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VA Disability Reporting Advice

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Blsfan50

Lurker
Messages
2
Hello all,
I have my Class 2 flight physical coming up and am looking for some advice. I am planning on disclosing a VA disability (listed word for word below from my rating) and am concerned about what will happen to my eligibility and future employment. I am hoping that someone on the forum has/is currently dealing with the same situation and disability and could help provide some guidance. I don't know if its a waiverable condition or its completely disqualifying which is why I am hesitant to report it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

50% - “Other specified trauma stressor related disorder adjusment like disorder claimed as mood disorder, anxiety attacks, memory loss”
 
Blsfan50 said:
Hello all,
I have my Class 2 flight physical coming up and am looking for some advice. I am planning on disclosing a VA disability (listed word for word below from my rating) and am concerned about what will happen to my eligibility and future employment. I am hoping that someone on the forum has/is currently dealing with the same situation and disability and could help provide some guidance. I don't know if its a waiverable condition or its completely disqualifying which is why I am hesitant to report it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

50% - “Other specified trauma stressor related disorder adjusment like disorder claimed as mood disorder, anxiety attacks, memory loss”
Click to expand...
You have to report it and if you don’t, they will still find out.
 
My only recommendation would be to maybe put this on Reddit and see if you can get a wider audience for advice. I would 100% disclose it to the AME, and hope for the best, but how that is worded sounds pretty bad.
 

Homepage - AMAS

Clear Skies Ahead. Everyone needs an advocate—a true ally. For pilots and those in related aviation professions, the Aviation Medicine Advisory Service (AMAS) is that trusted advocate. At AMAS, we‘ve made it our mission to streamline the complex medical certification process that keeps the...
www.aviationmedicine.com

Talk to them before you report anything. It’s free if you’re a NATCA memeber. They’ll be able to tell you how to present it in the best way possible and any steps you can take to give you the best possible outcome. If you’re not currently NATCA or a controller they’ll still do that but it cost to do. I think 200 was their initial fee about 5 years ago when I used them.
 
Blsfan50 said:
Hello all,
I have my Class 2 flight physical coming up and am looking for some advice. I am planning on disclosing a VA disability (listed word for word below from my rating) and am concerned about what will happen to my eligibility and future employment. I am hoping that someone on the forum has/is currently dealing with the same situation and disability and could help provide some guidance. I don't know if its a waiverable condition or its completely disqualifying which is why I am hesitant to report it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

50% - “Other specified trauma stressor related disorder adjusment like disorder claimed as mood disorder, anxiety attacks, memory loss”
Click to expand...
Anxiety attacks and memory loss? 👀

Good luck
 
Former military controller and current FAA controller here, was rated at 30% by the VA at the time of my hiring. Disclosed it to the AMA, but also clarified it started while I was on active duty, and I was still able to control in the tower I had been stationed at. They asked me to go do a secondary eval with a neutral psychologist. I didn't see the letter the psychologist wrote me until I requested all my records once in the agency, but I was able to get hired and made it through OKC and am now at my facility. So it's not a guarantee the FAA will turn you away. It's more so that the VA has their own rating criteria for "adjustment disorder" and some things overlap with the FAA medical requirements, while some things don't. Mine was more due to close interpersonal relationship difficulties than anything work related though, and like I said, I was a controller who was actively controlling just fine after my condition had been diagnosed on active duty.
 
Mike_Lima said:
My only recommendation would be to maybe put this on Reddit and see if you can get a wider audience for advice. I would 100% disclose it to the AME, and hope for the best, but how that is worded sounds pretty bad.
Click to expand...
Do you have the reddit you are referring to? Yeah it worries me because I have been controlling as a DOD controller for 6 years and not until about 6 months ago did I get that rating. Idk why its written like that when I discussed with the VA psychologist that I just get very uncomfortable in large crowds and dislike interactions with people I dont already know. As far as the memory loss part I have no idea where that came from.

Problem is that I dont think they had any other way to define it i guess but thats not actually very accurate.
S.T.O.P. said:
Anxiety attacks and memory loss? 👀

Good luck
Click to expand...

Mr.Tickles said:

Homepage - AMAS

Clear Skies Ahead. Everyone needs an advocate—a true ally. For pilots and those in related aviation professions, the Aviation Medicine Advisory Service (AMAS) is that trusted advocate. At AMAS, we‘ve made it our mission to streamline the complex medical certification process that keeps the...
www.aviationmedicine.com

Talk to them before you report anything. It’s free if you’re a NATCA memeber. They’ll be able to tell you how to present it in the best way possible and any steps you can take to give you the best possible outcome. If you’re not currently NATCA or a controller they’ll still do that but it cost to do. I think 200 was their initial fee about 5 years ago when I used them.
Click to expand...
Will they help a DOD controller? We don’t have NATCA and our union isnt ATC specific and kinda sucks.

Theancienthero said:
Former military controller and current FAA controller here, was rated at 30% by the VA at the time of my hiring. Disclosed it to the AMA, but also clarified it started while I was on active duty, and I was still able to control in the tower I had been stationed at. They asked me to go do a secondary eval with a neutral psychologist. I didn't see the letter the psychologist wrote me until I requested all my records once in the agency, but I was able to get hired and made it through OKC and am now at my facility. So it's not a guarantee the FAA will turn you away. It's more so that the VA has their own rating criteria for "adjustment disorder" and some things overlap with the FAA medical requirements, while some things don't. Mine was more due to close interpersonal relationship difficulties than anything work related though, and like I said, I was a controller who was actively controlling just fine after my condition had been diagnosed on active duty.
Click to expand...
I have been working as DOD controller for years but recently got my rating so now I dont know what to do.
 
Blsfan50 said:
Will they help a DOD controller? We don’t have NATCA and our union isnt ATC specific and kinda sucks
Click to expand...

You can still use that service and get the same help you will just have to pay for it if your not a NATCA member.

With that disability rating, it will be an individual decision, a case by case evaluation thing. People need to keep this in mind when trying to max out disability after the military. If you go to hard at it you will get it but it might DQ you from lots of future jobs. Got to weigh the trade off.
 
Blsfan50 said:
Do you have the reddit you are referring to? Yeah it worries me because I have been controlling as a DOD controller for 6 years and not until about 6 months ago did I get that rating. Idk why its written like that when I discussed with the VA psychologist that I just get very uncomfortable in large crowds and dislike interactions with people I dont already know. As far as the memory loss part I have no idea where that came from.
Click to expand...
Just under the ATC subforum, but again it’s just an option to get more advice and maybe find people dealing with your situation as well.

At the end of the day it’s up to the AME to decide on your situation when and if you do disclose it to them. So really everything here and on other forums will just be advice and or opinions.
 
Blsfan50 said:
Do you have the reddit you are referring to? Yeah it worries me because I have been controlling as a DOD controller for 6 years and not until about 6 months ago did I get that rating. Idk why its written like that when I discussed with the VA psychologist that I just get very uncomfortable in large crowds and dislike interactions with people I dont already know. As far as the memory loss part I have no idea where that came from.
Click to expand...
r/ATC
 
It probably falls under PTSD. Here is a link to the AME decision tool: https://www.faa.gov/ame_guide/media/PTSDDecisionToolfortheAME.pdf

Make sure you read footnote C. If it has been less than 2 years from your VA exam, the AME must defer (not deny but also not issue). That means it will go up to your regional office and they will probably send you a letter asking for some more information or asking you to go to a psych eval.

As to your DOD medical, they are in a different administrative system than the class II's and FAA medicals. From what I have seen, most DOD controllers just don't disclose to the military flight docs and thats the end of it (they write "no" for do you receive disability payments on their 2992). Then while waiting the time to get the waiver for the FAA medical/class II, just keep working DOD jobs.
 
10101010 said:
From what I have seen, most DOD controllers just don't disclose to the military flight docs and thats the end of it (they write "no" for do you receive disability payments on their 2992). Then while waiting the time to get the waiver for the FAA medical/class II, just keep working DOD jobs.
Click to expand...
This has been correct, seems crazy that the systems don’t talk but they don’t. Maybe they will one day though, they would have to at some point, right? Maybe if an administration really cracks down on veteran disability one day. Could open the window to retroactively fire people, I have seen someone get fired a year into the job because they lied about trivial shit on the background check and it somehow came to light and was exposed.
 
10101010 said:
the AME must defer (not deny but also not issue)
Click to expand...
As an aside, that AME guide is for pilot medicals. For ATC medicals the AME never truly issues or denies the medical; it goes up to the RFS office and a Flight Surgeon makes the determination.
 
ATC0997 said:
How would the FAA find out?
Click to expand...
They won't until they do. You know who absolutely would find out? A lawyer, should an accident happen. At that point you were working under false pretenses and could/would be legally responsible.
 
ZO said:
They won't until they do. You know who absolutely would find out? A lawyer, should an accident happen. At that point you were working under false pretenses and could/would be legally responsible.
Click to expand...
People like that would never have an accident. They are “experienced hires” lol. They got to be awesome, right?
 
FightingIrish2012 said:
Not that it would ever happen but imagine if the FAA had the balls and aptitude to do an investigation into controllers like this, then fire the ones who lied lol. About 1,500 CPC’s would be wiped out off the bat, maybe more. Imagine what that would do for staffing lol.
Click to expand...
I had some medical issues on my latest physical. In the letter telling me what I needed to do to get my medical back they said they want to see my VA Rating Decision letter. I’m not the only vet I’ve heard of that they are asking for this info.
 

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