Expert: Jason Grabill - 1/17/2010

Question
my boyfriend went into the marine boot camp on dec.7/09. he sustained a back injury within his first 6 weeks. they said it was just a strain, but his therapist said that his 9th or 10th vertabre has been turned to the right. they won't tell him if he is going to need surgery or if he is going to get a medical discharge for it. after being hurt and being away from home he started to second guess if the military was the right thing for him. he wrote his mom a letter saying that he was very depressed and wanted to come home to be with us and his soon to be born daughter. then he wrote me saying along the same lines as what he told his mom. i talked to his mom and she said that there is a long line of depression in their family. although my boyfriend has never been to a doctor for depression and been diagnosed we all fear that some thing could go wrong and he will either reach a point of depression where there isn't a way to turn it back around, or he comes home completely disable and not be able to interact in his daughters life. with him not wanting to be there any more, having the problem with depression, and having a back injury is there a way for him to get discharged without it being dishonorable? i would think that if he isn't helping the military and is just sitting in a bed all day not healing, then because of his not being "useful" to them that they would go ahead and send him home. i've looked at a few things online and most of the items i've read have said that he needs to go to his commanding officer and tell him his situation, would this be smart of him? i'm just looking for any information that will help bring my boyfriend home to his soon to be born daughter.
thank you -Julie

Answer
Julie:

 First, it's going to depend on his medical status.  It sounds to me like he has not graduated recruit training.  If that is the case then they (The military) will do everything they can (it's required by law) to fix him medically and put him back on active duty.   If they cannot do that, then they'll basically give him a medical discharge due to the injury.  He can't get discharged before that no matter what he says, and adding the 'depression' stuff to this will only add to the problem.  AND it's something he doesn't need.  Sure, he's depressed cause he's away and in the hospital/recuperating, but that's normal for this type of situation.  

 Bottom line is what he's feeling is normal but there is no real 'quick' way to complete this process.

Jason