Cadet hurt on AD training

[capchiro]

Since my military experience was during King Arthur and the Knights, I need some input from you with more current experience.  One of my cadets joined the National Guard and went off to basic.  During his third-fourth week, he hurt his knee and doesn't know how.  It just started hurting.  Anyhow, he went to sick call and saw a general practitioner I think.  The Doctor x-rayed him and said he wasn't sure what was the matter and gave the cadet crutches and put him on two weeks physical therapy.  The cadet goes to classes and training on crutches, but doesn't do anything physically.  If he isn't better in two weeks (This Friday) they will send him to the orthopedist and do an MRI.  A liaison (?) officer has talked to him and told him that they may offer him an early release and he will just go home.  This supposedly will be like he was never in the military and when he gets better he can join up again..  I have never heard of such a thing.  Is this accurate??  Will he get sent home without a discharge?  Will he be released from his Guard obligation?  Will he be blackballed from rejoining?  I would think that if this is true and this thing turns out to be something major, he will be denied any long term benefits from the military??  I believe that in my day, the Army would have kept him in and fixed him and then recycled him, or given him a medical discharge if he was unfixable, but that was then and this is now.  This is also the Guard and not the Army, so I don't know what to think.  Any suggestions from anyone??  They are trying to convince him that it will be like he was never there.  I gotta think that there will be records and that they will follow him for a long time (like forever)..     

[Pumbaa]

Same thing happened to me. 

Arthritis.

Ask if he has psoriasis, he could have psoriatic arthritis which comes on fast.

[Flying Pig]

Tendonitis.  I had it in boot camp.  I basically just gritted my teeth for about 3 weeks and one day I woke up and it was gone.  Never returned.  Doc told me it was caused by the constant marching and pounding on my knees.  Went from the sweet life of a lazy kid to that of a Marine Recruit and my knees didnt like it.

[Fifinella]

I am not an expert, but someone I know recently did not complete Basic for health reasons.  He was given a Convenience of the Government (COG) discharge.  He did receive a DD-214, but is not considered a veteran.  That was active duty, however, not Guard.

[Al Sayre]

He needs to do whatever he can to stay on AD for 181 days, otherwise he will get zip zero nada in the way of VA medical benefits if it turns out to be something worse than a sprain/strain that will be a disability as he gets older.  Make sure he documents everything they do, every medication they give him, every doctor he sees, and keeps every scrap of paper he is given.  It may save him a small fortune later in life. 

[Cecil DP]

He needs to do whatever he can to stay on AD for 181 days, otherwise he will get zip zero nada in the way of VA medical benefits if it turns out to be something worse than a sprain/strain that will be a disability as he gets older.  Make sure he documents everything they do, every medication they give him, every doctor he sees, and keeps every scrap of paper he is given.  It may save him a small fortune later in life.

Before he leaves get copies of everything including cause, diagnosis, treatment, and longterm prognosis.  Also a National Guard member the Adjutant General of his state has the final say on his status. He may be released back to his unit until the medical situation is cleared up, or it's determined that he's physically ineligible for retention.