SEL-RES, IRR and Disability Ratings.

[Sam I am]

Did multiple searches here, but can't seem to find the answers. Did multiple searches on google and got back varying results. Anyway, here's the question that was posed to me by a fellow aviator going through medical issues: what's the max disability you can have and still be in SEL-RES? IRR?

My preliminary findings are as follows:

There is no "max" disability rating. There is a lot of bad gouge out there floating the number 30%. As far as I can tell that's not true. Additionally, the VA and the Navy don't "talk" to each other. Can't...by law, I believe.

If you're a drilling reservists and receiving disability, there is communication between the financial arms of the VA and DFAS (?) that results in your Drill pay being backed out of disability pay.

But as far as I can tell...no max disability to be in SEL-RES or IRR unless your readiness is directly affected.

There's got to be more info out there than that. Anyone got any insight?

 

[DIVO]

No max disability. And the VA will subtract the disability pay for the days you are on AD or drilling. The kicker is that you have to medically qualify to join the reserves... For some that makes it a no go.

 

[Sam I am]

So as long as their already in the reserves when they get their disability rating they're good to go?

 

[DIVO]

Depends. Are they a drilling reservist or the irr? If you are IRR trying to go drilling you have to have a current up to date physical. That's the hard part, most are forced to go through a MEPs process again which is where the doc will DQ them... But as long as they are drilling, then they should be good

 

[Flash]

So as long as their already in the reserves when they get their disability rating they're good to go?

The medical history form you fill out at your annual physical asks if you are receiving a disability payment (DD-2807-1, Question 27), if you have a VA disability you have to list it and if it is a higher percentage that is going to raise some questions.

I have heard the 30% number repeatedly but can't find it anywhere in writing right now, that is not to say it doesn't exist. We have an OS1 in the IRR attached to my unit via a VTU who can't be SELRES since he is above 30% disabled. I'll ask him next drill weekend how exactly he was excluded, it may have been as simple as a doc saying since he is above 30% he can't be SELRES but I will get the details. The fact remains though that the higher the disability percentage the harder it is likely going to be to get signed off as physicially qualified for the reserves.

 

[Sam I am]

Thanks Flash. Go to know. I still chuckle at the "hierarchy" of knowledge through the Active Duty, Reserve and IRR ranks. Which is to say, if you want to know about one level, don't ask anyone in a level upstream of the level you're inquiring about. The same can be said of disability ratings, unless they've got one, no one seems to know a lot about them.

 

[vxc961]

Not sure if this helps or not, but my brother-in-law is a nice guy, but couldn't make the ASVAB scores to enlist until 2007 (I'm assuming the standards were lowered with two overseas wars on). He went in the Army, got sent to Iraq, and came back diagnosed with PTSD and an 80% disability. He's now drilling SELRES Army, collecting his disability pay, and taking PE classes at the local junior college with his GI Bill.

I asked him how he could be 80% disabled and still drill and he told "well, I'll keep doing it as long they don't say anything." I'm not claiming that this anecdote means you're *allowed* be 80% disabled and still drill, but I think it probably takes a while for that sort of thing to catch up with you. Oh, I don't think he would lie on his medical form, but I could see him not understanding the form, or rationalizing/convincing himself that he didn't have any pre-existing conditions.

In any case, I always prefer to read the actual instruction if anybody can dig it up. Anyone?

 

[Paul Burke]

I'm a prior service recruiter so I run into these all the time. 30% and above is the no go number on disability. It can be found in volume II of the enlisted recruiting manual. However, I've seen seemingly minor things get turned down with only 10% from N3M. The biggest thing about VA disability and the reserves is if one is worldwide deployable with the condition or not.