Hamslice

First, a rating of 0% for a service connected disability is not bad news, definitely not great, but not bad. I have a 0% service connected disability that has a 30% secondary to it. So, there is hope. NOT service connected is bad. As far as my heat injury goes, I am service connected for a bunch of things already that could be attributed to the heat injury, so not sure what I would gain. However, I do have a new claim going forward that I have a shot at and might add both the heat injury and the Gulf War Syndrome as possible causes. Let them do the work. Definitely not a long shot as I was treated while in service and now take meds for. As always, it means nothing unless you make the claim, Hamslice And thanks for the PDF, worth the read for me. I was in Iraq when that was written.

I helped a battle buddy get rated for sleep apnea with a buddy letter. He asked me for one and I wrote what I had observed regards his sleeping habits while we were in the same tent in Iraq. See if you can remember anyone witnessing your issue while you were in, and try and get a buddy letter. Just sayin, Hamslice

You only get 10% for multiple 0's if you DO NOT have any rated disabilities. In other words, if you have a current rated disability, like tinnitus at 10%, for example, you can not get an additional 10% for having 3 non-rated disabilities. I have at least 5 disabilities rated at 0%, but they mean squat since I am rated at 90 already. Your best shot is to file increases for the zero's when they get worse. ** I believe the intent is to get the Veteran wtih multiple zero's into the VA medical system by giving them a 10 percent rating.** My thoughts, Hamslice

I have no information regards a heat stroke claim, however, I will be very interested in your outcome. I was medevaced out of Iraq with heat stroke/exhaustion in '03 to Kuwait City Hospital for 4 days, then RTD. Curious what symptoms you claimed and what they will say, and what scorecard they used, Keep us posted, Hamslice

What are you after? Thanks, Hamslice

Buck, you are correct, however, I made the claim without any new evidence, just my opinion that my issue had gotten worse. Then, the C&P produced the new evidence. But, you have make the claim or nothing will happen, Hamslice

GO

I have filed for an increase without any new medical documentation, and was granted because my range of motion decreased, etc. I knew it was getting worse and just filed for an increase. They scheduled a C&P and I went and they measured my ROM and it showed worsening to the next rating for ROM. Now, I also got rated at 0 for pain on a claim, which ROM did not play into the calculation for benefits. In this case, I went to treatment, and then with those records, I requested an increase and was awarded a 10% rating. So, you need to see how they are scoring whatever you are claiming an increase for and see if it makes sense. The good thing about claiming an increase for a 0 is you can't go down, FWIW, Hamslice

OK, if what you are saying is correct, he should get a reserve retirement when he turned age 60. You need to call the "local" army reserve center and ask them to check out your husbands years of service and points for retirement. The problem here is, the Army Reserve treats Soldiers as individuals, not as part of a unit, etc. One Army, etc. So, with that said, there is no one looking out for the Soldiers retirement. Unlike, the National Guard, where you are part of a State and they keep there own retirement records and do help when you within six months from your retirement at age 60. Also, I just remembered, the Army will say he doesn't have enough time for retirement, that is why you have to go to the "Army Reserve" to get your answers. And it helps if you actually went to the last unit he actually went to drill to. As a side note, they may even have a ghost file in there local archives of you husbands records to include medical records. I served in the same time-frame you are referencing and we kept ghost files. Ghost files where basically a duplicate file of everything we sent to HQ, because they were notorious for not receiving things in a timely manner. Much like the VA. CYA was the name of the game back then. I am not well versed with the Reserves, but they should have your husbands "point total" and "number of good years" for retirement. Again, if what your are telling us, he should have a nice retirement. For this part, his retirement, you need to divorce yourself from the VA. They are totally separate departments and do not help each other in these matters. 2 lanes, one for his retirement, one for his VA benefits. Keep in mind, he actually may not have enough time for retirement, but from what you have posted, I say he does.. Hamslice. I decided to copy and past the below. At the bottom, call the retirement points team, notice there is a difference for Officer and Enlisted. Remember, nothing about disabilities, just retirement.. Good luck...... Retirement Points Accounting System RPAS RPAS retains the retirement point account of USAR Soldiers utilized to determine eligibility of benefits AR 140-185 governs the awarding and crediting of retirement points. Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 1215.07, DoD 7000.14-R Volume 7A and AR 140-1 supplement retirement point regulatory guidance. Correction of Retirement Points DA Form 5016 (Chronological Statement of Retirement Points) RPAS Detail Data Base Correction of Retirement Points IMA, IRR and Gray Area Retiree Soldiers must submit retirement point correction documents to their Army Human Resources Command, Personnel Action Branch (PAB) at Fort Knox. To assist the retirement point analyst in making changes to a Soldier's retirement point record, the Soldier must provide proof of one or more of your performance documents. IMA unit representatives will forward non-paid DA Form 1380s directly to the responsible AHRC PAB for further processing. Unit representatives with attached IRR Soldiers must forward non-paid DA Form 1380s directly to the responsible AHRC PAB for further processing. TPU and AGR Soldiers will have their retirement point records updated by their Unit representative whom will submit a manual encrypted email request with supporting documentation to the PAB at AHRC responsible for the action of the Soldier. To assist the Unit representative in making changes to a Soldier's retirement point record, the Soldier must provide the unit with proof of one or more performance source documents. Unit representatives will submit manual cases with source documents on all prior service Soldiers to AHRC upon in-processing into unit. AR 140-185 directs units to conduct an annual review of the chronological statement of retirement points of each Soldier. Most of the retirement point validation documents are listed as Key Supporting Documents in AR 600-8-104 and should be iPERM'd. Gray Area Retiree Soldiers at age 59 will submit corrections of retirement points with their Retired Pay Application to the AHRC, Gray Area Retirements Branch (GAR), formally known as Retired Pay Service, for updating the record. For information about the retirement pay process, visit Retired Pay Processing - Ensuring timely processing or contact Gray Area Retirements Branch (GAR) at (502) 613-8950. National Guard Soldiers have their retirement points recorded in a separate retirement point accounting system. Upon retirement, ARNG Soldiers retirement points are not fed into RPAS. The NGB Form 23A, Annual Retirement Point Statement, is utilized as the source document of the ARNG to validate duties performed by a Soldier. The ARNG Retirement Points Accounting Management representative per state can be located at https://www.milsuite.mil/book/groups/arng-hrp-t-retirement-services for a copy and/or correction of the NGB Form 23A. Before a former or retired member of the National Guard can start to draw retired pay, he or she must submit a retired pay certification packet (including a summary of all retirement points earned while in the ARNG) to the AHRC Reserve Retired Pay Office. Upon certification of retired pay, AHRC forwards the certification to DFAS. Military correspondence non-residential distance learning retirement point credit (1 retirement point per every 3 hours) was removed as a form of retirement point credit effective 15 April 2016. RPAS Detail Data Base Soldiers can now check their retirement point record, to include corrections in their Reserve Record. Utilizing the Soldier's AKO account, Soldiers can access the My Record area of AHRC's website. Within My Record, Soldiers can access their retirement point record, print copies of the DA Form 5016, and review the Point Detail which lists USAR duty performed from September 1994 to present, and check the status of the Regional Level Accounting Software (RLAS) retirement point corrections that has been submitted by the unit and information on understanding the retirement point statement. When a Troop Program Unit representative submitted an update request utilizing the RLAS retirement point module to a Soldier's retirement point record and the transactions was rejected, specific codes and reasons were provided for the rejection(s). Unit representatives should seek assistance from the Soldier's Personnel Action Branch Retirement Point Analyst at AHRC for resolution to the Soldier's retirement point record. DA Form 1380s (Non-Paid) are not submitted in RLAS and are submitted monthly via encrypted email from the unit to the appropriate personnel action branch responsible for the Soldier. All prior service actions will not be entered into RLAS and will be submitted directly via encrypted email from the unit representative to the appropriate personnel action branch responsible for the Soldier. Troop Program Unit represenatives must iPERM documents listed in Table B-1 of AR 600-8-104. Failure to iPERM documents and/or provide source/supporting documentation, such as the initial DD Form 4, initial DA Form 71, DD Form 214's, NGB Form 23A's, and DA Form 1380's will cause a delay or rejection to a retirement point correction or addition request. Please allow 60 days for corrections to be completed. Units should contact the Soldier's Personnel Action Branch if the action is not completed within 60 days from submission and inquire into the status of the action. IRR and IMA Soldier's should contact the Personnel Action Branch if the action is not completed within 60 days from submission and inquire into the status of the action. DA Form 5016 (Chronological Statement of Retirement Points) Soldiers must visit the My Record Portal to view and print their personal copy of the DA Form 5016. For additional assistance, Soldiers may contact the Army Human Resource Service Center at (888) 276-9472. Points of Contacts Retirement Point questions/corrections are completed by the appropriate office listed below: Reserve Personnel Management Directorate: Retirement Points Team - Enlisted (AGR, Non-AGR, and Retired Reserve) Email: usarmy.knox.hrc.mbx.rpmd-ord-enl-ret-pts@mail.mil Phone: (502) 613-5977 Retirement Points Team - Officer (AGR, Non-AGR, Health Services and Retired Reserve) Email: usarmy.knox.hrc.mbx.rpmd-ord-ofcr-ret-pts@mail.mil Phone: (502) 613-6727 Discharged Veterans: Veterans Inquiry Branch Email: usarmy.knox.hrc.mbx.tagd-ask-hrc@mail.mil Phone: (888) 276-9472

Winner winner, TURKEY, dinner, Just sayin, Hamslice We're having ham, LOL..

I'm still confused, What happened or is happening to his retirement from the military?? Just sayin, Hamslice There is no pension if he gets a military retirement.

When was he born, or how old was he, etc. After twenty years reserve time, which could be more if there is a minimum requirement in the reserves, like the National Guard (last 8 years must be in Guard) however, even with that, your husband would have a reserve retirement coming at his age 60. Now, when he got his, Notice of Eligibility for age sixty retirement, he would have had to elect A, B or C on a DD 1883 or similar. Not sure what the reserve uses and I see this form has changed since I did mine. A, service member only. This means the service member only gets retired pay at age sixty. The spouse has to sign for this option. Not as rare as you would think, I had some chose this when I was a clerk in the NG. If you have a lot of money and are not worried about you spouse if you die, then people select this option as you make more money, as SBP is taken out post retirement pay, i.e., out of you retirement pay. B, when the service member passes, the spouse will get a portion of his retirement when the service member would have turned age 60. C, immediate portion of retirement when service member passes. And then, you can buy (from your retirement when paid) additional percentages. So, I believe the OP, (original poster), needs to find the DD 1883 Survivor Benefit Plan Election Certificate that her husband would have completed. She may be entitled to a portion of his retirement right now. FWIW, Hamslice I selected option C, and selected the highest percentage. So, if I was to pass right now, my wife would get 85% of my retirement immediately, even though, I won't get my retirement for a couple years yet.

I have had the "burn pit" C&P, the TBI C&P, and possibly the "Gulf War" C&P. I did not claim any of them, they just give them to GWOT (Global War on Terrorism) Veterans. I even had the free dental exam about 8 years late. They had forgot about it and just found it 8 years later. Got the letter saying I had a dentist appointment at the VA, LOL, I was 40 percent at the time. So, I went, dentist had no clue why I was there. Just sayin, Hamslice YES, go to all or any C&P exams, unless you are looking for a smaller direct deposit on the 1st.

What I have learned from the VA regarding Veterans, can be summed up with my favorite two VA beneficiaries, Bert, now Bert stubbed his toe in basic training, which turned into chronic turf toe and was medically discharged before he went to AIT. He went right to the VA with his paperwork in tow, and was immediately awarded 10% for foot pain, etc. A few years later, Bert developed a chronic limp, went to physical therapy, which determined there was no hope for Bert, who claimed an increase, and was awarded 30% more. Every couple years, the maladies continued to worsen and contribute to other medical issues. After 10 years from leaving service for stubbing his toe, and at age 28, he now is 100% and has insurance for his wife and eight children. ED was not on Bert's medical condition list. Ernie, on the other hand, was in the Army for 8 years and shipped out to Korea during the war. Ernie stepped on a Bouncing Betty and lost his right leg below his knee. Ernie was shipped to the states where he found the bottle upon debarking the boat. Ernie lived on skid row for around 10 years and then headed for the mountains for another twenty plus years. After he could not take care of himself, he came down from the mountain, and rejoined his family, who hadn't seen him since he left for Korea. Upon seeing Ernie is such disrepair, his brother took him to the VA to get him care. Ernie had no service medical records, or any medical records for that matter as he had not gone to any doctor since they military took his leg. Ernie, who now was somewhat mentally impaired, was told that his medical record was either lost or burned in the famous VA records fire. Ernie's brother is now his legal guardian, but knows nothing about the military, or the VA. Ernie's first claim has been denied, and there is an appeal in the works somewhere. Ernie is 81, has PTSD, chronic pain of the lower limbs, and of course, ED. I'm somewhere in between, Hamslice

Medicare is a basic Ponzi scheme. And its designed that way. Take from the working to pay for the elderly and disabled. And it works currently, plus or minus a couple billion. My wife is/was disabled at age 54, and I think it worked/works pretty good for us. Some people are disabled at a very young age and some not at all and get Medicare when they turn 65. And some pay in all there lives only to pass before collecting a dime. Roll of the dice. Now there are currently 206,230,365 people age 15-64 working in the US. And there are 51,055,052 Americans age 65 and older, and 10,153,205 Americans on SSDI. Simple math would have 206 million people taking care of 61 million people, through payroll deductions. With the CURRENT services, etc. Simplified further, 3 people pay for 1 elderly or disabled person through payroll deductions Now under Medicare for all, the same 206 million Americans will be paying for 327 million Americans. Or 1 worker for 1.5 persons. So, the money won't last long as its not lasting currently. But wait, we'll get money from other places, the 1 per centers. After 3 months and that money is gone. But wait, will get money from the middle class, the workers, yeah that's it. Like I said at the start, Medicare is almost break even right now, and works. Anything more is going to cost everyone a bunch of money. They will not hesitate to lump the Veterans into that pool. My brother will not get Medicare, he will get Railroad Retirement Healthcare (as a Federal Agriculture employee, back in the day they got to pick Social Security or Railroad), probably a bunch of money in there. And all those other private health funds. Lump them all in, lets go!!! Not going to happen. And that's probably a good thing. FWIW, Hamslice