Military Overseas Deployment

I am a civilian contractor that works with the USAF Special Ops Squadron. I am currently receiving Short Term Disability and have found out that Military Regulations will not let me deploy with a pacemaker. I am trying for Long Term Disability.

Does anyone have experience with pacemakers and deploying?

5 Comments

There are TWO

by donr - 2013-08-31 09:08:37

PM Recipients who were on active duty when they got them.

One was an Army Sgt/Mag assigned to Korea. He had hie PM implanted in a Korean Hosp; was returned to the States for retirement sometime this yr..

Second was a USMC Staff Sgt. He had his implanted in San Diego & was immediately processed for medical retirement sometime this year..

I only know of ONE Army type who had a PM & remained on active duty. He was a COL & had about 23+ yrs of service at the time. He was in a shortage MOS (Comptroller) & he was undeployable because of the PM. He was kept around because of the shortage of his MOS in the States. He retired well over 25 yrs ago.

Generally, the services do not have the qualified people to serve PM/ICD hosts, so they are usually retired very quickly.

Don

I think there was...

by pacergirl - 2013-08-31 10:08:41

No, sorry I don't. However there was an Airman I believe that had a pacemaker. Maybe, hopefully he will chime in and share what he knows.

Good luck, I spent 10 years living overseas with my husband, but I didn't get a pacemaker until after we returned to the states... long after.

I'm active duty AF

by ElizabethR - 2013-09-02 02:09:09

I just had my PM put in on 8/15. As of right now, I am still on active duty, but I am going to be going through a medical evaluation board now that I have the PM. I'm not sure what the outcome will be, but I can let you know!

PM on active duty

by Steven - 2013-10-09 11:10:21

I had a PM put in Sept. 2011 while on active duty (Army)in Germany. They put in a German model then sent me back to the states where the device isn't FDA approved. I tried to stay in but was told that because I couldn't deploy anymore then I would have to retire. I searched and found that there were a few Field Grade Officers on Active Duty with PM but the board found that I could not do my job anymore.

Still on Active Duty...

by i_latif - 2016-01-23 06:01:51

I was wondering if there was anyone out there in the pacemaker club still serving on Active Duty
??? (Preferably Army)

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Yesterday I moved to a new place in my mind and realized how bad I felt 'before' and the difference my pacemaker has made.