Expert: John L - 5/20/2009

Question
My husband tested positive on a random urine screen for THC and this June will make 2 years since it was official. He was told he would have to wait 2 years to get back in. We are grateful that he has a job but he has been working long hours meaning 12 hours a night 6 days a week and only gets 1 day at a time off with exceptions of 2 days this past Christmas and 2 days this past Thanksgiving. He has to pass pop urine screens as part of his job and has never failed a screen. He was told he had to get treatment for 6 months from a place approved by the National Guard at our expense. I wish they knew my husband like I do and they would have known he wasn't and never has been a habitual user of pot or any other drug. He had a shoulder injury that was causing him alot of pain at the time. His heart was broken when they discharged him because he had not touched marijuana since he tried it as a 13 year old and is fixing to be in his 40's and had passed all prior drug test's . We've been married 7 years and married 8 and I have never known him to love a job as much as he loved his job in the guard since then or before then. His MOS is 21B. I can see he just is not going to be able to be happy with any job other that clearing his name and getting back in. He has to drive 30-45 minutes to work depending on traffic and there just are not enough hours in the day for him to attend regular classes for rehab. He has been working crazy hours like this for almost 1 and a half years now. There was a meeting at his civilian job because of high employee turnover where he was told they were trying to work it out so the employees could at least have 2 days at a time off but a month later there are no signs of this happening. Counting my husband there are only 2 left that started when he did. My husband is a good man, he works hard and I wish I could find out some way to at least help him clear his name. Thank you for any advice you can offer and taking the time out of your schedule to read this and respond to me. I am appreciative for any advice.

Answer
Right now no waivers are being given for people to get back in, except minor medical.  When they do allow waivers, he has a 30% chance of getting back in.

National Guard being part time is not going to help his civilian job issue out at all, so I don't see how getting back in the Guard will help.