Twisting Timeline

T

Twisting

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I have been AD Air Force for 19 years 5 months. I hit 20 years in November 2021.

April 2020 I was diagnosed with Stage 0 Breast Cancer, 2 surgeries later in August 2020 I was "upstaged" to Stage IIb Breast Cancer. 5 months of chemo, one month of radiation, treatment will be complete 22 April 2021. I do have a couple more surgeries to go, and I will probably be PT testing in July on a no cardio waiver (chemo/radiation fatigue is no joke, but given more time I could have tested all components). I was, technically, not on any special deployment/pcs limiting code until March 2021.

I completed my PHA in March 2021 and shortly after that got a call from my PCM stating my case would be going before the DAWG. Apparently I was supposed to be boarded no later than 90 days after my initial diagnosis, but I think COVID played to my favor and I fell through the cracks. It is a little morbid to think that a disease that killed over 500k Americans may have saved my career, but it probably did.

My command is highly supportive of whatever preference I want and is willing to do anything they can to get me to my goal. Current goal is to at least hit 20, then retire one way or another. I don't see any reason why I can't be found fit for duty. I do have some residual nerve damage in my hands and feet, I have to have twice annual testing for the next 5 years, and medication for the next 10 years, but I am in remission and can still work my desk job. I wouldn't mind a medical retirement either, so long as I can get to 20. I have over 100 days of leave banked currently (thanks again to COVD-19).

3 April: Contacted by PCM that my case would be presented to the DAWG
9 April: DAWG held, case being forwarded to IRILO
12 April: Contacted by PEBLO and completed initial interview worksheet
 
You are in a perfect situation either way. With the leave you have and the time until you hit 20 years you will be able to retire regardless of the outcome. If you don't want to go through IDES you can submit a retirement packet and that should be enough to keep them at bay. Then you can deal with the VA afterwards. However, to get the best bang for your buck it might be advantageous to you to go through IDES if they do refer you. The Airforce is much better at assessing these cases so I would probably guess they just keep you on a LAS until you retire. The reason I would go through IDES if I had any say in it is that you get full pay and benefits like tax free housing while going through it and the longer you stay in the larger your retirement check will be since you accrue 2.5% of your base pay for life for every year of service if you are High 36 retirement Plan.
 
I would delay every step, just to ensure you get to 20 YOS.
 
My PEBLO mentioned something about declining the MEB (if it continues on through the IRILO) and just retiring when I hit 20. Is that a thing? It would end up being a bit earlier than I had planned, Dec 2021 rather than Apr 2022, but I could probably get everything done in time. I haven't been able to work on any of the retirement steps due to my condition. I may take her up on the offer though

That being said, I really don't think that I will be medically retired/separated anyway. The only thing I can't do is deploy, and in my career field deployments are so few and far between folks compete for them, it can get pretty cut throat too. Many people in my field go their entire career without deploying.
 
Twisting said:
My PEBLO mentioned something about declining the MEB (if it continues on through the IRILO) and just retiring when I hit 20. Is that a thing? It would end up being a bit earlier than I had planned, Dec 2021 rather than Apr 2022, but I could probably get everything done in time. I haven't been able to work on any of the retirement steps due to my condition. I may take her up on the offer though

That being said, I really don't think that I will be medically retired/separated anyway. The only thing I can't do is deploy, and in my career field deployments are so few and far between folks compete for them, it can get pretty cut throat too. Many people in my field go their entire career without deploying.
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Yes it is a thing. Its not according to the book but when the soldier is very close to hitting 20 years they will sometimes offer it. Then you have a clean exit and can apply for VA benefits when you get out and any benefits will be retroactive to the date you left the military as long as the claims are within 1 year of your retirement date.

The nice thing about retiring through regular retirement is that you can better plan. IDES is a wildcard. You don't have a lot of control of how long it will take.
 
So, this morning I received a notification that my retirement date for April 2022 was approved. It shouldn't have been, I don't even have enough retainability, not to mention the code 37, but it was. Does this change anything?
 
Nope it doesn't change anything. They don't have to send you to a MEB. Code 37 starts the process but doesn't guaranteed you get sent to IDES. My guess is they saw your retirement package and decided against it.
 
3 April: Contacted by PCM that my case would be presented to the DAWG
9 April: DAWG held, case being forwarded to IRILO
12 April: Contacted by PEBLO and completed initial interview worksheet
22 April: CC submitted recommendation/impact memo
29 June: MEB Medical Evaluation (tele-meeting).
 
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