A rare muscle disease has turned 62-year-old Portland veteran Greg Rathburn into a quadriplegic who depends on a ventilator and an electric wheelchair, but he is still fighting the federal agency that controls his benefits.
Rathburn, diagnosed with inclusion body myositis in 2008, spent 21 years in the Air Force and Air National Guard as an avionics technician on advanced aircraft including the SR-71 Blackbird. He first applied for VA disability benefits in 2009, was denied in 2015, and filed a new claim in early April 2026.
What Is Inclusion Body Myositis?
Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is a slowly progressive muscle-wasting disease that typically starts with weakness in the hands and upper legs and often leads to difficulty swallowing. There is no cure, and most therapies offer only limited benefit.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke notes that IBM usually appears in people over 50 and that diagnosis is frequently delayed because symptoms creep in so gradually.
Why Veterans Say It Looks Different
Veterans and advocates say IBM shows up in military populations at higher rates than in civilians and point to data drawn from VA records as evidence that something is off…