Cadet discharge

[Hopeful2015seattle]

looking for some advice, my son just graduated USMA however he received an honorable medical discharge today. 2 years ago he had an injury where the recommended treatment from the Army required him to go on a wait list. That treatment never materialized over the next 24 months even with continued questions. He could no longer exercise at his previous level and he gained weight. Due to the weight and not being able to pass physical testing he suffered a mental breakdown of sorts 18 months ago but recovered. over time he learned to deal with the physical pain and toughened mentally. He made weight and passed his physical as well as passed all of his academics. He wants nothing more than to serve his country and become an officer. I don't know why they would go to such lengths as to keep him on at West Point the last two years and then not commision him into the Army. Does anyone know of any recourse? The paperwork does not show an appeal process.

 

[Capt MJ]

One can always write the applicable Service Secretary. I would not feel hopeful about that, because the same entities that said "no" will be asked to comment and recommend. If there is new and persuasive information, that can open a path to reconsideration.

There are also lawyers who specialize in military discharge appeals related to medical conditions, physical fitness, conduct, performance, etc. Many are former JAG officers. Google: "military discharge attorney or lawyer." Look for one with Service Academy experience.

Much will depend on the reenlistment (RE) code assigned to his discharge (DD-214), as to whether there are routes to appeal, waivers or paths such as OCS/OTS.

Once he figures out what his real options are, he can determine his best path forward.

From a broader perspective, decisions are, at their core, about the needs of the particular Service, and a utilitarian approach to many decisions. The good of the many will outweigh the good of the few. Pre-commissioning standards are very high. If this had happened when your son had a few years active duty under his belt, the situation may have been different.

He has a USMA degree in hand, all the resources of the West Point network, and he has all the tools to succeed in the civilian world. He can work with one of the well-known junior officer placement firms such as Lucas Group, Orion, Bradley-Morris, who have experience dealing with SA grads who got their degree but are in a medical discharge status without commission. It happens at all SAs. No details required. He can take advantage of the Service Academy Career Conference (SACC) and AOG alumni services. He can attend Military MoJo and Corporate Gray events.

He can hold his head high and go on to great success, returning to reunions and enjoying football games and saying "Beat Navy." If he got through West Point, he has the complete toolkit for a fresh start in a new path.

 

[scoutpilot]

Generally speaking, there is no appeal for that. I'm sorry to hear that he didn't commission. The best he could hope for right now is perhaps the national guard.

 

[NavyHoops]

No need to answer here, but if he was not commissioned due to medical an appeal is doubtful. There are always a handful of Cadets/Mids at each SA who graduate but do not commission due to medical. As mentioned he should be proud he graduated and use the network he earned to find a job. I am very close to a classmate of mine who did not commission due to developing Chrones. It took him several years to move on from the commissioning part, but has done extremely well in his chosen profession and is still close to our class. No one looks down on him what so ever for what happened. He is a classmate just like any other. Good luck to your DS.