I am enlisted in the Army National Guard (not MOS-Q) but contracted with Army ROTC as a SMP cadet. I am in the Fall semester of my MSIII year and I injured my knee during physical training I went to a MTF which told me I had a torn ligament (without doing a MRI), and I have also followed up with a civilian doctor who told me that the problem was not a ligament but with my cartilage and said I needed Physical Therapy. I was issued crutches and a soft cast by the MTF and then issued a Warriors knee support brace from the civilian doctor. I have not been able to start the physical therapy because of the paper work hold up between my Unit, the Department of Labor, and the ROTC department. It has been two months and I still have to wear the brace and I also still have grinding in my knee and pain while doing any type of physical activity including walking without any assistance. I have been proactive about making sure that my line of duty paperwork is properly filed out so that my injury is properly documented.
I have decided to seek a medical discharge from both the Guard and ROTC so that I can heal and possibly return to start my MSIII year as a graduate student, but when I inquired about a medical discharge I was told that I could only get a honorable or general form the ROTC department.
So my question is:
What types of discharges can be issued by Army ROTC?
Is it absolutely imperative that I get a medical discharge if I have a LOD on file with the DOL, or should I just take the honorable or a general discharge?
In your personal/professional opinion am I wise in my decision for seeking a discharge to restart my MSIII year as a graduate student?
Sidenote: I am scheduled to commission/ graduate May 2011, but if I am discharged from the program I graduate Aug 2010.
In reply to Kojak, I am already in the ARMY and before my injury I trained M,W,F also in my spare time, why would I be afraid of LDAC which is only 4 weeks of training when I have already completed 12 weeks of enlisted basic training and graduated top of my class?!! Your case may be a little different than mine; I am still waiting on the military to finish their paperwork process so that I can get some type of permanent treatment. But my issue is in the mean time I am missing too much pertinent information/training and I feel like there is a rush for me to heal. As far as your insight it is appreciated, however your rash judgment and juvenile insult is extremely comical.
Well then HOOAH to you "Grandpa" on this Veteran's Day for being computer savvy!!!!
But once again if you taught ROTC and are so familiar with the process you would understand that readiness is also a part of the Army's mission, I am not active duty therefore I do not have tricare and in order for my LOD to be properly documented I have to file a worker's comp claim and wait for authorization for care, once DOL receives all of the paper from both ROTC and my unit. But you should already be familiar with the process because of being a former PMS, right??!! I'd like to extend my deepest apologies for being smart enough to actually care about my health and not wanting to drag a "bum" leg around for the rest of my life.
@ Kojak cont'd-- is your understanding that limited that you would expect someone who is in a training environment to continue to train on an injury that is not improving without having any formal diagnosis or plan to return to duty? If this is the attitude that you lead your troops with or trained your cadets with I truly feel sorry for them because you have really misguided them and you appear to be very self-serving!
(Final words Kojak)--Lastly let me also notate that I am a natural born solider both of my parents have 48 years of combined service to our country, a Bronze Star, and War Injuries leading to 100% disability, FEARFUL I could never be I have been trained by the BEST!!! Whining is not in my character but I to expect the Army that I have trained so hard for and my parents have given so much for, to give back in my time of need and I'm wrong??!! You need to reevaluate your train of thought, and re-read my post I am not trying to evade duty but delay until I can heal and either take my MSIII year as a grad student or go to OCS following my degree completion, but you must not have seen that part, "Grandpa"!!
Once again "Grandpa" I am far from alone I would rather not have my parents pull rank to make people do their job, I am dealing with a bunch of people with an understanding as limited as yours. I am not going to continue to engage in this meaningless conversation with you. You have completely redirected my question into to an issue about my quality as a solider or what avenues I have personally taken to obtain the care on my own. Evidently your prescription in your glasses in not strong enough or your skimming what I am writing, I have already told you that I have to be seen by a MTF and I am not on active duty.
I am beginning to get the feeling that you are not as experienced as you claim your word usage is improper "ROTC Detachment", ROTC is a part of cadet command, but once again you should know that. You have been fun to entertain however your belittling of me via the internet paints a picture of you as a very lonely person who is living behind his computer screen!
Your opinions are not insightful nor helpful you've compared battle experience to training experience, you've given unsupported recommendations, as well as further shown that you are very narrow minded and even when presented with a clear cut case you have the inability to review ALL of the information that has been presented to you a make an educated response. Yet you make attempts to insult my personal character, you may not be joking but you sure are FUNNY!!!LOL
Kojak
Hmmmmm I tore my meniscus so bad my knee locked up and I could not walk.... I went in for surgery.... (this is the OLD surgery where they slice the knee open and grind down the torn cartilage..... not the NEW arthroscopic minimal invasive surgery they have today)..... within four weeks I was back running two miles every morning
I sense you are too eager to get a discharge for something that has other solutions.... It would not have anything to do with the fact you are scheduled for two weeks summer camp this summer would it??
Maybe for the betterment of the service.....you should get your discharges
EDIT....I was in the Army when I got my surgery.... if you are in Army ???get the knee surgery..... quit playing games and get the knee fixed.... If you are such a super soldier what are you doing whining and making all these people work extra hours
Modern knee surgery is almost an out patient medical procedure..... two little holes and it is over..... I injured my knee parachuting into the swamps of Fort Stewart GA.... my knee sounded like a fire cracker....I had to crawl to the RP.... I could have taken a Med Evac and laid around a hospital , watching TV ,drinking coke and laughing....but then my team would fail the ARTEP....so we bandaged it up.....gave me a make shift crutch and I stayed in the field, up to my butt in swamp water, until the end of the exercise.... you do what you have to do to get the mission done.... Your mission is to get the job done....not create more work for other
BTW I taught ROTC at two universities... I served 5 years as a commissioned officer and 25 years as an enlisted man.... I am old enough to be your grandfather.... so "juvenile" this cadet
EDIT... You talk a good line of trash....but it ain't floating..... I will wager you have no clue as to how much the knee surgery would cost or tried any other payment options.... You come from a long line of warriors?, why are they not helping you to get "Fit to Fight"..... As to my performance as an ROTC instructor..... it certainly was better than yours as a cadet.... Having "been there and done that" I have confidence in the quality of the ROTC Detachment.... If you were in "good standing", someone would be helping you.... that is the name of the game..... they are there to MAKE officers not coddle or injure cadets....the fact that you are alone and "up against it" indicates you are not as good as YOU think you are...
I reiterate my recommendation....You should get your discharge FOR THE GOOD OF THE SERVICE (and that is no joke)
Orignal From: Army ROTC injury, seeking a medical discharge, any advice please?!?
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