Reservist

[USAF12345]

I am a reservist with who was rated on a bunch of conditions this past year. I’m 100 percent P&T and medical wants to med board me at 17 years in the reserves base on my newest rating for asthma pact act related.

At first I was worried because I really want to make it to 20 years.

However, it appears there might be a benefit for me to be medical retired by going the CRCS rout if they chapter 61 me?

Is it possible to get my sinusitis which is rated at 30 and my asthma at 30 to be qualified for CRCS if I develop them from serval deployed to Iraq and my few most recent in golf states?

If so wouldn’t this mean I can medically retire and collect both DOD pay and VA. Someone who works in medical told me I can do this but this just seems off to me? Why haven’t I ever heard of this.

Anyways I’ll stop rambling. I look forward to everyone’s response.

I also have PTSD related to Iraq and most recent deployment in Iraq. I hear to make it CRCS for PTSD the requirement is higher than say your plane getting shot at or taking IDF. Fair but Pact Act claims might be easier to get approved for CRCS?

 

[Provis]

I am a reservist with who was rated on a bunch of conditions this past year. I’m 100 percent P&T and medical wants to med board me at 17 years in the reserves base on my newest rating for asthma pact act related.

At first I was worried because I really want to make it to 20 years.

However, it appears there might be a benefit for me to be medical retired by going the CRCS rout if they chapter 61 me?

Is it possible to get my sinusitis which is rated at 30 and my asthma at 30 to be qualified for CRCS if I develop them from serval deployed to Iraq and my few most recent in golf states?

If so wouldn’t this mean I can medically retire and collect both DOD pay and VA. Someone who works in medical told me I can do this but this just seems off to me? Why haven’t I ever heard of this.

Anyways I’ll stop rambling. I look forward to everyone’s response.

I also have PTSD related to Iraq and most recent deployment in Iraq. I hear to make it CRCS for PTSD the requirement is higher than say your plane getting shot at or taking IDF. Fair but Pact Act claims might be easier to get approved for CRCS?

There is no guarantee that you get MEB'd as duty related. If non duty related and you don't hit 20 years you will aways have the VA offset even with a 15 year letter at retirement age. If medically retired and it was duty related then any VA compensation would offset a medical retirement. You are correct that some of that offset could be clawed back via CRSC after medically retired up to the amount of your earned longevity reserve retirement. That isn't a guarantee.

I would rather have the sure thing and hit 20 years. If you go that route you get all your VA compensation and then at age 60 (or less if you qualify for a reduction in age to get your Reserve pension) you get both your pension and VA compensation. If you can't hit 20 years after being found unfit you can request COAR. Basically is an exception to allow you to stay in until you hit 20 good years. Its a packet your fill out and send to HRC that basically states you are within 5 years of reaching 20 years. The closer you are to 20 years the better your chances of it being approved.

 

[USAF12345]

There is no guarantee that you get MEB'd as duty related. If non duty related and you don't hit 20 years you will aways have the VA offset even with a 15 year letter at retirement age. If medically retired and it was duty related then any VA compensation would offset a medical retirement. You are correct that some of that offset could be clawed back via CRSC after medically retired up to the amount of your earned longevity reserve retirement. That isn't a guarantee.

I would rather have the sure thing and hit 20 years. If you go that route you get all your VA compensation and then at age 60 (or less if you qualify for a reduction in age to get your Reserve pension) you get both your pension and VA compensation. If you can't hit 20 years after being found unfit you can request COAR. Basically is an exception to allow you to stay in until you hit 20 good years. Its a packet your fill out and send to HRC that basically states you are within 5 years of reaching 20 years. The closer you are to 20 years the better your chances of it being approved.

Thank you. Wouldn’t my asthma be duty related because it occurred during my deployment in Iraq? I have several conditions under Pact Act and other LODs while I was deployed?

Well they want to start the med board but I can delay getting the paperwork to them. I believe I have 6 months to get the paperwork to medical and at that point I’ll be 17.5 years in but still have a decent amount of time till my 20.

 

[Provis]

Thank you. Wouldn’t my asthma be duty related because it occurred during my deployment in Iraq? I have several conditions under Pact Act and other LODs while I was deployed?

Well they want to start the med board but I can delay getting the paperwork to them. I believe I have 6 months to get the paperwork to medical and at that point I’ll be 17.5 years in but still have a decent amount of time till my 20.

PACT act is for presumptive conditions for CRSC and VA service connections. That doesn't hold much weight.

There is a decent chance it would be non duty related. Your branch can state its EPTS and then you get put in non duty related IDES. You don't' have much recourse if that happens.

By the way this is not uncommon. In a separate but similar instances I have seen where Soldiers that have argued with the PEB for designating an unfitting condition as combat related due to the PACT act. It was denied by the PEB because the standards for combat related don't rely on that in the regulations regarding combat related for chapter 61.

 

[Provis]

Thank you. Wouldn’t my asthma be duty related because it occurred during my deployment in Iraq? I have several conditions under Pact Act and other LODs while I was deployed?

Well they want to start the med board but I can delay getting the paperwork to them. I believe I have 6 months to get the paperwork to medical and at that point I’ll be 17.5 years in but still have a decent amount of time till my 20.

That's why I say if you can stay in don't risk it. You max out compensation if you can get to 20 years.

 

[USAF12345]

PACT act is for presumptive conditions for CRSC and VA service connections. That doesn't hold much weight.

There is a decent chance it would be non duty related. Your branch can state its EPTS and then you get put in non duty related IDES. You don't' have much recourse if that happens.

By the way this is not uncommon. In a separate but similar instances I have seen where Soldiers that have argued with the PEB for designating an unfitting condition as combat related due to the PACT act. It was denied by the PEB because the standards for combat related don't rely on that in the regulations regarding combat related for chapter 61.

Oh no this is insane! Ok maybe I’ll do my best to not go this route. Medical told me they would find this as a grey area retirement. However, I’m not sure what that means he also told me I would not be separated from service with this much time on. I’m not sure I believe them.

 

[RetiredColonel-MikeT]

Oh no this is insane! Ok maybe I’ll do my best to not go this route. Medical told me they would find this as a grey area retirement. However, I’m not sure what that means he also told me I would not be separated from service with this much time on. I’m not sure I believe them.

Don't believe them - first off, there are those who get separated with 19y 10m 15d, disability processing supercedes admin seps for sanctuary (18-20 years of service), there is a process to get extended once found unfit, I'm unsure what the AF calls it, but bottom line, there's zero guarantee to be kept in once found unfit

 

[iamthewalrus016]

Don't believe them - first off, there are those who get separated with 19y 10m 15d, disability processing supercedes admin seps for sanctuary (18-20 years of service), there is a process to get extended once found unfit, I'm unsure what the AF calls it, but bottom line, there's zero guarantee to be kept in once found unfit

I think the air force calls it LAS. Limited assignment status. Not sure how hard it is to get in the air force but the Navy requires O7 approval with an O6 recommendation. Not easy to get. And you are correct sanctuary will always get trumped by medical processing which is a DOD-wide fact and not service specific as sanctuary is a DOD thing along with the PEB process.

 

[RetiredColonel-MikeT]

I think the air force calls it LAS. Limited assignment status. Not sure how hard it is to get in the air force but the Navy requires O7 approval with an O6 recommendation. Not easy to get. And you are correct sanctuary will always get trumped by medical processing which is a DOD-wide fact and not service specific as sanctuary is a DOD thing along with the PEB process.

Thanks for the heads-up - Army is pretty close, O-6 recommendation, I would have to check to see what the approval level is, I do know it goes back to the Physical Disability Agency (PDA) for processing. For Army it's COAD/COAD - Continuation on Active Duty/Reserve and my guesstimate is 3-5% approval. A decade ago when OPTEMPO was high, it was more 12-15%.

 

[USAF12345]

I think the air force calls it LAS. Limited assignment status. Not sure how hard it is to get in the air force but the Navy requires O7 approval with an O6 recommendation. Not easy to get. And you are correct sanctuary will always get trumped by medical processing which is a DOD-wide fact and not service specific as sanctuary is a DOD thing along with the PEB process.

Well this isn’t good? Do I just try delaying the process, like they want me to get a pulmonary function test? I’m still fit for duty? So basically if this goes through they can just separate me?

 

[iamthewalrus016]

Well this isn’t good? Do I just try delaying the process, like they want me to get a pulmonary function test? I’m still fit for duty? So basically if this goes through they can just separate me?

Anything is possible. You should really try to hit 20 and get a medical retirement. I can’t weigh in on if you’d get a medical separation or not. I don’t know the specifics of your asthma or any of your other possibly unfitting conditions. Your asthma must be pretty bad though if you are getting looked at for a med board…. Like you don’t take advair or any other meds that can really control asthma?

 

[USAF12345]

No my asthma is fine. I passed a PT test a few months ago and got 10 min mile and a half and that was on a ruptured Achilles I just recovered from. I did some research my asthma most definitely won’t get me med out just will get me a waiver in my profile. A C file I believe? I think I’m good my medical is clueless

 

[RetiredColonel-MikeT]

Anything is possible. You should really try to hit 20 and get a medical retirement. I can’t weigh in on if you’d get a medical separation or not. I don’t know the specifics of your asthma or any of your other possibly unfitting conditions. Your asthma must be pretty bad though if you are getting looked at for a med board…. Like you don’t take advair or any other meds that can really control asthma?

Sage advice, as it's a win-win no matter how you dice it IF one can get to 20. I have 33y+ ARNG with a buttload of Title-10 and ended up getting Ch 61 although I was originally found "Fit", I went for an FPEB and ended up walking out the door with 70% DOD because I was able to surmount the "Presumption of fitness" rule. CRSC would just be icing on the cake as it would make CRDP (now known as CMRP) completely non-taxable if one maxes out. Of course, if found unfit for combat-related conditions, it does the same, but that's no guarantee as well.

 

[RetiredColonel-MikeT]

No my asthma is fine. I passed a PT test a few months ago and got 10 min mile and a half and that was on a ruptured Achilles I just recovered from. I did some research my asthma most definitely won’t get me med out just will get me a waiver in my profile. A C file I believe? I think I’m good my medical is clueless

Yeah, if you can pass a PT test and have a PFT done and you're within the parameters of being retainable, then you have a great shot at hitting 20 years, of course, then you just have to wait til age-eligible for retired pay to get CMRP.

 

[USAF12345]

Yeah, if you can pass a PT test and have a PFT done and you're within the parameters of being retainable, then you have a great shot at hitting 20 years, of course, then you just have to wait til age-eligible for retired pay to get CMRP.

Ok and once I’m retired there would be no reason for me to apply for CRSC?

I just thought it your medically retired in the reserves and then apply for CSRC I can collect right away instead of waiting 20 years to collect?

 

[RetiredColonel-MikeT]

Ok and once I’m retired there would be no reason for me to apply for CRSC?

I just thought it your medically retired in the reserves and then apply for CSRC I can collect right away instead of waiting 20 years to collect?

That's "IF" you're medically retired, there's no guarantee that will happen. As I stated above, if you're just retired 20-year letter-wise, you can still apply for CRSC once you're age eligible as it would make your retirement non-taxable.

 

[Provis]

Ok and once I’m retired there would be no reason for me to apply for CRSC?

I just thought it your medically retired in the reserves and then apply for CSRC I can collect right away instead of waiting 20 years to collect?

If you hit 20 years you max out gross compensation since you get your earned pension and VA compensation. So won't need to do CRSC. You might be able to get more via CRSC if your CRSC % matches your total VA compensation since CRSC is tax free. So for most that get a 20 year retirement and VA compensation there is no need to apply for CRSC.

Getting 20 years is the most important as you max out compensation.

 

[USAF12345]

Once I retire, will there be any reason for me to apply for Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRSC)?


I understand that if I’m medically retired from the reserves, I can apply for CRSC and potentially start collecting it right away, rather than waiting until I reach 20 years till I’m 60. Is that

If you hit 20 years you max out gross compensation since you get your earned pension and VA compensation. So won't need to do CRSC. You might be able to get more via CRSC if your CRSC % matches your total VA compensation since CRSC is tax free. So for most that get a 20 year retirement and VA compensation there is no need to apply for CRSC.

Getting 20 years is the most important as you max out compensation.

Roger I’ll do 20 years and look into chapter 61. Reservist collect their pensions early if I try that route. There is no rule for having 7,200 points anymore.

 

[RetiredColonel-MikeT]

Once I retire, will there be any reason for me to apply for Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRSC)?


I understand that if I’m medically retired from the reserves, I can apply for CRSC and potentially start collecting it right away, rather than waiting until I reach 20 years till I’m 60. Is that


Roger I’ll do 20 years and look into chapter 61. Reservist collect their pensions early if I try that route. There is no rule for having 7,200 points anymore.

The key is that, as was mentioned before, there's no guarantee of being Ch 61, if found less than 30% for DOD, you will have the option of either a) separation with severance pay or b) non-regular retirement (i.e. reserve retirement) at age 60, you, no matter what, be able to start drawing your VA compensation immediately if you haven't done so yet.

What I highlighted in red is the absolutely best case scenario. You can still apply for CRSC, if you're approved for a high enough amount (reserve compo does NOT have as high a threshold as active retirements), your entire compensation package will be tax free, regardless if you end up having to wait until 60 (unless eligible earlier by law) OR getting Ch 61 in the next few years. You'll be in the same boat as myself: 33y ARNG, Ch 61, started getting my Ch 61 retirement at age 50 and just submitted my non-regular retirement packet for when I turn 60 next year because my pay may end up being a decent chunk more under CRDP vs Ch 61. That's only because I have 5400 pts and am an O-6 not to mention rated at 100% VA, but NOT combat-related.

 

[USAF12345]

Great response. I have 17 years E-7 with into 3,000 points.


Well I’m assuming based on what I know I’ll basically push through to 20 years then reevaluate.