Who has authority to override Army Profile Code B (Block 2) assignment restriction?

2016-01-18T19:20:02-05:00

A soldier I know is returning to active duty after a less than a year stay with the WTB and received a permanent profile with a code B in block 2 (Soldier has minor impairments that may disqualify for certain MOS training or assignment). In the comments the military doctor identified the Soldiers requirement to be near a specific type of doctor, in this case an Orthopedic Oncologist due to the 5 year battle this Soldier had with a very specific type of benign bone tumor (Giant Cell Tumor). This Soldier has received assignment instructions for Fort Polk which they are actually ok with. However, they are concerned as the closest orthopedic oncologist is in Houston or New Orleans 3+ hours away. The Soldier is required to have follow up appointments every 3 months with an Orthopedic Oncologist. When the Soldier talked with the Special Actions Branch at Fort Knox, they were told that because they are in "recovery and monitoring" that an oncologist would suffice. While the Soldier attempted to talk to branch, branch told them needs of the Army and medical requirements made Fort Polk their only option and was obviously not very helpful in determining if another location was available. The Soldier is trying to find the answer of who has the authority to say that an oncologist will suffice over an actual orthopedic oncologist. The Soldier is concerned because their first doctor was also not an orthopedic oncologist and did not understand the tumor and actual caused it to spread to their soft tissue and eventually led to them having a reoccurrence while deployed, additionally missing that the giant cell tumor had spread to their lung. This Soldier is concerned due to having a rare type of bone tumor most doctors like the Soldiers first doctor want to have treating a patient with a giant cell tumor on their resume, as sad as that is to say. I'm trying to help the Soldier but cannot seem to find the answer either or if an answer actually exists. Is it merely a recommendation that the Soldier be stationed near an Orthopedic Oncologist, or does a oncologist truly suffice or is 3+ hours one way due to the frequency of visits sufficient to meet the requirement of "being" near an orthopedic oncologist. It seems off to me that a Soldier returning to duty from the WTB with a requirement to be near an Orthopedic Oncologist like Walter Reed (like it was recommended in the profile) would not be that difficult.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 18 at 2016 8:07 PM

2016-01-18T20:07:34-05:00

My apologizes if the question is not clear, the Profile does not need to be changed, the question is who has the authority (I'm guessing at HRC) to override a physician's comments of a code b in a permanent profile.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 20 at 2016 3:41 PM

2016-01-20T15:41:51-05:00

This seems like a tough question that I still cannot find the answer for them. Would going to IG be an option for them?

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 29 at 2016 4:08 PM

2016-01-29T16:08:12-05:00

So I have been able to piece together information that I think actually makes sense which makes sense and the Army don't always go together but a way to justify the assignment for this Soldier. So I have been able to determine that when an active duty Soldier returns to duty from the WTB the Special Actions Branch at HRC and the Warrior Transition Command are involved in determining if the Soldiers assignment meets their medical needs. Similarly to how EFMP works for family members is applied to Soldiers, that being what is the frequency of specialty appointments vs time / distance traveled, which I still have not been able to find the guidance for. While there are a couple of variations to that like long waiting lists for in house specialties etc. So when Special Actions Branch told the Soldier that an Oncologist would suffice over the Orthopedic Oncologist like it stated in the Soldiers profile essentially they were able to reduce the travel distance / time from 4 hours for an Orthopedic Oncologist to 30 minutes for an oncologist. I still do not know who has this authority to say an oncologist will suffice over an orthopedic oncologist as stated in the Soldiers profile. The unintended consequence of who ever made that decision that an Oncologist would suffice did not conduct enough research as the Oncologist of the Hematologist specialty dealing with blood born disease which this Soldier has a bone born disease. So even if referred to this Oncologist, due to the nature and medical history, the Soldier will still be referred to an Orthopedic Oncologist in New Orleans which is a 4 hour drive. I am going to try and get some answers from the Warrior Transition Command next to see if someone can shed some light on who has the authority to deem an oncologist sufficient.

Response by SFC Andy Tiernan made Dec 19 at 2017 11:39 AM

2017-12-19T11:39:31-05:00

To be honest, alot is referenced in AR 40-501. Chapter 3 covers overall retention and the chapters after that cover some specific assignments. The B code is simply to raise a flag that the individual diagnosis needs to bounced off of the AR 40-501 reference for the specific assignment and the authority to override the AR would all be based on what that specific chapter states.

Response by SFC Melvin Brandenburg made Jul 8 at 2019 8:05 PM

2019-07-08T20:05:16-04:00

The best answer may be to take the assignment and commute the three hours. I drive twice that to guard drills. 3 hours is manageable.