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Any Army Recruiters here ???

unluckyjohn

Private
Full Member
Minuteman
Oct 7, 2011
0
0
32
Houston Texas
Hi I was a Marine poolee but was discharged before I went to boot camp because I couldn't do any pull up. I went to a doctor to get My shoulder checked out to find out i'm hypermobile
After months of physical therapy I've mostly fixed the problem but I will never be able to do a pull up both my shoulders pop out of place. Will this prevent me form joining the army??
I don't want to be front line or anything I would prefer to do something in the intelligence field.
Only reason I'm not going to recruiters station to ask is because last time I went the recruiter wouldn't stop calling me even after I signed with the Marines.
 
Re: Any Army Recruiters here ???

They do have a tendency of calling often, but on the flip side of the coin they have no choice(A good friend of mine has a fantastic story about their quotas, and their system).

Your choice is that either you lie, and go through the pain you will get, or you don't join at all.

I'm not being mean. I'm being honest with you.

Also, pull-ups are part of the PT test now. Which mean every 6 months or less after Basic, you will do pull ups.
 
Re: Any Army Recruiters here ???

Really? My friend who is in the army said he has never had to do a pull up.
It not a pain thing I can handle pain. Its like being double jointed in my shoulders and the small muscles that hold it into place are naturally loose so it just pops out and I can't pull it back in or hold it into place.
 
Re: Any Army Recruiters here ???

The changes have not been made yet to make Pull-up mandatory for PT test i dont believe. It will happen in the future though. The PT test is definately changing.

You do a ton of pull-ups in basic training.. Doenst matter what field your in.

If your dead set on joining the army push through the pain or find other ways to get the job done.
 
Re: Any Army Recruiters here ???

Honestly man, if you can't do a pull-up, you shouldn't join the Army. Between doing pull-ups in PT and climbing ropes, you're just setting yourself up for a world of pain, injury, and harassment.

Go get an advanced degree and join up with the intel world through that. If you really want to be valuable, become fluent in Chinese, Arabic, Urdu, Korean, or Farsi. There are many routes into the intel field, but you need to learn a tough, critical language to be competitive.
 
Re: Any Army Recruiters here ???

I have severe asthma and this is what kept me out of the Marines when I was 18 yrs old.

I had it explained to me this way. If you had a disorder that would prevent you from giving a 110% in a combat situation and risked the lives of your unit, would you want to still join?

Regardless of what you tell the recruiter what you want your MOS to be and what it actually is after you get out of basic are two very possible situations. Pull-ups are there for a reason. You have to be able to pull your own body weight, period. If not you place your unit at risk in a combat situation.

I wanted to be a pilot. But at that time, 1980's, a pilot was required to have 20/20 vision and Lasix eye surgery was not invented at that time.

If your are committed to joining the military, exhaust all your options.
Go to an Orthopedic surgeon and see what your options are. We are taught by society and our parents that there is nothing we can't do if we set our minds to it. Reality is, there are things out there that no matter how hard we try, we are just not going to be able to do.
 
Re: Any Army Recruiters here ???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Really? My friend who is in the army said he has never had to do a pull up.</div></div>

What army was that?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">if you want to eat, you'll do pull ups</div></div>

That's the way it was when I joined. They had a pull up bar at the entrence to the mess hall, you had to do X amount of pull ups to get in. The number increased as we moved on in our training.

I was lucky, I was a scrawy little shit, I could do pull ups all day long. I'd be the first one in, chow down and set out with the pop and pan man drinking coffee and smoking waiting for the last of the others to be "forced finished".

Most relaxing time I had in basic.
 
Re: Any Army Recruiters here ???

A few thoughts:

-Having this issue could be a serious problem SHOULD you ever get into an intense no shit combat situation. That makes you a liability.

-You will have to disclose your medical history at MEPS; I'm almost willing to bet this will be you choke point and you won't get past this.

-If you do make it in, I don't know how it is now but when I was on active duty, where you went to basic and what your MOS was had a lot to do with if you did any pull-ups. I don't think anyone did pull-ups at ft jackson... at benning they did.

-If you come in with a pre-existing condition and then the new PT Test with pull-ups is implemented, you would likely get a permeant profile against pull-ups which will get you by until your contract is up. At that point they will likely tell you that you cannot reenlist. We are downsizing by at least 80k on the active force. If this budget cut shit isn't figured out, they've said when the automatic cuts hit they will be forced to ax another 100k. If it comes to that, you can bet your ass that anyone not 100% medically fit not related to combat (and I'm sure a number related to combat) will be shown the exit with a hand shake and a "thank you for your service, good luck with your next life endeavor".

-It's not 2006 anymore; with one of two wars over and the other declining, 80k troop decrease over 6 years and a jobs market struggling to get back on its feet, the Army can be VERY selective these days
 
Re: Any Army Recruiters here ???

AS one who trained the living crap out of his subordinates who were supposed REMF POG's that ended up doing combat patrols for QRF, MRF, and Perimeter Security(inside and out), I would not want you anywhere near my people with your medical condition. Just becasue you end up with a job as a Medic, Cook, Mechanic or other REMF job doesn't mean you won't be pulling combat duties and expected to perform said duties just like a basic rifleman in the Infantry. Yes, this may seem rightiously mean, but it is only a no bullshit evaluation of your request. Stay away from the military if you cannot handle shoulder work. Try picking up your buddy who weighs some 210 pounds(simulate a 180 pound joe with full battle rattle), then carry him 100M. Try dragging him by his collar with one hand and holding a rifle in the other.
With your condition, you will never be fit to fight. You will be one who visits the medics on a regular basis, holds a permanant chit for no excercises(we call this a Profile) and you, if you get as far, hold strong potential to get someone killed.
As I said, my words may make you feel all butt hurt, but they are as real as it gets and straight forward, no bullshit, no punches pulled. I would ask any of my former Sergeants the same thing, and get back the exact same answer. I am done with it, and they hold the reigns over their crews the same as I held their's. They are the finest, fittest, and most dedicated NCO's I know and they all have one thing in common. They train the living dog shit out of their troops because they learned that doing this keeps people alive on deployments. They hold no room for weakness, or conditional weakness. This is the reality of today's Army. Any and all Soldiers MUST be capable of the basic rifleman skillsets and do them all well. No more going in for college and having an easy tour of rear detail garrison duty. Gone are the days of the profile riding joe...med board, make room for fit to fight. You don't want to hear this, you want to hear kind words of encouragement but there are no realistic words of motivation or encouragement. You would best be served by looking for employment in a civilian role. Go to college, get a good degree, plan a career. For starters, go here:

http://www.cpolemployment.com/category/civilian-jobs/

Look at what jobs are avaialable. Look at the college programs that are designed to fill these jobs. Get your degree, build your resume, and if the medical issue is such that it causes some sort of disability, use the trining programs from the government to assist you in getting employed. These are the words of encouragment you seek. You have potential to support the military mission, but not be a part of it directly. This route gives you what you need, offers levels of success, and holds very worthwhile employment potential. Take military service off your plate. Look hard at government civilian service. With the right course of planning, correct education, and well laid plans, you will succeed in this endeavor. Think hard on what you ask for, and make well formed plans of action with set goals. These are teh tools for your success.
 
Re: Any Army Recruiters here ???

Read what Switchblade wrote and then if you still have any idea about joining the military read it again. Plus, he's giving good advice about other courses of action. The Army is all about upper body strength. If you don't have it you're toast. You would never make it through training. I had over 25 years in Recruiting & Retention and the hardest thing to do is tell someone they can't do it. The hardest thing, but in the end the kindest thing too. Ski.