Expert: Cynthia Bedell - 11/26/2009

Question
Col. Bedell,
My son ended up with a hip stress fracture after a couple of weeks at OCS. Recovery time is putting him out for 6 to 8 weeks.
He said he's been talking to some and going AIT instead to heal up more and then going to OCS  is a way to go. Sounds like it would be really hard to get back into OCS from enlisted to me. But the military has changed so since 5 yrs. ago. Hoping to get a more professional opinion on the matter for his career, is this a way to still get to OCS? His degree is in computers and information technology. Getting worried about bad advice. Thank you for your time  

Answer
Dear Roxanne --

This is a tough question to answer because hip fractures take so long to heal, and most young people who get them become discouraged and quit the service rather than take the time to heal and return to training.

If your son qualified for OCS as a condition of his enlistment, he is likely to qualify again as an enlisted man.  However, there is no guarantee on the timing of his return to OCS.  If he moves to a new duty station he will owe the Army at least two years at that duty station before he can return to OCS.

Another problem with going to AIT and then re-applying to OCS is that no one at AIT will understand how injured your son is.  At least one leader in his new training unit is likely to consider him a malingerer and try to make him do more exercise or more difficult exercises than he can handle in his condition.  Your son will either obey doctor's orders and feel bad about himself, or he will try to impress the poor leader and re-injure himself, perhaps permanently.

I recommend one of two pathways.  The first is to remain at OCS as an office employee assisting the OCS training company as an enlisted person.  That will show the OCS leadership, that he is determined to make it in the Army, but he doesn't want to be a drain on the unit.  He can assist within the limits of his profile (limited duty instructions), learn more of the military, and be close to the military doctors for them to guide his recovery and physical therapy.  

The other is to take whatever sick leave they offer, and request advanced leave for the remainder, and go home until healed and rehabilitated enough to return to OCS.  He should only take this option if he will be granted significant sick leave, if he will be close to a military medical facility he is authorized to use, and he has family support structure that can help him through his rehabilitation.

If he will take your advice recommend he stop drinking all soft drinks immediately.  The carbonic acid leeches calcium out of bones and makes them brittle and prone to stress fractures.  All the services are seeing significant stress fractures from routine exercise, that were rarely seen a mere decade ago.  If he can replace soda with milk drinks that would be good, but not all young people can tolerate milk, if they have stopped drinking it on a regular basis.

Please write back, if you have additional questions.  Good luck to your son.