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Careers: Military--Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines, Coast Guard/pre-existing medical
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Question
My son was trying to join the army, we told the recruiter about a past medical condition, 2 years ago doctor found a non malignant cancer in his bladder, was removed completely, no recurrence, we even got a letter from the doctor saying he was in good health with no limitations, he goes for a check up once a year, he is only 18, recruiter say not to mention medical condition, I insisted that condition needed to be mentioned, my son got denied entry in the army, now he is heartbroken and he blames me for that, is that the way the military treats pre-existing medical conditions??
The recruiter was technically wrong for telling not to mention it, but it was the right thing to do to mention that. The militray tends not to allow previous cancer due to cost of care if a recurrence happens, and it takes him out of his mission status during crae, while he would still get full pay. Its a combination of care cost and mission readiness. The military lieks to keep all soldiers healthy al much as possible, and those with pre existing conditions are scrutinized heavily.
Not sure if his condition warrants a waiver request. Did you talk to the recruiter about a waiver?
Tell him its for his own good, but there are other ways to serve the country. Good luck.
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| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 10 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | Very pleased with the answer, I could tell Mr Lewis was truly and expert, he was a lot of help | ||
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Answers by Expert:
John L
Expertise
I am a National Guard recruiter , been doing it for seven years and am a subject matter expert on qualifications for National Guard and I keep up to date on Regular Army regs and programs. I was in the Navy for 4 years and have 13 years in the Guard. I will not sugar coat my answers to you. They are usually short and to the point. If you need more in depth, ask me. Because each situation is different, alot of times you need to actually talk to a recruiter and let them evaluate your situation in person, by looking at your documents, issues etc. If I suggest this, it would be in your best interest to do so. Finally...thank you for your interest in serving this great nation of ours. Very few people can actually make the cut to serve let alone choose to do so. So thank you for wanting to and hopefully you will get a chance. Whatever branch you choose, thank you and good luck.
Experience
13 years Guard experince, combat missions and homeland missions. 7 years recruiting. I have been a platoon sergeant and squad leader. Mentor to new recruiters and recruits.
Education/Credentials
Recruiters course and advanced courses in recruiting
Awards and Honors
Top recruiter in district for FY 2008. Nominated for recruiter of the year for 2010.
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