Contacting Senator, Congressman or SG

[mrgrey]

Anyone have experience or know anyone that successfully contacted a Senator, Congressman or a Surgeon General and revered a decision after getting disqualified medically?

I have H2 hearing (35db @ 500hz) in one ear, rest frequencies are perfect and mild chondromalacia in my shoulder which my surgeon said was caused by her doing my labrum repair surgery back from 07. Both of these conditions would not be a problem if I was already trained and still not an issue with FAA. I'm not expecting much, just wanted to make sure I exhausted all resources. Also would anyone know the best way to contact a surgeon general, specifically AFRC?

[deaddebate]

I've seen many Congressional complaints.  The are received by a low level staffer, pushed to the MAJCOM that dq'd you, given a token response explaining how nobody broke the law, and it's closed.  If you aren't connected, then it's a cold-call to the Congressman, so you'll only get lip-service.  Your Rep.s and Senators are not waiting by the phone for your call, to spring into action and fight for you.  More likely, they're calling you for money.

You as an individual can't really contact the MAJCOM/SG.  Well, you can, but they have no obligation to respond to you.  Everything should go through your Congressman, Recruiter, MEPS, or local FS, explaining medical justification / requesting reconsideration.  It sounds like what you are really trying to do is an ETP, and that thread is over there.

Edited June 18, 2016 by deaddebate

[matmacwc]

What he said.  However, your Med group can help out, they have the contacts at higher levels.  Get your hiring dude (AFRC right?) to call the Med group and see what they can do.

[mrgrey]

11 hours ago, deaddebate said:

I've seen many Congressional complaints.  The are received by a low level staffer, pushed to the MAJCOM that dq'd you, given a token response explaining how nobody broke the law, and it's closed.  If you aren't connected, then it's a cold-call to the Congressman, so you'll only get lip-service.  Your Rep.s and Senators are not waiting by the phone for your call, to spring into action and fight for you.  More likely, they're calling you for money.

You as an individual can't really contact the MAJCOM/SG.  Well, you can, but they have no obligation to respond to you.  Everything should go through your Congressman, Recruiter, MEPS, or local FS, explaining medical justification / requesting reconsideration.  It sounds like what you are really trying to do is an ETP, and that thread is over there.

Yes, I have been over on that thread but still not sure exactly who I would send an ETP to being that I am a civilian. I also don't have much support from the AFRC recruiter since being disqualified. I googled it, and saw some sent their ETP to AFPC but that was for non medical issues. Do you know exactly the best place to send, AFPC, SG and how do I go about finding good contact info? I have AFPC testing email from the PCSM site but that's about it.

 

My main arguments are

1.Hearing is very minor, and Drs look at it as an anomaly since it only effects one single frequency in one ear. Hearing avg. is still low too.

2. Chondromalacia is mild and is shoulder again, not common and you are not on your shoulder as much as knees (Surgeon said she caused the condromalacia during the surgery). Also asymptomatic and still able to lift heavyweights without pain or joint obstruction.

3. I can still legally fly 200 + passengers  by FAA Medical standards( with all licenses/ratings) but cant haul cargo over middle east?

5. DoD is just trying to save money on VA bills.

6. Pilot shortage( I know its 11F shortage, but still)

Edited June 18, 2016 by mrgrey

[RTB]

I'll throw in my 2 cents as a guy who was told I wasn't pilot qualified many times both prior to and after commissioning.  Never accepted that answer, eventually got the waivers, went to UPT, and had a long, successful AF flying career.  

I'm sure you've done this but I assume you've tried to get second opinions on both issues to either confirm or refute that you have the conditions that disqualify you?

Every situation is different but I think a common theme is that as a cold call, email, or letter, you stand a near 0 chance of getting something fixed or waived if you're coming in off the street.  Meeting with someone in person almost always gets you more traction.  And using a congressman is usually a dead end as others have suggested.  That said, do you know anyone stationed at Robins in Georgia?  The AFRC pilot selection office is there as well as the AFRC Command Surgeon.  The pilot selection office would know who to contact to proceed with a waiver.  The Command Surgeon's office would be involved in such a waiver.  A quick Google search turned up the AFRC SG as Col James Dienst.  I think your Hail Mary option is to find a way to meet with him or someone in his office to plead your case.  Still a long shot but if you don't have any other options, I'd give it a try.

[mrgrey]

30 minutes ago, RTB said:

I'll throw in my 2 cents as a guy who was told I wasn't pilot qualified many times both prior to and after commissioning.  Never accepted that answer, eventually got the waivers, went to UPT, and had a long, successful AF flying career.  

I'm sure you've done this but I assume you've tried to get second opinions on both issues to either confirm or refute that you have the conditions that disqualify you?

Every situation is different but I think a common theme is that as a cold call, email, or letter, you stand a near 0 chance of getting something fixed or waived if you're coming in off the street.  Meeting with someone in person almost always gets you more traction.  And using a congressman is usually a dead end as others have suggested.  That said, do you know anyone stationed at Robins in Georgia?  The AFRC pilot selection office is there as well as the AFRC Command Surgeon.  The pilot selection office would know who to contact to proceed with a waiver.  The Command Surgeon's office would be involved in such a waiver.  A quick Google search turned up the AFRC SG as Col James Dienst.  I think your Hail Mary option is to find a way to meet with him or someone in his office to plead your case.  Still a long shot but if you don't have any other options, I'd give it a try.

Thanks for the support. As far as the hearing, I got a full audiological work up by and Ear Nose and Throat doctor with MRI all clear and just plain hearing loss and have letter from Dr saying fit for duty( which I have been told means zero to military). With shoulder, I have to take my surgeons word on it as it is it did not appear on my original MRI and she said she caused it during the procedure. Only way to refute would be to have another surgeon open it up and look visually.

 

Unfortunately, I haze zero military contacts. Yes, I found James Dienst on Linkedin. I have been contemplating wether or not I should try to message/"connect" directly. Another option is trying to befriend someone one linked is of lower rank that might be willing to help out.

Edited June 18, 2016 by mrgrey
typo

[HossHarris]

Go in person. 

Social media may be of use to find out where to go/who to go to, but is not the vehicle for pleading your case. 

Call, get an appointment, and spend the money to get there. Have your ducks in a row

[deaddebate]

2 hours ago, HossHarris said:

Go in person. 

Social media may be of use to find out where to go/who to go to, but is not the vehicle for pleading your case. 

Call, get an appointment, and spend the money to get there. Have your ducks in a row

I hope you mean go in person to the Congressman's office.

Getting an "appointment" at a MAJCOM/SG isn't really a thing, and showing up unannounced means you won't get in the door.  You need to know somebody/have a connection.

But going to a Congressman's office may lead to something.