What are the positives and negatives of your experience in the Medical Evaluation Board? What advice can you give to fix the problems?

After 18 years in I developed sleep apnea and I was basically dismissed by the MEB. When I pursued it further, my choices were live with it or be rated as non-deployable. They took no interest in my medical history or anything. Needless to say, I was disappointed in the system.

The MEB is a system that makes absolutely no sense. It is the most frustrating process ever. Even if your records are in order, it is still possible for them to downplay things. It is usually up to the discretion of your MEB doctor. Even when going through the VA evaluations, most of it is not done correctly. You can have two Soldiers with identical conditions where one will be rated 10% and the other 50%. It depends on who you see and what type of day they are having. It is even possible to get rated for a condition that started long before service. Not to gripe, but I still don't understand how IET Soldiers can get full disability (70%) for conditions such as fibromyalgia, yet have only completed 9 weeks of basic training. If you know what you are doing, it is too easy for Soldiers to learn to scam the system.