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Question
Hi Rod.
I'm 34yr old prior service Army w/ 8yr active, 21 mos Army Reserves (w/ 1yr Active for OEF/OIF).
Going to school with ultimate goal of being a Phys. Therapist(currently a Junior in college). I see the military has a grad school program through Baylor Univ in TX where they will pay for school & you owe them another 5 yrs or so as an officer.
I am currently 30% PTSD/Depression, & 10% flat feet (had this when I entered the Army back in 1991)from the VA. Wanted to know if there would be any chance of getting back into the Army either through the Baylor program (granted that I'm accepted into the school) or through direct commissioning after I finish grad school sometime in 2014. Especially now, because I know they're hurting for PTs & I know this job will be of great use to the Army. The possibility of going back into the Army & helping my fellow soldiers is one of the reasons I'm back in school.
Thanks.
Hi Cooper,
I'm afraid the chances are small.
The Army (and the other branches) are very reluctant to accept applicants with a history of mental health treatment, must especially depression or PTSD.
As you are currently receiving a VA disability for these conditions, that indicates the condition is still current, and you still require treatment for such conditions. In my opinion, the chances of re-entering any branch of the Military with an active diagnosis of depression or PTSD is very, very, very, small.
For more information about the United States Military, feel free to visit my U.S. Military information site at: http://usmilitary.about.com Hope this helps!
Rod Powers
http://usmilitary.about.com
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Answers by Expert:
Rod Powers
Expertise
Rod Powers is considered one of the premire experts about U.S. Military career information on the planet. He has more than 30,000 articles about U.S. Military career information on the About.com U.S. Military Careers Information website at: http://usmilitary.about.com. Additionally, he is the author of "ASVAB for Dummies," "ASVAB AFQT for Dummies," (available in Dec 2009), and "Veteran Benefits for Dummies," all published by Wiley Publishing. He is also the author of "Barrons' Guide to Officer Candidate School Tests," published by Barron's Educational Series.
Experience
Rod Powers is a retired Air Force first sergeant, with 23 years of active duty service, 11 of those years as an Air Force First Sergeant. He has helped thousands of military members, recruits, and military applicants since he took over the About.com U.S Military Careers Information site in 1999. He has a reputation for "telling it like it is," so questions may not be answered based on "what you want to hear," but will be answered based of the bast available information, concerning the service/situation.
Education/Credentials
Rod is a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Noncommissioned Officers Academy, the Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, and the Air Force First Sergeant Academy. He also holds an Associates Degree in Personnel Administration from the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF).
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