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Hey Nick,

I wanted to ask you this...are you about to get out of the military or have you been on TDRL?

I believe what you have will be useful, but I would also bring any and every sort of medical records that apply. If you have been on TDRL, bring some type of evidence that will provide them with how severe it has been since being out of the military. If you are still in the military and going through a MEB, I believe your PEBLO officer should help set up a package for you when you head down to the PEB.

I would also obtain letters from family, friends, military colleauges, and anyone else who has personally witnessed your ailing health and disability.

Keep us updated and good luck.

By the way, I wanted to further explain something. I know you stated that if they are going to give you $13,000 for a lump sum, that you will try to get all you can for you and your family.

I want to explain how this process works if you take a lump sum.

Let's say you take that $13,000 bucks. Well, congrats, you have $13,000 (minus taxes) in your pocket. However, you have no medical benefits for your disability, and you will never obtain any future benefits from the AF if you agree to accepting their lump sum.

You may have heard some say "the VA will take care of you". The VA may be a huge help to you, and I highly encourage you to file a claim with the VA regarding your disabilites. This way, you can receive compensation for your service connected disablity (if it is service connected,I don't believe you ever explained if it was or not.) However, here is an important thing to know...

Let's say you went to the VA and they rated you at 70% (just an up in the air rating). Normally one would expect monthly compensation for that 70% rating. I don't know what the exact figure is, but I am guessing it is a little over $1000 dollars a month (It's more like $1,200 I think, but let's just say $1,000 for easy purposes.) That sounds like a blessing if the VA will pay you that money tax free monthly, right? Well, here is the kicker...if you decided to take that lump sum from the Air Force (that $13,000), you will not receive any money from the VA until you pay that $13,000 dollars back. This means, if you were to receive $1,000 dollars a month through the VA, you'd have to wait 13 months before seeing your first check from the VA.

Now, you have to weigh what is more important to you. Some would take the lump sum to buy a tv, a good down payment towards a car or a house, or pay off debt. If that works for you, then great. However, you will not receive any VA money until after that lump sum is paid.

In my example, I am 100% through the VA. Let's say the AF decided to give me a lump sum after being on TDRL for 3 1/2 years. I would personally turn that lump sum down because, though I'd receive a nice lump sum, I wouldn't be getting a monthly check from the VA until it is paid off. I live off of the VA, it is sort of an income for me since I cannot work. I could not afford to take a lump sum and squander it away and not have monthly payments given to me so I can pay my mortgage, etc. Now, to each his/her own, but I am sure you can understand why I would turn down the lump sum. You have that right, by the way.

It is up to you what you decide, but I want to let you know that the AF is automatically going to provide you with a lump sum because it gets you off of their back, and they can move along to the next person. We are sort of like cattle being pushed through the system...we are mere numbers out of the many they have to process through the whole process.

You have to make up your mind and decide if you want to fight to stay in, fight for a retirement, or if you just want to take the lump sum they give you. The best advice I can give is, if you do not want to stay in, to fight for a retirement and pursue the VA afterward. This way, you will be able to receive benefits with your retirement from the AF as well as compensation from the VA.

Sorry that this one was detailed, but I want to make sure you have this information. I wish someone told me all of this a lot sooner when I was going through the initial process. This site truly is a blessing, because it has helped me countless times when dealing with the AF, VA, and now SSDI. I wanted to share this with you so you will be informed when you decide to make that important decision that will effect you and your family. From one to another who has gone through this process, don't settle for what they give you. Fight until you get what you want, whether it is to stay in or obtain retirement. Don't settle for anything less.

Good luck and as I said, please keep us updated as myself and others on this board have future exams to attend, we'd like to hear your experience since it would be recent.