Newly separated veteran family with boat load of Q's

[mymarineismybff]

Hello!

I am new to this site, and am very glad that such a resource exists. I also think my husband will be excited to find that such a community exists. Additionally, I have several things I need to help my husband and I have read literally hundreds of pages of information on benefits and what to expect post-discharge, and all the informational veteran sites are frustratingly and strategically ambiguous. My husband and I finally have an appointment to see a patient advocate at the VA on finding general "stuff" out, but after dealing with IPAC and DEERS, I spent the first 6 months of my new marriage in the office at IPAC trying to convince them through mypay that my husband had never seen a penny of BAH. Therein lies my anxiety of having to deal with these agencies. Thank you very much for sitting through that, now here is my actual problem.

My husband was recently medically and honorably discharged from Camp lejeune after 3 years and 8 months of service. This was not a shock, but it also wasn't entirely expected, as we had a week, then ten days to drop our lives and pack(I mean I had a week and ten days to pack=) ) and move 2000 miles home. However, They didn't medically analyze him and therefore did not assign him a percentage. I find this a very precarious situation because I want him to be taken care of for the things he has gone through. I have postponed going to med school to help take care of him and help him get through school. I believe this is the best decision, and this need not be addressed, I am citing it as to how important succeeding in this mission is.
Basically, he needs to be assigned a percentage, and he needs to utilize his GI bill, and I am finding it difficult to find thorough information on the former. As to receiving benefits, he wasn't assigned a percentage at Lejeune, which is the hospitals mistake, but how do I amend that? I know I have to send some forms to Waco, TX to apply for benefits, but how does he, euphemism aside, not get ripped off? I made 3 copies of his 4 inch thick medical history, and I know I give a copy to the patient advocate, but should I try and get him an appointment with a civilian or VA doctor or both? What questions should I ask the patient advocate? Is there anything I could do or look up prior to our appointment that would help him? I also was told not to be surprised at a 6 month long application for benefits process, yet I know quite a few marines who left medically discharged and received their benefits immediately. How do I speed the process up and make the benefit committee make a well-researched decision about my husband? Has anyone ever left the service without a percentage that was supposed to have one? Is there a chart somewhere on how much my husbands body is worth to this committee? Finally, to dig up a whole new dog, I read here ( http://www.*************/benefits/mi...compensation#1 ) that a veteran can receive benefits for a disabled spouse. I don't know what counts as disabled. I was diagnosed with some abnormal cancerous cells some months before he was discharged, but surely that doesn't count? I also have heinous asthma, and does the committee need to know that? I know this is long, and I've never actually belonged to a forum before, but my husband and I are going into this process blind and ignorant and any information anyone can give us will be greatly appreciated.

About the GI bill- which GI bill is better? Does he receive the benefits year round, or only while he is in the classroom? Do the benefits change if he takes fewer classes? He has looked at getting some homeland security certifications, and does the GI bill cover that? If he does an online certification at one institution and real classes at another, will the GI bill cover that? Or could he take classes during the school year and then a certification course in the summer? If he uses a GI bill now, gets a job, and then wants to go back and do some stuff when I get out of med school, can he still use it or is it gone? What if he uses his GI bill to get certified for a few things, then gets a job with the government that he's been looking at, can he go back to school on the GI bill 4 years later?
Does anyone have any particular good advice that may not address any of my questions? Thanks!

Sincerely,
Autumn, partner in crime to a USMC vet

ps- every day is independence day when the people I care about are defending my freedom! Happy Independence day!

[justinheck2011]

i registered and made an account, thank you for taking good care of me baby. you asked a lot of questions. haha

[Quinbo]

I can find no logic in any of this. Why did he have to get out? Was he a weight control failure or something? Did you all get married after he got out? You shouldn't have had to pack and move your stuff unless it was a dity move. Under normal circumstances you get about a month to check out and take care of all the transition details, including a congressionally mandated class on who what where when and why called either tap or tamp. You also have to have a complete medical and dental exam prior to discharge.

If he is somehow disabled then it would be annotated on the final physical and would just be a matter of taking that to the VA.

That is pretty impressive that at age 21 you have already completed pre med and just holding off on medical school for the sake of your husband. Didn't they tell him about the post 911 GI Bill? He should know that he can transfer or could have transferred the benifit to you.

[mymarineismybff]

Well, those are a lot of details I thought didn't matter, but if it will help you expedite an answer to at least one of my 48 questions, then here you go...

He was medically discharged because he's been on light duty for awhile because knee damage and spine damage from shrapnel, but he didn't receive a purple heart because at the time, he couldn't talk about where he was and his SSGT I think said he couldn't apply for one?? He also had a service connected mental condition according to a VA psychologist. Additionally, he has some other injuries that need to be addressed. And no, he did not receive a dental or medical exam as he did not receive a percentage. It also SAYS on a sheet of paper in his medical records that he received neither. A patient advocate is helping us to fill papers out, and he informed us that this method of being discharged is what the military is apparently going to switch to. I think that is an unwise decision.

We got married after I got out of college. We were married for the last 6 months of his active duty. He had a 5 year contract, and they let him go early. Again, not unexpected because he had been declared undeployable because of knee and mental. Our friend was recently told he would be discharged around next december. He was trained as a crew chief, but had a halon accident and got some pretty bad asthma out of it. I feel bad for both guys.

As far as the type of move we had, we received notice in April that he had 3 or 4 weeks until he received a ten day notice. About 8 days later, he received a ten day notice, which actually turned into about a 12 day notice, minus weekends, and his separation date was May 11. Trust me, my husband had no weight issues, haha. Also, I don't know any alternatives to moving... we were compensated for using our own trailer rather than USMC services, if that's what you mean?? Some lcpls came over and helped us move as a favor to my husband, but it was cheaper and easier for us to do it ourselves.

He took SIPS and TAPS for the week before the ten day notice. Other than running around for ten days turning in gear and getting things signed, that was all the classes he was offered, and they were, to be blunt, absolutely worthless. So worthless that I have decided I might volunteer to teach veterans resources... when I can find enough resources to help myself.

The GI bill. I read that to transfer it to me, he had to be in for at least 6 years, and he was only in 4. Also, I want him to use it. He wants to get certified in a few things and he wants to go to UTI. The man loves a good shelby GT. I was thinking we take a year off and work and build our credit and save money and get him certified online for a few things. He hasn't built up or used the reading part of his brain, and he needs to practice some critical analysis before he jumps head on into engineering. I was also going to try and help him through school a bit while I worked as a licensed nurse. My husband is a very smart smart man with excellent work ethic, but a transition into college is difficult because it is 100% self motivation and it's a different way of studying, reading, outlining, and I want him to succeed. I was 17 when I went to USC and had a lot of AP and college coursework already completed. I love my husband enough that if he wanted me to not go to med school, I'd do it. But.

Does this information help? I didn't include any of it because I thought it would make the explanation unnecessarily longer, but by all means, if it'll help, ask away!

Thanks!

[mymarineismybff]

ps- I found little logic in his discharge, also. It's making it awfully hard to get him some care. =(

[Phantom Blooper]

Wishing your husband a speedy recovery.

You need to go to a service organization located in your area and speak to the service officer.

Take his DD-214 and any other paperwork he was given.

The DAV...Marine Corps League...AMVETS....American Legion...VFW...Paralyzed Veterans of America...Purple Hearts

Your questions are valid...however you need to get medical treatment and what is owed ASAP....

The answers that you get here will only be of personal experiences.

Send this Marine a PM he is a VA service representative in Louisiana and he may be able to give up to date scoop.

http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/member.php?u=7539

His screen name is oldtop.

Good luck to you both.

[Wyoming]

He was medically discharged because he's been on light duty for awhile because knee damage and spine damage from shrapnel, but he didn't receive a purple heart because at the time, he couldn't talk about where he was and his SSGT I think said he couldn't apply for one?? He also had a service connected mental condition according to a VA psychologist.


We were married for the last 6 months of his active duty.

These caught my eye.

Can you explain a bit further?

[USNAviator]

"he didn't receive a purple heart because at the time, he couldn't talk about where he was and his SSGT I think said he couldn't apply for one??"

This caught my eye as well. With all due respect could you ask your husband to explain this?

Regarding all others matters, I hope all things work out for you

Dan

[hbharrison]

OK how does one not get a PH becuase they were where they could not talk about it?

[Vandrel]

He also had a service connected mental condition according to a VA psychologist.

So did he go to the VA clinic on base while checking out and get seen or start paperwork?

Regardless of what type of discharge is awarded, a percentage award package won't come in the mail until the VA gets a copy of his DD214.

I got my percentage package nearly 2 months after I EAS'd and didn't get my first pay until the following month.

[Phantom Blooper]

he didn't receive a purple heart because at the time, he couldn't talk about where he was

I thought about that also and typed Purple Hearts....for helping.

But I had a brain fart and I forgot to question this....

Not understanding this either....if he was wounded and treated he should rate a Purple Heart.

Please explain........

[Riven37]

Unless he was doing Special Ops, he may have been somewhere where he wasn't suppose to be at and ended up wounded. I am not concern about the PH he can apply for one later but it will be harder to get.

These caught my eye.

Can you explain a bit further?

[mymarineismybff]

So did he go to the VA clinic on base while checking out and get seen or start paperwork?

Regardless of what type of discharge is awarded, a percentage award package won't come in the mail until the VA gets a copy of his DD214.

I don't think he went to the hospital at all, except to pick up my medical records. Also, we turned in his dd form 214 to the VA.. and everyone else, including the dmv, and that's why we were assigned a psychologist and a patient advocate to help us. Im sure the VA will help us fix this, but I just don't understand how you can decide that one is medically unfit for service and not medically examine him to a T. Surely there are laws or orders on this somewhere?

[mymarineismybff]

We both have jobs, and his is a night job that lasts from 5 pm to 4 am usually =(

However, I did ask him and he said he wasn't treated. He said a corps man put some black stuff in the wound? Don't ask me, i couldn't even tell you what "black stuff" is qualified to go into an open wound outside of a hospital. Anyways, it's also apparently too late now. And the "I can't talk about it" bit is quite common, apparently. His entire, um, I don't know the terminology, but entire section of people he was with always said that to us women-folk and now that they're out and receiving services, the VA is asking them questions left and right that they couldn't originally talk to us about. Oh well. I don't need to know that badly.

And whomever asked my husband to explain the situation, I've TOLD him to sign on and put a pic in and maybe ask his own questions and reply to the nice people who have offered me help and such, but we both work a lot. His 1 job equals or exceeds my two!

[TMM54]

Second on the post recommending go to one of the service organizations. The DAV helped me tremendously - still is. Get an expert to help your husband. Semper Fi, Tom