Expert: Rod Powers - 8/31/2006

Question
is it possible to recieve veteran pay after being medically discharged from navy bootcamp with herniated disc?
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Followup To

Question -

hello, my son is awaiting his medical discharge, he said it is a general discharge under honorable discharge with medical condition. an RE-3. he has 2 herniated disc and a compression fracture. he said the navy dr. said hehas the option to reenlist after his back is healed at home. what is the liklihood of this happening? he said they would also add to his discharge papers, im not sure how it is worded, but an RE-3 is suppose to be able to rejoin as long as they have a medical release from a dr. how long do they have to wait? and also what about joining another branch of the military? ive heard they arent as strict with medical as the navy. thank you. a concerned mom



Answer -
Hi Deanna,

I'm afraid something is wrong here -- something about the discharge that your son is not telling you.  A Medical discharge is *always* honorable, and never "General," unless it's been shown that he lied about a previous medical condition when he joined, in which case the reason for discharge would be Fraudulent Enlistment, and not for a medical condition.

If he receives a "General" discharge, his chances of re-joining the Navy, or any other branch of the service are not all that great.  

If he receives an honorable discharge (which is different than a "General," even though the official title for "General" is "General, under Honorable Conditions," for a medical reason, with an RE Code of "3," it's possible he could re-enter the military (either the Navy or another service), with a waiver.  In order for a waiver to be approved, the service he is applying for would have to be convinced that the medical condition which resulted in the discharge is healed, and not likely to recur in the future.  This is the same, whether he tries to re-enter the Navy or another service.  

Hope this helps!

Rod Powers
http://usmilitary.about.com  

Answer
Hi Deanna,

One can apply for monthly disability compensation from the VA (Veterans Administration), if the VA determines that one's injury or illness is a direct result of military service.

However, as I said, something isn't right here. A discharge for medical reasons is *NEVER* under GENERAL conditions. Assuming he is actually being processed for a GENERAL discharge for this condition, it leads me to believe that the conditon may have been pre-existing, and he is being discharged for lying about it. If that's true, he would not be eligible for VA medical disability compensation.

Hope this helps!

Rod Powers
http://usmilitary.about.com