Soldiers encouraged to get injuries, illnesses documented ...

A Soldier, whether serving on active or Reserve duty, ... condition existing prior to the service member's entrance into a full time duty ... Soldiersencouragedtogetinjuries,illnessesdocumentedandtreatedbeforeserviceends ByRobertJoeGarciaII|SoldiersMedicalEvaluationBoardCounselJuly31,2020 ShareonTwitter ShareonFacebook ShareonReddit ShareonLinkedIn ShareviaEmail TheauthorencouragesSoldierstodocumentallinjuriesandillnesses,nomatterhowsmall,toensuretheSoldier’smedicalneedsaretakencareofafterservicetothenation. (PhotoCredit:FortBraggParaglideimage) VIEWORIGINAL FORTKNOX,Ky.—ServingintheU.S.militaryisanobleandjustcommitmenttocivicduty;however,suchdutyisalsoveryphysicallyandmentallychallenging. ASoldier,whetherservingonactiveorReserveduty,neverknowswhatchallengesadutydaymaybringduringalongmilitarycareer.ThisispreciselywhyallSoldierssacrificingfortheircountrymusttakecertainprecautionstodocumentallmedicalissues,howeverslight,incaseanunexpectedmedicalsituationarisesthatrequirestheArmytoinitiateaMedicalEvaluationBoardduetoaSoldier'ssuddenillnessorinjury. Servingourcountryisagreatcareer,butitcanalsocomeatgreatsacrifice.Aplethoraofbenefits,likedisabilityretirement,severancepay,medicalcostsanddentalcare,couldbeatriskabsentproperdocumentationofanycareer-endinginjuries,accordingtoArmyRegulation600-8-4,Paragraph2-3. ThegeneralruleisthattheArmywillnotcompensateSoldiersforaninjuryorillnesssustainedoutsideofmilitaryservice.Forcompensation,aSoldier'smedicalconditionmusthavebeenincurredoraggravatedinthelineofdutyandinadutystatusauthorizedbyfederallawandArmyRegulation. Thismeansintentionalmisconduct,neglect,unauthorizedabsence,oramedicalconditionexistingpriortotheservicemember'sentranceintoafulltimedutystatus—orincurredbetweenperiodsofduty—willnotbecompensatedbytheArmy,asper10U.S.Code§1201. Finally,SoldierswhosufferfromaphysicaldisabilitythatmakesthemunfittoperformtheirmilitarydutieswillbeseparatedfromtheArmywithoutentitlementtoanybenefitsunder10U.S.Code,Chapter61(RetirementorSeparationforMilitaryDuty)ifthemedicalconditionscannotbetracedbacktotheiroccurrencewhileperformingmilitaryduties,accordingto10U.S.Code§1207. Thatbeingsaid,thesituationneednotinvolvesomethingnefariousastheprecedingsentencemaysuggest. ThefactssurroundingaparticularcircumstancemaysimplybethattheSoldierfailedtoproperlyandsufficientlydocumenttheirmedicalvisitsorsomehowfailedtoamassrequiredmedicalrecordsforthephysicalailmentsinquestion. Thebottomlineis,aSoldier'sbenefitswillbedecidedbywhethertheSoldier'sinjuryorillnesswasincurredwhileperformingmilitaryduties.ThisiswhyanySoldier,especiallymobilizedReservistsandGuardsmen,needstoensurecertainprecautionsaretakentoproperlydocumentanymedicalproblemsexperiencedasaresultofperformingmilitaryduties. Firstandforemost,SoldiersmustensuretheircommandsproperlydocumenttheirinjuriesonanofficialDAForm2173(StatementofMedicalExaminationandDutyStatus)andtheapprovalmemo,orDDForm261(ReportofInvestigationLineofDutyandMisconductStatus),inaccordancewithArmyRegulation600–8–4. Thatregulationstates,“TheseniorcommanderisresponsibleforthesuccessfulcompletionofallaspectsoftheMEBprocessattheirinstallation.” Thisincludeslineofduty,orLOD,requirementspertainingtodisabilitycases,whichisacommandfunctionandanessentialcomponenttoaSoldier’sArmydisabilitycase.ItisalsoimperativethatSoldierspromptlydocumenttheirinjuriesandillnessesassoonastheyhappen. ForreservistsandNationalGuardmembers,thebesttimetodothisiswhilethememberisstillonactivedutyorders.Otherwise,retroactivelyattemptingtoobtainanLODtodocumentinjuriescanbecomequitechallenging.NoticeIsaidchallenging,notimpossible. IfSoldiershavedifficultygainingtractionwiththecommandtogenerateanLODcapturedonaDAForm2173orDDForm261,thenextbestoptionisto“connectthedots”sotospeak. Soldierscanprovetheirinjuryorillnesshappenedbecauseofmilitaryservicebypresentingmedicalnotes,militaryordersorotherdocumentationshowingthattheSoldierwasservingonordersatthetimeoftheinjury.ThebestcaseiswhentheSoldiercanshowmedicaltreatmentwasrenderedforthemedicalconditioninquestionwhiletheSoldierwasonmilitaryorders. IfmedicaltreatmentwasnotrenderedwhiletheSoldierwasonorders,thenextbestcaseiswhentheinjuryisdocumentedwhiletheSoldierisonordersandtreatmentoccurredshortlythereafter. WeconsistentlyseeSoldiersappealingcaseswheretheArmyfoundthenon-qualifyingconditionwasnotduty-relatedbutthecommandfailedtoinitiateanLODinquiryandtheSoldierdidnotseekoneout.TherewasatimewhentheLODrequirementwaswaived,butthewaiverwascancelledin2017,andLODsarenowrequiredforReserveComponentSoldiers. Theobviousobjectioninareader’smindmightbe,“ButIdon’twanttobringthismedicalissuetomycommand–Iwanttokeepmyjob!” Youwillhavetoanswerthatquestionforyourself.However,ifyoudonotdocumentthesituationandgetafavorableLOD,andtheconditionpreventsdutyperformance,inalllikelihoodthedisabilitywillnotbefoundbytheArmytobeinthelineofduty. Ontheotherhand,ifyougettheconditiondocumentedandtreated,itmaynotpermanentlyinterferewithdutyperformanceatall. Inconclusion,documentingyourinjuriesandillnessesoverthecourseofamilitarycareerisveryimportant.Soldiersworktoohardandmaketremendoussacrificesovermanyyearstonotreceivetreatment,careandcompensationforunfortunateinjuriesorillnessesthatdevelopduetocommitmenttoduty. FromthestandpointofamedicalboardlawyerseekingwhatisbestforhisSoldierclient,thebestadviceistogettheinjurydocumented,getittreated,andgetthatfavorableLOD. _______________________________________________ Editor’sNote:TheauthorservesintheOfficeofSoldier’sCounselattheSoldier’sMedicalEvaluationBoardCounsel.Allopinionsandviewsarehisandnotnecessarilyofficialviewsof,orendorsedby,theU.S.government,DepartmentofDefense,DepartmentoftheArmyandFortKnox. RELATEDSTORIES March18,2022U.S.ArmySTAND-TO!|U.S.ArmyMarchtoServiceCampaign October20,2021ArmyreleasesDigitalTransformationStrategy January12,2021Armytoreviewdischargesandstatus-upgradeproceduresforbehavioralhealthconditions Soldiersencouragedtogetinjuries,illnessesdocumentedandtreatedbeforeserviceends SocialSharing ShareonTwitter ShareonFacebook ShareonReddit ShareonLinkedIn ShareviaEmail