Daughter graduating in May, 2018

curious83

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My daughter is graduating with a BA in Spanish in May, 2018. She is considering Officer Candidate School for the Marines. My son applied to Army and Navy ROTC and was awarded an Army ROTC 3 year scholarship in April, 2016. Can my daughter apply to OCS- Marines, Army, Navy and OTS-Air Force and then go to the one she is accepted in to? She was a cross country, winter, spring track athlete in high school and a gymnast before that. ( She was section leader for marching band in college along with a manager at McDonald's in the summers. So she has recent leadership). I am wondering how to guide her. This forum was so helpful in giving the younger son advice, I thought I would get your feedback here as well. Thanks!

She wears a knee brace when she runs. PT and Orthopedic surgeon will do nothing about the knee that slides off when she runs until it gets stuck in the off position...Will she pass the physical? Will she be allowed to wear it at Officer Candidate School?
 
Do not consider this an authoritative answer, but I don't see why she couldn't apply to all four and then go to the one she chooses, if selected. Certainly the application would indicate if she's obligated by merely applying... they would have to have that in the legalese somewhere. I doubt she would pass the physical but the only way to know for sure is to apply. I'm also pretty sure she will not be allowed to wear the knee brace since she won't be able to wear one if caught up in combat. Again, these are surmises on my part. She should talk to an officer selection officer who I'm sure could answer all these questions. I would not talk with a regular recruiter other than to get in contact with an officer selection officer (or whatever he/she is called in the various services).
 
I should, perhaps, add that in my opinion, if she go the knee taken care of prior to graduation she should be able to recover so that it becomes a minor (or non) issue. Again, just my opinion.
 
Thanks for the link. She was told a few years ago that her knee wasn't healing because she was vegetarian. If she ate meat, the knee would heel and all would be good. She has never removed the brace when she runs to see if that was true. Since she has been eating meat for two years, now is the time to take the brace off, go to PT, and see if she can run without it...I am going to a conference near her college in mid-October. So I will drag my daughter to water and hope she drinks...Just about all one can do when they are no longer children. Thanks for your insight. You guys are the best!
 
I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, but if she has been using a brace for a while some tendons, ligaments, muscles (whatever) are probably weaker than they might otherwise be since the brace did a lot of the work. She should probably build up to relying on the knee without the brace. I think it's a good plan though.
 
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