Details below, what would the monthly income be for an outstanding Veteran with these unusual circumstances?

2020-10-28T09:50:45-04:00

This is research for a novel, so bear with me, please:

100% Medical Retirement
100% VA Rating
10-15 years TIS
Former O-3, retired as E-7 or E-8
Two-time MoH recipient
Multiple PH recipient with Combat-related disabilities
Single with no dependents

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Oct 28 at 2020 9:52 AM

2020-10-28T09:52:48-04:00

Excellent share brother SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 28 at 2020 10:00 AM

2020-10-28T10:00:50-04:00

FYSA, a former O3 would not retire as an E7 or E8, assuming he served 10 years commissioned. He would retire as an O3 for pay as long as he did 10 years as an officer.

Also, unlikely to make E7 or E8 with only 10-15 years TIS. It takes 4 years to make O3, assumed he spent a year or 2 as a CPT then resigned his commission and became an E5. (I had a SPC when I was a PL who had been a CPT in the Air Force. Didn't make MAJ so he enlisted in the guard to complete his 20)

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Oct 28 at 2020 10:22 AM

2020-10-28T10:22:31-04:00

While I know of no regulation the expressly forbids it, the last double MOH recipient wad SGM Dan Daly in 1918. He was even put in for a third that was denied.
They didn't even give a second one to John Basilone, although his actions on Iwo Jima could have warranted it.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 28 at 2020 10:59 AM

2020-10-28T10:59:31-04:00

For your character his VA disability pay would be $3,106 a month Tax free. Because he was medically retired he cannot collect VA and medical retirement pay, they would offset. However if he had a regular retirement then he would get both Va disability and his army pension. Hope that helps for your book

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 29 at 2020 1:12 AM

2020-10-29T01:12:12-04:00

I can tell you a bit about this. By the time he would have retired you have to have 10 years as an officer. You can make CPT in 5 years. You would be looking at MAJ at the 10-11 year mark. But the VA rating is the same for everyone. The VA would pay 3,106.04. When it comes to the Army retirement it is a bit different. If you are medically retired before the 20 year mark you would get the greater of the two. An E-8 with 15 years has a base pay of about $5,000. He would only be entitled to 75% of his retirement for only doing 15 years. He would be looking at $1875 a month. The VA is more so he would only get the VA. There is a way you can get both. Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC) is a program that was created for disability and non-disability military retirees with combat-related disabilities. It is a tax free entitlement that you will be paid each month along with any retired pay you may already be receiving. Basically, if he was wounded in combat and medically retired he would get the $3,106.04 and the $1,875 combined.

Response by SPC Erich Guenther made Oct 29 at 2020 3:48 AM

2020-10-29T03:48:00-04:00

If it helps I believe he would get an additional $1200 a month stipend for being a MoH recipient, he would only get that once not once per award. I think it is $1200, could be $1000.....too lazy to look it up myself.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 29 at 2020 9:15 AM

2020-10-29T09:15:41-04:00

I realize this is fiction, but it does take 5 years to make CPT.
Starting enlisted, getting to E7 in 7 years and E8 in 12 years is fast tracking, doing all the right things at the right time. One date of rank between E4 and E7 at the wrong time in an FY adds a year to the process.
A CPT would be at least 6 years total service, 1 as a CPT, before he decides he had enough and starts the process to revert to enlisted, that process could take 6-12 months and that would start as an E5, with credit for BLC having completed BOLC.
Even if HRC determined E6 (and that would be very unusual circumstances), he would still need school and time in grade to make E7, about 3 years.
So reverting to E5 at 7 years and assuming best case scenario at each grade, E6 at 9 total years, E7 at 12 total years, eligible for E8 at 15 total years. That would mean pinning E8 at 15, and a med retirement at 15 and change.
This best case scenario is top of each list and getting the schools done immediately.

For the purposes of reasonable suspension of disbelief, I would not go past E7 on this.
But it's fiction, you can do whatever you want. Tom Clancy once placed an Air Force "corporal" on the the Air Force One crew, and we still bought his books after that.

Also, the MoH stipend is $1,329.58. But I cannot find anything that says it doubles for two.
Archie Griffin has two Heisman trophies, and he still only gets one Heisman vote every year.

Response by CW4 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 29 at 2020 9:25 AM

2020-10-29T09:25:48-04:00

This whole thing doesn’t make sense. Double MOH?? I call bullshit...

Response by SGT Robert Pryor made Oct 29 at 2020 9:59 AM

2020-10-29T09:59:11-04:00

$4,494.72 paid by VA -- which represents $1,388.68 Medal Of Honor Pension plus $3,106.04 in VA Disability Compensation. They are ordinarily combined into a single check. It will increase by 1.3% on 12/01/2020 to $4,553.15. As a Chapter 31 retiree, the military retirement would be offset by the basic Compensation amount amount received from VA. Concurrent receipt would not be allowed, the way it is with a longevity retirement. Your scenario does not provide enough information. It states the VA percentage, but not the military percentage of disability, which would be necessary to determine the Chapter 61 benefit amount. It also does not state how much of the disability is the direct result of combat or instrumentalities of war. There is the likelihood of the individual also receiving Combat Related Special Compensation -- which is a whole other story. In my case, my Chapter 61 retirement was based on a rating of 70% disabled -- chump change as an E-5 when compared to my VA compensation which is two and a half times my retired pay. The VA has me at the next higher rating above 100% (SMC under subsection S). Keep in mind that the individual would most likely be entitled to Social Security Disability Insurance benefits which, depending on their earnings, could easily be another $2,500.00 per month. That, plus CRSC, could give them a monthly income of upwards of $8K per month tax free. There are eight disability percentages above 100%, plus CRSC is a very complicated formula. Keep in mind the the VA disability percentage, the military disability percentage and the CRSC percentage frequently are not the same. I have different disability percentages from each program. The Army has me at 70% for retirement purposes. For Combat Related Compensation the The Army have me at 100%. But the VA has me at SMC-S, the next higher rating above 100%. Are you confused enough? There are additional increases for loss of use of certain body parts or functions. There is even a clothing allowance when there are certain prosthetic appliances being used. Even though the VA disability will be the greater benefit, meaning the veteran will not receive their military retirement check, you still need the benefit amount before offset to determine the CRSC amount.