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My daughter entered the Air Force in January 2013. She had in her medical records that she had asthma but got it cleared from our family doctor (she hadn't used any medications since Junior High) and got it cleared at MEPS. It was all out in the open. She did her basic training and technical school and passed everything. Since then she has done her 1 weekend a month drills and enrolled at college last September. At her September drills they did a breathing test on her, which she didn't think anything of. When she showed up for her October drills they informed her that she was being discharged because they said she had asthma. At that time she was devastated. She asked them if they could do the test on her again that day (she has allergies & September was very bad for her) and they told her no. She filled out some of the paperwork that day for the discharge but they didn't have her come back until January 4, 2015 to finish the paperwork and outprocess. Since then, she found out that she has to pay back 1/3 of her bonus that she received a year ago, she has to pay back her tuition assistance that she got for college last semester and they were suppose to pay for her to outprocess (it took the entire day) but they didn't do that either because they put her official discharge date as December 31, 2014 and since she came in after that they couldn't pay her. Does this sound wrong or off to anyone in the Air Force who has a lot of knowledge of how things work in the Air Force? I've been told that we should look into an Advocate.
I just got out of active duty AF after 9 yrs... I don't know all but I have some idea how things run. You said it was all out in open, remember that they didn't say they are discharging her for hiding that she had asthma. You mentioned they did a breathing test on her, what made them give her that test? Because during drills no one goes to medical, nor medical seeks them unless something was initiated. During drills, during her PT test, or even on daily duties, if her asthma was acting up, and was a concern that could have initiated the breathing test. Now, if her asthma is in any way effecting her duties they can administer the test and discharge her. By the way, are you sure your daughter is telling you the full story behind this breathing test?
One more thing, regarding the Advocate... if she is already discharged she won't be able to get any assistance from a military advocate, you'd have to seek civilian advocate on your own expense if anything.
There is more going on here then you know or she is telling you...they don't just randomly give "breathing tests" to service members. She had to have something going on to cause her to be tested. Normally it is because the service member is using some "medical condition" to avoid deploying or participating in some event (PT, an exercise, etc.).
She asked them if they could do the test on her again that day (she has allergies & September was very bad for her) and they told her no.
You said that in September your daughter had some allergies that were causing an Asthma flare up. If that happened when she was doing her PT etc., and it was apparent your daughter was in some breathing distress, your daughter would be tested. If the test showed she had a real problem, then she would be discharged.
Having a test at a later date after the allergy season was over, does not make her healthy enough for the military. It means she at some times will be not able to perform her military duties due to Asthma.
In the Military if you cannot do your job due to a health condition, then you are discharged. There are times that you will be stressed, and if that causes your daughter to have a serious Asthma attack, it can cause serious problems depending on what her military assignment is at the time. Depending on your particular job, and conditions you are operating under, going into an Asthma attack can cause you and possibly others to lose their lives.
I am ex military, in naval aviation positions. I have Asthma in my old age, and I know that if I had Asthma attacks in my younger military jobs, it could have been serious problems for me and others and I would have been discharged.
It is not the same as working in an office downtown. Your assignments, can not be given to say you have Asthma so you must always be given special treatment and can only do certain jobs. You have to be ready at all times to step up and do your job, regardless of anything else going on in your life. Health conditions cannot be used to give you special treatment.
She got cleared by the family doctor, and passed the admission medical exam. At that time she was O.K. However there are times like in September when she has problems. Giving her a test on a good day, does not mean she is O.K. at all times. The military is not a part time job, where you take time off when you are having allergies kicking up, etc. It requires you be ready 24/7 to do your job.
As far as her keeping anything from me, I don't believe so. What she was told was that anyone who had "asthma" in their medical charts was being tested. I do believe that. I also understand that a person needs to be in good health at all times in case they are called to active duty. You have to understand that this has all been new to us and we have learned a lot as we've gone through this whole process. Maybe when she did her PT test during drills made them wonder if she was having problems. She did have the PT test a month or 2 earlier. I really don't know. She was given a General Honorable Discharge. I appreciate the information and it has helped me decide whether or not to pursue any part of this. By the way, thank you to all of you for serving our country.
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Originally Posted by Leyla30
I just got out of active duty AF after 9 yrs... I don't know all but I have some idea how things run. You said it was all out in open, remember that they didn't say they are discharging her for hiding that she had asthma. You mentioned they did a breathing test on her, what made them give her that test? Because during drills no one goes to medical, nor medical seeks them unless something was initiated. During drills, during her PT test, or even on daily duties, if her asthma was acting up, and was a concern that could have initiated the breathing test. Now, if her asthma is in any way effecting her duties they can administer the test and discharge her. By the way, are you sure your daughter is telling you the full story behind this breathing test?
One more thing, regarding the Advocate... if she is already discharged she won't be able to get any assistance from a military advocate, you'd have to seek civilian advocate on your own expense if anything.
It's one thing to be medically discharged due to asthma. It's another to have to replay bonuses and other funds because it was the Air Forces' decision to pursue the discharge. Sounds pretty unfair (23 yr vet Army Nurse here). You might have recourse through your Congressman. Doesn't sound to me that your daughter entered the service dishonestly and shouldn't be require to give back money - wonder what her enlistment contracts reads. I feel for her regarding this -
As for asthma and compatibility with military service. That's a no-brainer. Definitely don't want an asthmatic on a deployment - too much of a medical burden to the unit, medical services - she'd have to be MEDEVAC'd out in no time due to exacerbations or even a full blown attack.
Thank you BucFan. My problem wasn't that she was medically discharged due to having Asthma, it was the fact of having to pay back the bonus. I certainly understand the fact that the military cannot be dealing with issues like this one during battle and you're right, my daughter was completely upfront about all of it when she entered. I appreciate you being sympathetic to her situation.
Thank you BucFan. My problem wasn't that she was medically discharged due to having Asthma, it was the fact of having to pay back the bonus. I certainly understand the fact that the military cannot be dealing with issues like this one during battle and you're right, my daughter was completely upfront about all of it when she entered. I appreciate you being sympathetic to her situation.
It could be that with the "Recruiting climate and downsizing" they are looking to get rid of anyone, and ashtma is an easy way to get rid of someone from the service. I don't understand why they would force her to repay. was it a fraudulent enlistment. They could've felt that they made a mistake by letting her join in the first place with asthma, and they want some kind of compensation for all the money they spent on training her.
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