Light and Limited Duty

[NeverEnough1371]

I have a simple question. Is light duty really a recommendation and limited duty a direct order? If so can anyone give me any references on these for proof?

[firedog974]

My guess is that would be covered by MCO or SOP. I am not really sure, but here is what the orders from the Navy says:
http://www.med.navy.mil/bumed/direct...DChapter18.pdf

(5)

Limited Duty. A properly convened MEB at
an MTF may recommend that a member be placed
on a documented period of medically restricted duty
as a result of illness, injury, or disease process.
LIMDU is a period when the member reports to their
work space, but during the period the member is
excused from the performance of certain aspects of
military duties as defined in their individual LIMDU
write-up. For this chapter, and in the actions of all
MEBs throughout Navy Medicine, “limited duty”
will refer to temporary limited duty (as opposed to
permanent limited duty). Temporary limited duty is
also known as LIMDU and or TLD; these terms are
used interchangeably throughout this chapter.
(a) LIMDU is similar in many respects to light
duty; major differences between the two are that, in
comparison to light duty, LIMDU periods:
(1) Last longer than light duty periods.
(2) Require notification to not only the
parent command, but to respective service headquarters
and the servicing PSD of the member’s status.
(3) May necessitate the transfer of the
member from the parent command if it is a deployable
unit.
(4) Do not necessarily require the consent
of the member’s parent command, or of the respective
service headquarters. MTF commanders possessing
“Convening Authority” allowing them to empanel
MEBs must ensure appropriate business practices to
alleviate undue burden on both the patient and the
patient’s parent command, and must include in all
LIMDU cases appropriate notification to the patient’s
parent command servicing personnel/administrative
office, and the respective service headquarters personnel
office.
(b) Continuing care, recovery, and rehabilitation
are conducted during LIMDU in an effort to return
the member to medically unrestricted duty status.
(c) LIMDU may only be provided to a patient
as the result of the actions of an MEB. LIMDU
MEBs are addressed in detail in article 18-10.
(d) A patient whose case is referred to the
PEB for DES adjudication, if the patient is not
already in a LIMDU status, will be concurrently
placed on LIMDU pending the PEB outcome. The
Abbreviated Limited Duty Medical Evaluation Board
Report detailed in article 18-17 may be used for this

purpose.

(4)

Light Duty. A properly credentialed DOD
health care provider may recommend a Navy or
Marine Corps member for light duty to evaluate the
affect that an illness, injury, or disease process has
on the member’s ability to be in a medically unrestricted
duty status. “Light duty” is a period when the
member reports to their work space, but during the
period the member is excused from the performance
of certain aspects of military duties, as defined in
their individual light duty write-up. The goal of light
duty is to allow for appropriate clinical evaluation
without causing further damage to the patient during
the evaluation period. A provider placing a member
on light duty does so only with the expectation that
the member will be able to return to medically unrestricted
duty status at the end of the light duty period;
care must be exercised to ensure that light duty is
not abused or used as an inappropriate substitute for
MEB overview of a case. Accordingly, when a diagnosis
is initially made of a new condition for which
the provider feels light duty is appropriate, light duty
is permitted. (This criterion of a “new condition” does
not preclude multiple “light duty” periods over the
course of a member’s career; it does however preclude
excessive periods of light duty consecutively
for the same condition.) Light duty presumes frequent
provider and patient interaction to determine
whether return to medically unrestricted duty status
or more intensive therapeutic intervention is
appropriate in any given case. Therefore, light duty
will be ordered in periods not to exceed 30 days to
ensure appropriate patient clinical oversight.
Consecutive light duty for any “new condition” up
to 90 days may be ordered by the provider (in maximum
30-day periods), but in no case will light duty
exceed 90 consecutive days, inclusive of any convalescent
leave periods. At the end of the light duty
period, the member will either be immediately
returned to medically unrestricted duty or will be
referred to an MEB.
(a) The MEB will prepare an MEBR for placing
the member on temporary LIMDU and/or referring
the member to the PEB for DES processing. In
no case will a member reach the 90th day of light
duty without the MTF having submitted an MEBR
either placing the ADSM on LIMDU or referring the
patient to the PEB for DES adjudication.
(b) A provider recommending a member for
a light duty status will complete NAVMED 6310/1
(11-2004), Individual Sick Slip. The provider will
clearly annotate the restrictions and limitations
imposed upon the member’s duty, as well as the time
period required in a light duty status. The provider
will ensure that the NAVMED 6310/1 is placed in
the member’s health record and that copies are provided
to the member for the member to deliver to
the parent command.
(c) If there is a question that the medical
condition necessitating light duty is due to an injury,
thereby requiring line of duty/misconduct (LOD/M)
determination, the provider will ensure the member
is directed to the MTF’s patient administration
department immediately following the determination
that light duty is clinically indicated. The patient
administration or medical boards office will launch
(via naval message traffic) the request to the parent
command for a line of duty determination/investigation
(LODD/I). LOD/M determinations are discussed
in more detail in article 18-16.
(d) The decision to place a member on light
duty requires concurrence of the member’s parent
command. As light duty placement, by definition,
will usually return the patient to the parent command
throughout the light duty period, parent command
concurrence for a light duty recommendation is most
often obtained by having the member deliver the light
duty recommendation to the parent command. MTF
commanders shall ensure an appropriate notification
process exists by which the MTF makes timely notification
to the parent command of any Navy or Marine
member recommended for light duty; a critical component
of this process is a mechanism for positively
verifying the timely receipt of information by the parent
command.
(e) MTF providers and patient administration
officers must maintain close liaison with parent commands
of members placed on light duty, and remain

mindful of the burdens placed on a command when

its members are medically restricted from performing
aspects of their duty. In the event of a conflict between
the MTF’s light duty recommendation and the
parent command’s granting light duty, the matter
should be elevated to such a level in the chain of
command, of the respective MTF and parent command,
that an appropriate compromise is achieved
that preserves both the parent command’s mission
readiness posture and the patient’s well-being. However,
if a parent command indicates that it is incapable
of accommodating a proposed light duty placement
for a member, and the provider has conclusive clinical
indications that denial of light duty will cause further
harm to the patient, the provider should immediately
initiate MEB proceedings for an MEBR leading to
the patient’s placement on temporary LIMDU. As
in all endeavors, the member’s CO bears overall and
final responsibility for the well-being of the member;
Navy Medicine must ensure that appropriate information
is conveyed that allows COs to exactingly carry
out this responsibility in medical matters.
(f) Placing a member on light duty does not

require the convening of an MEB.

[echo3oscar1833]

My guess is that would be covered by MCO or SOP. I am not really sure, but here is what the orders from the Navy says:
http://www.med.navy.mil/bumed/directives/Documents/NAVMED%20P-117%20(MANMED)/MMDChapter18.pdf

(5)

Limited Duty. A properly convened MEB at
an MTF may recommend that a member be placed
on a documented period of medically restricted duty
as a result of illness, injury, or disease process.
LIMDU is a period when the member reports to their
work space, but during the period the member is
excused from the performance of certain aspects of
military duties as defined in their individual LIMDU
write-up. For this chapter, and in the actions of all
MEBs throughout Navy Medicine, “limited duty”
will refer to temporary limited duty (as opposed to
permanent limited duty). Temporary limited duty is
also known as LIMDU and or TLD; these terms are
used interchangeably throughout this chapter.
(a) LIMDU is similar in many respects to light
duty; major differences between the two are that, in
comparison to light duty, LIMDU periods:
(1) Last longer than light duty periods.
(2) Require notification to not only the
parent command, but to respective service headquarters
and the servicing PSD of the member’s status.
(3) May necessitate the transfer of the
member from the parent command if it is a deployable
unit.
(4) Do not necessarily require the consent
of the member’s parent command, or of the respective
service headquarters. MTF commanders possessing
“Convening Authority” allowing them to empanel
MEBs must ensure appropriate business practices to
alleviate undue burden on both the patient and the
patient’s parent command, and must include in all
LIMDU cases appropriate notification to the patient’s
parent command servicing personnel/administrative
office, and the respective service headquarters personnel
office.
(b) Continuing care, recovery, and rehabilitation
are conducted during LIMDU in an effort to return
the member to medically unrestricted duty status.
(c) LIMDU may only be provided to a patient
as the result of the actions of an MEB. LIMDU
MEBs are addressed in detail in article 18-10.
(d) A patient whose case is referred to the
PEB for DES adjudication, if the patient is not
already in a LIMDU status, will be concurrently
placed on LIMDU pending the PEB outcome. The
Abbreviated Limited Duty Medical Evaluation Board
Report detailed in article 18-17 may be used for this

purpose.

(4)

Light Duty. A properly credentialed DOD
health care provider may recommend a Navy or
Marine Corps member for light duty to evaluate the
affect that an illness, injury, or disease process has
on the member’s ability to be in a medically unrestricted
duty status. “Light duty” is a period when the
member reports to their work space, but during the
period the member is excused from the performance
of certain aspects of military duties, as defined in
their individual light duty write-up. The goal of light
duty is to allow for appropriate clinical evaluation
without causing further damage to the patient during
the evaluation period. A provider placing a member
on light duty does so only with the expectation that
the member will be able to return to medically unrestricted
duty status at the end of the light duty period;
care must be exercised to ensure that light duty is
not abused or used as an inappropriate substitute for
MEB overview of a case. Accordingly, when a diagnosis
is initially made of a new condition for which
the provider feels light duty is appropriate, light duty
is permitted. (This criterion of a “new condition” does
not preclude multiple “light duty” periods over the
course of a member’s career; it does however preclude
excessive periods of light duty consecutively
for the same condition.) Light duty presumes frequent
provider and patient interaction to determine
whether return to medically unrestricted duty status
or more intensive therapeutic intervention is
appropriate in any given case. Therefore, light duty
will be ordered in periods not to exceed 30 days to
ensure appropriate patient clinical oversight.
Consecutive light duty for any “new condition” up
to 90 days may be ordered by the provider (in maximum
30-day periods), but in no case will light duty
exceed 90 consecutive days, inclusive of any convalescent
leave periods. At the end of the light duty
period, the member will either be immediately
returned to medically unrestricted duty or will be
referred to an MEB.
(a) The MEB will prepare an MEBR for placing
the member on temporary LIMDU and/or referring
the member to the PEB for DES processing. In
no case will a member reach the 90th day of light
duty without the MTF having submitted an MEBR
either placing the ADSM on LIMDU or referring the
patient to the PEB for DES adjudication.
(b) A provider recommending a member for
a light duty status will complete NAVMED 6310/1
(11-2004), Individual Sick Slip. The provider will
clearly annotate the restrictions and limitations
imposed upon the member’s duty, as well as the time
period required in a light duty status. The provider
will ensure that the NAVMED 6310/1 is placed in
the member’s health record and that copies are provided
to the member for the member to deliver to
the parent command.
(c) If there is a question that the medical
condition necessitating light duty is due to an injury,
thereby requiring line of duty/misconduct (LOD/M)
determination, the provider will ensure the member
is directed to the MTF’s patient administration
department immediately following the determination
that light duty is clinically indicated. The patient
administration or medical boards office will launch
(via naval message traffic) the request to the parent
command for a line of duty determination/investigation
(LODD/I). LOD/M determinations are discussed
in more detail in article 18-16.
(d) The decision to place a member on light
duty requires concurrence of the member’s parent
command. As light duty placement, by definition,
will usually return the patient to the parent command
throughout the light duty period, parent command
concurrence for a light duty recommendation is most
often obtained by having the member deliver the light
duty recommendation to the parent command. MTF
commanders shall ensure an appropriate notification
process exists by which the MTF makes timely notification
to the parent command of any Navy or Marine
member recommended for light duty; a critical component
of this process is a mechanism for positively
verifying the timely receipt of information by the parent
command.
(e) MTF providers and patient administration
officers must maintain close liaison with parent commands
of members placed on light duty, and remain

mindful of the burdens placed on a command when

its members are medically restricted from performing
aspects of their duty. In the event of a conflict between
the MTF’s light duty recommendation and the
parent command’s granting light duty, the matter
should be elevated to such a level in the chain of
command, of the respective MTF and parent command,
that an appropriate compromise is achieved
that preserves both the parent command’s mission
readiness posture and the patient’s well-being. However,
if a parent command indicates that it is incapable
of accommodating a proposed light duty placement
for a member, and the provider has conclusive clinical
indications that denial of light duty will cause further
harm to the patient, the provider should immediately
initiate MEB proceedings for an MEBR leading to
the patient’s placement on temporary LIMDU. As
in all endeavors, the member’s CO bears overall and
final responsibility for the well-being of the member;
Navy Medicine must ensure that appropriate information
is conveyed that allows COs to exactingly carry
out this responsibility in medical matters.
(f) Placing a member on light duty does not

require the convening of an MEB.

Damn John your making my eyes hurt with all them words.

[DocGreek]

.....LIGHT DUTY: carrying a .45, in place of your M-16 while on night OPS!!!....

[doc h fmf]

my answer is whats that? hahahahah

semper fi OOOOOOOOOOOOOOORAHHHHHHHHHH

[MontezumaCpl]

.....LIGHT DUTY: carrying a .45, in place of your M-16 while on night OPS!!!....

haha!