Good Day, All,

I am in the process of a medical board that should yeild a medical retirement when it is said and done. I have 7.5 years of total service between active and reserve. I am wondering what benifits I as well as my spouse will recive from me being medicaly retired from the Army Reserve. Please let me know. Any help is much appriciated!!!

Thanks Alot

I just went through this process.

Usually, you have to have 15 years of service to get a retirement, medically. Without 15 years, they will offer you a severance package and you will be covered by the VA for the injuries you have attained while serving.

Are you 60% or above on disability? You may want to really start asking your VA representative about what you are entitled to.

Swtchblde, I have linked this to Military Disability - MEB, PEB, CDRP & CRSC, this will give an opportunity for some of our experts in this to add their input for you.

I am aware but I was informed, through my research, that is 15 years OR 30% disabled for medical retirement. I am currently 70% disabled with VA awaiting my rating decision from the Army. I was just wondering what benifits I will recive if I get the retirement!!! Thanks also, Old Army love for Your Help in this matter!!!

Tricare for your family and yourself, a Military ID card, Exchange and Commissary Privileges, Space-A if you can and want to put up with it.

quote:

Originally posted by Swtchblde:
I am aware but I was informed, through my research, that is 15 years OR 30% disabled for medical retirement. I am currently 70% disabled with VA awaiting my rating decision from the Army. I was just wondering what benifits I will recive if I get the retirement!!! Thanks also, Old Army love for Your Help in this matter!!!

I'm sorry to heaqr that you are 70%. I was 30% and had 15 years in the military, so I opted for retirement. I receive Tricare for retirees for life and a disability payment monthly. I will not see my actual retirement until I am 60. But, the medical coverage is just fine with me! Saves me a TON of money. good luck.

Thanks to everyone for your feedback...this is so helpful!!!!

This post is similar to my situation:
I'm a SFC(P) with 15 years for pay comming June 2011. I currently (March 2010) hold 15 years for pay and 13 good years for retirement.

I've been rated 80% for PTSD and back pain. I was recently voluntarily admitted to the hospital (suicide hotline) and involuntarily released back into police custody (3 Counts of Unregistered Firearms and 7 counts of Unregisterd Ammunition) for 10 misdemeanors that I'm still in the courts for, they didn't have a warrant to search my home, but arrested me for something they found.

With recent events I anticipate my disability may increase to 90%. With all of this I am still an active reservist with soldiers I'm responsible for. How can I be 80% and still be in the Reserves who knows!

What references are available, DA forms to fill out, DA PAMs to guide me through the process? I've informed my supportive chain of command that I wanted to medically retire. The incident above is not the first time something like this has happened.

You would think there would be a flowchart somewhere, and I assure you if I can figure this out with AR references I will create one, I feel there are many guys lost in the sauce as I am.

Any direction would be immensely usefull.

Regards
SFC(P) Corrigan

quote:

Originally posted by Swtchblde:
I am aware but I was informed, through my research, that is 15 years OR 30% disabled for medical retirement. I am currently 70% disabled with VA awaiting my rating decision from the Army. I was just wondering what benifits I will recive if I get the retirement!!! Thanks also, Old Army love for Your Help in this matter!!!

If I may ask ... how did you get a VA rating BEFORE you were discharged/M-retired from the Army?

The "norm" before VA will process a claim is having a DD214 in hand to go w/ your package.

Discharged to the reserves is my guess.

To try and answer to the best of my ablities all questions. 1st how did he get a rating by the v.a. without being discharged from the army?..Once a reservist completes his active duty orders he is issued a dd214 and then he falls under m-day status but any ways. V.A. reps go to units and talk to soldiers not to mention soldiers are encouraged to utilize the V.A. for the free health benefits they recieve for the 1st five years that are back from combat. It is then that they are again encouraged to file claims if they have any combat related issues hence where the rating comes in. It is on the soldier to imform the V.A. that he or she is still actively drilling as well as imform thier respective unit. However the soldier can not be paid by both the military and the v.a. at the same time so they must submit the proper paper work and either waive thier drill pay and recieve comppay(this is the preferred method because compensation pay is tax free)from the v.a. or have thier comp pay offset by their drill pay. 2nd question on what you can do to be medically retired. You or your chain of command can initiate a fit for duty evaluation, preferably your chain of command because as you navigate through the process you will need thier help as well as letters of recommendation for being discharged. Furthermore as I stated earlier it is your responsiblity and yours alone to imform your unit of your rating from the v.a.. Just because the v.a. has rated you at 80% or 90% it means nothing. The military relies on military doctors to give thier oppinion not the v.a. So it is imperative that you insist on a fittness for duty evalution to be done. Becareful what can of worms you open up by requesting this because you can be found to be fit. But lets say you are found to be unfit by a military doctor, once found to be unfit and the reasons that you are not able to continue are found to be service connected your military doctor will request a meb board or physical evaluation board to recieve your imformation and review it and then it will be submitted to a panel of experts to give you a rating. You must have a rating of 30% or higher to be granted a medical retirement ( DO NOT get all excited thinking "oh thats all" again a rating from the v.a. is not the same as a rating from the army; two totally different ratings)anything less than 30% you will be offered severance pay. Oh yeah one more thing. you can not request a meb board only the military doctor you see can. I hope that I was of some help and if I got something wrong in here I know that the moderators that run this site are far more imformed than I so they will correct me... Best of luck to you

This message has been edited. Last edited by: jdl216,

quote:

Originally posted by STATMATT:
I was recently voluntarily admitted to the hospital (suicide hotline) and involuntarily released back into police custody (3 Counts of Unregistered Firearms and 7 counts of Unregisterd Ammunition) for 10 misdemeanors that I'm still in the courts for, they didn't have a warrant to search my home, but arrested me for something they found.

With recent events I anticipate my disability may increase to 90%. With all of this I am still an active reservist with soldiers I'm responsible for. How can I be 80% and still be in the Reserves who knows!
Regards
SFC(P) Corrigan

Wow! You signed your name to that!? Good luck getting the help you definately need.

Just to follow up, I submitted my VA paperwork to the BN. They said they would send it up to BDE. The Assumption is since the military med boards and the va med boards are to be merged at this time, that this will go through rather quickly. June will be the end of my 14th year and then I'll RST out the end of the year for a qualifying good year for number 15.

Yes, I signed my name to it. You know all that 'stigma' training. How do we as a military culture deal with it if some of us don't speak out about what is really going on in our lives?

As well as the problems such as I am now looking at the possibility of 10 years in DC Jail. I don't think that will happen, but I have very little trust and faith in the system, after they entered my locked home, without me in it and searched my place, cutting my luggage, several blankets, dumping out my file cabinets, and killing all the fish in my 150 gallon aquairium. Taking my dog to animal control.

This situation sucks. How can I recommend to anyone to call that number after what has happened to me?

I also recieve dual pay disability and reserve drill pay. I told both about being in the reserves and recieving monies from disability, but apparently they don't know how to rectify the problem. So I have 100% drill pay going to TSP so I don't get screwed on Taxes and I can take out a loan to pay whomever back when they finally figure it out. Which is doubtful, my unit hasn't figured out how to input my divorce and that has been 3 years ago. So likewise, have that BAH put in TSP for when they want it back.

azmax64, thanks for your good luck... This is an adventure, I never imagined in my entire life up to this point. My chain of command is in the loop and supporting me.

ANY references to regulations or DA PAMs or VA information would be fantasticly appreciated.

Out Here!
SFC(P) Corrigan

SFC(P) Corrigan - The Army Reserve has what are called Recovery Care Coordinators (RCCs) which may be able to assist you. If you need more information on the program I can be reached at tony.petrous@usar.army.mil.

Good luck!

We could really use a regular who is familiar with the issues of reserve disability to answer questions. I have a Amry senior nurse at WTC in Genrmay, but she is also at a loss for the unique reserve issues.

I have just been recently diagnosed with Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Central Sleep Apnea "from what I am told is and automatic 50%". I was Medevac'd from the Centcom AOR in November of 2009 due to torn cartilage both shoulders. I have been since undergoing treatment for my shoulders. I was also diagnosed with PTSD. I guess my question is will I be able to stay in the military for one, for two if I am able to REFRAD will I be able to deploy? If I am forced to retire by a MEB what compensation will I receive from the military. I am a E5 in the reserves " but am currently retained on title 10 orders" and have been in 4 years. Any help here would be greatly appreciated, Thank you.

Please be patient. We now have an expert on reserve disability. But it is Saturday. If he doe not answer by Monday, I will email him.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave_M:
Please be patient. We now have an expert on reserve disability. But it is Saturday. If he doe not answer by Monday, I will email him.

Thanks, I'm not sure how to get this to send me a notification when a response is sent so I guess I'll just bookmark the page and check back Monday. Thanks again.

I’ve broken this down into what appears to be three questions you have?

Question # 1: Will I be able to stay in the military? This will be determined by your physician at the MTF, or your unit commander based on any permanent profiles received or your ability to perform the military duties of your MOS. If you receive a P3 profile or higher or your unit commander or the MTF refer you to the MEB this will start the medical board process. Medical board processing is broken down into three boards (MMRB/MEB/PEB). If referred to a medical board, one of these three will determine your ability to be retained in the military.

Question # 2: If I REFRAD can I still deploy? Once again this will be determined by any profiles received as a result of your medical conditions. A P3 profile or higher will require the medical board process and they will make the determination as to whether or not you’re still deployable.

Question # 3: If I am forced to retire by a MEB what compensation will I receive from the military? If you are medically retired, one of four things can happen:

You can be permanently retired (30% rating or higher, or if you have 20 years or more of qualifying service), which is computed as follows:

Disability retired pay is computed on the higher basis of –

- The actual disability rating (i.e., 30% disability rating) or;
- The length of service rating (2.5 x years of service) up to a maximum of 75%
- The percentage is multiplied by the Soldier’s basic pay*

Temporarily retired (Temporary disability retirement pay is computed in the following manner for service members with less than 20 years of qualifying service for retirement purposes:

- 30%-50% disability rating = 50% of basic pay*
- 50%-70% disability rating = that percentage of basic pay*
- 80%-100% disability rating = 75% of basic pay*

Separation with Severance Pay:

Soldiers rated with less than 30% disability who have less than 20 years of qualifying service for retirement purposes may be separated with severance pay (see eight-year rule).

COMPUTATIONS: To compute disability severance pay, multiply the Soldier’s basic pay for two months by the number of combined years (but not over 12) of active service and inactive duty points.

Separation Without Benefits:

A Soldier may be separated from service without disability benefits if:

(a) The unfitting condition results from injury which is due to intentional
misconduct or willful neglect

(b) The disability was incurred during a period of unauthorized absence

(c) The disability was not incurred or aggravated as the proximate result of performing duty as specified in paragraph 8–2, AR 635-40 (for example, EPTS) .


The Army Reserve has what are called Recovery Care Coordinators (RCCs) which may be able to assist you. If interested, I can pass you on to one in your geographical area (404) 903-7856. Hope this helps! Tony

What if I have been in for 22 years, with 18 good years and don't know what the rating will be? I was just ordered to a medical board because of my injuries (Knee, Foot & Shoulder). What are the benefits of staying in the Army reserve to my 20 year retirement, versus taking the medical board retirement prior to my 20 good years? Do you start recieving payments immediately? Does it affect your overall retirement?
I don't know if I should fight it to stay in and finish to retirement or just accept it and take whatever medical retirement is given.
Thanks for your help.