Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Claims
There are two considerations for cadets who are injured while enrolled in ROTC.
On orders; or
Not on orders.
On Orders
ROTC cadets who are injured while on Title 10 orders (such as going to airborne school) are eligible to submit a claim for disability compensation, as this period of service is considered Active Duty for Training (ADT).
If you sought treatment for you injury while on orders, a Line of Duty (LOD) determination should have been produced. Attributing your injury or an Aggravation of a preexisting injury was due to your training.
For those who did not seek treatment, your road to a successful claim WILL be a harder one. But there is still hope - in the absence of medical evidence, you MUST submit Personal AND Buddy statements attesting to the injury!
Filing a claim
For more information on how to file a claim click HERE.
NOT on Orders
ROTC cadets who are injured while participating in unit-related activities while NOT under orders may file a claim receive health care benefits under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA).
The Department of Labor, the Office of Workers' Compensation Program (OWCP) administers this program.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
If you were injured while NOT on Title 10 orders, you are NOT eligible for VA disability compensation!
SPECIAL NOTE:
To contradict the above note, some people may find success Appealing to the Board of Veterans Appeals (BVA). As the BVA has a lot more leeway in how they apply and consider laws and regulations. As such, it is possible to get service connection for injuries that are incurred while off orders if the injury was incurred during the completion of any tasks (such as a physical fitness test), that is a requirement to complete the ROTC program.
Filing a claim
To file a claim you need to complete a CA Form, include relevant evidence, and then submit everything.
1. You need to either complete a CA-1 (Federal Employee's Notice of Traumatic Injury and Claim for Continuation of Pay/Compensation) or a CA-2 (Notice of Occupational Disease and Claim for Compensation) Form, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
CA-1 Form:
This would be for your typical physical injuries. IE; Tripped during a run, resulting in a injured knee.
CA-2 Form:
This would be for your illness or non-physical injuries. IE; Asthma due to repeated exposure to dust/dirt.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Complete all claim forms (CA-1 or CA-2) in their ENTIRETY or you claim WILL BE denied!
NOTE:
Hearing Loss IS considered a non-physical injury.
2. Include relevant evidence.
For physical claims, you don't need to worry about submitting additional evidence. However, illness/non-phyiscal injuries DOES require additional supporting evidence. To learn about these evidence requirements, click HERE.
3. Submitting your claim
You can file your claim online HERE.
If you are unable to file online you may mail copies of everything to:
United States Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs U.S. Dept. of Labor/OWCP P.O. Box 8300 District 9 CLE London, KY 40742-8300
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Claims MUST be filed NO LATER THAN 3 years from the date of injury! In the case of conditions with a latent period of onset, it is from when you become aware, or reasonably should have become aware, of a possible relationship between the medical condition and your training.
If a claim is NOT filed within 3 years, compensation may still be paid if written notice of injury was given within 30 days or if ROTC had actual knowledge of the injury within 30 days after it occurred. There is nothing to prohibit you from filing the claim. Timeliness is determined by the OWCP district office as part of the adjudication process. In short, if you don't file within 3 years, you face a struggle.
Frequently Asked Questions
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No, so long as your injury was not the result of misconduct.
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9999 51 (Air Force), 9999 52 (Army), and 9999 53 (Navy).
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Yes, via the OWCP Web Bill Processing Portal.
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Yes, you can submit a AB-1 Form to the Employees' Compensation Appeals Board (ECAB).