The Med Board Is A Long, Long, Long, Long, Long, Long, Long, Process!

Okay, so the title may sound bad, but I guess it's not really that long.  When I started my Med Board with the initial briefing in March we were informed that it has been taking about 10 months to get to the finish line.  I just got read my narrative summary yesterday and will hopefully be signing the finalized copy of it soon.  When I went in to have it read to me the doctor's words were "The clock is now ticking!".  My initial thought was "doesn't Tricare cover this?".  He went on to explain that according to Congress there is as of the sixth of September 90 days to complete everything. I should get my declaration of fit or unfit for duty within 30 days, my disability percentage rating within 30 days after that, and orders within 30 days of that.  He told me now is the time to consider how much leave I have left and what all I need to get accomplished before I get medically retired out of the army.  (It will be a medical retirement because I know I will get over 50% and you only need to get over 30%.)  If you take into consideration how long the process has taken for other people it's really not too bad of a timeframe.  According to the doctor I spoke with yesterday even though I went to the briefing back in March, my Med Board process didn't officially begin until May.  That's when the commander's notification was sent out and my Medical Records were submitted to the VA to determine which civilian doctors I would need to visit to verify my claims.  As for the form my Commander needs to submit, well supposedly they sent it to him in May and haven't received it back yet.  I've talked with others going through this process and they suggested I fill out the paperwork and just submit it for his signature.  I understand, our unit has been very busy preparing for an upcoming deployment.  So I filled it out and will give it to him tomorrow, hoping for the best.  But regardless of what my commander does, the "clock is ticking."  I am ready to become a civilian again.  I love my country, I proudly served next to numerous brave people, and will carry these memories with me for the rest of my life when I'm out.