I seem to write quite a bit about the negatives I've had while in the army and also dealing with the VA. So let me change it up a bit and write a little about some of the positive experiences from the army...
Yesterday I spent the evening with a soldier I met back when I was first stationed in Korea. He was a co-worker of mine and pretty much showed me the ropes. I referred to him as SPC Roy in my journal. Not only were we co-workers, but since he was Korean American he was able to take me out quite a bit and show me a lot of Korea. He now just moved to Tacoma and came to visit me yesterday. We had a good time catching up and talking about everything that’s happened since our time in Korea. Now he’s a civilian and looking for a job, he should be able to get something in the area…the job market is pretty decent right now.
I also have a friend & co-worker I met while stationed in Germany that is driving to my house as I write this. I referred to him as SPC Mac in my journal. We worked in the same shop, did some touring around Europe together with our wives, and also ended up going through the medboard process with me. He’s making the cross country drive from South Carolina to my house in Bremerton. He’s going to stay with me until he gets his feet on the ground and can get an apartment. He has a job lined up at one of the local navy bases and will start shortly after he arrives.
I’m really glad both of these former co-workers and friends of mine are both local now, it will be pretty cool to hang out with them after all this time. I'm also still in touch with "PFC Metal", my battle buddy from basic training and AIT. My wife and I are hoping to make a trip to Seoul and visit them now that they have been stationed there. Of course I am friends with a lot of guys I've served with from basic all the way through Germany on facebook. We keep in touch via comments and messages. The friendships that are built in the military can be pretty special. There is a special bond that develops with people that have to deal with all the crap and idiocy together. These are friendships that will last a lifetime.
Monday, June 8, 2015
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Why the VA Gets a Bad Rap (Life After The Army)
This weekend I went and watched my oldest daughter graduate from high school. This right of passage marked the end of school for my daughter and her entry into adulthood. This reminded me to check the status of the VA claim I made almost a year ago. My daughter turned 18 during her senior year, but was still living at home. I mentioned in a previous post that I submitted a claim stating that my daughter is still living at home and attending high school until June. I logged into ebenefits to check the status of this almost year old claim, here is what it states:
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Status of claim on 6/6
Status of Your Claim
UNDER REVIEW
Submitted: 07/28/2014 (Dependency)
Estimated Completion: 01/04/2015 - 05/25/2015
Your claim is still being processed by the Regional Office. We generally process claims in the order received. We recognize that your claim has exceeded the projected completion date and remain committed to completing our review as quickly and accurately as possible. Thank you for your patience. The time it takes to complete you claim depends on factors like the type of claim and the type of disability claimed. The estimated dates are based on a statistical analysis of historical processing times for similar claims. Some things you should know:
• Historical data may not accurately predict current conditions. Your claim may take longer.
• Dates may change as the statistical analysis is updated.
• Some claims will take longer than the range of dates given as they are based on an average.
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This is complete bullshit! What should take a matter of seconds (verifying that my child is indeed still in school) has now taken the VA almost a year to resolve. I submitted the claim the summer before my daughter’s senior year and now she’s graduated and the claim is still “under review”. It’s no wonder everyone hates the VA. I feel sorry for the folks that have bigger claims that require much more research…those will probably take a decade or more and why people are dying while waiting for the VA!! I just envision a bunch of idiots and incompetent morons working in the VA offices. This is just absolutely pathetic!
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**Update** (8/11/15)
Out of curiosity I logged into the ebenefits website and checked my claim. All I can do is just shake my head. I submitted the simple claim on 7/28/14 and it now has an updated estimated completion status of 10/17/15 to 5/7/16!
Are you kidding me? Something that should take a couple of minutes at most to verify that my child went to a high school while she was 18 is now going to take almost 2 years to complete!! It's no wonder the VA has such a bad rap. It's also no wonder why everyone thinks the VA is a joke. I'm really at a loss of words right now.
Status of claim on 8/11/2015
Status of Your Claim
UNDER REVIEW
Submitted: 07/28/2014 (Dependency)
Estimated Completion: 10/17/2015 - 05/07/2016
-------------------------
**Update** (8/26/15)
Normally I wouldn't post an update so quickly after the previous update, but I received an email from the VA patting themselves on the back. The email titled "How VA is providing a record level of service" goes on to say "A Historic Success for Veterans Service, This week we reduced the disability claims backlog to 98,535 claims - an 84% reduction from its peak and a historic low". It goes on and on and they continue to pat themselves on the back. So I decided to log in and check my claim status...it's the exact same as mentioned in the previous update...no change. While I'm glad they are trying to get the number of claims down, it just makes me shake my head when I think this stupid little claim of mine that would take 5 minutes to complete is now well over a year and counting.
**Update** (10/08/15)
I received a letter today from the VA stating that they have "received my application for benefits". Well I hope so, it was sent in almost a year and a half ago! It goes on to state that it is their sincere desire to decide my case promptly. "However, as we have a great number of claims, action on yours may be delayed". This is pretty much the same thing I've been seeing and hearing ever since I did the first submission. Not sure if this means I'm closer to a decision or what...I guess time will tell.
**Update** (10/14/15)
I received another letter from the VA stating that my application for benefits was approved. So 4 months after my daughter is out of school and well over a year after I filed, I find out that they have approved my application. So I'll receive back pay from the time my daughter turned 18 until she graduated (about 9 months). This whole ordeal wasn't even a lot of money, but it just shocked me how a 5 minute verification process could turn into such a long drawn out process.
As before I'll go to my yearly VA checkup and get my prescriptions from the VA, but I'll try and use my civilian insurance for everything I can. I'd prefer to stay away from the VA as much as possible.
-------------------------
Status of claim on 6/6
Status of Your Claim
UNDER REVIEW
Submitted: 07/28/2014 (Dependency)
Estimated Completion: 01/04/2015 - 05/25/2015
Your claim is still being processed by the Regional Office. We generally process claims in the order received. We recognize that your claim has exceeded the projected completion date and remain committed to completing our review as quickly and accurately as possible. Thank you for your patience. The time it takes to complete you claim depends on factors like the type of claim and the type of disability claimed. The estimated dates are based on a statistical analysis of historical processing times for similar claims. Some things you should know:
• Historical data may not accurately predict current conditions. Your claim may take longer.
• Dates may change as the statistical analysis is updated.
• Some claims will take longer than the range of dates given as they are based on an average.
-------------------------
This is complete bullshit! What should take a matter of seconds (verifying that my child is indeed still in school) has now taken the VA almost a year to resolve. I submitted the claim the summer before my daughter’s senior year and now she’s graduated and the claim is still “under review”. It’s no wonder everyone hates the VA. I feel sorry for the folks that have bigger claims that require much more research…those will probably take a decade or more and why people are dying while waiting for the VA!! I just envision a bunch of idiots and incompetent morons working in the VA offices. This is just absolutely pathetic!
-------------------------
**Update** (8/11/15)
Out of curiosity I logged into the ebenefits website and checked my claim. All I can do is just shake my head. I submitted the simple claim on 7/28/14 and it now has an updated estimated completion status of 10/17/15 to 5/7/16!
Are you kidding me? Something that should take a couple of minutes at most to verify that my child went to a high school while she was 18 is now going to take almost 2 years to complete!! It's no wonder the VA has such a bad rap. It's also no wonder why everyone thinks the VA is a joke. I'm really at a loss of words right now.
Status of claim on 8/11/2015
Status of Your Claim
UNDER REVIEW
Submitted: 07/28/2014 (Dependency)
Estimated Completion: 10/17/2015 - 05/07/2016
-------------------------
**Update** (8/26/15)
Normally I wouldn't post an update so quickly after the previous update, but I received an email from the VA patting themselves on the back. The email titled "How VA is providing a record level of service" goes on to say "A Historic Success for Veterans Service, This week we reduced the disability claims backlog to 98,535 claims - an 84% reduction from its peak and a historic low". It goes on and on and they continue to pat themselves on the back. So I decided to log in and check my claim status...it's the exact same as mentioned in the previous update...no change. While I'm glad they are trying to get the number of claims down, it just makes me shake my head when I think this stupid little claim of mine that would take 5 minutes to complete is now well over a year and counting.
**Update** (10/08/15)
I received a letter today from the VA stating that they have "received my application for benefits". Well I hope so, it was sent in almost a year and a half ago! It goes on to state that it is their sincere desire to decide my case promptly. "However, as we have a great number of claims, action on yours may be delayed". This is pretty much the same thing I've been seeing and hearing ever since I did the first submission. Not sure if this means I'm closer to a decision or what...I guess time will tell.
**Update** (10/14/15)
I received another letter from the VA stating that my application for benefits was approved. So 4 months after my daughter is out of school and well over a year after I filed, I find out that they have approved my application. So I'll receive back pay from the time my daughter turned 18 until she graduated (about 9 months). This whole ordeal wasn't even a lot of money, but it just shocked me how a 5 minute verification process could turn into such a long drawn out process.
As before I'll go to my yearly VA checkup and get my prescriptions from the VA, but I'll try and use my civilian insurance for everything I can. I'd prefer to stay away from the VA as much as possible.
Monday, March 9, 2015
Magic Tape (Life After The Army)
I’ve been heading to the local YMCA and working out with my wife pretty consistently after work every day that we can. For the most part I do a lot of walking around the rack and using light weights on the universal machines with a lot of reps. I’ve been feeling good physically, but of course the pain is always a constant. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been taking a lot of Vicodin to compensate.
My wife has been using something called KT Tape to help with foot pain after hearing about it from a co-worker and it’s helped her out quite a bit. For those of you (like me) who had never heard of KT Tape, it’s “a lightweight, comfortable to wear, and can be used for hundreds of common injuries such as lower back pain, knee pain, shin splints, carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow, just to name a few…according to the KT Tape website (http://www.kttape.com/what-is-kt-tape/)
My wife suggested that I try it on my neck to see if it helps…and so I could try and play a little basketball. Yesterday she applied it to my neck as shown on their website (http://www.kttape.com/instructions/neck-and-shoulder/) and then we headed off to the YMCA. I did my normal walking and then instead of any weights, I went down to the gym and just shot around. I have to say it felt good just shooting jump shots and layups. I haven’t touched a basketball in so long, and it used to be such a huge part of my life. I was feeling good, making shots and working up a sweat.
Unfortunately I could tell by the time we got home that something was wrong. I could feel the pain in my neck and shoulders start to come on in earnest. I had my wife rub on some cannabis cream I had, which usually does a decent job of helping out with the pain. I then took muscle relaxers and went to bed. I had a horrible night’s sleep because of the pain. I ended up getting up and taking some Vicodin…then later on I got up and grabbed an ice pack for the back of my neck. I’m not sure how much I slept, but it didn’t seem like much.
Now I’m up and moving about the day after and still in a lot of pain. I took more Vicodin and will probably end up taking it all day long because I’m in so much pain. It really sucks because I had put a lot of hope into this tape and thought for a bit that I might be able to at least shoot around off and on, but now I know that basketball…even just shooting around is something I just can’t do anymore. I know the tape works for somethings, but just not for my neck injury. Click here if you're interested in buying some to try out yourself.
It just really sucks that something I loved, something that was such a big part of my life has been taken away from me. The closest I can get is watching my kiddos play or watching basketball on TV.
My wife has been using something called KT Tape to help with foot pain after hearing about it from a co-worker and it’s helped her out quite a bit. For those of you (like me) who had never heard of KT Tape, it’s “a lightweight, comfortable to wear, and can be used for hundreds of common injuries such as lower back pain, knee pain, shin splints, carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow, just to name a few…according to the KT Tape website (http://www.kttape.com/what-is-kt-tape/)
My wife suggested that I try it on my neck to see if it helps…and so I could try and play a little basketball. Yesterday she applied it to my neck as shown on their website (http://www.kttape.com/instructions/neck-and-shoulder/) and then we headed off to the YMCA. I did my normal walking and then instead of any weights, I went down to the gym and just shot around. I have to say it felt good just shooting jump shots and layups. I haven’t touched a basketball in so long, and it used to be such a huge part of my life. I was feeling good, making shots and working up a sweat.
Unfortunately I could tell by the time we got home that something was wrong. I could feel the pain in my neck and shoulders start to come on in earnest. I had my wife rub on some cannabis cream I had, which usually does a decent job of helping out with the pain. I then took muscle relaxers and went to bed. I had a horrible night’s sleep because of the pain. I ended up getting up and taking some Vicodin…then later on I got up and grabbed an ice pack for the back of my neck. I’m not sure how much I slept, but it didn’t seem like much.
Now I’m up and moving about the day after and still in a lot of pain. I took more Vicodin and will probably end up taking it all day long because I’m in so much pain. It really sucks because I had put a lot of hope into this tape and thought for a bit that I might be able to at least shoot around off and on, but now I know that basketball…even just shooting around is something I just can’t do anymore. I know the tape works for somethings, but just not for my neck injury. Click here if you're interested in buying some to try out yourself.
It just really sucks that something I loved, something that was such a big part of my life has been taken away from me. The closest I can get is watching my kiddos play or watching basketball on TV.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
A New Year…A New Resolution (Life After The Army)
I’ve been struggling since I’ve been back over balancing working out and pain. When I’m in pain, I have no desire to work out at all. If I’m not in pain, usually a workout ends up putting me in pain. It seems like a freakin’ no win situation. My wife really wanted to start using our YMCA membership and I agreed that we definitely need to hit the gym more. So like many others we started going regularly to the local YMCA after work multiple times a week. I’ve just decided to bite the bullet and start taking more of my pain medication to offset everything. A month has gone by and we’ve done a good job of hitting the gym regularly. I don’t go when I have massage therapy or chiropractic appointments after work. When I workout I pretty much stick to walking around the track, while my wife hits various cardio machines. I’ve just started using the mechanical (universal) weight machines as well. I’ve been sticking to a lighter weight with multiple repetitions. So far it’s been working out as expected, but it seems like any physical exertion ends up causing me pain. I’ve had to increase the amount of pain medication I’m taking quite a bit, but I do feel better physically now. I guess we’ll see in the long run how my liver feels after all the pain medication I’ve been taking. I’m popping Vicodin like candy and taking muscle relaxers every night.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Follow-Up Appointment (Life After The Army)
This morning I had a follow up appointment I made because my prescriptions (pain killers) were running low. I called about a month and a half ago and this was the first date I could get. Luckily I had just about enough pain killers left by my calculations. My pain is pretty much a constant these days. I do have some good days, but I average about 2 to 4 pain killers a day. I am continuing to see a massage therapist once a week and a chiropractor twice a month both using my civilian insurance.
My VA doctor is nice enough, but I felt rushed the entire time. I’m not sure if it’s because he just has too many patents to see, or maybe because it’s the day before Thanksgiving. He did put in a refill for my pain killers and after looking over my blood work from earlier this month and said I should be taking 2000 IU of vitamin D daily. I gave him my medical records from the army, which he asked me to bring in. After that he said I need to have my blood work done again in 6 months and see him again in a year. He then got up and opened the door for me to go. I was a little shocked, I guess I just expected a little more time to go over how I’m feeling, maybe see if there is something better than Vicodin for pain killers. I just expected a little more personalized attention after waiting so long for the appointment. Instead I felt like a number that just needed to be checked off. Prescribe more pain killers and move on to the next.
Luckily I work for a company that is very understanding. At least once a week I end up having to leave early because my head is killing me. A few times a week I’m able to take an hour or so and just lay down on the floor in a vacant office with the lights off & ice on my neck, which is usually enough to help me get through the day. I guess I was just hoping for the VA doctor to have something that would help me out a little more. Now it will be a year before I see him again. So I guess it’s the same ol’ same ol’ for another year. I’m thinking about using my civilian insurance or my Tri-Care insurance to see another doctor. Maybe I’ll get some better service and some more individualized care.
My VA doctor is nice enough, but I felt rushed the entire time. I’m not sure if it’s because he just has too many patents to see, or maybe because it’s the day before Thanksgiving. He did put in a refill for my pain killers and after looking over my blood work from earlier this month and said I should be taking 2000 IU of vitamin D daily. I gave him my medical records from the army, which he asked me to bring in. After that he said I need to have my blood work done again in 6 months and see him again in a year. He then got up and opened the door for me to go. I was a little shocked, I guess I just expected a little more time to go over how I’m feeling, maybe see if there is something better than Vicodin for pain killers. I just expected a little more personalized attention after waiting so long for the appointment. Instead I felt like a number that just needed to be checked off. Prescribe more pain killers and move on to the next.
Luckily I work for a company that is very understanding. At least once a week I end up having to leave early because my head is killing me. A few times a week I’m able to take an hour or so and just lay down on the floor in a vacant office with the lights off & ice on my neck, which is usually enough to help me get through the day. I guess I was just hoping for the VA doctor to have something that would help me out a little more. Now it will be a year before I see him again. So I guess it’s the same ol’ same ol’ for another year. I’m thinking about using my civilian insurance or my Tri-Care insurance to see another doctor. Maybe I’ll get some better service and some more individualized care.
Saturday, November 1, 2014
To Say the VA is Slow is an Understatement (Life After The Army)
I noticed my last couple of deposits from the VA were a bit smaller. I wasn’t even sure where to start checking in order to find out why. I logged into the eBenefits site (www.ebenefits.va.gov) which is where I can see the deposits made, but that is about all it shows. I then happened across the claims portion of the website. It was there that I realized what the heck was going on. Back in July I received a letter from the VA stating the dates each of my kids turn 18 and the drop in my compensation each time one of my kids turn 18. The drop isn’t much (around $30), but it is noticeable. The letter also included forms that I could fill out if my kids will still be going to school after they are 18, which is the case of my oldest daughter. She turned 18 in September, but is still only a senior in high school. I filled out the forms and returned them with all the required information stating when and where my daughter will be attending high school. I wanted to make sure she was still covered under my insurance even though she was 18. I didn’t care too much about the drop in the monthly payment. Mind you that I filled out and returned these forms the moment I received them in July.
Now it’s November and I see in eBenefits that my claim is “under review” and the estimated claim completion date is 1/4/2015 to 5/25/2015! By the time they get the claim processed my daughter will have almost already graduated! To say I was shocked was a little bit of an understatement. I can’t believe a simple form like the one I sent in is going to take so freakin’ long to process. It should only take a matter of minutes, but this is the VA we’re talking about. I really hate dealing with any government office!
Now it’s November and I see in eBenefits that my claim is “under review” and the estimated claim completion date is 1/4/2015 to 5/25/2015! By the time they get the claim processed my daughter will have almost already graduated! To say I was shocked was a little bit of an understatement. I can’t believe a simple form like the one I sent in is going to take so freakin’ long to process. It should only take a matter of minutes, but this is the VA we’re talking about. I really hate dealing with any government office!
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Careful Review (Life After The Army)
It’s been a little while since I’ve posted an update. Not a lot has happened in regards to the army or the VA. I’ve been living my normal civilian life and loving it. I really like my job, I do I.T. work all day everyday. I also enjoy the fact now that it’s getting a little colder outside I can decide if I want to wear a sweatshirt, long sleeves or even a coat if I want. I don’t have to stand around in a stupid morning formation freezing my ass off in shorts and a t-shirt because some NCO decides it’s not really cold enough to wear winter PTs yet.
About my health not a lot has changed. I’m still in pain almost every single day to some degree and I’m popping pills daily. A little over a month ago I asked my VA doctor if he could write a referral to a local massage therapy establishment so I could use my civilian insurance and start utilizing their services. My VA doctor said they do not do massage therapy referrals, but they would write up a referral for chiropractic care. I was already going to the chiropractor on my own, but I gave them my chiropractor’s information and didn’t think too much about it.
It turned out that I didn’t need a referral from my doctor to use my civilian insurance for the massage therapy. So I have been getting a massage once a week and going to the chiropractor twice a month. I totally forgot about the my VA doctor’s referral until I received a letter in the mail from the VA. The letter stated that after “careful consideration” they have rejected my VA doctor’s referral for chiropractic care. The reason…because I’m still active duty. LOL. That is some “careful review” from the VA. I’ve been out of the army for 5 months! I then sent my local VA doctor an email letting him know about the letter and stating that it seems as if the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing. The local VA clinic said that I need to call the VA to get it all straightened out…I think not, I didn’t even ask for the referral for chiropractic in the first place. It doesn’t really matter because I’m using my civilian insurance, but it just makes me glad that I don’t have to depend on the VA for much. In truth I try to stay away from the VA as much as possible. Dealing with them is similar to dealing with the army…so much paperwork and so little common sense.
When I think back now about my time in the army from a professional and technical standpoint, I see that I really fell behind. When I joined, all my peers in the I.T. industry kept moving ahead, while I actually moved backwards. With technology, you have to be hands on and in the middle of all the ever changing trends. When I got out of the army and started my civilian I.T. job, I had to do quite a bit of catch up in order to get back up to speed. It’s been about 5 months now and I’m finally feeling like my head is above water. Instead of hitting the ground running, I had to crawl for a while, but I’m getting back up to speed slowly. Luckily I landed a good job with a great company.
About my health not a lot has changed. I’m still in pain almost every single day to some degree and I’m popping pills daily. A little over a month ago I asked my VA doctor if he could write a referral to a local massage therapy establishment so I could use my civilian insurance and start utilizing their services. My VA doctor said they do not do massage therapy referrals, but they would write up a referral for chiropractic care. I was already going to the chiropractor on my own, but I gave them my chiropractor’s information and didn’t think too much about it.
It turned out that I didn’t need a referral from my doctor to use my civilian insurance for the massage therapy. So I have been getting a massage once a week and going to the chiropractor twice a month. I totally forgot about the my VA doctor’s referral until I received a letter in the mail from the VA. The letter stated that after “careful consideration” they have rejected my VA doctor’s referral for chiropractic care. The reason…because I’m still active duty. LOL. That is some “careful review” from the VA. I’ve been out of the army for 5 months! I then sent my local VA doctor an email letting him know about the letter and stating that it seems as if the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing. The local VA clinic said that I need to call the VA to get it all straightened out…I think not, I didn’t even ask for the referral for chiropractic in the first place. It doesn’t really matter because I’m using my civilian insurance, but it just makes me glad that I don’t have to depend on the VA for much. In truth I try to stay away from the VA as much as possible. Dealing with them is similar to dealing with the army…so much paperwork and so little common sense.
When I think back now about my time in the army from a professional and technical standpoint, I see that I really fell behind. When I joined, all my peers in the I.T. industry kept moving ahead, while I actually moved backwards. With technology, you have to be hands on and in the middle of all the ever changing trends. When I got out of the army and started my civilian I.T. job, I had to do quite a bit of catch up in order to get back up to speed. It’s been about 5 months now and I’m finally feeling like my head is above water. Instead of hitting the ground running, I had to crawl for a while, but I’m getting back up to speed slowly. Luckily I landed a good job with a great company.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Army Pay vs VA Pay (Life After The Army)
I may have mentioned this earlier…but here it goes again. When you medically retire out of the army, you get army medical retirement pay depending on your disability percentage. In my case I received a percentage of 40% from the army and 50% from the VA. You cannot receive both army retirement and VA compensation, so you have to choose one or the other. Army retirement pay is taxed, but VA pay is not taxed. This was an easy choice for me because I don’t want to pay taxes and the VA pay is more. I was told the VA pay can take up to 90 days (or more) in order to get processed and to get the monthly paychecks deposited. The nice thing is that the army retirement pay will start paying you each month after your retirement kicks in and will continue until the VA pay starts. In my situation I started receiving my VA pay today, which is the first month either would have kicked in. My last official day in the army was May 28th, this put me in as a retiree on June 1st…so the first paycheck is the following month.
SPC Mac asked me which pay I received. His last day was early May, but this still put him in as a retiree in June the same as me. He received his army retirement check, which is smaller and is taxed. When he inquired about it, they said he should receive his VA pay on the first of next month. It’s strange how even though he was out before me, I still beat him in the VA system. He has since moved back to Germany where his wife and son stayed and got a civilian job at one of the military bases, which will give him and his family logistical support. (this allows them to stay in Germany as long as he has the job including use of his own car). I’d love to go visit him as a civilian, it would be a heck of a lot more fun as a civilian vs a soldier. His life has improved a 100 fold…so much less stress. He’s loving it!
SPC Mac asked me which pay I received. His last day was early May, but this still put him in as a retiree in June the same as me. He received his army retirement check, which is smaller and is taxed. When he inquired about it, they said he should receive his VA pay on the first of next month. It’s strange how even though he was out before me, I still beat him in the VA system. He has since moved back to Germany where his wife and son stayed and got a civilian job at one of the military bases, which will give him and his family logistical support. (this allows them to stay in Germany as long as he has the job including use of his own car). I’d love to go visit him as a civilian, it would be a heck of a lot more fun as a civilian vs a soldier. His life has improved a 100 fold…so much less stress. He’s loving it!
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Medications (Life After The Army)
After a couple of follow-up calls I finally received my medications in the mail today. I was a little surprised because it is in much larger quantities. Now I don’t have to stress out about running out of meds. I mentioned previously that I’ve also been doing some alternative treatments like the chiropractor and massage therapy. I also received my green card from an alternative doctor. In addition to taking some extra supplements such as magnesium, fish oil, and turmeric I’ve also started using a cannabinoid therapy cream. My wife rubs that stuff on my neck, shoulders and upper back. Once that is on there and sits for a bit, it all starts feeling better. Surprisingly it helps my wife’s hands as well, they recover much faster from giving me a massage.
I still have good days and bad days. They seem to come in waves…I’ll have a few good days in a row when the pain is tolerable and doesn’t impact my daily life much at all. I can take some pain meds and I’m feeling better…not to say the pain is gone, I’m aware of it…but it doesn’t keep me from going about my daily activities as I normally would. Then there are the streaks of bad days where it seems like no matter how many pain meds I take the pain is very severe and it’s hard to get anything done.
The pain meds the VA has prescribed me are Vicodin (Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen) which is what they are having me try instead of Percocet, which is what the army prescribed me for my moderate to severe pain. The Vicodin seems quite a bit weaker when compared to Percocet. Instead of taking just one Percocet, I have to end up taking multiple Vicodin and the relief isn’t as good. I guess it’s better than nothing, but I may see if I can get something a bit stronger next time I go in.
I’m also taking Flexeril (Cyclobenzaprine) which is a muscle relaxer. I usually only take this on an as needed basis and at nighttime because it makes me pretty tired. This is the exact same muscle relaxer I was prescribed while in the army.
Finally the VA doctor wanted me to try out something called Gabapentin. I take this 3 times a day and it’s supposed to help relieve neuropathic pain. I’m hoping it does something, I’ll take any pain relief I can get. On the packaging it says not to take any magnesium, so I’ll quit taking that particular supplement my alternative doctor recommended.
I still have good days and bad days. They seem to come in waves…I’ll have a few good days in a row when the pain is tolerable and doesn’t impact my daily life much at all. I can take some pain meds and I’m feeling better…not to say the pain is gone, I’m aware of it…but it doesn’t keep me from going about my daily activities as I normally would. Then there are the streaks of bad days where it seems like no matter how many pain meds I take the pain is very severe and it’s hard to get anything done.
The pain meds the VA has prescribed me are Vicodin (Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen) which is what they are having me try instead of Percocet, which is what the army prescribed me for my moderate to severe pain. The Vicodin seems quite a bit weaker when compared to Percocet. Instead of taking just one Percocet, I have to end up taking multiple Vicodin and the relief isn’t as good. I guess it’s better than nothing, but I may see if I can get something a bit stronger next time I go in.
I’m also taking Flexeril (Cyclobenzaprine) which is a muscle relaxer. I usually only take this on an as needed basis and at nighttime because it makes me pretty tired. This is the exact same muscle relaxer I was prescribed while in the army.
Finally the VA doctor wanted me to try out something called Gabapentin. I take this 3 times a day and it’s supposed to help relieve neuropathic pain. I’m hoping it does something, I’ll take any pain relief I can get. On the packaging it says not to take any magnesium, so I’ll quit taking that particular supplement my alternative doctor recommended.
Friday, June 6, 2014
Labs (Life After The Army)
I headed back to the VA this morning to get my blood drawn. The office opens up at 0800, so I went there as soon as possible. I had a massage last Wednesday, which my civilian insurance covers. I am hoping massage therapy will help with all my neck, shoulder, and upper back issues. The first one ended up giving me a migraine which woke me up at 0300 in the morning. I had to call in sick Thursday because of it. Today I’m feeling better, but still have a lot of pain and no eating or drinking is not helping at all. Luckily the process went pretty quick. All lab work is done on a walk in basis and I took my number and waited about 10-15 minutes. They drew 6 little tubes of blood and then sent me on my way. I also was able to sign up for secure messaging with my care team. I guess I can now send messages to my team from the website once it’s all setup. I will then be able to try and figure out about my prescriptions.
Monday, June 2, 2014
First VA Appointment (Life After The Army)
I headed to my first VA appointment today. The VA has been getting a lot of negative press lately in the news, so I let my co-workers know that I’m heading to the VA…and I might not be coming back! Fortunately there is a small VA out-patient clinic located in Bremerton. I don’t have to drive all the way to Tacoma and go to the big hospital. I had to fill out some paperwork, then saw the pharmacist to go over all my current medications. I then saw my doctor, a Chinese dude whose accent makes him pretty hard to understand. After filling out some more paperwork he said I’m not showing up in the system correctly…I’m still showing up as active duty. This doesn’t surprise me one bit. Nothing seems to go smoothly with the military and the government. He wants me to get labs done (blood drawn), so I have to come in at some point next week and cannot eat or drink anything in the morning until I get the blood drawn. I asked him about my prescription refills and he said first I need to do the blood work and then maybe my status in the system will be fixed. So I left confused as to when I will actually be getting my refills. Luckily I’ve stockpiled a bit, so I have a little time…but not a whole lot.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Update: End of Terminal Leave (MedBoard: Joint Base Lewis-McChord)
Wrote the following message on Facebook today:
“Today I am officially out of the army...my last day of terminal leave was yesterday. While I could mention hundreds (OK...maybe thousands) of negatives about my army experience...instead I’ll focus on the positives:
• Made it through basic training at twice the age of most of the young bucks
• Graduated at the top of my AIT class
• Stationed in the middle of Seoul, Korea and was able to take in quite a bit during this experience
• Ate all kinds of interesting food
• Experienced Korean culture and took advantage of every opportunity available to see the country and historical sites
• Visited the DMZ and even stood a few feet on the North Korean side of the border
• Saw a communist
• Stationed in Germany...right in the middle of Europe
• Met a lot of great people & was able to visit all 3 of my former exchange students
• Visited a number of historical and just plain cool sites in Germany
• Visited England, Luxembourg, Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, The Netherlands & Greece.
• Drank a lot of good beer
• All my first line supervisors were great supervisors…and just good people
• And finally…I was able to complete a long time goal of mine…I finished my bachelor’s degree using tuition assistance from the army
I Made a lot of memories and friends that will last a lifetime.”
After the little bit of reflecting on Facebook, I took a break from work and headed to the naval sub base outside of Silverdale. Once there I went to the DEERS & ID office. I brought my paperwork (DD214 & orders) and had them input me correctly into their system as retired. Once that was done they had to issue me a new retired ID card. Seemed a little strange because I already had a retired ID card that I was issued at Ft. Lewis, but because of all the mess-ups this was the only way to do it. I have a big ass beard at the moment, so my photo looks a bit funny…but I don’t give a damn. I’m just happy to finally get in the system correctly. I am officially retired now!
I then drove back to work and called Tri-Care to get myself and my family enrolled into Tri-Care for retirement. My first attempt ended up getting half way through, then all of a sudden a dial tone. I was a little pissed off, but took a breath and started the process all over. Dial the number, listen to the recording, speak to a computer, state social security number, name and birth date. Once a real person gets on the line I then have to give all that same information again (social security number, name, & birth date). I then explain to the person that I’m trying to enroll myself and my family into Tri-Care for retirement. The person transfers me to the agent that will help me…I then have to once again give my social security number, name, & birth date. I was a little irritated, but a sweet girl on the other end was really helpful and got me all setup and enrolled finally. The lady was very patient and helpful, I couldn’t have asked for a better person on the other end…especially after getting a little pissed off earlier. I had to make the first 3 month’s payments while on the phone, which was fine. At $45 a month, 3 months payment is still cheaper than what I would have to pay on the civilian side.
I’m now completely set…I don’t have to stress out about getting all of this done now. My next step will be getting my actual army retirement check. If all goes as planned, this should happen on the 1st of July. I will hit the retirement system on the 1st of June and then the first check comes on the 1st of the next month.
“Today I am officially out of the army...my last day of terminal leave was yesterday. While I could mention hundreds (OK...maybe thousands) of negatives about my army experience...instead I’ll focus on the positives:
• Made it through basic training at twice the age of most of the young bucks
• Graduated at the top of my AIT class
• Stationed in the middle of Seoul, Korea and was able to take in quite a bit during this experience
• Ate all kinds of interesting food
• Experienced Korean culture and took advantage of every opportunity available to see the country and historical sites
• Visited the DMZ and even stood a few feet on the North Korean side of the border
• Saw a communist
• Stationed in Germany...right in the middle of Europe
• Met a lot of great people & was able to visit all 3 of my former exchange students
• Visited a number of historical and just plain cool sites in Germany
• Visited England, Luxembourg, Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, The Netherlands & Greece.
• Drank a lot of good beer
• All my first line supervisors were great supervisors…and just good people
• And finally…I was able to complete a long time goal of mine…I finished my bachelor’s degree using tuition assistance from the army
I Made a lot of memories and friends that will last a lifetime.”
After the little bit of reflecting on Facebook, I took a break from work and headed to the naval sub base outside of Silverdale. Once there I went to the DEERS & ID office. I brought my paperwork (DD214 & orders) and had them input me correctly into their system as retired. Once that was done they had to issue me a new retired ID card. Seemed a little strange because I already had a retired ID card that I was issued at Ft. Lewis, but because of all the mess-ups this was the only way to do it. I have a big ass beard at the moment, so my photo looks a bit funny…but I don’t give a damn. I’m just happy to finally get in the system correctly. I am officially retired now!
I then drove back to work and called Tri-Care to get myself and my family enrolled into Tri-Care for retirement. My first attempt ended up getting half way through, then all of a sudden a dial tone. I was a little pissed off, but took a breath and started the process all over. Dial the number, listen to the recording, speak to a computer, state social security number, name and birth date. Once a real person gets on the line I then have to give all that same information again (social security number, name, & birth date). I then explain to the person that I’m trying to enroll myself and my family into Tri-Care for retirement. The person transfers me to the agent that will help me…I then have to once again give my social security number, name, & birth date. I was a little irritated, but a sweet girl on the other end was really helpful and got me all setup and enrolled finally. The lady was very patient and helpful, I couldn’t have asked for a better person on the other end…especially after getting a little pissed off earlier. I had to make the first 3 month’s payments while on the phone, which was fine. At $45 a month, 3 months payment is still cheaper than what I would have to pay on the civilian side.
I’m now completely set…I don’t have to stress out about getting all of this done now. My next step will be getting my actual army retirement check. If all goes as planned, this should happen on the 1st of July. I will hit the retirement system on the 1st of June and then the first check comes on the 1st of the next month.
Friday, May 16, 2014
Lab Results & VA Award Letter (Life After The Army)
Life has been back to normal since leaving the army, which is what I pretty much expected. I was a civilian a lot longer than I was a soldier and because of that I think I had a totally different mindset the entire time I was in the army…and probably why a lot of things bothered me. I really did feel like a civilian in an army uniform throughout my army career. I have been working my I.T. job and actually doing I.T. work on a daily basis (you know…actually doing the job I was hired to do).
I received my lab results via a letter from the VA. The paperwork shows a bunch of numbers and results from each test that was done. My blood counts and chemistries with a bunch of numbers including hemoglobin Alc, cholesterol liver, thyroid and vitamin D. Not sure what any of the exact numbers mean, I’ll have to do a little bit of internet research I guess. In the comment section the doctor said I had a high level of SGPT and that I need to abstain from drinking alcohol…I don’t drink much at all now, so no problem. My guess is that any liver damage I have is because of too many over the counter pain killers and all the meds I’ve been prescribed. I also have a vitamin D deficiency…well I do live in Washington State where it rains a lot! - Advice: a vitamin D supplement. I also have elevated bad cholesterol - Advice: diet and exercise. I have an elevated blood glucose level - Advice: diet and exercise.
I have to say that I have gone a little crazy since getting out of the army when it comes to being lazy and eating all kinds of crap. I can’t really do any strenuous exercises because of my pain and issues, but I will do a better job of eating. I’m going to add fish to my diet at least once a week and cut back on all the junk food even though my sweet tooth will be a little upset. I am 40 now and I can’t just eat everything I desire like I used to. I also downloaded a free app called “Breeze” which tracks the steps I’m taking. It sets goals and reminds you to get your butt in gear if you need to. I’m using my lunch break to go for a walk each day (weather permitting)…this will also help with the vitamin D! I’m also trying to drink a lot more water. These are my first steps to a healthier me. I have to get all the tests done again in 3 months, so I’m sure they will be better this next time.
I received my VA Award letter in the mail today. I thought everything was already done, but this one is the official final letter showing basically the same thing my initial results showed me with the percentages for each of my claimed injuries. What’s nice about this letter is that it shows the exact monthly entitlement amount that I’ll be receiving and the date that it starts. I’m in the system as of June 1st, so I’ll receive my first payment on July 1st. The letter also breaks down each date that my kids turn 18 and my monthly entitlement is reduced. It turns out to be a difference of about $30 to $40 until all my kids are off, then it goes down about $60.
As far as my pain and injuries, I’ve been using my civilian insurance to see a chiropractor twice a month and a massage therapist weekly. Luckily I’ve also stockpiled quite a bit of my pain medications from my time in the army, because I’m still waiting on the VA to prescribe me some. The doctor told me I had to wait until after my blood work was done, but didn’t tell me what to do to actually get the prescriptions. I called the local VA clinic and was routed to my team nurse…well, routed to her voicemail. I left a message and heard from her the next day. I told her I need to start getting my prescriptions. She said she would check with my doctor and get them filled. They are mailed out, so she said if I don’t hear from her everything should be done and on it’s way. Now I sit and wait I guess.
I received my lab results via a letter from the VA. The paperwork shows a bunch of numbers and results from each test that was done. My blood counts and chemistries with a bunch of numbers including hemoglobin Alc, cholesterol liver, thyroid and vitamin D. Not sure what any of the exact numbers mean, I’ll have to do a little bit of internet research I guess. In the comment section the doctor said I had a high level of SGPT and that I need to abstain from drinking alcohol…I don’t drink much at all now, so no problem. My guess is that any liver damage I have is because of too many over the counter pain killers and all the meds I’ve been prescribed. I also have a vitamin D deficiency…well I do live in Washington State where it rains a lot! - Advice: a vitamin D supplement. I also have elevated bad cholesterol - Advice: diet and exercise. I have an elevated blood glucose level - Advice: diet and exercise.
I have to say that I have gone a little crazy since getting out of the army when it comes to being lazy and eating all kinds of crap. I can’t really do any strenuous exercises because of my pain and issues, but I will do a better job of eating. I’m going to add fish to my diet at least once a week and cut back on all the junk food even though my sweet tooth will be a little upset. I am 40 now and I can’t just eat everything I desire like I used to. I also downloaded a free app called “Breeze” which tracks the steps I’m taking. It sets goals and reminds you to get your butt in gear if you need to. I’m using my lunch break to go for a walk each day (weather permitting)…this will also help with the vitamin D! I’m also trying to drink a lot more water. These are my first steps to a healthier me. I have to get all the tests done again in 3 months, so I’m sure they will be better this next time.
I received my VA Award letter in the mail today. I thought everything was already done, but this one is the official final letter showing basically the same thing my initial results showed me with the percentages for each of my claimed injuries. What’s nice about this letter is that it shows the exact monthly entitlement amount that I’ll be receiving and the date that it starts. I’m in the system as of June 1st, so I’ll receive my first payment on July 1st. The letter also breaks down each date that my kids turn 18 and my monthly entitlement is reduced. It turns out to be a difference of about $30 to $40 until all my kids are off, then it goes down about $60.
As far as my pain and injuries, I’ve been using my civilian insurance to see a chiropractor twice a month and a massage therapist weekly. Luckily I’ve also stockpiled quite a bit of my pain medications from my time in the army, because I’m still waiting on the VA to prescribe me some. The doctor told me I had to wait until after my blood work was done, but didn’t tell me what to do to actually get the prescriptions. I called the local VA clinic and was routed to my team nurse…well, routed to her voicemail. I left a message and heard from her the next day. I told her I need to start getting my prescriptions. She said she would check with my doctor and get them filled. They are mailed out, so she said if I don’t hear from her everything should be done and on it’s way. Now I sit and wait I guess.
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Update: College Graduate (MedBoard: Joint Base Lewis-McChord)
Thought I’d write a little update now that it’s been a little over a month since my last post. I’m still technically in the army and enjoying the life that is terminal leave. I started my new job the day I went on terminal leave and it’s been great. I’m actually doing I.T. work once again, unlike my time in the army. I work for a great company full of some awesome people. The company actually makes a difference in the community as well. After this first month of working there, I know I made the right job choice and I see myself working here for a very long time.
One of my big goals when joining the army was to get my bachelor’s degree. I’m happy to say that as of today I am now a college graduate. My last two classes officially ended on May 6th, then they did an audit to make sure everything was in order before the graduation was official. It’s been a long long road to get to this point. A lot of hard work taking one class at a time and working on schoolwork most nights, but it is a really great feeling…and a large weight lifted off my shoulders. I’m feeling pretty darn accomplished…and happy. I’ll be taking a little while off before pursuing any more certifications or anything, it will be a welcome break.
As for army news…as I mentioned earlier, I’m extremely happy being on terminal leave…I really enjoy the freedom of being a civilian once again. I have a nice beard I’ve been working on since the first day of terminal leave. I’ve loved being able to wear whatever clothes I deem appropriate for weather conditions or how I feel. I also have been taking advantage of the nice weather and riding my motorcycle to work everyday…unlike the army I don’t need any special training or have special meetings with my boss, I just ride!
I did go on Ft. Lewis a couple weeks back and received my retired military ID card, but it turns out they messed something up. In DEERS (Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System) they still had my active duty status as November of 2015 and also forced in my retirement date of May 28th 2014…both cannot coexist. This has prevented me from being able to sign up for Tri-Care Prime for me and my family that is provided during retirement. Tri-Care still sees me as being active duty with no retirement date. Leave it to the army to screw things up. Since I’m closer to the naval bases here in the Bremerton area, I drove to the naval sub base near Silverdale and visited their DEERS office with my DD214 and orders in hand. They were able to remove my active duty status, but said I had to come back on the 28th of May in order for them to input my retirement status. This is a little bit of BS because right on the Tri-Care website it states that we can enroll up to 90 days before our retirement date as long as it’s in DEERS. I’m not going to get too stressed out about it. I’ll just take a break at some point during the 28th and make the short trip to their office again. I’m too happy to be out, finally have my degree, and have a great job for this stupid crap to get me down!
One of my big goals when joining the army was to get my bachelor’s degree. I’m happy to say that as of today I am now a college graduate. My last two classes officially ended on May 6th, then they did an audit to make sure everything was in order before the graduation was official. It’s been a long long road to get to this point. A lot of hard work taking one class at a time and working on schoolwork most nights, but it is a really great feeling…and a large weight lifted off my shoulders. I’m feeling pretty darn accomplished…and happy. I’ll be taking a little while off before pursuing any more certifications or anything, it will be a welcome break.
As for army news…as I mentioned earlier, I’m extremely happy being on terminal leave…I really enjoy the freedom of being a civilian once again. I have a nice beard I’ve been working on since the first day of terminal leave. I’ve loved being able to wear whatever clothes I deem appropriate for weather conditions or how I feel. I also have been taking advantage of the nice weather and riding my motorcycle to work everyday…unlike the army I don’t need any special training or have special meetings with my boss, I just ride!
I did go on Ft. Lewis a couple weeks back and received my retired military ID card, but it turns out they messed something up. In DEERS (Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System) they still had my active duty status as November of 2015 and also forced in my retirement date of May 28th 2014…both cannot coexist. This has prevented me from being able to sign up for Tri-Care Prime for me and my family that is provided during retirement. Tri-Care still sees me as being active duty with no retirement date. Leave it to the army to screw things up. Since I’m closer to the naval bases here in the Bremerton area, I drove to the naval sub base near Silverdale and visited their DEERS office with my DD214 and orders in hand. They were able to remove my active duty status, but said I had to come back on the 28th of May in order for them to input my retirement status. This is a little bit of BS because right on the Tri-Care website it states that we can enroll up to 90 days before our retirement date as long as it’s in DEERS. I’m not going to get too stressed out about it. I’ll just take a break at some point during the 28th and make the short trip to their office again. I’m too happy to be out, finally have my degree, and have a great job for this stupid crap to get me down!
Monday, April 14, 2014
Terminal Leave (MedBoard: Joint Base Lewis-McChord) Day 310
I could have went to Ft. Lewis and signed out at midnight last night, but I actually started my new job today. There was no way I was going to mess around with my sleep the night before starting my new job. The day consisted of paperwork with HR and setting up my computer. I left work at around 430 and drove to Ft. Lewis in my civilian clothes and partial beard. I arrived at the WTB staff duty desk and told them I needed to sign out on leave. By 5:54PM I had my copy of my leave papers and I was officially signed out. I am now on terminal leave…and I am now free! One of the best feelings I’ve had in quite a while. I am so happy to finally be away from all the BS…it’s such a relief.
I’ll make a couple more updates when some important events happen, but for now I’ll be back to being a normal civilian with an actual I.T. job where I’ll be doing actual I.T. work!!
I’ll make a couple more updates when some important events happen, but for now I’ll be back to being a normal civilian with an actual I.T. job where I’ll be doing actual I.T. work!!
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Weekend Wrap-Up (MedBoard: Joint Base Lewis-McChord) Days 308 & 309
This weekend was all about spring cleaning. We still had boxes in our garage from the movers that had stuff in them. Saturday we cleaned out the garage, washed the cars and cleaned up the house. Of course when Sunday rolled around I found out I did too much once again. I woke up in quite a bit of pain. I always think I can do more than I really should. We spent the day at the in-laws just doing laundry and hanging out. It was a pretty laid back day to try and recover and feel better. I really hate that I am so limited in what I can physically do now. I have to remember that even though sometimes I may feel like I can do anything in my head, I am limited and will be paying for decisions that I make.
Friday, April 11, 2014
Last Day Wearing the Uniform (MedBoard: Joint Base Lewis-McChord) Day 307
Put on the uniform for the last time today...here is the flag I received as my parting gift
I woke up at 0700 and casually got ready, the same as yesterday…except as I put on my uniform I realized this would be the last time I would be doing so. It all seemed a little surreal. I headed to Ft. Lewis at 0800 and went straight to Waller Hall. I arrived at the transition center a little before 0900 when they opened up shop. I signed in and waited about 10 minutes before being seen. The same guy I spoke to yesterday was helping me. I had given him all my paperwork yesterday, so he had everything ready. I could tell today was going to be a better day than yesterday.
The guy had me look over my DD214 one last time to check the accuracy of it. Once I said it all looked good, he had me digitally sign it. He then printed out two copies for me. I also received a certificate of appreciation, a certificate of retirement, an American flag, and even a certificate of appreciation for my wife. An army wife does have to put up with a lot as well, so this is a nice (small) token of appreciation for her as well.
I took everything and drove to the WTB parking lot. Once there I headed to the SFAC and made copies of my DD214. The DD214 is a very important piece of paperwork. It’s the certificate of release or discharge and pretty much shows the entire army career compressed onto one sheet of paper. It’s used a lot after the military to prove your service and apply for things like veteran’s preference in job applications.
I then went to the barber and got my haircut…the no maintenance cut (a bald head…my usual). After that I had lunch, a slice of pizza in the hospital food court. Finally I headed to my VA exit interview, which turned out to be a group exit interview with about 7 of us. We went into a small conference room and the VA rep basically just answered everyone’s questions. We found out usually 90 days after our final day in the army (the last day of terminal leave) is when we should start receiving our pay from the VA. After the brief was over, everyone handed him a copy of their DD214s and then took off. I drove to my brother-in-law’s restaurant to do a little network consulting for him.
I then went home, met my wife and then went to my in-laws for dinner. After that we went home and I did schoolwork.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Final Out (MedBoard: Joint Base Lewis-McChord) Day 306
I woke up at 0700 and casually got ready for the day, then headed to Ft. Lewis at 0800. I drove straight to Waller Hall and signed in at the finance station. I had to complete all others before coming to the finance station. I waited about 15 minutes to get called up. Once at the desk they looked over all my paperwork, then signed and stamped their portion. I also had to turn in a copy of my retirement paperwork with them as well. Once done at the finance station, I took my stack of paperwork to the In/Out Processing station to final out. I signed in and then took a seat.
After about waiting about a half hour, the guy at the desk says their copier is down. He then tells everyone who is waiting that the process will go much quicker if we can walk over to the library and make 2 copies of all our paperwork. I figure quicker is better, so I walk with a handful of other soldiers over to the library. When we get there we are told that the copier costs money to use. I’m not going to pay money to out-process, this is something the army is definitely going to pay for. I walked back, sat down and waited. After a half hour of waiting, I went up and checked the sign in list only to find that while I was gone trying to make copies they passed me because I was gone. This just keeps getting more stupid. I tell the guy at the desk and he takes all my paperwork and tells me to have a seat. They wait until they have about 4 or 5 people’s paperwork, then one of the guys takes the stack to another office and uses their copier to make the required copies.
When the guy finally gets back with all the copies I finally was called up once again. He keeps the originals and gives me the two copies…one for my S-1 and one for the transition office. It’s now been an hour and a half and I’m finally out-processed from the army. I went straight to the transition office, but because it’s a Thursday they have training and do not open until 1300…FML! I go to Subway and have lunch. I then head out to my car to hang out and listen to the radio for a while to pass the time.
I went in a little before 1300 and went to the DEERs office first. I was told to get an official print out of my dependents to give to my VA rep at the mandatory exit interview. I made my way to the transition office about 10 minutes before they opened up and by this time there were already a bunch of people waiting around. They placed the sign in sheets out right at 1300 and I signed in and waited. Once I did get called, I find out that I have to come back tomorrow at 0900. I can’t receive my DD214 until the day before I go on terminal leave. At this point I’m pretty pissed off. I just spent hours here waiting around to be told to come back tomorrow. Typical army.
I drove home and worked on schoolwork. I’ll really be glad when I get done with both the army and school. I will really be happy to get back to a normal life.
After about waiting about a half hour, the guy at the desk says their copier is down. He then tells everyone who is waiting that the process will go much quicker if we can walk over to the library and make 2 copies of all our paperwork. I figure quicker is better, so I walk with a handful of other soldiers over to the library. When we get there we are told that the copier costs money to use. I’m not going to pay money to out-process, this is something the army is definitely going to pay for. I walked back, sat down and waited. After a half hour of waiting, I went up and checked the sign in list only to find that while I was gone trying to make copies they passed me because I was gone. This just keeps getting more stupid. I tell the guy at the desk and he takes all my paperwork and tells me to have a seat. They wait until they have about 4 or 5 people’s paperwork, then one of the guys takes the stack to another office and uses their copier to make the required copies.
When the guy finally gets back with all the copies I finally was called up once again. He keeps the originals and gives me the two copies…one for my S-1 and one for the transition office. It’s now been an hour and a half and I’m finally out-processed from the army. I went straight to the transition office, but because it’s a Thursday they have training and do not open until 1300…FML! I go to Subway and have lunch. I then head out to my car to hang out and listen to the radio for a while to pass the time.
I went in a little before 1300 and went to the DEERs office first. I was told to get an official print out of my dependents to give to my VA rep at the mandatory exit interview. I made my way to the transition office about 10 minutes before they opened up and by this time there were already a bunch of people waiting around. They placed the sign in sheets out right at 1300 and I signed in and waited. Once I did get called, I find out that I have to come back tomorrow at 0900. I can’t receive my DD214 until the day before I go on terminal leave. At this point I’m pretty pissed off. I just spent hours here waiting around to be told to come back tomorrow. Typical army.
I drove home and worked on schoolwork. I’ll really be glad when I get done with both the army and school. I will really be happy to get back to a normal life.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
New ID Card (MedBoard: Joint Base Lewis-McChord) Day 305
This morning I woke up in extreme pain and nauseous. I’m not exactly sure why, but I’m guessing all the activities yesterday was a little too much. One of the games I was sitting in was a little jerky as I was flying around, but I didn’t think it was too much at the time. I just have to remember that I have to take it easy at all times. I have to dial my activities back a bit…forever now because of my injuries.
I dropped my son off at the ferry, then drove to Ft. Lewis. I out-processed from the ID center. I had to get a new ID card. At first I thought that was pretty stupid and redundant, I’ll be getting a retirement card soon enough. I guess it’s smart though to get a new active ID card with the new expiration date though. I then received a text from my platoon sergeant stating that I have a retirement briefing tomorrow. I told him I already attended one on the 27th of last month and if I have to go and sit through another 3.5 hour brief I’m going to be one very depressed individual!
I then went to my last PCM appointment. My doctor put in 90 day prescriptions for all my meds to hold me over until I start seeing the VA. She also gave me a hug and wished me well. I went from there straight to the pharmacy to pick up all the meds. I had quite the bag full leaving there! I took some because I was still feeling pretty bad all the way from this morning. On the drive home they started to finally kick in. When I got home I worked on schoolwork for a while.
I dropped my son off at the ferry, then drove to Ft. Lewis. I out-processed from the ID center. I had to get a new ID card. At first I thought that was pretty stupid and redundant, I’ll be getting a retirement card soon enough. I guess it’s smart though to get a new active ID card with the new expiration date though. I then received a text from my platoon sergeant stating that I have a retirement briefing tomorrow. I told him I already attended one on the 27th of last month and if I have to go and sit through another 3.5 hour brief I’m going to be one very depressed individual!
I then went to my last PCM appointment. My doctor put in 90 day prescriptions for all my meds to hold me over until I start seeing the VA. She also gave me a hug and wished me well. I went from there straight to the pharmacy to pick up all the meds. I had quite the bag full leaving there! I took some because I was still feeling pretty bad all the way from this morning. On the drive home they started to finally kick in. When I got home I worked on schoolwork for a while.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
GameWorks (MedBoard: Joint Base Lewis-McChord) Day 304
A photo of the naval shipyard while pulling into Bremerton on the ferry
I still had my son with me, so we took the ferry to Seattle and spent some quality time together. We met with a friend of mind and his son at GameWorks around 11:00 right after it opened. GameWorks is a large arcade with a large variety of everything from the latest video games all the way to classic video games along with a restaurant and bar. There is also competitive games that we could all play against each other like the basketball, 4-person air hockey and various racing games. Going during the weekday turned out to be a great idea. There weren’t a lot of people there and we could buy three hour passes and play as much as we wanted. We all had a blast…a great boys day out!
Afterwards we walked down to the original Starbucks store, had coffee, and hung out for a while before taking off. My son and I took the ferry back to Bremerton. Once home we ordered pizza for the family and had dinner. I spent some of the evening working on Schoolwork. I also received a text from my platoon sergeant saying that I had my last self assessment still to do. I haven’t checked my army email in a while…so it has been sitting in my inbox since last Thursday. I was able to log on from home with my CAC reader and complete the assessment. Done with those for good now!
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