Left with a MEC 1 or at Your Own Request? Building a Retrospective Discharge Case

Why a "fit" record often isn't the whole story

In VHC record reviews, the same patterns appear:

• The MEC was set late, during separation, when nobody was looking to downgrade.
• The separation medical recorded active problems that never reached the MEC.
• A fitness test pass came straight after a medical visit for the same condition.
• A recent deterioration never went to a medical board.
• Psychological symptoms weren't disclosed by members avoiding a downgrade.

A credible case says the MEC didn't reflect your condition only where the records support it.

Where the evidence is: your last 12–24 months

A chart review reads every page of your Defence and DVA files, looking for:

• restricted MECs, medical boards and duty restrictions, with dates;
• days on restricted duty, fitness test exemptions, changed duties;
• treatment – specialists, injections, physiotherapy, medication changes;
• psychology, chaplain or welfare contacts;
• your separation medical – both your own statement and the doctor's findings.

In one anonymised VHC case, the final two years held 119 days of restricted duty or unfitness.

Map your ADF job requirement by requirement

The Rule 30 question is whether grounds existed to retire you, so the core evidence is whether you could meet the requirements of your employment category – fitness tests, load carriage, field work, deployability. Anything you could only do with bracing, rest or modified duties counts as a requirement you couldn't meet. In the anonymised case, the member couldn't meet 15 of 19 essential requirements.

Voluntary discharge isn't a bar

CSC asks not why you left, but whether grounds existed for medical separation. Many veterans left because they could no longer cope with the job – and the records often show it.

When records are thin

Other sources can place your condition at discharge: civilian GP and pharmacy records, the first specialist examination after discharge, DVA onset findings, and statements from a spouse or colleague.

State the case against you, then answer it

VHC reports address the fit MEC, fitness passes and post-discharge work head-on. Read more on the Rule 30 letter of support.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get retrospective discharge if I had a MEC 1?

Yes, if your records show conditions that were present and restricting you at discharge despite the MEC.

Does discharging at my own request stop an application?

No. The question is your medical state on the day you left.

What is a chart review?

A page-by-page review of your Defence and DVA records to build a dated picture of your condition at discharge.

Find out if your record supports a case

We'll tell you plainly before any report is written. Call 0429 146 039 or email reception@vhc.org.au.

General information only; not legal or financial advice.