its been a personal dream and goal of mine to fulfill but i have spondylolisthesis and every recruiter i talk to says its impossible for me to even fill out paperwork as it would be a waste of time. is there any possible way anybody knows to get around this?

You see, thats whats wrong with many of Americans today. They are always looking for "The easy way", "the way around something". If the rules and regulations say no than what is so hard to understand about the word "N0"? I hear the Taliban are hiring!

quote:

Originally posted by jarrodlane:
its been a personal dream and goal of mine to fulfill but i have spondylolisthesis and every recruiter i talk to says its impossible for me to even fill out paperwork as it would be a waste of time. is there any possible way anybody knows to get around this?

A lot of people want to serve but are not able to for one reason or another.

Seeing as a number of recruiters have said you are ineligible, I would accept that and move on if I were you.

Your condition disqualifies you from military service. Google AR 40-501 and look in Chapter Two (medical standards for enlistment).

This applies to all branches and is not waiverable.

If I read this right, you have a condition where the back bone is slipping off from its attachment to the hip bone, true? Certainly you can see that carrying a heavy pack, equipment and weapon could cause a condition like that to become extreme with terrible back pain, and in some extreme cases, maybe even cause lose of use of the legs because of pinched spinal cord and nerves... It is a sad situation, especially because you sound dedicated and sincere, but the military can't risk taking someone who may turn out to be a high risk to himself and those around him due to a predictable injury - -

But all is not lost. My youngest son had dreams as you. He wanted to be a pilot in the Air Force and was lining up all his ducks to do so - Then he got his back broken in a football game... All his dreams collapsed. With two surgeries, they got worse, and he slipped into depression... Then he got infatuated with Bruce Lee after learning he had suffered a back injury. He started exercising. He started taking Martial Arts classes. He got Black Belts in Tai Quando, Kung Fu, and Karate. . Still, the military rejected him. Not to be deterred, he turned to law enforcement - graduated at the top of his class!! Now, he is serving in uniform right here in the communities and LOVING IT! He is a SWAT TEAM leader and hand-to-hand instructor! Where there is a will, there is some way - look for it!!

Say "hi" to the baby of the family - -

You may want to check out www.usajobs.gov and see what's up regarding jobs. And remember, you will not be able to do any heavy lifting, etc. because of your back.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ssg91B,

quote:

Originally posted by Duster6:
You see, thats whats wrong with many of Americans today. They are always looking for "The easy way", "the way around something". If the rules and regulations say no than what is so hard to understand about the word "N0"? I hear the Taliban are hiring!

Kinda hard on the kid ain't cha? There ARE times when NO is NOT the answer. I was told NO,it was a waste of time when I appealed my QMP a number of years ago. After I won, I was asked to come to the post's office of boards and reviews to square away my records. The CW4 there said he had never seen the General personally sign off on an appeal before. Now like GWG said if this young man has a disability that would endanger himself as well as other maybe he should reconsider this desire.

quote:

Originally posted by Duster6:
You see, thats whats wrong with many of Americans today. They are always looking for "The easy way", "the way around something". If the rules and regulations say no than what is so hard to understand about the word "N0"? I hear the Taliban are hiring!

I have a heck of a lot more problem with Americans who can find a way to make someone serving or wanting to serve feel like they're doing something wrong.

Don

Rightly said Don.

Amigo, there are plenty of opportunities to serve with your problem. Get into dispatching or 911 with the local police/ fire department.
Train in medical response. Do like some of we old guys and volunteer with the CG Auxiliary to handle the light work for the active duty.
The nation needs all the help it can get.
S/F
axl

The military is not the only service. Military service is hard on the body. You are expected to do more with less and to put your body on the line every day, 24 hours a day. This applies to every service. The Navy at sea is 24/7. We drill, fix and run the system, and that means risking life and limb. And the Army can be brutal on the body and mind. If you have a medical condition that puts you at risk of injury, then entering into a profession that will increase the risk is unwise. The military is one of the man next to you may save your life, and you expect them to be able to do that every day.

I suggest you find a career of service that will not endangered you physical well being. There are plenty of government service jobs that fit that definition. The military needs civilians of strong mind to back up the guys of strong body. If the military is your goal, maybe you can find a non-uniformed way to serve.

We're all blessed with advantages and disadvantages. It's positive that we're all different. Imagine how life would be if everyone wanted to be a Dentist.

Capitalize on your strengths. The volunteer FD or ambulance corps is a great idea. There's also State Defense Forces, Civil Air Patrol, Coast Guard Auxiliary, and others to consider.

And depending on his age (16 - 24), how about the JobCorps?
And btw, I have the same "condition" that the OP has and I ended up having surgery in April '98. I had a spinal fusion/bone graft L-4/5 and S-1. And I couldn't go with my USAR CSH when we got sent to Desert Storm because of my back. And it still bothers me that I couldn't go.

I had lower back surgery, as did two of my sons. Did your surgery completely correct and end the problem? We've been in near perfect spinal column shape since then - -

quote:

Originally posted by scpd3045:
Imagine how life would be if everyone wanted to be a Dentist.

I'd rather not, thank you.

Since you are disqualified from the military due to medical reasons, you can take a test at a Jr.College or online. The test will reveal, your strengths in careers as a civilian you may be interested.

Wishing you much success!

quote:

Originally posted by jarrodlane:
its been a personal dream and goal of mine to fulfill but i have spondylolisthesis and every recruiter i talk to says its impossible for me to even fill out paperwork as it would be a waste of time. is there any possible way anybody knows to get around this?

NO, I don't see a way around your problem.
But let me say THANK YOU for wanting to serve!
As some others have said there are many ways to serve this country, don't ever discount any service that you can do. Even if it's at a USO, you might check it out!

quote:

Originally posted by ssg91B:
You may want to check out www.usajobs.gov and see what's up regarding jobs. And remember, you will not be able to do any heavy lifting, etc. because of your back.

There are many ways to serve your country ... military is not the OLNY way. As said above, usajobs.gov would be a very good place to start looking.

GWG,
Back still bothers me at times (more times than not). Thank you for asking.

quote:

Originally posted by ssg91B:
GWG,
Back still bothers me at times (more times than not). Thank you for asking.

Hey 91B, are you saying your back goes out more than you get to?