Where Does the BS End???!!!

Received my medical records today! Wow - I was surprised my MTF sent them in the mail. I was expecting a drawn out process to get them. Funny thing I discovered - An e-mail that was in my records that stated I was restricted to homestation until 30 Sep 2010 (which I did not know was there prior to my deployment on 9 Sep 2010) that came down from HQ AFRC "disappeared" from my records along with The AF Form 469's that also had the same statement from 2010.

The thing they missed was a doctors progress note that referred to the letter saying I was restricted to homestation but somehow was cleared to deploy anyways.

Good thing I asked for a copy of the letter in March 2011 and also have a copy of the 469...

Looks like in the end, the docs that cleared me to deploy will have some explaining to do!
 
As stated earlier in this thread, my wife sent an e-mail to my CC and the group CC. A week later, after no response, she sent an e-mail to our wing CC last Friday. He responded the same day stating he would look into the situation and have someone contact me this week. Our group CC just responded to my wife stating he has been out of town and is now catching up on his e-mail - BS! He has a laptop with VPN access and a responsible group CC should be checking his e-mail daily (Reserve or not). As a SMSgt in the USAFR, I check my e-mail every few days just in case someone forgets to send to my personal account.

Anyways - moving on, my POC at Wilford Hall contacted me today asking for some more paperwork (updated AF Form 469) and told me to get our MTF LOD clerk to make a copy of my records to send to him. I'm sure he would normally just sit on his a$$, but now that we have leadership's attention, maybe things will change for the better and he will actually do something for me.

Dealing with crap like this while not in status is a pain in the butt. I had to explain to my POC at Lackland that I am not able to expedite my records because I have no time to go to the base. I used up most of my civilian vacation time going to doctors and fighting my case when I returned from deployment earlier this year. If I were on MEDCON orders, I would not be having these issues and have to escalate to wing level for our MTF incompetence.
 
Good for you for keeping up the fight. Hopefully, with your leadership now being aware of the issue, things will go better. You can't count on that, but it may happen. Hope it does. Good luck!
 
Well now I have some high level attention from my leadership. Looks like some more screw-ups were found in the way my MEB is being handled. I just sent the following response to my Wing CC, CV, Medical unit CC, Group CC, Squadron CC and a long list of others:

(This first e-mail is from our medical unit and was sent to our Wing CC)

From: XXXXXXXXX SMSgt USAFR AFRC XX XXXXX/SGGF
To: Wing CC
Sir,

I have investigated the status of SMSgt XXXXXX's MEB and it is in the
correct location (XXXXXXXXX); however, the MEB cannot be completed
without the commander's recommendation letter. MSgt XXXXXXXX has
contacted Maj XXXXXX, but the letter has not been received.

Maj XXXXXXX, please forward the letter to SSgt XXXXXXXX (handling MEBs in
the absence of MSgt XXXXXXX) and MSgt XXXXXXX so the MEB can be completed.

//SIGNED//
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX, SMSgt, USAFR (ART)

---------------------------------------------------------

And the PEBLO at the location my MEB was "sent" states they cannot locate it. Here is my response to EVERYONE. My wife helped me tone it down quite a bit - probably for the best:

All,

I have some extreme concerns regarding the way this has been handled.

1. I received a call from Major XXXXXX (XX XXXX) that my "charts were
packaged and will be sent to XXXXXX on Monday". This call took place on
September 11th, 2011.

2. I was informed by my commander, Major XXXXXX, that the CC letter was
sent to MSgt XXXXXX on October 6th. The findings from XX XXXX (SMSgt
XXXXXXX) is the letter was never received (stated in response below).

3. If my medical records were shipped to XXXXXXX (according to SMSgt
XXXXXXX) but were not received (per XX XXXXX, Ms. XXXXXXXX), then where
are they? 27 years worth of medical history is lost, including Privacy Act
information and HIPPA Privacy information. Is there a tracking number? Is
there a name of the individual who signed for these records?

I have been patient in this process since being found unfit in June of this
year and was told at that time the doctor would initiate my MEB. It is now
November and we are still at square one. XX XXXX has twice informed me that
this process has been initiated. The first time, I was told I was REQUIRED
to self-elect for my MEB/PEB for a NON-DUTY RELATED injury - this is
incorrect. Now we have a situation where my records are lost and the CC
letter was never received.

As many of you are aware, I have begun to initiate actions by using the
appropriate guidance for a member injured in LOD on orders for > 30 days by
requesting that an AD MEB handle my case. My understanding is that XXXXXX
is NOT a Currency Platform and cannot initiate MEDCON orders for a member
undergoing an AD IDES. Lackland is on the list. I was not given a choice
in this matter nor proper guidance.

I have several pages of history on the way my situation was handled and
would be happy to share them to help resolve these issues. I have seen
lesser ranking members in my unit undergoing substandard handling of their
cases and they unfortunately they do not have the resources I have acquired
in learning how the system is supposed to work [THANKS TO THIS SITE!!!].
Going forward, I will guide them to make sure they are given the opportunity
to find their way through the system.

V/r,

XXXXXXXXXXXXX, SMSgt, USAF
 
Well, after a long UTA weekend I am back home. Not much progress made at the base. Went to the MTF on Saturday and requested my AF Form 469 be extended out for 6 months as requested by my POC at Lackland (for the MEB). The jerk who claimed he sent my package to the AFRC MEB was asked by the screening officer where my package was. I pointed to the jerk and repeated the question. His response was a stutter and he took me back to the waiting area and said he would be with me in a few minutes. After waiting an hour, the jerk called me back and told me he was not going to take it to the doctor because the AF Form 469 is still good until January. Lackland needs it extended out 6 months so it will be good (along with the CC letter) by the time the MEB reviews my case. I made a private comment to him that's more for the congressional I filed and then I asked where his boss was and I left to go to see her.

She was not available so I spoke with the senior ART (a Lt Col) and he knew about my situation (he was included included in the e-mail chain from the Wing CC). He promised me a call back to give me the status of:

1. The location of the photocopy of my records that were lost between my base and AFRC MEB
2. To track down my CC letter for the MEB
3. To redirect my MEB package to Lackland.

He did not call back today so I will have to call him back this week.

The Lt Col (ART) did send a major over to talk to my CC about my case and other cases in my unit. He explained to my CC that they did not have the CC letter. My commander asked me to resend it to her so she could send my e-mail to them showing proof that she sent it. My guess is she never sent it in the first place and just said that to get the draft, put in her comments and send it in.

My commander did apologize to me for not responding to my wife's e-mail. She stated she was unsure of how to reply to my wife's e-mail when my wife was asking for help with my situation. The commander's concern was that a response that violated HIPPA could get her into trouble. She has been in a lot of hot water lately for other issues and she is very green (her first command). The First Sergeant even commented to me about our commander's inactions when he told me an instance regarding how requests from the wing commander to our commander went unanswered. Junior NCO's and airmen in our unit have approached the First Sergeant about our commander's inactions so there is talk amongst the ranks about her ability to lead. I've kept my concerns about the dealings with our commander close hold with only the chief's and the First Sergeant. Not sure how much longer she will be in command.

Now a new concern is coming up fast. My ETS is February 2012. I know I cannot reenlist due to my medical issues. I have asked for an extension today and I'll bet you that since my MEB has not officially started, I'm going to have problems there as well.

Stay tuned for more of the saga...
 
Fast forward three weeks - got an e-mail today from my POC at Lackland. My MEB package was finally received by the AFRC PEBLO (after 5 moths of limbo). My POC asked the AFRC PEBLO to package it and send it to his office. YEAH!!!!! Almost away from the perils found at my Reserve medical facility and can start my dealings with people that have a clue! This is such a relief!!! My wing leadership finally was able to pressure my medical unit to get my package shipped out - I will give them that credit.

I decided to file a OCR complaint (Office of Civil Rights) since my mdeical unit lost a photocopy of my medical records. This is a HIPPA violation since they never did say they were able to locate the lost records. I still cannot accept that my medical unit lost 27 years worth of my medical history and even cared to answer my request to locate them. I sure hope the OCR can rectify this and force this unit to put procedures in place so this cannot happen to anyone else again. I will also push to have the Air Force pay for credit monitoring since the risk is there now for someone to steal my identity.

Next Step - as soon as I make contact with the AD PEBLO at Lackland, I will see if they can initiate MEDCON orders for me so I can give 100% of my time toward the process. Still waiting on the base career advisor to contact me about my extension request.
 
Well - I just found out I misunderstood my POC at Lackland. My package apparently is NOT at AFRC. I have inquired since plenty of time has elapsed for my package to arrive. Turns out Lackland does not have it nor does AFRC. So for the FOURTH time, I was told my MEB package was sent but apparently this is not the case.

I have written another e-mail to my COC all the way up to the Wing CC asking for help. I will give them until the end of the week to provide me with an answer and if they do not respond my wife says she will contact the NAF general for assistance.

I now have this feeling they are purposely holding back my package for some reason and are just not telling me.
 
Sometimes you not only have to carry a big stick, you have to throw it at someone. Received word today that my MEB package was indeed shipped and the recipient at AFRC did receive it. Now I have to coordinate getting it sent to Lackland...
 
Received an e-mail today which says my records will be shipped from AFRC to WHMC ASAP. My POC was on the phone with the Pentagon and he said AFRC just released my MEB package. It was being held because they were "waiting on sending it due to a congressional". I hope that means my congressional investigation is well underway and not the possibility that somebody in DOD is trying to throw a wrench in the works.

I also received an e-mail a couple of weeks ago from my MTF that says "Due the nature and sensitivity of your issue I am limited in correspondences".
 
Final post on this topic. Time to turn the page. I received an e-mail from Lackland. They have my MEB package. I also received a response from my senator. The Air Force did admit to my MTF oversight from when I first reported my back issue in 2005 but they failed to address why I was not entitled to MEDCON when I came off deployment in 2011 and side-stepped the letter from AFRC restricting me to homestation and simply said the squadron commander had the authority to waive restrictions. The letter from AFRC basically says the restriction to homestation was independent from MTF clearing me for deployment.

I will file a AFBCMR request at this point.

I will start a new thread for my timeline since my case is exceptionally jacked up. It will be a good read...
 
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