…should be contacted by the VA this week.” “This week” has yet to come as of the time of this post, and I am in the dark as to whether or not my package has been submitted to wherever it goes.
I’ll likely update this post as new things happen. Anxiously anticipating a finding of “not fit for service,” a medical retirement, and once out, vindication through the Board for Correction of Military Records for all that has transpired, administratively.
I have 14 years in the service; 2 on active duty, and 12 years active duty in the Air National Guard (ANG), the majority of which were Title 32 AGR.
First I’ll start with the AF’s preferred method of force management – the fitness program. I’ve had a history of fitness failures, which in retrospect were most likely attributed to my current medical issues. I receive my medical care from the Navy, since there is not an AF base in the local area. Adding an interesting dynamic to the situation, is the fact that AF medical administration is handled through the ANG, whereby I have to provide my medical records to ANG medical officers who act as “case managers.”
The ANG case managers have been hostile towards medical concerns and fitness failures since the onset of my issues. Initially threatening me with medical disqualification, I was often deterred from seeking help for symptoms I was experiencing several years ago. At the point that my symptoms became severe, I finally decided I could not postpone seeking help. Despite documentation of symptoms such as elevated uric levels in my legs, and neuropathy in my legs, a formal diagnosis was never made, thus medical reviews for fitness failures always ended with, “there were no documented medical conditions precluding the member from passing the fitness test.”
Finally in early 2016, I sought help and was diagnosed with Gout and Psoriatic Arthritis. Unfortunately for me, this was too late. After failing another fitness test, I was recommended for demotion from MSgt to TSgt. A week after this action, I was notified that I would be boarded for both conditions. Despite an impressive rebuttal which addressed the medical issues, and post-diagnoses, the ANG case managers persisted in denying that these conditions could have caused me to fail fitness tests, and my commander deferred to their recommendations, and forwarded my demotion to the demotion authority. I was demoted nearly a year after the initial demotion notification.
Subsequent fitness tests have resulted in failures. Recommendations from my primary care manager (PCM; Navy) have resulted in case managers unilaterally denying me the recommended exemptions, for which I had to file an IG complaint to get this medical group to adhere to policy by forwarding fitness exemptions to the DAWG. Oddly enough, the same case managers that violated policy, for which the IG complaint was filed, were the members of the DAWG which also denied my exemptions – fox guarding the henhouse. This DAWG also violated HIPAA and made contact with my PCM to discuss my medical issues, and persuade him into rescinding his original recommendations. All in all, several regulations were violated, a federal law, all in an effort to “enforce” another regulation J Fortunately, I have meticulously documented EVERYTHING.
(Adding insult to injury, my unit had the gall to require me to complete a retention interview, asking me if I would be interested in re-enlisting when my ETS comes up.)
Medical issues/medications included in the MEB: Psoriasis (Methotrexate), Psoriatic Arthritis (Methotrexate), Ankylosing Spondylitis (Methotrexate), Gout, and Fibromyalgia (Gabapentin). Medical issues which have not been incorporated into the initial MEB: Chronic Migraines (receiving Botox injections), Chronic Pain Syndrome (Percocet, Vicodin, & routine pain management interventions), and the accompanying mental health issues (documented) that one might have with the aforementioned (i.e., depression and anxiety).
The process has been very bumpy to say the least. Documents are gathered by the ANG, forwarded to the active duty AF base that facilitates MEB processing, and most conversation between me and the active duty base are handled via email. The initial package was submitted early December 2016 to the active duty base, and the only update I’ve received from them, as early as January 2017, is that I “…should be contacted by the VA this week.” “This week” has yet to come as of the time of this post, and I am in the dark as to whether or not my package has been submitted to wherever it goes.
I’ll likely update this post as new things happen. Anxiously anticipating a finding of “not fit for service,” a medical retirement, and once out, vindication through the Board for Correction of Military Records for all that has transpired, administratively.
