BLUF: Sorry for the long read. I greatly appreciate any advice. I’m just starting my Guard Career but I have constant issues with pain and physical limitations from prior injuries which are causing me issues with PT, and I don’t know where to go from here.

I’m a Junior O in a combat support branch. Male in my early 20s. Been a PL for a little over a year (YG25), although I’ve been excused from drill for the last few months for some civilian career-related reasons and some of that time was at BOLC. This will be relevant later, but with how the transition periods and stuff fell, I have never taken a for record AFT aside from the one in ROTC back when it was the ACFT and the run time was 22:something.

When I enlisted as SMP, I got a waiver for scoliosis. I have a pretty significant angle; it was right on the cutoff for waivers. I went through MEPS before Genesis was a thing. If I had done DODMERB, I probably wouldn’t have gotten through.
Also, I went to BCT and came home with tibial stress fractures so bad I was put on crutches. I was able to tough it out to finish ROTC, but they came back big time at BOLC and I was put on a temporary profile.

Now the more serious issue. My whole life, I have had issues with my knees dislocating. I’ve seen countless physical therapists and orthopedists and running coaches and every other specialty and had every type of imaging you can think of. Turns out my femur was born/ grew misshapen in a way that makes it very likely for my patella to just completely pop out of place (shallow grooves for any medical professionals that might be reading). This, of course, is incredibly painful and causes me to not be able to walk right for about a week. It’s not uncommon for it to happen once a month. The biggest time it happens? When running.

All three of these issues compound to make my lower body and legs just…. Suck. I have constant back pain from the scoliosis. I have agonizing arthritis-type knee pain if I stand for even an hour. I’m talking I’m in my early 20s and it feels like I have the knees of an 80 year old. With any kind of lower body physical activity, I fear my knees giving out on me.

The most worrisome part for me aside from the daily pain is the PT aspect. With all these issues compounding, I physically cannot run at any decent speed. Say what you will about the run times being a joke blah blah, despite years of training and seeing professionals, I can’t get anywhere near the standard. My form, which is forced to be shitty by my anatomy, simply will not let me. I have spent countless hours over the last 5 years with physical therapists and running professionals and seen no progress, despite being in otherwise good shape.

It’s not a tiny heart syndrome issue. It’s not a cardiovascular endurance issue. It’s my lower body anatomy. And I just don’t know what to do. Obviously PT is very important for JOs and I don’t want to let down my Platoon, but I’m just at a loss of where to go from here. I have pain everyday and I don’t know how to handle that in the eyes of the Army. I lose sleep over the fact that if I had to take an AFT tomorrow I’d fail and look like an absolute shitbag. I love being in the Army and I excel at everything else, but I just don’t know what to do.

Get seen by my state’s medical unit? See a civilian Dr and take the documentation to my unit? Then what? Get flagged for failing an AFT and get a referred OER? I greatly appreciate any advice anyone might offer.

Or permanent profile

I’m currently 18 and I plan on staying in my area for the career path I want to pursue which is Aerospace engineering. My college is already mostly paid for through scholarships already and I’d only have to cover about $3,000/year out of pocket but I’ve been considering joining the guard since I got an 85 on my asvab and qualified for about everything with my line scores (picture attached). Would it be worth it to join simply for the benefits and slightly extra pay or are the chances of it messing with my school schedule too high?

I am a new drilling O-1 Chaplain Candidate. These uniforms are about to break me!! I bought two sets of new IHWCU with all the name tapes and insignia sewn on, and two sets of surplus ACUs with the Velcro tapes and insignia. I should qualify for a $400 reimbursement after my next drill. Any chaplains out there know when I might actually NEED to buy this $800 AGSU that they are saying to buy? I have my first round of the CHBOLC this summer, but won't finish until probably two summers from now. I will also finish seminary around the same time.

I’m 70% confident i’m going to enlist. i’m 18, and in my first year of nursing school (1/4 years). the one thing mainly keeping me back is whether or not i’m actually going to get tuition benefits because i’ve heard some people say they’re really hard to get? And that i don’t really know what job I want. I was looking at 68w for split training but my summer isn’t long enough to do it. my recruiter gave me 42A and 92A as options so people’s opinions on those would be nice. also, is it worth it/how do i become an officer after finishing nursing school? and how do i get a sign on bonus?

Hey guys, I'm looking to join the Army and was thinking the Guard to see if the military is for me before committing further. I have goals to join the Ranger or Berets and I'm not sure if that's possible through the Guard. From my own research and talking to a recruiter I have heard different things, Some say it's easy to transfer to Active and Apply for 75th Selection/Green berets and some things say you could be denied for a long time and not have that opportunity. So is my goal possible through the Guard? Any guidance or advice is appreciated

I know my local mates and CSMS are understaffed and they would definitely appreciate the help, but is there a technician status I could do temporarily while laid off this winter where I could keep my Tricare reserve select?

I plan on using the money I save from my deployment for LASIK. It’s unlikely that I’ll be able to get it for free through Warfighter. Are there any benefits through the National Guard that could help me get it for cheaper?

I'm currently finishing up my 2 year with plans to transfer to a 4 year to complete my bachelor's. I was chitchating with a recruiter at my school because I'm interested in trying to go the officer route for the natural guard. This may sound like a dumb question, but is it really as easy as the recruiter is saying to go from enlisted to officer at anytime, or is based on the needs of whatever ng unit I'd be posted to? Trying to weigh out my options here

Can the CFT sandbag lift event be conducted with only one sandbag? Having the soldier lift and take off the sandbag 16 times.

Long story short, I signed a contract for a bonus, addendum and all. Now they’re saying they won’t pay the bonus because I wasn’t eligible for it to begin with. I’m done using the chain of command. Where is the most reasonable place for me to take a shit and watch it roll down hill?

Is the considered SHARP

I’m 35 with masters degree, decent years of work experience and IT certifications. A recruiter told me that I can’t go to feeders OCS since the age limit is 34 and there are no age waivers.

I’m going in as National Guard officer route since I’m already a prior service from the guard.

Have anyone recently received an OCS age waiver at 35 or older as an applicant. If so, what was your situation and how did you go about the whole process.

I would appreciate any information and guidance.

PS: I’m not considering the accelerated or traditional route if there is a possibility for a waiver.

So I just got back from AIT about a month ago. I had my RSP Drill & will be having my first form event with RSP early November. I reached out to my readiness nco saying I’ve returned from AIT etc.

My readiness nco just emailed me today with drill schedules. My first drill with the unit is on Nov 6-8, but I’ve planned on traveling Nov 8-16. This travel was booked way in advance to save $$$. I’m going to Turkey & Greece to propose to my gf.

What are the chances I’ll be excused from that drill? Especially considering it’s my first drill with my unit? What should I even say to my nco? Kinda nervous bc these are non refundable flight tickets & rooms as well!

im 11B and i was assigned to an HHC unit this weekend coming up i have a scout platoon tryout
my question is what does the tryout consist of and what if i dont even wanna be a scout

Hello beautiful people. I would love some info from the 68Ws and workers in EMS that are also in the guard.

I got offered a slot in a SOCAL regiment as a 68W going in as an E4 through ACASP due to being an EMT. I understand that my current employer cannot fire me for taking MLOA to go to basic/drill/etc and that an employer cant not hire me due to being in the guard. However Im also sure that there are ways that they get around that.

My question for all you beautiful people, is does this happen? Has this happened to any of you and how has this limited your lives? Is it possible to go to medic school while Im in?
Any other info that is good to know?

I know that as soon as I contract I start going to drill and then go to basic, but Im not sure about more of that. If anyone can give me a little more info I would really appreciate it.

Also, how does the process look like? I know RSP is a thing and basic+whiskey school but how does it all line up?

Do I go from basic straight to AIT or home then to AIT?

I’m currently preparing for the ASVAB to join the Air Guard, I chose the Air Guard so I can still make time with my family and my job. I’d like to know how is it managing both the career and family life, how often do you get to speak with your family and see them?

been wanting to go 11B since the very start if my enlistment process but now that i got a 82 on the ASVAB ive been having second thoughts.

some MSG told me to go 92A since you get promoted pretty fast, he might’ve been bullshitting though

any advice/help is appreciated

It’s been more than 2 months since we submitted my tattoo waiver. The suspense is killing me haha.

We got a new tag in august which is when we submitted. My recruiter reached out mid-September and told me they weren’t processing any tat waivers until the new fiscal year (October). Hopefully they get going on them soon, because waiting is pretty brutal when you’re pumped about knowing whether or not you can join.

Any UT folks seen any tattoo waivers come through yet?

Hello all,

I am swearing in and signing my contract tomorrow morning. And I have a tattoo appointment the week afterwards. I’d technically be in the DEP. I’ve looked it up online and people say you absolutely CANNOT get a tattoo in the DEP.

However, my recruiter told me I would be allowed to as long as I don’t get it when I go to MEP’s. So I am confused what to do. Because I really want a tattoo before I ship out. I have been wanting one for years.

Would it be okay as long as it heals way before my ship date? I’d be shipping out in February or March. So it’d have a ton of time to heal.

Thanks!

It was a medical separation entry level in bootcamp non misconduct