View Full Version : Scars an issue for enlistment?
RyanFling
06-23-09, 11:33 PM
I have a friend, and I swear its not me, who went down to MEPS today to weigh in. He has scars on his arms that he got when he was little when he was little and worked in his grandpas shop, but I digress...
The Docs at MEPS wrote on his paperwork that they were "Obviously self-inflicted" and told him he needed to wait until they called him to have him go down to MEPS to talk to a psychiatrist. My question is this:
1. How can he get past this and enlist? From talking to our Recruiter now that he has this on his paperwork his chances of being allowed to enlist have dropped significantly.
I remember reading a thread talking about contacting our Congressman/woman, but I don't want to send him off to go bug them unless it's a LAST resort.
Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.
P.S. He would have posted this, but he doesn't have internet at his house, so I volunteered to help him out.
Thanks for reading!
Sgt Leprechaun
06-24-09, 04:27 AM
Well, just go and see what happens. While they may have 'dropped' they aren't gone entirely.
The squirrel doc will talk to him and find out he's not nuts and the issue won't be an issue anymore...
ArtyOps
06-24-09, 05:27 AM
First of all, you should always take each and every opportunity to bother your Congressmen, you should be telling them what to do and how to vote. They're your representative, make them represent.
Your friend should be patient and talk to the shrink. Keep in mind your friend may be too embarrased to tell you he may have caused those. If he did make those scars because of depression or something else, Marine Corps boot camp might not be the best place for him.
Old Marine
06-24-09, 08:17 AM
Let the Docs iron it out.
MARINECID
06-24-09, 09:03 AM
He has to do a consult with a contracted doctor. Your buddy will probably be a BUMED. I worked at MEPS for a year and seen several of these waivers get approved.
RyanFling
06-24-09, 07:46 PM
Thank you Sgt. Leprechaun, Sgt. Artyops, and GySgts. Old Marine and MARINECID. He told me that they were not done intentionally, but my girlfriend is a long time friend of his and she's telling me that they are intentional. Either way, he wants advice on what to do and I would like to help him.
Sgt. Artyops, I have felt for a long time that Marine Corps Boot Camp is not the place for him. He's spent the last 4 months getting into shape, cause he was 4 pounds over weight and just got under weight enough last week... Not to mention he is smoking pot now that he's taken the urine test.
I'll tell him to hang in there, if this is what he wants he can get it.
And I'll tell him to Adapt, Achieve, and Overcome! :evilgrin:
If I'm not allowed to say that, being a poolee please feel free to edit this post, or chew my azz and make me edit this post.
Thanks again!
CBRN5711Tech
06-24-09, 08:20 PM
First, if you feel boot camp is not the place for him why are you trying to get him to go to boot camp? Second, this guy sounds like he has too many issues to be enlisting.
Sergeant M
06-24-09, 08:22 PM
If he's smoking pot now, there's not a chance in the world that he's going to be a Marine. Tell him that he needs to decide right now whether or not he wants to do something with his life. Advise him that any drug use is not tolerated by the Marine Corps, and that he's going to be issued random urinalysis throughout his entire career in any branch of the military.
RyanFling
06-24-09, 08:31 PM
If he's smoking pot now, there's not a chance in the world that he's going to be a Marine. Tell him that he needs to decide right now whether or not he wants to do something with his life. Advise him that any drug use is not tolerated by the Marine Corps, and that he's going to be issued random urinalysis throughout his entire career in any branch of the military.
I've already chewed his ass for that. I may not have the Eagle, Globe and Anchor nor do I bear the title United States Marine but I take pride in what I've decided to do. And I think it's like spitting a loogy(Sp?) in the face of everyone who is in the Marine Corps right now every time he smokes pot. I know he's not right for the Corps, but how do I get it through his head that he's not right for the Corps? His father is a Marine, apparently, and he wants to carry on the legacy but he's not joining for the right reasons. Unless the right reasons are to kill Terrorists, in which case I think I joined for the wrong reasons. Any advice on how to get him to understand he isn't right for the Corps? Cause if I tell him he isn't right for the Corps he will just tell me to go fvck myself, I'm just a Poolee.
Thanks for reading that... Rant, is the best way I cand describe it.
Sergeant M
06-24-09, 08:37 PM
I'm not going to tell you to be a Blue Falcon, but I'm sure that this kid won't make it through the first week of basic. Why don't you let your recruiter know what your buddy is up to and let him handle it. Tell the kid if he wants to be a dirtbag, then he should do it somewhere else. Every day of his life will be miserable until he gets sepped or figures it out. Once you earn the title "Marine" training doesn't stop.
RyanFling
06-24-09, 08:39 PM
Yeah, Cpl, I know it's the right thing to do. But I don't want my Recruiter, and every other Recruiter in the office to think I'm some kind of rat. I've thought about that long and hard, it's just a tough decision. But thank you for the advice.
Sergeant M
06-24-09, 08:42 PM
Give me your recruiter's name and number, as well as the name of your buddy and I'll make an anonymous report. My e-mail should be in my profile info.
ArtyOps
06-25-09, 05:26 AM
I want to elaborate of the random **** test thing. Every Friday we used to have Battery PT (an Arty Battery is comperable in size to an Infantry Company). While I was in Okinawa Battery PT meant Battery **** Test. Thats how often we had them. I never went a month without ****ing in a cup my whole time in except when I was on leave and they would automatically **** test you when you came off of leave.
If your buddy thinks he is going to get away with that stuff while he is in, he's wrong.
Also, if he'll tell you to go fvck yourself when you try to help him he doesn't seem like too much of a friend. This may be the point where you evaluate your priorities in life and then take a good look at where he stands in them.
Sergeant M
06-25-09, 08:09 AM
Sgt, no reason to go up the chain of command, it's being taken care of at the lowest (NCO) level possible.
Chumley
06-25-09, 09:41 AM
Yeah, Cpl, I know it's the right thing to do. But I don't want my Recruiter, and every other Recruiter in the office to think I'm some kind of rat. I've thought about that long and hard, it's just a tough decision. But thank you for the advice.
Your intention to protect a friend is admirable, however, ask yourself this:
Do YOU want the guy next to you to be the guy ( let's say in a combat situation ) who has proven to be half stepping, not following rules, and possibly dangerous to himself, you and the others around you? You need to be able to rely on another Marine unquestionably, particularly in combat.
This guy isn't showing you that he is ready to grow up and get mature and make positive changes in his own life. Noone's perfect, and people do deserve second chances in life, but there must be true commitment to earn those chances by proving real change, not by displaying continued bad behavior.
If you don't want to speak to the recruiter, speak to your friend and tell him to back out, and start showing YOURSELF that you will do what's right when it's up to you to make a decision = Integrity. This guy, from what you write, is not worthy of ANY military title, much less an EGA. If he slips into Boot he will be readily escorted out, and that will follow him forever.
Good luck to you!
C
not to mention... he'll probably pop on the initial boot camp pee pee test and then get sent home with an OTH discharge and have to explain why he's a turd to everyone. <br />
<br />
I knew a guy who was a year...
jennifer
06-25-09, 05:28 PM
WOW, this kid does sound like he has a lot of issues going on in his life. He needs to take care of first things first, STOP SMOKING THE REEFER!! It aint no joke once you join and get caught...
jenn... stop writing in red... I just went blind reading your post! haha..
yeah, the kid needs to stop smoking the blunts... if he does keep doing it then I'd suggest you stop trying to help him get in.
I'd probably say from what you're telling me that the kid does need help... he won't get in from the weed POV let alone the shrink eval.
RyanFling
06-25-09, 07:52 PM
I want to elaborate of the random **** test thing. Every Friday we used to have Battery PT (an Arty Battery is comperable in size to an Infantry Company). While I was in Okinawa Battery PT meant Battery **** Test. Thats how often we had them. I never went a month without ****ing in a cup my whole time in except when I was on leave and they would automatically **** test you when you came off of leave.
If your buddy thinks he is going to get away with that stuff while he is in, he's wrong.
Also, if he'll tell you to go fvck yourself when you try to help him he doesn't seem like too much of a friend. This may be the point where you evaluate your priorities in life and then take a good look at where he stands in them.
I have a friend who's in the Air Force and he said that they aren't "random" in any way, shape or form. But they're consistent enough to the point where it's impossible to get away with it. Not to mention it's a fvcking gross habit and makes you stupid, and he can't afford the spare the brain cells.
He knows he isn't going to get away with it, that's why I don't understand why he's doing it. It makes NO sense in my head, but maybe I have a couple extra IQ Points.
And he is a good friend, I just know he's going to lie to me and deny it until I can CATCH him doing it.
Thanks for the advice, Marines! I'm gonna talk to him tomorrow and set his ass straight as to what kind of help he can expect from me if he's gonna keep smoking pot.
Sergeant M
06-25-09, 08:30 PM
I talked to one of your recruiters, he said he would handle it. Keep me posted on that whole situation.
the Marine Corps policy is to randomly test 10% of the unit... it can be greater than 10% if they want it to be....
Sergeant M
06-25-09, 08:35 PM
The system is pretty flawed though. Out of each batch they collect, they only test one sample. Though this is more economical it makes your chances of getting caught pretty slim. If one sample pops positive however, they test the whole unit.
RyanFling
06-25-09, 08:53 PM
Even if the system is flawed in my personal, unexperienced, stupid Poolee opinion it isn't about whether or not you get caught. It's about personal Integrity to know what is right and to abide by the...
Sergeant M
06-25-09, 08:56 PM
Couldn't have said it better myself. It is about integrity, not the fear of consequence. If you truly care about your brethren, you won't put them into uneccesary danger. ORM 101, accept no unnecessary risk. Take the chance if benefits outweight costs. There's really no benefit to smoking pot, but there's quite a cost.
RyanFling
06-25-09, 09:07 PM
I don't know what his deal is, but I've been training myself to be a Marine since I was like 5 years old when I saw the commercial on tv that had the guy climbing up a cliff and in the cliff were all kinds of famous scenes, like the Raising of the Flag at Mt. Suribachi, and the Marine Corps Silent Drill Team. Anyone else remember that commercial or am I alone in remembering that? Ever since then it's been all about the Marine Corps and how this will effect me. Needless to say I have never and will never smoked pot. I've had friends who did it... One's in Rehab because of it.
"ORM 101, accept no unnecessary risk."
I am not going to fvck up my chances now! I'm so close I can taste it.
so this is no longer about your friend??
well new thread then... topic done.