SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOT YOUR FRIEND DURING THE IDES PROCESS

If you are in the IDES Process- especially Navy and Marine Corps personnel- you should be aware that some PEB members- typically the medical officers- do occasionally trawl through major social media platforms to determine whether you are currently performing activities that contradict your stated duty limitations and/or profile. But, an even more significant risk may be posed by disgruntled coworkers and/or supervisors who will inform your leadership chain and/or medical providers if they think that your posts show you engaging in more rigorous activities than those allowed by your profile.  Recently, I have had to perform damage control for several clients in cases where they reposted old photos- i.e., pre-injury- of mixed martial arts and extreme sports activities in which they had previously engaged. Sadly, there were service members in their social media circle who mistook this for their current activity level and reported them as malingerers. So, while you are going through the IDES process, the best way to avoid such issues is to keep your social media private until your case is complete.