Expert: MARK A. HOWELL - 1/5/2010

Question
Please bare with me, I have 3 questions about being held back from deploying. My fiance is USMC deploying to Afghanistan and is having trouble locating a fitrep in order to submit a reenlistment package. Is it true that if he is unable to reenlist prior he will be unable to go? Is it also true that if you are unable to fall into the correct weight class for your hight and body type that it is possibly to be held back from a deployment even though he was scheduled to go and have been training with the unit? He's about 10 pounds heavier then the Marine Corps requires him to be. When he got taped a few weeks ago, the higher up doing the taping put him down as being 18, when really he was 19. A different higher up has since gotten on him about his weight and now the person that taped him has come out as giving him the wrong measurement. Is it possible he won't be able to deploy if he does not lose the weight in the time frame the give him? Also, he was injured September 2008 in a BMX accident while using his IRR time. He broke his collarbone and had a metal plate put in. He rejoined his unit in August 2009. Should his plate affect him deploying do to its location? He is getting the run around from the unit and I am just trying to gather as much knowledge as possible. Thank you

Answer
Danielle,
In short, yes it's true.
Your question has several pieces so let me answer them separately.
He has several factors working against him.
Reenlistment:  Yes, if his enlistment is up while he's deployed he cannot go.   The military doesn't want a soldier in the middle of possible combat say," Sorry, I'm not re-upping, I'm going home".  Then they'd have to pay for transporting him back home, do a lot of stuff to outprocess him (paperwork, medical, etc.)  Find a replacement for him, transport him over, etc.
So it's much easier and cheaper for the military to be assured he's going to reenlist before he goes.

Weight:  The military has height %26 weight standards that he has to meet at all times.  Fortunately he's only 10 pounds over so it may be easier to lose than if he were 20 lbs. or more.  If he thinks his weigh-in and measurement were incorrect, he can go to his supervisor and request another measurement be taken, or he can see his doctor on base and request it.  Being laid-up with a broken collarbone means a period of inactivity, so it's no wonder he gained some weight.  After being used to daily physical activity, he suddenly laid around all day healing.

Medical:  Having a serious accident while on leave can be bad.  I've actually seen the discharge a man for "participation in a hazardous sport" while being in the military.  Even though he was on his own time, he's considered a government asset and he caused damage to a government asset.  Strange but true.  If he wasn't kicked out at the time then it likely won't be brought up again.
Without seeing his medical records I couldn't say he'll be OK to deploy.  If he was released back to his unit, I'd have to guess and say he's probably good to go.

If I were his commander, I'd likely say he's good to deploy.  But every commander is different.
I wish him well and thanks for serving.
Colonel Howell