The Secretary of the Air Force may separate, versus retire, a service member who is found physically unfit to perform their duties due to a disability. Separation may occur with entitlement to disability severance pay or without entitlement to disability benefits. Separation with disability severance pay occurs when the service member's unfitting disabilities are determined by the Department of the Air Force to be service connected, the service member has less than 20 years of service as computed under 10 USC 1208, and the service member's combined disability rating assigned to the unfitting disabilities is less than 30%. Separation without entitlement to disability benefits occurs when the unfitting disabilities are determined to be non-service connected without permanent aggravation or incurred due to misconduct. Service members of the Ready Reserve with 20 qualifying years and service members of the Selected Reserve with 15 qualifying years with a disability disposition of separation with or without severance pay have an additional election in lieu of being separated. This additional election is discussed further in this paper.

Retired Airmen and Guardians are not eligible for Department of Defense (DoD) Disability Severance Pay but may be eligible for VA Disability Compensation.

For more information, please visit the following webpage maintained by the Department of Defense:
https://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan/separation-payments/disability-severance-pay/

Volume 7B: “Military Pay Policy and Procedures – Retired Pay:
https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/documents/fmr/Volume_07b.pdf

Volume 7A: “Military Pay Policy and Procedures – Active Duty and Reserve Pay
https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/documents/fmr/Volume_07a.pdf

DoD Instruction 1332.18, “Disability Evaluation System (DES)”:
https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/133218e.PDF

Air Force Instructions 36-3212, Physical Evaluation for Retention, Retirement and Separation:
https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a1/publication/afi36-3212/afi36-3212.pdf

Online Resource for Americans with Disabilities:
https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/disability