[Epts Discharge Army]

Update: Per son he cannot take classes like Active duty can, since he is in the Reserves. Also, per Podiatrist they may not be able to take cash if he has medical insurance and per Tri-Care "no way" all care should be on the base. So, basically, I have gotten no where. We shall just wait till he comes home finally and then try to move backward and get it all straightened out. Too bad that......thanks for all of your input and guidance!!!!

[Epts Discharge Army]

Well I was just reading the rules about Exodus and found this:

The IET Soldier’s parents should be advised not to use their private health insurance to obtain medical, surgical, dental, or mental health care. TRICARE is the IET Soldier’s medical benefit. The IET Soldier’s use of the parent’s private insurance is viewed as fraud by most private health insurance companies.

I guess that takes care of that! What now? Pay cash for the Podiatrist?

[Epts Discharge Army]

Thanks for all of your good information! I spoke with him tonight and asked if ever heard the term "aggrevated by service" during his meetings and he said no. I asked him if he got counseling before signing the docs (as I read on the internet was supposed to happen) and he said no. He sat down with a Sargeant who explained what was going on and told him to sign. End of story. I also read on the internet there was supposed to be a 3 day rebuttal period. I told him to just get home for Exodus and we would put together a plan for when he goes back. Interestingly enough, he said that an EPTS discharge had a shorter time frame than a medicial discharge. I thought to myself how convenient, take a poor sick, home sick kid and offer him a shorter time to get home to Mommy.....problem solved for the Army! Don't mean to sound negative but the kid is just 18 years old. Easily taken advantage of.

Thanks so much!

[Epts Discharge Army]

Sorry one more question. The records. Does the soldier usually bring those home with him upon discharge? I asked my son to ask the Dr. for a copy of his medical records so that the podiatrist here could see then (ha ha ha i know but it doesnt hurt to ask!) and he has had no luck on that.

How does he make sure that he gets all of his records upon discharge?

[Epts Discharge Army]

Oh yes, that was the plan. How life changes our plans. He was to graduate AIT at Thanksgiving and come home to start the spring semester of college. Now he will have missed a whole year of school.

I will take your advice and get him into the Podiatrist over his Exodus. Thank you so much!!!!!!

[Epts Discharge Army]

Well thanks Bob for the warm welcome and kind words. I never knew what Military Moms went through before but now I know. Oh it has been hard!!!!! And continues to be hard as every mother wants the best for their Children but can't always provide that......only do the best we can do. Thank you so much for being here for me!!!!

[Epts Discharge Army]

Yes it is very helpful thank you!

But therein lies another problem. How do I pay for the Dr when he comes home? My medical insurance does not know he is away at basic. I have have not anything wrong at all, they only ask once a year if the child is still a student and they did that last spring and aren't due to check again until this spring when he would have been safely back home and in college (it was army reserves he enrolled in as you recall). So when I take him to Dr and explain why he is there, I am afraid they will report into our insurance and when they find out it was in Basic that he the injury occurred they won't pay. So am I to pay cash for this Dr visit or what? I can and will but it again does not seem fair.

Have any input on that one? Thanks!

[Epts Discharge Army]

Well that was the injury. Nerve damage. He did not have an accident. It is just that "boot shock" never went away. He has pain in his toes in both feet currently and when he was first diagnosed pain in the ball of his foot, that pain has since gone away but the toes are still a problem. They said it was nerve damage.

[Epts Discharge Army]

Hello! Not sure I am putting this in the right place or even if I am in the right forum. Please forgive. As a mother of a son who wanted to be a soldier, I am here.

Long story short, son joined the Army Reserves. Went off to AIT Aug 14 2008. Week 12 of AIT (of 14 weeks) called and said he had nerve damage in his feet and was put in the Medical Holding unit. Needless to say, no graduation for him. Today he called and said he was being medicially discharged. Injury EPTS. He said that his webbed toes (yes, he has two of them on each foot) and the bone structure of his feet made this an injury that existed prior to service.

Now, excuse me. But he has never been to the Dr ever for his feet. He has never had pain or issues with his feet. Obviously, after reading the rules online about pre-existing conditions this would be one (ie. birth defect) but the Army took him with this being quite obvious by just looking at his feet. I would say this nerve damage that has occurred, at the very least, was aggravated by service.

Anyway, my son said he signed something today to start the discharge. He is 18 years old. Does not know the ways of the world. I am looking out for him and do not want him to sign his life away in case this leads to permanent issues with his feet. Even if it doesn't, it is a matter of principal for me.

What advice do you have to give as to how he should proceed? He is home for Exodus on the 19th but then back again on Jan 1 until at least Feb 09 he said till the discharge.

Thanks for any help or advice you can give.