Discharge Reconsideration PTSD

[MF6]

I separated from active duty service in the Air Force with in 2010 and had undiagnosed non-combat military connected PTSD with alcohol use in remission (According to my VA disability paperwork which puts me at 50% for ptsd.) This was granted the beginning of last year. I recently put in to have my discharge upgraded to honorable from general and have yet to hear back from them. (E-benefits say maybe I'll hear about it early February 2018.)

There were a few selfmedicated incidents with alcohol that happened while I was active duty that resulted in going into a civilian rehabilitation facility, a perscription to an antidepressant, and a lot of suicidal ideation I recently admitted in my paperwork to the review board that I was afraid to admit to my command because they would do things like write someone up for a sunburn (destruction of government property), or purposefully keep spouses apart by writing one up for something they didn't do and keep them from going during their significant others' PCS (because someone else did it to them for five years and "they turned out fine"(There was no way to prove otherwise.)).

I was recently reading about medical retirement from the military. It's a little confusing. I was wondering if there was a way to submit for reconsideration and medically retire from the military after separation?

 

 

[MF6]

John999

I was discharged in 2009 when they were reducing the number of people they had in the military and didn't get help for my ptsd until late 2016 when the VA diagnosed me. I kept all my records and submitted a stack of evidence that seemed like it was an inch thick once everything was copied so they have little room for speculation as to my mental health while in service. Hopefully the new Kurta memo does something regarding connecting the dots and allowing V.A. records to be presented as evidence. If not I'll have to find a good lawyer.

[Carl the Engineer]

I went before the ABCMR (Army) twice, lost twice.

I researched over at least 100 cases, and almost everyone lost.  Especially illegal drug use related discharges.

The only winners I could find were clerical errors.  Kind of like the VA cue deal.

Just sayin,

Hamslice

 

[john999]

Ham

 

                        You are right.   I went before ABCMR twice and lost both times.  The lawyer wanted $10,000 to represent me and even so he said I had a bout 5% chance of winning because I was asking for my honorable to be changed to medical with a pension.  My VA disability became effective the day after I was discharged.  How can Army claim I suddenly became ill the day after discharge and was perfectly fine until then.  It is more complicated than that I know and the Army and BCMR blow tons of smoke at you  when you appeal discharges.  When I was in Vietnam the army became giving urine drug tests and if you came up positive you got LTH discharge.   I don't know if they were doing the same policy to vets in combat units who were actually fighting the war.  I bet a lot of them would have considered  any sort of discharge a good deal when they did not expect to live long enough to DEROS back to the states. 

                    I would not discourage any vet from trying to get discharge upgrade but the facts should be known before wasting time unless the case is iron clad.  There was a vet here who did get his discharge changed to a medical and he richly deserved it and had much proof the army screwed up.  He also had 100% from the VA.   The BCMR says that even if you were discharged as bogus character disorder and had PTSD instead the rating you should have got from the Army medical board should have been at least 30% in order to even get a pension.  The pension just gives you Tricare and I think is deducted from your VA compensation.  On this I could be wrong.  Now I am thinking the only reason to make VA claims or go to BCMR is if money is involved.   The morale argument is just not worth the aggravation.

[Navy04]

MF6, sorry for what you are going thru bud. Did you serve in Combat, OIF or OEF? What is your stressor for PTSD? Unfortunately I have tried to help quite a few Veterans who tried to get their Discharge changed from General or Other then honorable to Honorable Discharge. I never had 1 that actually went thru, although most of the Vets were in more trouble during their time while Active, then they admitted to me. It really does take alot for the Govt to issue bad Discharges. I have a good friend who is a big wig at the DIA in DC. He tells me that alot of Research and explaining at the end of the Year, when DC gets the final numbers of how many Vets get in trouble while active, or bad Discharges. If you failed 1 or multiple Drug Tests, that is Automatic for General or Other then Honorable Discharge. I hated that I had to kick Vets out that worked for me while we were in OIF/OEF, cause we had weekly random drug tests there. I could not believe, the longer we were there, the more Vets tested Positive. Very hard for me to deal with that but I was the NCO, so I had too. Im sure you are a very good person, as most Vets are but I dont know exactly what you are seeking. Can you please elaborate more on your special circumstances. Good luck my friend, and God Bless

[MF6]

Navy04 thank you for trying to help.

It wasn't combat related. I was assaulted in the base living quarters. I am not comfortable with giving more information other than that regarding the circumstances. I did not do any drugs, nor have any positive drug tests. Just an on base DWI, a couple ER records for self harm threats, military alcohol use program records, and a record from a civilian rehabilitation center concerning alcohol use. My GAF score entering rehab was 60 something (which means I was very disfunctional) and my rehab discharge GAF was in the 30s (Still not very functional, but better). All the rehab GAF scores happened roughly 6 months before discharge. My command treated me poorly, and my supervisor told me not to go to the exiting medical exam so I couldn't tell them about my mental health. I doubt they considered my GAF score for anything since it was a civilian rehab I went to and there's no record for Prozac in my military record, but I have the information from the civilian rehab.

[MF6]

I am seeking either a medical retirement discharge based off them not reviewing my GAF score of 30something from a civilian rehabilitation facility 6 months before discharge and current PTSD diagnosis, or Honorable based off my PTSD rating from General under honorable conditions. My hopes aren't too high when it comes to the medical retirement, but I think it doesnt hurt to try. I think Honorable is more achievable in my case, but still difficult.