Injury after appointment question

[RowingMom]

As hard as I’m praying that my son stays safe and healthy until reporting, I’m adding yours to my prayers too - what an ordeal you’ve all been through!! May no one at any of the academies have medical issues this year!!

I admit that if I could I would take away all of his privileges (including driving) from this moment on but I won’t win that battle. He used a chainsaw and an ax the other day helping friends of ours with some landscaping and I held my breath the whole time. Not sure why I said yes but that won’t happen again.

Yes my son used an axe to cut down an orange tree last year before indoc. I remember that sake feeling of panic!

 

[cmakin]

Works the same way in the commercial fleet. If you break a toe the day before joining the ship you're not fit for duty, the office will find somebody else to fill your spot. If you're injured in the military you're non-deployable or on light duty probably. But trust me, that year doesn't mean anything takes plenty of people 5 OR 6 years to graduate with no medical issues.

Or one can get hurt onboard. On my first ship after graduation, I fell while we were transiting the English Channel, and had to go ashore with the Channel Pilot to get my head sewn up. I was lucky and rejoined the ship when it got back to the States. Some years later, I did some serious damage to my hand while working engine repairs. I was lucky again, as this happened while in a US port, and it was a permanent gig, so I was back to work in a couple of weeks.

 

[deepdraft1]

Personally, it is unfathomable to imagine breaking a toe immediately before I-day, and consequentially, being royally screwed out of a year of life while reapplying. Embarrassing as it would be excruciating, I could never live down the utter waste of time and effort put into securing an appointment only to have it yanked away at the last second. Based on that treatment, it is as if USMMA appointees were sub-human, undeserving of sympathy. Perhaps I am missing a few puzzle pieces, but that system seems tragically unfair.

Life's unfair.. Sometimes you just have to play the cards you're dealt and tough it out.. Many years ago I sailed with an engine cadet that, during his first sailing period, lost his ring and little finger while working on a lathe. Despite his injury, Kings Point didn't dis-enroll him. He worked through it all, and he even managed to graduated on time. A pretty impressive accomplishment considering that he was a 'duelie' [duel license major]..

Or one can get hurt onboard. On my first ship after graduation, I fell while we were transiting the English Channel, and had to go ashore with the Channel Pilot to get my head sewn up. I was lucky and rejoined the ship when it got back to the States. Some years later, I did some serious damage to my hand while working engine repairs. I was lucky again, as this happened while in a US port, and it was a permanent gig, so I was back to work in a couple of weeks.

@cmakin did you get 'Maintenance and Cure' while you were recuperating? Although the small amount of money might not have been worth the hassle if you were only going to be off for a couple of weeks..

 

[cmakin]

Life's unfair.. Sometimes you just have to play the cards you're dealt and tough it out.. Many years ago I sailed with an engine cadet that, during his first sailing period, lost his ring and little finger while working on a lathe. Despite his injury, Kings Point didn't dis-enroll him. He worked through it all, and he even managed to graduated on time. A pretty impressive accomplishment considering that he was a 'duelie' [duel license major]..

@cmakin did you get 'Maintenance and Cure' while you were recuperating? Although the small amount of money might not have been worth the hassle if you were only going to be off for a couple of weeks..

For which one, the head injury? No. Once I got back stateside, I got my Fit for Duty from Public Health, and they took out my stitches. I did get free room and board in Brixham, England for 3 days though. Not bad being a 22 year old yank in a small(ish) town. I did get a couple of grand from Sealand for lost OT. . . and for my hand injury, I was just happy to be back at work after two weeks.