Minor in Marine Corps--help

[rmet4nzkx]

Actually my son has told them about his problems and LD, etc. but the SDI told him that he didn’t have an LD and to shut up and just bite his lower lip. Guess it’s time to get copies of my copies and bombard them myself. They don't listening to recruits because a lot of them "lie" so much it makes it harder for those with real problems. Someone mentioned that his LD should have shown up on his school transcript, so they should actually know about it, even though we didn't tell them about it but with his transcripts being messed up, I doubt it was on there, but it could be.

Just by my sons list of LD symptoms, it will be hard to prove he didn't tell them on purpose. He'd been out of school for 1 1/2 years, it's not something you think about. When it asked about past medical problems, etc...I gave them the medical problems, not thinking about the LD cause that was tested at his school. He's at the point he doesn't care if he goes to jail. He's already getting UA's and he's still in boot camp.

I know all about the militaries hurry up and wait policies, how they hold you and the process of getting discharged, etc. can take a couple weeks to over a month or two.

For the TROLL: sorry, not a vietnam mother...was born in 69. I don't hold protests even if I don't agree with wars (which I don't). But you sound like one...

You are missing the point, if he is on medical now, he needs to report this to them and ask for a psychiatriac/psychological evaluation, if he is not competent to do that, you get on the phone and call them yourself and specifically ask for the evaluations I mentioned. Read the links I gave you. If he goes UA again, turn himself into a VA hospital.

 

[DRTDEVL]

When I was an Army Recruiter, I ALWAYS explained the DD FORM 1966/4 in detail to the parents before they signed it. This prevented misunderstandings before hand.

Granted, I would tell them that their son/daughter could not even begin the process without it (to include testing or physical examination).

Had you read the form, it would have clearly spelled out that you were consenting to your son's enlistment in the Marine Corps, and that you consented to any and all mental, physical and psychological examinations, that you consent to him being transported to and from a Military Entrance Processing Station via public conveyance, and authorized him to stay in the hotel during the processing. You also signed that you understood that his enlistment could place him in positions of extreme danger, combat, etc., and that no special considerations were given to you as an enticement to sign the form. You released any and all claims against his pay and entitlements as well.

This from said nothing about being a "Consent to Take a Physical." The fact that the DD FORM 1966 is titled "Record of Military Processing, Armed Forces of the United States" and that on DD FORM 1966/4, the part you signed was titled "Section VII - Parental/Guardian Consent for Enlistment" should have been your fisrt clue.

The 90 days start when he signed his contract, not his departure date.

I never heard of a "withdrawn consent" discharge from Active Duty... Only from the DEP. Yes, he can be discharged from the DEP if you withdraw your consent, but once he got on the bus, that option disappeared.

If you want to see what you signed, Google DD FORM 1966/4... You can look at the form, review it in detail, and see that you signed him into the custody of the US Government.



BTW: How can you "forget" about his LD when you had to fill out the enlistment packet for him because of it? Doesn't add up...

 

[RRHOOP5469]

I had to fill the enlistment packet for him because of his LD? NOPE, not because of his LD, because it's required paperwork.

All them pages I filled out, included all his past medical information but his LD did not come to mind. Like I said, he had been out of school for 1 1/2 years. It's not a major LD like ADHD but it's still one to cause some severe problems in bootcamp. Not only that, my son was rushing me to fill it out cause the recruiter wanted it back as soon as possible so he could type it up. The packet asked for all kinds of information about him & there were a lot more things on there besides just medical questions. The fact that I had to spend quite a long time writing in his 2 misdemeanor cases, tickets and the restraining order he got from ever stepping foot at the Bob Evans resturant took up all my time (all before the age of 17). His LD just wasn't on the top of my list of things to write down. Not everyone can remember everything all the time.



I talked to a very influential military lawyer who said that he can't advise my son to do the following, he said my son can always refuse to train. He said they will yell at him, embarrass him, threaten him with jail but if he doesn't cave, they will eventually start processing his discharge. I asked him about being court martialed and jail time and he said no, that even though they "can", he'd never heard of/seen them do that to a recruit in bootcamp. ANY COMMENTS?

 

[fozzy2]

If the kid really doesn't want to be there, "refusal to train" is one way out. In the USN they used to tell recruits that was a way home, albeit not always a nice one. You'd inform your "company commander" that you refused to train, then you'd be sent to see the training Division Officer to repeat your refusal and sign a form, then you'd be sent to main admin to do it again before a senior officer and sign again. Basically, the kid is intentionally failing to obey an order, but policy was usually to just to quickly process them with an entry level separation (and appropriate RE codes, etc.). It could take a few days for each step, however, and as noted the process was not always made pleasant, and when completed the recruit then went to 'recruit transient' barracks while being processed out (another place not real fun). The key thing, however, is that while there may be "policies" in place, there is no gaurantee that the kid won't be court martialed (I've never seen that happen) or perhaps ordered to some 'remedial' company or "motivational" process.

Of course there are analogous ways out. Simply failing every academic test they give you, for example. Or every PT test. Once again, however, the military has the option of sending the kid to a remedial company or to try and 'rehab' them.

 

[DRTDEVL]

Hello!!! What I mean is Why wasn't HE filling out his own packet????? And you filling it out futher nullifies the "I didn't know I had consented to his enlistment" argument.

If he is in a medical hold status (medical recruit platoon), he can't really "refuse to train." He isn't in boot camp, but in a rehab center until he can continue on with TRAINING.

 

[RRHOOP5469]

DRTDEVL:

I was filling out his papers, just like I always filled out his papers...applications...etc. because of his learning disabilities. He is an extremely bad speller, writes very small and is very hard to read. I showed a letter my son wrote home the other day and the recruiter could hardly read it. I didn't have a problem cause I'm used to his writing. Those military papers I filled out for him, are just papers he fills out and the recruiter types them up. How am I to know they only need to fill those papers out AFTER they signed up? That's not the point...after he came back from his medical exam is when he told me the he had signed up...then he got the papers to fill out (that I filled out for him). I didn't say I didn't know he had joined when I filled the papers out. I said I didn't know I was signing consent for him to be able to join while he did the medical exam cause I was told it was for the right for him to get the medical exam and NO I didn't bother reading it. Like I've said before, it wasn't a big deal cause I was going to sign for him anyways, just not that early. I am trying to find out what my sons options are is all I'm doing.

I already know they can't do anything while he's in medical. Contrary to what you might think, I belong to a message board where I personally talk to the DI & SDI wives that are at Parris Island. They have so much information on there that I completely know everything about Parris Island without ever having been there. However, they do not post options on how to get out of bootcamp on their site. Not only are most of the moderators the DI & SDI wives, but some DI's themselves read those boards and I don't post anything on there that will get my son in more trouble with them. I research on my own, talk to my sons recruiter, post on here, etc. My son only has about 1 more week in MRP anyways. Hopefully once he starts training again, I won't be getting suicidal letters from him!!!!!



fozzy2: I've read that failing tests on purpose, etc. would get a dishonorable discharge but I guess it's not much different than refusing to train. However, refusing to train is usually an OTH discharge. He said he doesn't care if he goes to jail so if he wants out that bad, I guess that opens up a few more options for him.

I'm just wondering if refusing to train would be faster/better for him or trying to repudiate his contract since he's a minor. I have told him what his options are but I am trying to encourage him and get him to really think about it before he does anything. MRP is a really depressing place for them and most end up wanting to come home until they start training again. Only time will tell what our son will choose. I just have to keep the encouragement coming for him and let him decide what to do with his own life.

 

[RRHOOP5469]

DRTDEVL: The DD FORM 1966/4 doesn't look like anything we ever signed for our son. Under the #40a section for parental concent... I know we didn't sign anything looking like that. However the #40b section looks familiar. The recruiter is too good to let a mistake like us signing in the wrong area happen but now I'm thinking I should go get a copy of it and see just what I did sign. lol.


Is the DD FORM 1966/4 the current form they are using now?

 

[rmet4nzkx]

I already told you what you could do. Did you call to get the specific evaluations I suggested?

 

[DRTDEVL]

He does have a learning disability that neither of thought about when "I" filled his papers out for him.

I gave them the medical problems, not thinking about the LD cause that was tested at his school.

I had to fill the enlistment packet for him because of his LD? NOPE, not because of his LD, because it's required paperwork.

All them pages I filled out, included all his past medical information but his LD did not come to mind.

I was filling out his papers, just like I always filled out his papers...applications...etc. because of his learning disabilities..

Look at what you wrote, and you should get my point... You didn't "forget"... You had a case of "selective memory" in order to get your son what he wanted.

The 1966/4 has been in use for ages, and continues to be in use. There are several versions that have been used over the years, but the wording remains the same. MEPS will not allow a 17 year old applicant to test or physical without a copy of the PC in their hand when they walk in the front door.

 

[RRHOOP5469]

Rmet4nzkx: No I didn’t call them because my son wrote and said he didn’t want to go the medical route cause it would take even longer to get the heck out of there.

DRTDEVL: You can think what you want. His LD DID NOT come to mind for either of us. Even if it had come to mind…I wouldn’t have thought it would cause him problems cause the school evaluation showed his LD was in Written Expression. Normally you would think…so he’s a bad speller and has trouble writing what he thinks and that’s all I thought it was at first but it goes deeper than that. All those symptoms I said he had in my first post, is exactly how Josh is but I have no idea if it’s related to his LD or if it’s something else. Those are some of the symptoms listed under learning disability symptoms when I looked them up. That is also why I wanted them to RETEST him and see if he could handle the military cause it’s quite possible he might have something else wrong with him that the school didn’t even test for. They tested for school related disabilities and I don’t know how extensive that is. From what I seen in his papers I dragged out today and looked through, he was just tested for: Basic reading, math reasoning, spelling, reading comprehension, numerical operation, written expression and writing composite.

But you know what…it’s not even about his LD. It’s about the problems he’s having and how he can’t adjust to military after 8 weeks, whether it’s his LD causing it or not. I know and LD in written expression would not disqualify him from joining the military but according to all the LD symptoms he does have…he COULD have something bigger than written expression that’s wrong with him. People withhold information if they think it will not let them in the service. I don’t think we had to worry about that.

Because you only know a very SMALL part of what is going on, you can only guess and assume. It would have been much simpler to have just told me all the options my son had to try and get out instead of judging me, accusing me of stuff and going on about stuff you really don’t know anything about. I believe all I ever “asked” was things about my son getting out of bootcamp…I don’t believe I asked anyone to believe if I forgot to mention his LD or not.

Since I have gotten all the information off here that I will ever be able to get…I have no need to ever come back here again. Thanks for all the information. You don’t have to post anymore cause I won’t be back to read it.

 

[rmet4nzkx]

Rmet4nzkx: No I didn’t call them because my son wrote and said he didn’t want to go the medical route cause it would take even longer to get the heck out of there.


Since I have gotten all the information off here that I will ever be able to get…I have no need to ever come back here again. Thanks for all the information. You don’t have to post anymore cause I won’t be back to read it.

Medical is the quickest and best way out at this point, apparently you all have some form of LD since you are leaving this site without acting on any options and ignoring the advise wasting all our time and effort.