Hi I'm a navy reservist I left for boot camp Oct 29th 2008 I was put in as an AM(aviation structural mechanic). I was a senior at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale double majoring in FACS and Social Work. I had no reason to join the Navy except to prove to myself I could do it. I was very lucky, my parents were paying for all my schooling, gas, car ins, housing, food, books, ect. Its not like I was helping them out by joining because if you join the reserves you have to put a lot of active duty time in order to receive a small amount of the GI Bill. I have been in Pensacola Florida since Jan 4th 2009 on medical hold because I broke my hand in Feb of 2009. When I first got to Pensacola there was an EIGHT month hold for AM "A" school! No one informed me that because I was a reservist I would be able to class up right away until I had to sign my extension on my active duty orders(in May), then I got yelled at for not saying that I was a reservist! Hello! They had my service record! By the time this happened I had already been in and out of a cast for the first time but my hand set crooked and my pinky finger was touching the center of my hand and every time I would walk with my arm down it would feel like blood was rushing to my hand.(Thank you navy dr who sent me out of his office after rebreaking my hand with not even advil) After months of complaining to that dr he finally sent me to another dr who sent me to a hand specialist in Gulf Breeze(Andrews Inst. does amazing work) my hand is now straight and I no longer feel like blood is rushing to my hand every time i put my arm down however I have been having really bad cramping and cracking in my hand and wrist actually most of the time my wrist hurts more than my actual hand. This is all after three months of physical therapy. I have watched all my friends leave before me, have seven different roommates and the two I have now are about to graduate, and my boyfriend left three months ago. I have gone to mental health to try to get antidepressants but they wont give them to me. I cry myself to sleep every night, never leave my room, and have no friends anymore. The Navy has ruined me. I'm about to be 23 and have a 10pm curfew on week nights, have to pay to eat at the galley that has awful food, share a bathroom with 5 other girls, and share a room with 2 other girls that is smaller than my college dorm room that I only shared with one other girl. I joined the RESERVES!!!! Why are they doing this to me? This is why people go UA, get in trouble, and get discharged. What happened to one weekend a month and 2 weeks a year? I want out of here!!!! I would understand if I was active duty then I signed up to be the Navy's ***** for 4 years straight but I didn't. I planned on going back to school when I left here which was supposed to be in Feb 2009! Now I am almost 2 years behind and they keep telling me that I will probably not get the GI Bill.

You'll have to work a lot of adhesions out of you wrist and had after being in a cast for such a long period of time. They are little growths that try to solidify the joints because they are not moving. You'll have to move and exercise all the joints a lot to free them up and smooth them out...ask for physical therapy to do that. They should provide it. You're in the military. Time to toughen up and deal with it - -

Tony, I'm sorry to hear of your experience with the military. The military operates on a completely differrent playing field than the civilian sector.

Even if you are aware the military is a lot different than civilian life, bootcamp is a wakeup!

There is really nothing you can do about an early discharge, unless you have a serious medical problem to warrant a medical discharge. One thing for sure, you do not want to be discharged as unfit...that will hurt you in civilian life. So do the best you can to follow military regs.

Judging by the way you described your family, I surmise your family may have political connections. If that is the case and you are regreting joining the military, there may be away to get help.

If your parents do have political connections, they may be able to pull some strings to help you. Once it's known you have political connections,the military is going to be very careful how they handle you!

Best of luck to you!

You might try over on the Navy Forums for a little more help.