McEntee v. United States

30 Fed. Cl. 178, 1993 U.S. Claims LEXIS 321, 1993 WL 511833
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedDecember 3, 1993
DocketNo. 92-768C
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 30 Fed. Cl. 178 (McEntee v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McEntee v. United States, 30 Fed. Cl. 178, 1993 U.S. Claims LEXIS 321, 1993 WL 511833 (uscfc 1993).

Opinion

OPINION

HORN, Judge.

Plaintiff, Jervis W. McEntee, a former United States Air Force Commander, brought this action seeking relief in the form of back pay and benefits, restoration to his former position, and correction of all applicable records for an alleged wrongful separation from the military and for a Line of Duty (LOD) determination in 1984. This case is now before the court on defendant’s motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction because the plaintiff voluntarily retired from the United States Air Force. Defendant asserts that plaintiff’s voluntary retirement bars his claims for back pay and allowances.

Plaintiff filed an opposition to defendant’s motion to dismiss and a supplement thereto, to which defendant replied. Following an oral argument, plaintiff and defendant filed briefs in response to a July 28, 1993 court order, which requested the parties to provide additional information, relevant to the issue of whether plaintiff’s separation from the military was voluntary or involuntary.1

Plaintiff asserts a cause of action based upon the LOD determination, and a claim based upon the actions of the Air Force Board of Corrections of Military Records (“AFBCMR”). Additionally, plaintiff argues that because he was subjected to an upcoming mandatory retirement date, his subsequent retirement from the military was involuntary.

Following a thorough review of all the pleadings submitted, the oral argument held on July 27,1993, and the applicable law, this court concludes that plaintiff’s resignation was voluntary and that this court, therefore, [180]*180is without jurisdiction to entertain the claims asserted by the plaintiff. Accordingly, defendant’s motion to dismiss is, hereby, GRANTED.

BACKGROUND

Plaintiff was the commander of the 507th Tactical Fighter Squadron, a reserve unit of the United States Air Force. Prior to January 1984, plaintiff was diagnosed as having elevated blood pressure, labile type, and was temporarily disqualified from active duty flying status. Defendant’s physician placed the plaintiff on a daily dosage of hydrochlorothia-zide. The medication corrected plaintiffs condition within three (3) days, and he was allowed to return to active duty status. Plaintiff was permitted to resume his flight duties under a series of medical waivers.

On January 29, 1984, plaintiff suffered an incident of tunnel vision and appeared flushed. On February 4, 1984, the plaintiff experienced two similar incidents, occurring twenty minutes apart. Plaintiff experienced “tunnel vision, shortness of breath, and weakness which were compatible with near episode.”

Following the second incident plaintiff was hospitalized from February 14 to February 17,1984. Electrocardiographic and ventrica-lographic studies were performed on plaintiff. Dr. Jan Voda, a cardiologist, conducted a full examination and made a preliminary diagnosis of arteriosclerotic heart disease and urticarial reactions. Dr. Voda’s conclusion confirmed Colonel Closner’s statement that the “[ejvidence also reflects this is job related.” As a result, plaintiffs flying status was suspended. A February 15, 1984 Physical Profile Serial Report determined that plaintiff was not qualified for worldwide duty. Subsequently, the defendant restricted plaintiff from duty for pay and points until his medical condition was resolved.

According to plaintiff, it was later determined that the preliminary diagnosis was in error, and that there was no significant blockage of the artery. In his affidavit, submitted as part of plaintiffs opposition to defendant’s motion to dismiss, plaintiff states that a second electrocardiogram was conducted and there was no significant “Q-wave” factor. Dr. Voda, who continued to monitor plaintiff, suggested that the first reading, which resulted in the preliminary diagnosis of myocardial infarction, may have been due to a “transient conduction defect.” In plaintiffs affidavit attached to his opposition to defendant’s motion to dismiss, McEntee also quotes from a September 5, 1984 letter, not included in the record, to the effect that:

Syncopal episodes of uncertain etiology. No significant pathology was demonstrated. Patient does not have coronary artery disease. There is no evidence for arrhyth-mias or conduction system abnormality. These findings and his subsequent very good clinical progress strongly suggest the cause of his syncopal episodes was benign.

On March 17, 1984, the medical officer recommended a determination of applicant’s condition as incurred “In Line of Duty.” The physician rendered a diagnosis of “[s]yn-cope secondary to antihypertensive medication and stress induced urticaria” and “[ajrteriosclerotic heart disease manifest by abnormal electrocardiographic and ventrico-lographic studies.” The medical testing reflected a narrowing of the anterior descending artery and abnormal left ventricular function.

Plaintiffs immediate commander recommended a finding of “In Line of Duty” on March 30, 1984. This finding was merely a recommendation and not a final determination. The appointing authority concurred with this recommendation on April 17, 1984. Plaintiffs medical records were subsequently forwarded to AFMSC/SGPA for a USAF-SAM evaluation on May 11, 1984. The Director of Professional Service, Office of the Command Surgeon, reviewed the informal determination and the Air Force Reserve (AFRES) Surgeon General’s office questioned the previous LOD finding on May 16, 1984. According to this review, plaintiffs condition was not incurred in line of duty, and was not due to misconduct. Moreover, the event occurred while plaintiff was attending a Unit Training Assembly (UTA). The resulting May 16, 1984 memorandum from the Director of Professional Services, Office of the Command Surgeon, read:

[181]*1811. Do not concur with LOD — yes. Recommend LOD — NO, Not Due to Own Ms-conduct IAW AFR 35-67 para l-20c. Because his syncopal or near syncopal episodes of undetermined etiology cannot be classified as an injury, and the period in question was a UTA, this cannot be classified in line of duty.
2. If hypertension, artero sclerotic heart disease, medication, urticarial reactions or stress played any role in his episode of illness, the determination would remain the same. There is no evidence of an injury during the UTA, and only an injury could possibly be ruled in line of duty.

The memorandum cites to Air Force Regulation 35-67 U1 — 20(c) (AFR 35-67 111-20), which states Not in Line of Duty, Not Due to Own Msconduct is the proper determination when “[a] USAFR ... member gets a disease while performing inactive duty training.”

The Director of Professional Services, Office of the Command Surgeon recommended that the finding of “Not in Line of Duty, Not Due to Own Msconduct” was proper because the syncopal or near syncopal episodes of undetermined etiology could not be classified as an injury and the period in question was a Unit Training Assembly.

Subsequently, on May 21, 1984, the HQ AFRES Chief of Staff for Personnel changed the finding to “Not In Line of Duty, Not Due to Own Msconduct.” The Chief of Staff stated that the AFRES Command Surgeon had advised that plaintiffs syncopal or near syncopal episodes of undetermined etiology could not be classified as an injury. Plamtiff was informed of this change on May 31,1984. McEntee protested the changed determination in a June 25, 1984 letter to AFRES/ DPAA.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
30 Fed. Cl. 178, 1993 U.S. Claims LEXIS 321, 1993 WL 511833, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcentee-v-united-states-uscfc-1993.