Do I claim PTSD to the VA

U

Undecided

Guest
I'm a former military officer who was punitively dismissed. I moved on with life, but in the interim I got divorced, my home was foreclosed and I bounced from job to job. Then I got my life back together.

I got remarried, had children, finally got my pilot certificate, among other things...and I still have my TS clearance.

16 years later, I fought back the tears and applied to have my discharge reviewed. The Board of Corrections agreed with me and removed my Court Martial conviction, punitive discharge, etc. I got backpay and my benefits back, but nothing can replace the lost time and the emotional scars I've dealt with over the years.

Now 2 years into it, I applied to have my injuries reviewed and the VA agreed with some but not all of them as being service connected. The other day, a friend said that I should apply for PTSD related to the way I was treated and the circumstances of my court martial and what happened afterwards.

Friends and family that stuck by me, witnessed me go through a lot of mental anguish, but I don't want to do anything to jeopardize what I've accomplished after military service. I certainly don't want to lose my 3rd class medical (I'm not doing Basic-Med). I never did drugs nor looked for solace in a bottle.

I haven't seen a psych, but I think I can establish a clear chronology of mental anguish and loss because of the mistakes that were made that were "above my pay grade".

I'm interested in what you guys/gals would recommend in my circumstances.
 
Do you believe you have PTSD? Your post doesn't sound like it. It sounds like you want to do it out of anger and spite which I totally understand because you have lost a lot but if you don't have PTSD don't claim it that would be wrong and likely if not medically disqualifying I imagine there would be MANY hoops and ongoing hoops to jump through.
 
Ask yourself what’s more important: flying or sticking it to the VA for an increase in percentage service connected disability.
 
benyflyguy said:
Ask yourself what’s more important: flying or sticking it to the VA for an increase in percentage service connected disability.
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The OP can receive disability for PTSD and still fly. Best of both worlds.
 
benyflyguy said:
Ask yourself what’s more important: flying or sticking it to the VA for an increase in percentage service connected disability.
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He wouldn't be sticking it to the VA. He would be sticking it to every vet who has actual PTSD and has to fight the VA at every turn about every piece of paper.
 
So the OP has a mental disorder that may require treatment but don’t report it because you might not get approved for an FAA medical? :confused:
 
Salty said:
“Mental anguish and loss” are not a mental disorder, nor PTSD. At least not in my book.
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“mental disorder”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-traumatic_stress_disorder

Anyway, don’t call it a mental disorder then. So getting an FAA medical is more important than hiding “mental anguish and loss”? The OP should be focused on his / her mental health and not what the outcome might be about treating that condition.
 
Obviously there is much more to the story than you can tell here. I can't (and wouldn't) tell you what you should do. As for me, with what little I know, I'd look ahead and move on. That may be easier said than done but I've learned that for me there is more pain in trying to sometimes right a wrong and less so and much more progress in just letting it go ...
 
Velocity173 said:
“mental disorder”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-traumatic_stress_disorder

Anyway, don’t call it a mental disorder then. So getting an FAA medical is more important than hiding “mental anguish and loss”? The OP should be focused on his / her mental health and not what the outcome might be about treating that condition.
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Mental anguish and loss can LEAD to mental disorder, but by themselves, they are not, again, just my opinion.

The fact that the OP has not sought treatment tells me that they do not believe they actually have a disorder. But, they might be fooling themselves on that as well.
 
Maybe those of us who are not medical personnel with relevant qualifications should refrain from playing amateur diagnostician.
 
Palmpilot said:
Maybe those of us who are not medical personnel with relevant qualifications should refrain from playing amateur diagnostician.
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Well based on the OP’s post, there isn’t any information that even medical personnel with relevant qualifications could determine if the OP has PTSD or not. There isn’t any specific information to make a diagnosis.
 
Undecided said:
I'm a former military officer who was punitively dismissed….I'm interested in what you guys/gals would recommend in my circumstances.
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Retired military officer here, and at least one other has responded as well.

Here’s what I’d recommend; health first. You can research the criteria for VA PTSD ratings and find they run from 10% to 100%, depending on symptoms. You can get an idea of the symptoms they will look at on this form: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/assessment/documents/PCL5_Standard_form.PDF

If you feel you meet the criteria on that form, then work the process to get healthy, and if you believe it’s service connected, then apply again for a benefit.

Realize those actions may result in you being diagnosed with a mental disorder that may require grounding, a special issuance, or revocation/denial of your FAA medical. Whatever you do, don’t lie on your medical…that’s a federal offense.
 
OP here:
Thanks for the chart and the wiki link. There were times over the years that I’ve probably pegged those symptoms. I can’t say they’ve all abated but over the last 2 decades I believe I am well-adjusted to life as a “civilian”. My family is a large part of my mental stability. Occasionally, something I say or do blows my cover and people ask, but otherwise I try to stay low key.

Military life is a hole that is missing but at my advanced age I am reluctant to change that. My paperwork says I can pickup where I left off, albeit my rank won’t match my age and I won’t blend in. I was in the top percentile of my peers before things went south. Again, a lot of what happened was above my pay grade and I had no ability to defend the decisions I made because I wasn’t afforded all of the available information at the time.

I have had some counseling for life in general but because I lived in shame and self-doubt for years, I omitted talking about being in the military or what happened. But I can say that I was angry for a long time and it was probably apparent to outsiders.

I don’t believe I am a risk of harming myself or others unprovoked. For that reason I haven’t sought any specific treatment. Occasionally I do feel “depressed” but I thought everyone feels that way at some time or another.

I don’t want to be on meds. I generally avoid OTC meds and I have a general bias that shrinks over prescribe.

My 3rd class is 100% truthful.
 
Yeah unless you plan on flying for a living, I’d just go basic med. Then again, I know a guy who flys professionally with a VA PTSD diagnosis. Maybe was grounded for a year while jumping through the FAA hoops. Know another guy who’s 100 % disabled and flys for a living. Got the whole license plate / card thing to prove it. He gets around fine, works out and is probably in better shape than most pilots on POA but that’s a whole other issue. :cool:
 
Velocity173 said:
Well based on the OP’s post, there isn’t any information that even medical personnel with relevant qualifications could determine if the OP has PTSD or not. There isn’t any specific information to make a diagnosis.
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I agree.
 
There are a lot of people looking for that monthly kiss from the government.
 
Sorry for your grief in life, but in my opinion it isn’t cause for a PTSD diagnosis.
 
OP, if you want to fly without FAA medical issues, don't do it unless you really need it. But as Dr Lou said, a diagnosis of PTSD has to be reported to the FAA and may result in your medical pulled after a bunch of jumping through hoops to prove you are fit to fly.
 
Half Fast said:
Why do you rule out Basic Med? …
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Velocity173 said:
Yeah unless you plan on flying for a living, I’d just go basic med…
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If the OP did receive a PTSD diagnosis through the VA claim, I’m pretty certain the OP would need the SI for mental health disorder on his FAA medical before going to BasicMed.
 
TCABM said:
If the OP did receive a PTSD diagnosis through the VA claim, I’m pretty certain the OP would need the SI for mental health disorder on his FAA medical before going to BasicMed.
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Maybe. From the BasicMed FAQ:

Q11: I had a special issuance in the past. When do I need to get another one?

A: You need to undergo the FAA process for special issuance if you newly develop (or have never held a special issuance for) any of the following medical conditions since the last time you received a FAA medical certificate:

Mental Health:
(i) Personality disorder severe enough to have repeatedly manifested itself by overt acts
(ii)Psychosis
(iii) Bipolar disorder
(iv) Substance dependence within the previous 2 years​
Neurologic:
(i) Epilepsy
(ii)Disturbance of consciousness without satisfactory medical explanation of the cause
(iii) A transient loss of control of nervous system functions without satisfactory medical explanation of the cause​
Cardiac:
(i) Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
(ii)Coronary heart disease that has required treatment
(iii) Cardiac valve replacement
(iv) Heart replacement
​
https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/basic_med/media/basicmed_faq.pdf​
 
How the hell do you get courts martialed and a punitive discharge (DD? or general discharge?) and still keep a TS clearance?
 
Sac Arrow said:
How the hell do you get courts martialed and a punitive discharge (DD? or general discharge?) and still keep a TS clearance?
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Yeah, the two I know that went through the wringer were investigated thoroughly beforehand, and were dead-to-rights guilty.
 
I don’t think you’d be asking the question if you really have issues with ptsd. If you think you do, get the help you need and pursue the benefits you’re deserving. If you don’t, don’t add grief to your flying life to get a few bucks from your fellow Americans.
 
TCABM said:
If the OP did receive a PTSD diagnosis through the VA claim, I’m pretty certain the OP would need the SI for mental health disorder on his FAA medical before going to BasicMed.
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Does PTSD fall under any of these?

Mental Health:

(i) Personality disorder severe enough to have repeatedly manifested itself by overt acts
(ii)Psychosis
(iii) Bipolar disorder
(iv) Substance dependence within the previous 2 years​

If not, Basic should work, but I'm not a psychiatrist. Clearly, though, it's not (iii) or (iv), and the OP hasn't mentioned any overt acts so I think (i) gets tossed out, too. Is PTSD considered psychosis? Don't think so,.....
 
Undecided said:
The safety pilot exclusions. Getting a 3rd class makes it more straightforward.
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Under Basic Med, you would just have to be PIC to let the other pilot fly simulated instruments. Not a big deal in most cases. Don't be so quick to put yourself through long and expensive FAA hoops if you don't have to.
 
Half Fast said:
Does PTSD fall under any of these?

Mental Health:

(i) Personality disorder severe enough to have repeatedly manifested itself by overt acts
(ii)Psychosis
(iii) Bipolar disorder
(iv) Substance dependence within the previous 2 years​

If not, Basic should work, but I'm not a psychiatrist. Clearly, though, it's not (iii) or (iv), and the OP hasn't mentioned any overt acts so I think (i) gets tossed out, too. Is PTSD considered psychosis? Don't think so,.....
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The few folks I know with VA PTSD benefits also got tagged with a personality disorder. When I went thru my VA claim in 2016, the VA philosophy seemed to be throw everything at the wall and see what sticks. While I did have to do the mental health screen, nothing came out of it.
 
TCABM said:
The few folks I know with VA PTSD benefits also got tagged with a personality disorder.
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Even then, it would have to be severe enough to have repeatedly manifested itself by overt acts. Now the reg doesn't say what kind of acts, nor how many times constitute "repeatedly."
 
To the OP. First, thank you so much for your service. Second, I think you should do whatever is best for you. Third, I doubt what you’re proposing will affect your flying so long as you do it nonprofessionally. Fourth, I implore you to ignore the rantings of a bunch of self-righteous people who neither know you or what you’ve been through.
 
Regarding the OP, can you just come clean? There are some burning and agonizing questions here. What exactly happened?
 
Sac Arrow said:
Regarding the OP, can you just come clean? There are some burning and agonizing questions here. What exactly happened?
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To the everyday American, a guy who gets run up the flagpole must have done something wrong, right? Unfortunately that’s not always the case. There’s a concept called “win the battle at the cost of the war”. Although I was right about what happened, there were factors that the military court system couldn’t touch.

A couple years later, others took the government to task on related matters. They proved on the record that it was politically expedient to hide some “inconvenient facts”.

I disobeyed an order. I was legally correct and duty bound to do so because the order was flawed and I couldn’t follow it.

The price of speaking up was my career. I knew regardless of right or wrong in court my career was done. While waiting for my trial, many days I would come home, take off my uniform and cry in a quiet corner because I knew it was all over.

After awhile when it was clear that they had closed ranks, I decided that enough time had passed and I asked the matter to be reviewed. I submitted nearly 300 pages of documents. The board agreed with my decision and reversed all of my court martial sanctions.

On paper, I’ve been made whole. Emotionally, it’s an incomplete in my life. My 2nd wife and children have seen pictures and the medals I pull out once in awhile, but they don’t know the person I was back then. The military is the only thing I’ve ever “failed” at in life, I was on a trajectory for many things. Somewhere, in a parallel universe another guy is living my life.

With that said, I am blessed. Did I do some stupid things in the interim, yes. I was angry, hurt and there were times I behaved recklessly. God looks after babies and fools, and men who are emotional wrecks.

Part of my trail of tears were the hearts I’ve broken. Some for which I cannot atone.
 
This is a hard one. But not claiming would support adjustment disorder, resolved......

OTOH the award IS part of your national service.
 
Unknown said:
Please elaborate
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A subtle hint that giving your AME the option to label your past troubles as 'adjustment disorder resolved' allows him to certify you whereas 'PTSD unresolved' makes that a lot more difficult.
 
Everyone all up and down the ladder participates in something that turns out to be a problem. Although the ultimate authority is at the top a scapegoat is chosen for crucifixion. Can’t be the lowliest because optics requires someone of rank be punished. It won’t be the ones at the top because they protect themselves. Someone in the middle is chosen to be thrown under the bus. I’ve seen it happen; in the corporate world but I’ve all ideas government is at least as bad or worse.

I’m glad you were finally vindicated. I have nothing to add about your decision, you’ll have to work out what is best for you in the long run. Good luck, and thank you.
 
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