So once it was discovered that I was dealing with complications from wounds I sustained in Afghanistan, I was referred to a Medical Evaluation Board (MEB), which placed me on Limited Duty (LIMDU). Limited Duty basically just means I cannot deploy, I cannot work in any high-risk environments, I cannot work with weapons or explosives and I cannot be assigned to any task that may exacerbate my condition. You are assigned to a LIMDU status for a period of six months, and according to regulations you are not supposed to be assigned to more than three LIMDU periods in your career, although I know people who have done four, and I have heard of five.

For me, once it was determined that my condition was not likely to improve, I was referred to a Physical Evaluation Board (PEB). The Physical Evaluation Board is a board that convenes at the Navy Yard in Washington D.C. (for Sailors and Marines) that is tasked with determining whether or not the individual service member is fit for continued service. Currently all personnel who are referred to a PEB are entered into the Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES). This system is intended to be an improvement over the old system.

Under the old system, the individual service component (Army, Navy, Marines or Air Force) would rate the service member’s disability rating in accordance with the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD). Then if the member was found unfit, the member was separated and only then did the member begin the process of getting a rating from the VA. This means the member had to go through two sets of lengthy exams, and wait an extended period of time after being discharge before they received any disability benefits.

Under the new system (IDES), the VA does all the medical screenings (usually through a contracted private medical company) and the military uses the VA’s rating for their decision. This works out well because the VA actually has more stringent medical screening anyway, meaning the member is more likely to get an accurate percentage, and it means the member will receive benefits immediately upon separation, with no delay. That is an undeniable advantage.

However, one thing has not changed… The speed of the process. It is still incredibly slow. It seems likely the process will actually only get slower, unless something is done to streamline the VA bureaucracy. Of course, under the new system, you remain on active duty with full pay and benefits while you wait, which is great. But it is hard to plan and prepare for the road ahead when you don’t know what lies ahead. When my package was sent to the VA for rating I was told to expect a result within eight weeks. That was twenty-four weeks ago. In the mean time I am waiting for the call to be told to come sign separation paperwork, and I don’t know if that call will come tomorrow or six months from now. Therein lies the source of my frustration.