What happens to an injured ROTC student?

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BigBillNY

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In the ROTC forums, there is a thread that contains a standard ROTC contract. http://www.serviceacademyforums.com/showthread.php?t=39104

There seemed to be a whole series of requirements that students must maintain (GPA, course load, physical fitness, etc..) to maintain the scholarship or they are subject to several options- service enrollment, repay the funds, etc...

In reading these forums, you hear about the occasional broken leg at AA school or some other injury that occurs during training or in the student's personal life.

In reading the contract, there is no mention of what happens to a contracted ROTC student who gets injured and would no longer pass a DOD physical. Would the student be released from any Service obligation or having to repay the funds?

Any thoughts or past experiences? The reason I am asking is that if my son gets an AROTC to one of his top choices, each school is in the $55k range. If he was not AROTC, he would get substantial financial aid (the schools each have a large endowment) and I would be responsible for only about $15k a year. If he got hurt and was discharged from the program, it would be nearly impossible to pay back $55k yearly rate.
 
Injuries During Army ROTC

Much of the relevant information is in AR145-1.

http://www.apd.army.mil/pdffiles/r145_1.pdf

My now 2LT experienced an injury during an MSIII ROTC FTX. After surgery and return to full activity 7 months later a medical review occurred and was found to still meet accessions criteria. If accessions criteria had not been met as part of the medical review, and as supported by CCR145-1 and AR145-1, our understanding is that release from ROTC and military commitment would occur with no financial obligation.

However, if the injury had occurred earlier in college and a medical review indicates 'does not meet accessions criteria' we would have had to pay for subsequent college costs.

In my opinion the gray area begins when cadets don't report injuries that occur during ROTC activities or outside ROTC activities. Academics and ROTC participation suffers and then the failures begin for other than medical causes.

A story for another day-----Federal Workman's Compensation processes and practices are a nightmare. Good luck finding an Ortho Doc that accepts it anywhere in the US.
 
I agree with everything posted above. Great info. CCR's (Cadet Command Regulations) is probably where the details you want are in.

If the injury occurs as a result of an ROTC activity, your cadet will be taken care of for treatment and you will not be on the line for financial obligations to pay for school. If the injury is severe enough to prevent commissioning, you won't be forced to repay.

If the injury is the result of a non-ROTC activity, that is another story, and I don't have enough experience on that part to give solid info.

The best way to go about it is to maintain open communication with the cadre. If anything starts to feel wrong with your body let them know. Things ROTC cadets do can be hard on the body, preventing or treating an injury or potential injury is better than kicking the can down the road. The Army wants you healthy just as much as you want yourself healthy.

Workmans Comp is another beast. That process can be very difficult to navigate. After re injuring my knee and needing surgery, I was in the process of reopening my claim and was denied by my claim manager (or whatever they're called) because "pain" is not a qualifying symptom. Had to move forward on the surgery, and after sending the details and notes of both my injury and everything the surgery fixed, she quickly changed her mind that pain was the only problem I had.
 
I have a similar question to the above. My daughter is a MSIV and was under profile for her knee and was ordered to take an AFPT. During this AFPT she injured her knee further and required surgery. They made her a late camp commissionee but her time line is closing on making advanced camp and commissioning. She still has a year and half before her ORTHO will release her. Will she have to pay scholarships and stipends back from the last two and half years? They are also wanting to put her on LOA for her last semester which will stop all scholarships and payments from Army. Please advice. Thank you.
 
parent820 said:
I have a similar question to the above. My daughter is a MSIV and was under profile for her knee and was ordered to take an AFPT. During this AFPT she injured her knee further and required surgery. They made her a late camp commissionee but her time line is closing on making advanced camp and commissioning. She still has a year and half before her ORTHO will release her. Will she have to pay scholarships and stipends back from the last two and half years? They are also wanting to put her on LOA for her last semester which will stop all scholarships and payments from Army. Please advice. Thank you.
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I am sorry you are going through this - it's stressful. She's an MSIV graduating in May/June 2019?

The same regulation cited and linked above, AR145-1 applies. You have to go to Publications > Administrative > AR-Army Regulations then scroll down to 145-1. This may require you to ignore the warnings via the Advanced Options.

The regulation indicates the PMS can place a cadet on an LOA for one semester/quarter. Only Cadet Command can extend that. If she won't be released to full activity by her Ortho for 18 more months it's unlikely she can attend Advanced Camp this summer or commission at Advanced Camp. Years ago, for my cadet, the ROTC Cadre (HRA/PMS) submitted a medical determination to the Cadet Command surgeon for attendance at advance camp after surgery. My cadet had a letter of release for full activity submitted with the medical determination.

Cadet Command can disenroll a cadet for medical reasons if it is determined they do not meet medical standards but I suspect the regulation requires a board or waiver of board by the cadet. If disenrolled by Cadet Command for medical disqualification they do not seek repayment of scholarship benefits unless there is some sort of 'failure to disclose' a preexisting medical condition.

My comments are not from a position of authority on this, simply from going through it (twice) and reading the regulation - have her seek guidance from her Cadre.

18+ months for knee surgery is a really long time - wishing your daughter a quick recovery. My recommendation is start plan B - pay for the final semester with loans if necessary, continue to participate in ROTC- if they allow it, plan for a job search upon graduation.
 
What about if you play sports at a SMC would you be released from rotc if you get injured playing your sport. I might play baseball and I was kinda worried about the possibility of getting tommy johns and being released from my team and the rotc scholarship.
 
Pickering2019 said:
What about if you play sports at a SMC would you be released from rotc if you get injured playing your sport. I might play baseball and I was kinda worried about the possibility of getting tommy johns and being released from my team and the rotc scholarship.
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Pickering2019 - Please don't live your life in fear. Plenty of ROTC cadets participate in intramural, club, and intercollegiate sports without significant injury - some get injured and recover fully. If you don't already have an unreported elbow injury then go have fun and play baseball - it's an awesome team sport and likely good for OML points. An injury that prevents commissioning can lead to disenrollment - that's why many say attend a school you can afford without the ROTC scholarship. Ask the coach how they handle injuries.
 
parent820 said:
I have a similar question to the above. My daughter is a MSIV and was under profile for her knee and was ordered to take an AFPT. During this AFPT she injured her knee further and required surgery. They made her a late camp commissionee but her time line is closing on making advanced camp and commissioning. She still has a year and half before her ORTHO will release her. Will she have to pay scholarships and stipends back from the last two and half years? They are also wanting to put her on LOA for her last semester which will stop all scholarships and payments from Army. Please advice. Thank you.
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Forcing her to violate the conditions of her profile is a no no....
 
Wow - just curious what knee injury requires an 18 month recovering for full activity release? I have a daughter that has had two ACL reconstructions, not ROTC but a collegiate soccer player. She was released to soccer in 8-10 months (longer on the second one). She elected to take a little longer, but no where near 18 months. I wish your daughter the best, this has to be more than stressful.
 
AROTC Parent said:
Pickering2019 - Please don't live your life in fear. Plenty of ROTC cadets participate in intramural, club, and intercollegiate sports without significant injury - some get injured and recover fully.
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This is spot on advice. When I originally made this post a few years back, it was simply out of fear of the unknown. As a parent, I had to worry about the payback of a large tuition bill and did not know the various exceptions to the payback rule. Thank God, my concerns never materialized and my DS is on track to commission.

On a similar note, I just want to thank all of the contributors these past several years. Their advice and guidance from the day my DS expressed interest in ROTC has been tremendously helpful.
 
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