My bro in law is currently @ boot camp...He has been writing my sister everyday and he has told her he has a knee injury...some sort of stress knee ligament ...dont really...basically it doesnt look good...We are pulling for him and letting him know that we support him via letters...the last letter she got he was being helped carried to the barracks by 2 recruits early in the week during PT...so what are his options for now...it is now the weekend and she has not gotten the call that he is coming home due to injury...what kind of planning do we need to prepare for ...Will they tell him he needs knee surgery? Does the military pay for that? he is currently on light duty...any help would be greatly appreciated...if its not to serious will he stay until he gets better then finish boot camp...We sure hope he does finish...He has 1 child along with another on the way...Thanks to everyone who has served or is serving!!!

This is a common injury incurred in the line of duty so he's automatically covered under military healthcare.

Basically the way it works is he's evaluated at Medical on board Depot where they determine the full extent of the injury.

Option 1: If it's not too bad they'll place him on light duty and he stays with his Platoon and finishes the training cycle with them.

Option 2: If it requires time to heal he's transferred to Special Training Company (STC) where he's placed in Medical Rehabilitation Platoon (MRP) where he heals sufficiently to return to training. He then picks up a platoon which is currently undergoing the part of the cycle he dropped from due to his injury and he completes boot camp and graduates with them.

Option 3: If it's severe enough and Medical believes they can fix the problem, he undergoes surgery and then picks up MRP until he heals and can finish boot camp.

Option 4: If it's bad enough that they feel will require major surgery, they send him to Recruit Separation Platoon (RSP) where he receives a medical Entry Level Separation (ELS) and is sent home. After a specified time he then reapplies to the Corps providing doctor's okays stating he's fit to return to duty, is accepted on waiver and then starts boot camp all over and graduates with his new platoon.

Option 5: If it's deemed medically disqualifying, he goes home with an ELS and starts life over as a brand new shiny civilian.

Those are the five options which play out every week as Recruits "break" during boot camp. Either way he's going to be hating life so whatever support you can give him will greatly improve his morale which will be really low due to realizing he's stuck in boot camp until he either heals or releases on a medical.

Imagine getting yelled at for one to three extra months and you'll begin to get an idea of what he's looking at. Ouch. I would hate it too so give your brother-in-law the benefit of the doubt as you see him turn off to life. At least once he's past the initial fear of being kicked out because he's "permanently crippled" you'll be able to have a good conversation with him.

Just be careful what words from him you buy into because that young man is into some pretty heavy stress he won't want to share with his loved ones right now.

Best of luck to you all and tell your Sister congrats on the Baby.

Semper Fi,
Dino

I appreciate the info...i wil pass along t her...she seems a little worried about it but we keep telling her he will be fine and he will finish...

You're most welcome. It all comes down to how bad he wants it and what he's willing to endure in order to earn his Title of Marine.

I spent three days in sickbay with a very bad case of cellulitis where my leg was swollen twice it's normal size. The antibiotics began working so I drove the Navy Doctor crazy trying to get released as I wanted to graduate with my platoon. He got so sick of hearing my voice he released me very angrily saying it was against doctor's orders and if anything happened as a result of not staying it was all on me.

When I reported back to Recruit Training Regiment I immediately asked the duty Gunny if I could rejoin my Platoon and even though he knew the tale from the Doctor's phone call he let me back in because he knew I was operating under sheer determination to succeed in becoming a Marine with the Brothers I started with.

I just kept taking the antibiotics and hobbled through training for another two weeks and then everything returned to normal. So as I wrote above, it all comes down to how badly your brother in law wants to earn his Title.

If I could do it, anyone can. He just has to want it enough to gut it out no matter what it takes.

If there's anything more I can do don't hesitate to ask as this is what we're here for. Best of luck and God be with you all.

well hi history is not he best...he sashe is not a quitter..In the letters i have written to him i just tell him to stay focus and stay the course...I mentioned that to my sister also to to pass along..we dont have the best of relationship (me & my bro in law)...but I do respect anyone who wants to serve...I appreciate that he wants to give my sis, nephew, & new child a better chance of having a good future...I keep telling him that boot camp is only temporary and it will soon be over...I tell him to ignore the pain and do what you can...I hope it sinks in for him...Mu sister doesnt want him to give up...is there any other approach that will make him feel better or give some sort of encouragements...I also keep him updated on the football season...

Welcome to the hardest job in the entire United States Military, Military Family. We want the best for our loved ones so we do our utmost to support them but inevitably we end up feeling powerless because it's all beyond our control. Especially when they're far away and we feel cut off from them. I know this only too well as I have a son out there myself.

All I can suggest is keep being supportive and turn it all over to God's will in however it all turns out. Prayer always goes a long way. Anything less and we find ourselves driving ourself crazy when it doesn't have to be.

If being a Marine is in him, your brother in law will find it. If not, better he find out now instead of later when he finds himself caught up in an impossible situation where other's lives depend on him doing his job. It's tough out there when everyone is at the top of their game but the whole thing can unravel in a heartbeat when someone else isn't.

Have faith and all will work out the way it's supposed to. God be with you all.