Got some bad news a few days ago

wutadumsn23

As some of you may remember, I had gotten orders to Ramstein AB in Germany and was due to PCS (move) a few days from now. Well, long story short my orders got cancelled because of my medical issues, and I won't be going anywhere anytime soon. The eye condition (Keratoconus) I was supposed to have surgery for has gotten worse and I never had the surgery because I was afraid it would interfere with my move. Turns out the condition itself was reason enough for a Med Board and the AF is currently deciding whether they want to keep me, or kick me out. One of the reasons they denied my RTD recommendation (return to duty) and sent my package to the Med Board was because of "insufficent time in service" WTF?? I have been in almost 12 years now, and that is insufficent time?? Sorry, just a little peeved. Anywhoot, I should know in about 4 months or so if the AF wants to keep me around, but in the meantime I have rescheduled an appt with my eye doctor to get the process started all over again for my surgery. May 8th I go in for a consultation, since it has been more than 3 months, I have to start all over again, eventhough I was already approved for the surgery last November. Even if I do get the surgery and I get my RTD recommendation from AFPC, I will have a "C" code in my Medical records, which will prevent me from PSC'ing overseas!! Sucks to be me, looks like I am doomed to be stateside for the rest of my career, however long that is, lol.

-Jeff

AudioGenics

I hope you get the medical procedure done to correct the health issue and get well real quick !
..but you know we still need protection here stateside too and thank god for the Military
and I am too much of a whimp to do it myself.

I tried to enlist but I was told I was too OLD...

Willow

In the mean time I'll kick your butt in COD!

Seriously, it's unfortunate that you are in this situation, but your health is more important and you may be headed for an unexpected detour in your life plans. I say go with it and make the best of it you can.

In the mean time.........I'll be looking towards blowing you up! :eek::rolleyes:

Sherardp

Sad to hear Jeff, but I think the Airforce are very fast in getting rid of people than retaining. Coming from the USMC, and now currently working with allot of Airforce personnel I see it all the time. In the case of getting in trouble(disciplinary actions), medical concerns, etc. Instead of helping the individual, they just toss them out.

I disagree with the AF's approach on this, just my humble opinion. Hope all goes well with the surgery and getting back on your feet. I appreciate what you do for us in there. Semper Fi, FLY GUY!!.;)

Jstas

Could be worse. At least you won't get deployed where you can get shot at.

Also, if you get out of the military and get a job with a defense contractor, they will send you all over creation if you're willing to do the suck work that entails. Since you're already in the military, you should be used to that by now!

Fireman32

Well the main thing is that you get healthy.

nooshinjohn

Get well soon my friend... I agree with Sherardp about the Air Force tossing people with the greatest of ease. I had a cousin tossed out for playing a stereo too loud. He was told a couple times to keep the volume down, but the third time he was gone. No drugs, no alcohol, just loud music and being under 180 days in service at the time.

Hopefully the Airforce won't be so rash with you, but I would see a JAG officer and prepare to fight if you want to stay in. In these matters it may be a good idea to take actions to protect your interests first rather that react later.

Sherardp

Jstas wrote: »

Also, if you get out of the military and get a job with a defense contractor, they will send you all over creation if you're willing to do the suck work that entails. Since you're already in the military, you should be used to that by now!

Or get with a company who has big military contracts and work for them. I've been doing this for sometime and can say if you love being overseas or don't mind it, there is some serious coin out there. That's speaking from personal experience.

coolsax

Good luck man , get your health taken care of and just travel the world yourself when you do leave. I agree as well that the USAF is very quick in getting rid of people. I remember a couple years ago they "laid off" a ton of officers mostly lieutenants who were 1-3 yrs out of college, my brother was one of them. He wanted to be a lifer, but they didn't seem to care so he was let go, just before he was scheduled to switch bases. While it was great that they forgave all of his Financial aid he was given for school b/c he was in ROTC while in school, they left him with nothing in terms of a severance and it took him a little bit get back on his feet.

cnh

Well that Suxx Jeff. But the important thing is that you take care of your eyes...get the BEST care you can. If possible have the procedure at a Major University Teaching Hospital that does research in that area! And hang in there.

You might not make it to Germany but hopefully you'll be able to hang with the AF until you can get the best benefits package. And besides..we like having you with us 'here' although I really shouldn't talk bacause I'm 'there' instead of 'here' myself.

Take care buddy! We're pulling for you!

cnh

cfrizz

Take care of your eyes first & foremost. Good luck with the rest.

disneyjoe7

Sorry about the news, I agree get the eyes fixed then see what happens. Best of Luck.

potee

Jeff. I returned your PM before I saw this thread. Take care of your health above all else. The rest is just bumps on a long road. Hang in ther good things happen to good people, But there are alot of twists and turns along the way some good some bad. God Bless and GOOD LUCK.

Paul

TNRabbit

nooshinjohn wrote: »

Get well soon my friend... I agree with Sherardp about the Air Force tossing people with the greatest of ease. I had a cousin tossed out for playing a stereo too loud. He was told a couple times to keep the volume down, but the third time he was gone. No drugs, no alcohol, just loud music and being under 180 days in service at the time.

Hopefully the Airforce won't be so rash with you, but I would see a JAG officer and prepare to fight if you want to stay in. In these matters it may be a good idea to take actions to protect your interests first rather that react later.

cfrizz wrote: »

Take care of your eyes first & foremost. Good luck with the rest.

disneyjoe7 wrote: »

Sorry about the news, I agree get the eyes fixed then see what happens. Best of Luck.

Ditto to all the above.

I retired in 2000 after 20 years USAF; I've seen several folks removed from duty for medical reasons. Sux.

Good luck to you~

potee

Sherardp wrote: »

Sad to hear Jeff, but I think the Airforce are very fast in getting rid of people than retaining. Coming from the USMC, and now currently working with allot of Airforce personnel I see it all the time. In the case of getting in trouble(disciplinary actions), medical concerns, etc. Instead of helping the individual, they just toss them out.

I disagree with the AF's approach on this, just my humble opinion. Hope all goes well with the surgery and getting back on your feet. I appreciate what you do for us in there. Semper Fi, FLY GUY!!.;)

I must say that it was always tough to get rid of slackers and trouble makers. All who wanted a paycheck that they didn't want to earn.
I feel you toe the line do the job or get out.
I did 27 years and have three kids and a grandson in the military all complain about those that think they don't have to work for thier keep
Just my little rant sorry.

Paul

Jstas

disneyjoe7 wrote: »

Sorry about the news, I agree get the eyes fixed then see what happens. Best of Luck.

Made me laugh!

disneyjoe7

OK reading it back made me laugh also.

Jstas

Sherardp wrote: »

Or get with a company who has big military contracts and work for them. I've been doing this for sometime and can say if you love being overseas or don't mind it, there is some serious coin out there. That's speaking from personal experience.

Serious coin in it for those who travel for the defense contractors as well. Granted pay isn't as high as the civilian sector but benefits are far more numerous. Plus the locals are exotic. Kwaj is a zit in the middle of teh ocean but boy, if you want to get away from stuff, I think the only place less populated is Diego Garcia. But everywhere I traveled, unless it was a "day off", I got paid for 16 hours days whether I was working all 16 hours or not. The contract viewed just being on location as a work requirement and therefore billable hours. A one month stay in a place like Kawj would net me about 2.5 months of pay. Two or three trips like that a year and you'd add 50-60% on to your yearly salary.

Knucklehead

Damn Jeff, that sucks.....hope everything works out ok.

Sherardp

Jstas wrote: »

Serious coin in it for those who travel for the defense contractors as well. Granted pay isn't as high as the civilian sector but benefits are far more numerous. Plus the locals are exotic. Kwaj is a zit in the middle of teh ocean but boy, if you want to get away from stuff, I think the only place less populated is Diego Garcia. But everywhere I traveled, unless it was a "day off", I got paid for 16 hours days whether I was working all 16 hours or not. The contract viewed just being on location as a work requirement and therefore billable hours. A one month stay in a place like Kawj would net me about 2.5 months of pay. Two or three trips like that a year and you'd add 50-60% on to your yearly salary.

That sounds like good stuff Jstas. I was supposed to get out to Diego Garcia like a while back but never went. I opted for Iraq sometime back and that was like opening a bank fault for contractors. Some of the numbers were unreal, of course you were in a hot zone in the wire but wow. Seems like your enjoying what you do bro. I would definitely recommend gov contracting to anyone here wanting to travel some.

Sherardp

disneyjoe7 wrote: »

OK reading it back made me laugh also.

A nice little chuckle there for me also.

Jstas

Sherardp wrote: »

That sounds like good stuff Jstas. I was supposed to get out to Diego Garcia like a while back but never went. I opted for Iraq sometime back and that was like opening a bank fault for contractors. Some of the numbers were unreal, of course you were in a hot zone in the wire but wow. Seems like your enjoying what you do bro. I would definitely recommend gov contracting to anyone here wanting to travel some.

Did. I left that job because Congress cut defense spending and while I was still there. The writing was on the wall at that point. Then our fearless leader cut defense spending even further and now whole contracts that are 6-10 years in are being dropped at a huge loss. My old employer is looking to unload 1200 jobs at my old location alone.

Don't get me wrong, defense work is still out there, you just gotta know what is getting done where. If you have an in like military service or already work for a contractor, you have an idea so you can follow the work if you desire. But the traveling work is always available because the deployments can be lengthy and therefore unattractive to most.

danger boy

Jeff, sorry man.. get your medical problems straightened out, then figure out the rest.

kcoc321

Hey Bud, sorry to hear about your issues, but look at it this way, now you can get your eyes fixed, and that is the most important thing, in the long run...

And you don't have to ship all your speakers to Germany...who KNOWS what could happen to them..:eek: :eek:

Wishing you well
KC

TroyD

Jeff,

I'd probably need to know a little bit more....and the whole Med Board thing is pretty nefarious.

I don't know what this disease is but I'm guessing the AF thinks that it's correctable? That said, I'm suspecting that not getting the surgery is the show-stopper. Getting care at RMS shouldn't be the issue, Landsthul (sp) has about every medical condition under the sun under thier umbrella. So, what I'm guessing is that when they reviewed your medical records.....the percieve that you are basically refusing treatment. Basically, what I think is happening is they want to force your hand. *EDIT* as far as the "C" code goes....maybe, maybe not. If the doc signs you off as GTG, yes, AFPC can still code you only if medical care doesn't exist in that location. A place like Ramstein, hell, Landsthul (sp) has pretty much ever specialty under the sun....so, restricting you to CONUS only? I dunno about that. Again, I've seen enough of this to know that what AFPC says isn't always what is true.

I've known a couple of dudes that fell under this for back issues. They didn't want to go under the knife, so they were going to Board them....which doesn't mean you are automatically going to get booted but with Force Shaping kicking in....it's certainly a possibility. My question would be, if you get the surgery, what's the downside for you? Is it risky or even if you get it, you are still non-deployable? Either way, I'd want to get squared away while on active duty rather than separate and fall under the VA.


Anyhow, my recommendation is to, 1. talk to your provider and 2. talk to your Chief and Commander......but, sounds to me like what the AF wants you to do is get the surgery if you wish to stay in.

BDT

also, the magic # for insufficient time in service is 16 yrs.....

mini-me

I am sorry to hear Jeff! I wish you best of luck and things turns out to be in your favor.

And I hope your eyes surgery goes well too.

NotaSuv

Jstas wrote: »

Serious coin in it for those who travel for the defense contractors as well. Granted pay isn't as high as the civilian sector but benefits are far more numerous. Plus the locals are exotic. Kwaj is a zit in the middle of teh ocean but boy, if you want to get away from stuff, I think the only place less populated is Diego Garcia. But everywhere I traveled, unless it was a "day off", I got paid for 16 hours days whether I was working all 16 hours or not. The contract viewed just being on location as a work requirement and therefore billable hours. A one month stay in a place like Kawj would net me about 2.5 months of pay. Two or three trips like that a year and you'd add 50-60% on to your yearly salary.

My best earnings made were working for Raytheon (JACADS) on what I call a remote location Johnston Atoll.....best was we got full use of all amenties free boats,movies,bowling whatever... Fishing like you wouldnt believe...they were some fun and very profitable years, the amount of $$$$$$$$ our gov poured into that tiny bird perserve was staggering

Jeff its a great way to use your skills, make some bucks and travel to some neat places..hope all works out for the best.thanks for your service..................

woodhead 2

Take care of your eyes, and the rest will fall into place. Good luck.

comfortablycurt

Sorry to hear about your bad luck, Jeff.

Hopefully you can get your medical condition figured out...then you'll be on your way.

wutadumsn23

Thanks for the well wishes guys, they mean alot. The part about getting my eyes fixed and "seeing" what happens was great, I know it wasn't done "on purpose" but it sure made me laugh. Seriously though guys, thank you from the bottom of my heart, this place has been like a family to me since I joined. I have met a few of the guys in this thread including dangey boy and kcoc at the Seattle meet and they are great guys. Also the infamous lightman1 and cam, just to name a few. As for Troy's comments, you and me need to have a serious talk, it really looks like you have some valuable information and I have noone here that appears to be in the know like you do. I didn't decline or refuse the surgery because I didn't want to do it, I chose not to do it because I didn't want it to interfere with my PCS to Germany because the follow on care for this surgery can be up to one year. The Dr's involved with the Med Board had no idea I had even scheduled surgery for it. My Mom has had both her corneas transplanted and it was a long, painful process for her. I want to have this done and have already started the ball rolling on round 2, I talked to my 1st Shirt and Commander already and they both advised me to go forward with the surgery. To be honest, I have had more knowledge on my condition than any Military Dr. that has been involved in this process so far, and that is pretty scary to me, since my info came from a Google search, lol. On a side note, I think the C code will come from my other condition, sleep apnea and I use a CPAP machine. I think that is the one that will prevent me from PCS'ing overseas, from what I have been told? Again, thanks guys, and Troy feel free to PM me if you want to exchange numbers or information about my questions in an E-mail.

-Jeff

wutadumsn23

LOL, Mike. I'm on it don't worry, gotta start all over again, but it should go pretty quick this time since they already know I am FUBAR, lol. Oh and Willow, bring it!! LOL J/K you'd probably kick my a$$, getting harder and harder to see my TV and I have a friggin 60" Sony.

-Jeff