Expert: Cynthia Bedell - 8/29/2008

Question
My husband left for basic training in the Army on July 30th. He has a stress fractures in his feet. I am concerned about what will happen. Will they make him get a medical discharge? If they send him home to heal does he get paid? How does that affect our healthcare? Does he get credit for the time he spent in boot camp or does he have to start over. I don't get to talk to him much, so I am trying to analyze what is happening. He wrote last Friday and said his feet still hurt really bad and are swollen. He is suppose to see the doctor on Tuesday. I read that is takes 6-8 weeks to heal. Will they make sure he gets the appropriate treatment and rest to health so they don't get serious?

Answer
Dear Bridget --

Your husband should request convalescent leave, and ask to come home to heal.  If they make him stay in the barracks, he will likely be tasked to do work that will make him walk and even run when he should not.

Trying to heal from a stress fracture in an environment that celebrates activity and enduring pain, is not a good idea.  I know he will want to tough it out, but he should not.  He needs to get a doctor to either put him in a walking cast, so he cannot re-injure his foot or put him on an very strict limited activity profile.  That profile should keep the training sergeants from trying to convince him to "tough it out."

You husband should immediately stop drinking soft drinks.  The phosphoric acid in the soft drinks leaches out the calcium from bones, making it very easy for someone unaccustomed to certain exercises to get stress fractures.  He should slowly increase his calcium intake, so he can rebuild his bones more effectively.

If your husband does not heal well enough to complete basic training, he will likely get an entry level discharge.  That is an uncharacterized discharge meaning he will not be eligible for Veteran's Administration benefits.  He will also forfeit any enlistment bonuses he contracted for.  It is in his best interest to insist on time to heal, and then return to training.  He will likely have to start over from the beginning, unless he has completed a full phase, and can begin the next phase with a new class.

Please write back, if you have additional questions, or if other concerns arise.  Good luck to your husband, and thank you both for his service.