In order for the AFW2 Support Team to better assist you, we strongly suggest you consider completing the attached DD Form 2870, which authorizes release of personal medical information and/or medical records to someone you trust to act in your best interest. Once signed, please submit the form to your AFW2 Lead Coordinator (LC). Your Care Management Team needs to have this document on file so that they can support you in the best way possible.

If interested, search for your Non-Medical Care Manager (NMCM) and your Recovery Care Coordinator (RCC) on Facebook to see if they have a work-related account. Look for the AF Emblem on their profile picture, then submit a friend request. Sometimes, Facebook is used as an alternate means of communication to communicate with our Air Force Wounded Warriors and to post relative information which may be of interest to you such as:

• VA compensation information

• SSDI

• Post 9-11 Educational Benefits

• Unemployment

• PTSD

• Mental Health counseling

If you have had in the past, or currently have thoughts of hurting yourself or another person, please know your AFW2 Support Team is here to support you. We will refer you to appropriate agencies who can help you and/or your family. The Veterans Crisis Hotline number is 1-800-273-8255, Option 1.

Additionally, you can utilize the Veterans Crisis Line website and their resource look-up application to search for a suicide prevention coordinator by inputting your zip code. From there your local VA Suicide Prevention Coordinator’s contact information will populate.  

Another great resource is the Air Force Medical Service website.

If you do not have current legal documents, you may want to obtain them while still on active duty. Our Legal Information page can help you start the process, which is easier than ever before. 

Complete the online legal worksheet prior to visiting your base legal office. By doing so you can expedite service. Worksheet topics include wills, advance medical directives, and powers of attorney. Please note legal documents cannot be printed from affiliated websites; - you are required to visit the nearest Air Force legal office to obtain your legal document. Only Air Force legal offices have access to the data you enter, but the information is deleted after 90 days.

If the decision has been made by your medical support team that you will be going through the Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES), you can refer to our fact sheet for more information on the process.

Integrated Disability Evaluation System Fact Sheet

If you are having difficulty retrieving medical or mental health documents which are not readily accessible you can submit a completed DD Form 2870 and send it to the Patient Administration Systems and Biostatistics Activity (PASBA) is located at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. They can provide deployed medical/mental health records for any service type from 2002 and beyond. These type of medical and mental health documents are routinely used to substantiate combat related injuries or illnesses.

PASBA Information

SPECIAL COMPENSATION FOR ASSISTANCE WITH ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING

SCADDL provides a monthly compensation to service members who incur a permanent catastrophic injury or illness which would otherwise require hospitalization, nursing home care, or other residential institutional care if it weren’t for the caregiver’s assistance. Recovering Airmen who meet the permanent catastrophic injury or illness criteria should be assessed to determine if they meet SCAADL eligibility requirements listed below:  

To be eligible for SCAADL, an Airman MUST MEET all of the following conditions:

• Have a permanent* catastrophic injury or illness** incurred or was aggravated in the line of duty; AND

• Have been certified by a DoD or VA licensed physician to be in need of assistance from another person to perform personal functions required in everyday living or require constant supervision to avoid harm to self or others; AND

• In the absence of the provision of such assistance, would require hospitalization, nursing home care, or other residential institutional care; AND

• Be an outpatient and have a designated primary caregiver; AND

• Have been certified by a DoD or VA licensed physician to meet Category 3 criteria^, as outlined in DODI 1300.24, Enclosure 4, which states Airmen “is highly unlikely to return to duty” and “will most likely be medically separated from the military”

*Permanent:  Lasting or remaining without essential change; not expected to change in status, condition, or place.

** Catastrophic injury or illness: A permanent, severely disabling injury, disorder, or illness incurred or aggravated in the line of duty that compromises the ability to perform ADL to such a degree that an Airman requires personal or mechanical assistance to leave home or bed, or requires constant supervision to avoid physical harm to self or others, and is unlikely to recover from such a disability.

SCAADL Fact Sheet

DD Form 2948

The mission of the Air Force Caregiver Support Program is to provide personalized support and services to caregivers. While caregivers are not just limited to spouses, every spouse should be briefed and provided caregiver information. A caregiver is defined as a family member, friend, or acquaintance who provides a broad range of care and assistance for, or manages the care of an Airman or Veteran Airman with a disabling physical or mental injury or illness. Contact your Non-Medical Care Manager, Recovery Care Coordinator, Military Life Consultant, or local A&FRC rep for information on the AF Caregiver Support Program. 

Caregiver Support Program Trifold

Caregivers and Families webpage

TSGLI provides traumatic injury coverage to all service members covered under the SGLI program, to include short-term financial assistance to severely injured service members and veterans to assist them in their recovery from traumatic injuries. TSGLI is not only for combat injuries, but provides insurance coverage for injuries incurred on or off duty. Review the resources below to determine eligibility and discuss with your local Casualty Affairs Representative (normally located in your A&FRC).

SGLI Traumatic Injury Protection Program (TSGLI) Fact Sheet

TSGLI Schedule of Losses

Application for TSGLI Benefits

Check with your medical provider and determine if you qualify for CZTE. If you deployed to a combat zone and are later hospitalized as an inpatient for treatment of the same illness or injury incurred while serving in that combat zone, you may be eligible for this exclusion. If eligible, you must submit a memorandum affirming your admission and release date from the hospital (see attachment below). If approved, Defense Finance & Accounting Service (DFAS) will update your military pay file and reimburse you your taxes for the months you were hospitalized. If applicable, send your completed CZTE Memorandum to your Non-Medical Care Manager for processing and later forwarding to DFAS.

CZTE Memorandum Template

Check with your Casualty Affairs Representative (CAR) (normally located at your installation A&FRC) to see if you qualify for PAC pay. PAC pay is the continuation of all pay allowances the member had while deployed. It can be paid up to a full year past the medical evacuation from the AOR, or when the doctor and commander submit a 'fully fit for duty' memorandum through the CAR to DFAS. This program only applies to those service members medevac’d back to the CONUS after receiving wounds or injuries in the line of duty, or illnesses in direct support of combat operations while serving in a combat operation or a combat zone, or in a designated imminent danger pay area or while exposed to a documented hostile fire event (regardless of location).

Pay and Allowances Continuation Pay Fact Sheet

Air Force Guidance Memorandum on PAC

The acronym C.A.R.E. stands for Caregiver Support Program, Adaptive and Rehabilitative Sports Program (ASRP), Recovering Airman Mentorship Program, and Empowerment in Transition Workshops.  CARE events allow you to get out and meet other warriors and or caregivers who share similar experiences as you do and can relate to some of the things you may be feeling or going through. CARE Events can be fun and exciting, and something you’ve never done before. 

Caregiver Support provides the Caregivers, the unsung heroes, the opportunity to learn skills that will help them positively affect their environments.

Have you ever thought about using Adaptive Sports as part of your reconditioning program? Maybe someday competing on a national level scale by representing the Air Force in competitive events like the DOD’s Warrior Games?  ASRP provides rehabilitative/competitive athletic activities to all recovering Airmen to improve their physical and mental quality of life. 

RAMP facilitates connection between newly injured and recovering Airmen.   

Empowerment in Transition Workshops encourages wounded warriors to develop and achieve long term career and life goals.  

If interested discuss CARE Event opportunities with your AFW2 Lead Coordinator (RCC or NMCM) now!

Warrior CARE Events webpage

As an AF Wounded Warrior, you and your family may receive assistance from the TSA while traveling commercially. You can forward your commercial travel flight itinerary to your AFW2 Lead Coordinator (LC) and they will forward it to the TSA, who will verify your wounded warrior status, then provide an approval email authorizing the provided assistance. You can hand carry this approval while traveling for verification purposes. 

In your request please include: 

• Your actual travel itinerary

• Emergency phone numbers

• If you WILL or WILL NOT need wheelchair assistance

More information on this program can be found at: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/special-procedures/military-travelers

The basic Montgomery GI Bill provides a flat monthly rate entitlement. The major difference between the two bills lies in the benefits accruing to the veterans. While the Post 9/11 Bill pays for degree producing courses, MGIB also includes technical, trade, license and certification courses. There is also a difference in the manner of payment. Under the MGIB, full-time students receive a dollar amount each month to go to school while the student pays tuition fees. Under Post 9/11, the VA pays directly to the school and the student receives a monthly housing allowance and a book stipend not to exceed a certain dollar amount every year.

You can also request that your Post 9/11 Educational Benefits be transferred to your DEERS eligible dependents before it is determined that you’ll  go through a Medical Evaluation Board. Once the Assignment Availability Code (AAC) 37 is updated in MilPDS (indicating you will under a MEB), you will not be able to transfer this benefit to one of your dependents.

YouTube MGIB

YouTube Post 9/11

Ensure you stay in close contact with your PEBLO and your Clinical Case Manager (CCM) (sometimes referred as Medical Care Case Manager) while your MEB is being put together and being processed.  Additionally, after you receive your proposed disability ratings from the Air Force ensure you inform your AFW2 Lead Coordinator of the proposed ratings and provide them a copy of the AF Form 356 and proposed VA Disability Rating Letter. 

Once you receive your proposed disability ratings you only have 10 calendar days to respond and either accept your AF proposed Disability Rating or appeal it to the next level of review, the Air Force Formal Physical Evaluation Board (FPEB).

The Office of the Airmen’s Counsel located at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, provides legal representation and advice as you navigate through what can sometimes be described as an overwhelming Medical Evaluation Board process. Ensure you contact their office and utilize their legal advice when trying to determine when and if you have received a fair equitable proposed disability rating from the Initial Physical Evaluation Board (IPEB). 

Once you receive your proposed AF Disability Rating you will only have 10 calendar days to respond and either accept them as is or appeal them and go before the Formal Physical Evaluation Board (FPEB) and contest your proposed ratings. 

Office of the Airmen's Counsel Trifold

If you are in a NO PAY and NO POINTS status you may be able to apply for INCAP through your unit at your assigned base. This process is lengthy but could result in you receiving authorized pay and allowances for your current status. Please refer to the attachment below to determine eligibility and apply. 

Note: Those applying for INCAP must have either an Interim or Approved Line of Duty (LOD) for the conditions/disability preventing the service member from working (AFI 36-2910, para 6.4.1.1.3). 

Reserve Incapacitation Pay Entitlements

Incapacitation Pay Talking Paper

SSDI provides compensation to service members with medical conditions who are limited from working due to those conditions. If you would be interested in applying for this entitlement, call 1-800-772-1213 and identify yourself as an AF Wounded Warrior (you will get priority assistance) and complete the telephone interview. In-turn they will also send you documents in the mail to fill out to complete the application. 

For additional information or to apply online, go to http://www.socialsecurity.gov/people/veterans/

Please understand this process is very lengthy and cumbersome. If you apply while still overseas you will more than likely be referred to your local embassy for assistance. A stateside address will need to be provided before the application is finalized.

If you have not attended TAP and Pre-Sep counseling with your local A&FRC then contact their office as soon as possible and get scheduled. TAP is a mandatory DOD led program which will provide you with valuable transitional, educational, and financial information you will need after you complete your transition.  If your disabilities require additional support to include personalized one-on-one transitional assistance let your RCC or NMCM know so they can make contact with the A&FRC and refer you appropriately.   

TAP website

The CAP Program is a centrally funded program that provides assistive technology (AT) and reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities and wounded service members. This includes accommodations for sight, hearing, cognition, and dexterity. 

If approved, any items obtained are free and affiliated with TRICARE. Please go their site at http://www.cap.mil/ and see if their organization can offer to provide assistance with your current medical condition. If you want to apply please work with your medical support team (Clinical Case Manager) and they can help with the application process. 

Note: You can only apply for CAP assistance while you are serving in the military (active duty or on active orders).

The resources below contains web links that will be very helpful for you or your family members during your Recovery and Transition. You may also want to download one or more mobile health/self-care apps:  http://t2health.dcoe.mil/products/mobile-apps

Recovery Plans

Mobile Apps