Air Force PEB 20% vs. 30%: Medical Separation, Retirement, and VARR

For many Airmen and Guardians with fewer than 20 years of service, the difference between a 20% and 30% DoD disability rating can change the entire disposition of the case.

A rating below 30% can lead to disability separation with severance pay, while a qualifying rating of at least 30% can lead to disability retirement. But the strategy for challenging a 20% result depends on what is actually wrong with the case.

If the PEB failed to identify a medical condition that independently or collectively prevents you from performing Air Force duties, that is a fitness issue. The evidence should focus on functional limitations, AFSC duties, command observations, treatment history, and prognosis.

For guidance on how to identify missing unfitting conditions in your DAF Form 356, see our post on 10 Things to Check Before Accepting Air Force PEB Findings.

If the Air Force correctly identified the condition as unfitting but the VA percentage assigned to it is too low, that is a rating issue. Current DAFI 36-3212 expressly directs members in IDES to the VA rating-reconsideration process for VA coding and percentage disputes rather than using the Formal PEB to change those ratings.

A poorly focused appeal can ask the wrong decision-maker to fix the wrong problem. Before contesting the result, label each disagreement as either fitness, rating, or another PEB finding. Then choose the remedy that matches the issue.

The VA may compensate many service-connected conditions. The military disability percentage is based on compensable conditions determined to be unfitting. That is why an Airman can receive a high combined VA rating and a much lower DoD percentage. For a detailed explanation of how VA and military ratings differ, see our post on VA Ratings vs. Military Disability Ratings: Key Differences.

Suppose the Airman has a spine condition, radiculopathy, migraines, and PTSD, but only the spine condition is found unfitting. The right question is not whether the VA rated the other conditions. It is whether the evidence proves that they also prevent reasonable performance of required military duties.

The Commander's Impact Statement is often the most important non-medical evidence for establishing additional unfitting conditions. See our post on Air Force Commander's Impact Statement: How DAF Form 1185 Can Make or Break an MEB/PEB Case.

When the IPEB proposes disability separation at a low rating, review the following before deciding on a course of action:

• DAF Form 356 and the list of unfitting conditions
• VA proposed ratings for those unfitting conditions
• The NARSUM and DBQs
• The Commander's Impact Statement
• Profiles, waivers, ALCs, and duty restrictions
• Whether a VARR issue exists
• Whether a Formal PEB fitness issue exists
• The realistic downside and timing of each option

For guidance on the Formal PEB process itself, see our post on Air Force Formal PEB: What Happens at the FPEB and How to Prepare.

The difference between 20% and 30% can be financially enormous. But the correct strategy begins by identifying the type of error: missing unfitting condition, incorrect VA rating, or another PEB finding. Once the problem is defined, the remedy becomes much clearer.

If your Air Force IPEB proposed disability separation at 0%, 10%, or 20%, contact our office for a confidential review before deciding whether to accept the findings, request an FPEB, or pursue VA rating reconsideration. Visit our Air Force PEB attorney page to learn how Attorney Gately represents Airmen and Guardians through the full IDES process.