Expert: Cynthia Bedell - 9/13/2009

Question
I am almost in the same boat another person had just asked you... I had a shoulder injury before I enlisted into the army. I had to get a waiver ext and had to go through a whole bunch of physicals at MEPS. I recently re-injured my shoulder in a non-related training way. I know I will probably get medically discharged for it because it was a bad injury to begin with. I also had injured it during my basic training during combatives. If I do go to sick call for it could I possibly get it paid for? The only bad thing about that is when I got my surgery before I enlisted it took a grand total of 13 months to really recover. I'm not sure why it took that long but with physical therapy and everything else that played into it I was wondering if the army will discharge me or if they will be able to pay for it to get it done so I can stay in. I have not been in that long. I just finished AIT not too long ago and was wondering if that would play into it. It's definitely bumming me out because I just got to my duty station and it would really suck if I were to get med boarded already. I also saw that you might be able to re-enlist after a length of time if and when it does heal. If I get the surgery done in the civilian world because I would get discharged would hit me hard because of the cost of the surgery is a lot.

Your opinion is appreciated. Thank you

Answer
Dear Shawn --

You are in a slightly different situation than the recruits that have not yet reported to their duty stations.  You made it through your training -- Congratulations.

You need to see a good military medical doctor to determine what is wrong with your shoulder and what you need to do to rehabilitate it.  If you re-injured your shoulder on a military mission or during military duty, you should be able to get it repaired under military medical care.  If you had a line-of-duty investigation done, and your injury was determined to be in-line-of-duty, then you will definitely get the military medical care you need.

Whether you will go a long term limited duty (profile) or go through short term physical therapy and back into regular missions will depend on the extent of your injuries.

If you want to stay in, you need to be willing to do necessary missions that will not re-injure your shoulder during your rehabilitation.  You want to work hard, and not hang out in the barracks on "profile."  As long as you are contributing to the unit mission (even as a clerk for the commander, or other similar work) while you are temporarily out-of-commission, your commander should give you time to heal.

If however, your injury is so severe that you will never be able to do your primary military mission, and you cannot be reclassified into an military occupational specialty that you could do with your limitations, you will likely get a medical discharge.  

Please write back if you have additional questions, or concerns.  Thank you for your service.  Good luck to you.