[Kodie]

Hello all!

I'm just wondering if I would be able to join the military? I know the answers are probably going to lean towards "no", but I mean, I could probably fly one of those remote controlled drones or something! I wanted to serve my country since before I got injured and now, even in a wheelchair, still want to. Does anyone on this forum have any idea?

Thanks in advance.

[BillS]

I'm fairly certain you can't join the armed forces. But you could "serve" your country in many civilian agencies. NSA, CIA, FBI, or just a normal government employee.

[spot]

When I was in the military, it was necessary to have a minimum physical profile that no individual in a wheelchair would be able to meet. You certainly couldn't complete Basic Training. Unless things have changed dramatically in the last 30 years, I would have to say, "No way. Sorry." You could always call the local recruiter or go to the service website of your choice.

[E-DOG]

Kodie, on Feb 4 2010, 07:38 PM, said:

Hello all!

I'm just wondering if I would be able to join the military? I know the answers are probably going to lean towards "no", but I mean, I could probably fly one of those remote controlled drones or something! I wanted to serve my country since before I got injured and now, even in a wheelchair, still want to. Does anyone on this forum have any idea?

Thanks in advance.

Kodie, I realize yer from Tennessee, but gee whizz dude, that's gotta be the dumbest question ANYONE has ever asked.

E sorry, just had to say it

[allis53ca]

.....E just had to go there

[spot]

The rest of us were trying to be kind and answer the question gently. Bill's suggestion of the civilian agencies was a good one.

[E-DOG]

I retract my statement above and apologize profusely.
I've been known to fly off the handle at the most inopportune times.
This being one of those times, I shall castigate my own self by not having any beer for the entire day.

E-dog

[spot]

E-DOG, on Feb 6 2010, 11:58 AM, said:

I shall castigate my own self by not having any beer for the entire day.

E-dog

I wouldn't be THAT harsh! After all, we do all have our moments.

[Kodie]

Mr. Dog, I realize that it does seem like a stupid question . I should've worded it better. What I meant was something like a desk job or something that doesn't require direct action (i.e. shooting people, flying planes, etc.). That's why I mentioned flying the remote controlled drones. I think I'm gonna take Bill's advice and look in to something like that.

[mase5507]

How ya doin? im in the military and was injured may 15 of 2009 and there have been many discussions about being medically discharged. you have to be able to pass physical training tests. which consist of running, push-ups and sit-ups. if you had any previous spinal cord injuries, neck injuries, broken bones, asthma etc you will not be permitted in the military. however since im already in, im fighting to stay in. there is still a chance i can stay in complete a desk job or anything related to a indoor occupation; however, i am persuing a shooting advisor/instructor. but if i cant i will either be discharged or have desk job. if you got any more questions i can be more of assistance, i am currently a recruiting assitant.

[Django]

I think it's really cool that you want to adapt your dream so you can still accomplish it...someone's gotta do it first, right...

[Kodie]

mase, I hope everything turns out good for ya. I think they should at least let ya work a desk job. I believe I'm gonna get in contact with a recruiting office and ask them some questions. I AM fairly decent on a computer. Hell, I figure it's worth a shot.

[aggzy]

they did it in avatar lol

[mase5507]

When they tell you no at first continue to get at them. If they tell you know ask if you could work on there base or in there recruiting office. They can't tell you know for that. So once your in the door continue to learn new and higher ranked people, because there is no way to get into military with out goint to bct(basic combat training), so they will give you a tech job. You get paid more doing that than being in the actual military itself, plus you can still wear a uniform. let me know if i can be of anymore help?

[Kodie]

mase5507, on Feb 9 2010, 08:54 AM, said:

so they will give you a tech job. You get paid more doing that than being in the actual military itself, plus you can still wear a uniform. let me know if i can be of anymore help?

That's exactly what I'm wanting. You have been the biggest help of all!!

[apollock2006]

i'm still active duty at the moment while theyre processing my medical discharge. i know i could still do some desk jobs since some of the 'able-bodied' are pretty fat and probably cant pass the required physical fitness test standards and get medical profiles to stay in like 'walk/run at own pace'. so i dont see how they should deny a motivated soldier. its a softer military than earlier times. i'm a quad and can do modified push-ups and a 2 mile roll (not sure on my time), but im screwed on the sit-up portion.
/rant

[leothelion]

i had the same question.
theres no stupid questions when it comes to being quadriplegic.
thanks for the ideas.

[mellowgator]

E-DOG, on Feb 6 2010, 07:58 PM, said:

I retract my statement above and apologize profusely.
I've been known to fly off the handle at the most inopportune times.
This being one of those times, I shall castigate my own self by not having any beer for the entire day.

E-dog

i bet he has whiskey instead!

[dangerousdave]

Never could understand the need to go to exotic lands, meet nice friendly people - and kill them
Turn guns into engineering and turn soldiers into a peace corps
That I understand
Then if a tyrant gets threatning - nuke him
Didn't say anything about the space corps, did I

[dexter]

Of course he can join the military. Didn't you see avatar?

[Parachute]

Kodie, on Feb 5 2010, 03:38 AM, said:

Hello all!

I'm just wondering if I would be able to join the military? I know the answers are probably going to lean towards "no", but I mean, I could probably fly one of those remote controlled drones or something! I wanted to serve my country since before I got injured and now, even in a wheelchair, still want to. Does anyone on this forum have any idea?

Thanks in advance.

If your thinking of working on a military base, most of the one's that I have been to are not wheelchair friendly. For most of the offices that I have seen, they are mainly upstairs and have no ramps or lift system.

In Britain, I would have thought that there is no chance. Most office staff are military personnel and have had to carry out some form of Basic Fitness Test(BFT).

Major Phil Packer, has to leave the army this year because he is not fit to work. They could easily give him an office job, but that's the army for you.

[spot]

dangerousdave, on Mar 13 2010, 03:34 AM, said:

Never could understand the need to go to exotic lands, meet nice friendly people - and kill them
Turn guns into engineering and turn soldiers into a peace corps
That I understand
Then if a tyrant gets threatning - nuke him
Didn't say anything about the space corps, did I

If they were nice, friendly people you wouldn't have to kill them. Nuking the bad guy sounds fun, but the home-grown environmental nutcases go insane. Since they normally live among the rest of us, nuking them is self-defeating.

Parachute, on Mar 18 2010, 12:23 AM, said:

Kodie, on Feb 5 2010, 03:38 AM, said:

Hello all!

I'm just wondering if I would be able to join the military? I know the answers are probably going to lean towards "no", but I mean, I could probably fly one of those remote controlled drones or something! I wanted to serve my country since before I got injured and now, even in a wheelchair, still want to. Does anyone on this forum have any idea?

Thanks in advance.

If your thinking of working on a military base, most of the one's that I have been to are not wheelchair friendly. For most of the offices that I have seen, they are mainly upstairs and have no ramps or lift system.

In Britain, I would have thought that there is no chance. Most office staff are military personnel and have had to carry out some form of Basic Fitness Test(BFT).

In the U.S., military bases tend to be more wheelchair friendly. It might be difficult to join the military without meeting the fitness profile. Those already in when injured may be allowed to stay. But I'd rather have the best of both worlds and be a civilian working for the military.

[HiltonP]

This whole "everyone in the military must be fighting fit" notion is nonsense. In every military (or police) throughout the world, even during wartime, the number of combatants is a minority. For every fighting soldier there has to be four to five others, doing the admin, supplies, communication, etc. That all those backups need to be equally combat capable is ridiculous.

There are literally thousands of military / police jobs which should be open to disabled candidates, ranging through stores, administration, training, communications, logistics and supplies to name but a few.

Here in South Africa over 50% of our military personnel are HIV/Aids positive, and in a recent study it was revealed that the majority of our police are technically obese, so for them to give the thumbs down to a disabled applicant is laughable.

I recall having a bizarre conversation with a Navy recruitment lady at a disability employment conference. She was going on about how it was not appropriate for the Navy to employ disabled people, etc, etc. I looked at her, noting that she was extremely obese, sweating profusely, and bulging out of her clothes. As a quad I could have gotten from one side of the hall to the other before she could have lifted her arse off the seat, yet she could not see the irony of her stance on employing disabled people.

[ADP-10-08-63]

american millitary hospital where you would be a inspirationi njured military personel and to show others doing voluntary work
showing and proving they have took away alot things i can not do
but they will never take your freedom
good luck

This post has been edited by ADP-10-08-63: 19 March 2010 - 12:04 PM

[Ratticis]

Let's form a gimp militia and take over! . . . Unless they run to the top of a flight of stairs

[qbounce]

One thing that was mentioned, and I find a bit of a joke, would be the recruiting department. I have a strong suspicion that this one's NOT gonna happen, even if you're the incarnate of Billy Maze (the Oxy Clean and "As Seen On TV" sales guru).

Sorry, but if you're in WC you don't stand a snowballs chance in hell of getting many new recruits on board.

[KJ0331]

I know this post is from last year, but i am in the marine corps and I am a machinegunner 0331. got into a car accident the day i got home from afghan august of 2010 and am a paraplegic now. I am still in the military right now but thats only because its taking them months to get a package put together to medically retire me from the corps. I dont mean to be an ass but these comments are f ing rediculious. no matter what branch ur in theres no chance that u can do anything for the military unless u work as a civilian contractor in which case u would maybe b sent out to give classes on how to use equipment ur company is selling to that branch of the service...but most of those classes take place out in the field which u wouldnt really b able to get aroundonce out of a vehicle. and military bases are not wheelchair eccessible at all as far as the offices go because they dont allow military personel to be in a wheelchair. it a buisiness, they r investing money into someone as a product, they have to be able to deploy and fight if something happens. no matter what u do u have to b able to fight and be able to complete an objective if need be. have none of u seen a movie, or ave common sence and realize the military is a buisiness. would someone invest into a worker at a company that cant do the full job of that possition and then have someone else on the pay role to do the other half of the job. so no there is no way u could possibly do anything in the military. not even recruit like i saw someone posted. and as far as cia nsa and all that, nope...same as military, have to be able to fight if ever a situation were to arise. so to all who keep telling him to keep trying...dont waste ur time. its f*@king idiotic to even consider it.

[KJ0331]

HiltonP, on 19 March 2010 - 09:02 AM, said:

This whole "everyone in the military must be fighting fit" notion is nonsense. In every military (or police) throughout the world, even during wartime, the number of combatants is a minority. For every fighting soldier there has to be four to five others, doing the admin, supplies, communication, etc. That all those backups need to be equally combat capable is ridiculous.

There are literally thousands of military / police jobs which should be open to disabled candidates, ranging through stores, administration, training, communications, logistics and supplies to name but a few.

Here in South Africa over 50% of our military personnel are HIV/Aids positive, and in a recent study it was revealed that the majority of our police are technically obese, so for them to give the thumbs down to a disabled applicant is laughable.

I recall having a bizarre conversation with a Navy recruitment lady at a disability employment conference. She was going on about how it was not appropriate for the Navy to employ disabled people, etc, etc. I looked at her, noting that she was extremely obese, sweating profusely, and bulging out of her clothes. As a quad I could have gotten from one side of the hall to the other before she could have lifted her arse off the seat, yet she could not see the irony of her stance on employing disabled people.

f*@king rediculious...u cant even role over bumpy geound, or pull someone to safety if shot or killed...its f*@king so god damn redoculious that everyone thinks equality has to play a factor...doesnt matter ow fat outta dhape someone is. they can still waddle to safety and move to supress the enemy and overwhelm with firepower to subdue the enemy or destroy the enemy...im in the marine corps on my way out and its so stupid to even think about someone over seas in war working a desk job and that base taking fire and need to manuver to close width and destroy the enemey...not gonna happen on boulders and in mountains.

[Tetracyclone]

KJ0331-
Well said.

[HiltonP]

KJ0331 . . . In between carrying your gun, deploying and fighting, suppressing and overwhelming the enemy, and pulling people to safety perhaps you would like to consider some of your fellow military personnel . . . people like the recruitment staff, the computer programmers, the payroll officers, the administration staff, the storemen, the procurement personnel, etc . . . all working in multi-storey air conditioned buildings in urban USA. How many people do you think they had to pull to safety from the coffee vending machine today? . . .

This post has been edited by HiltonP: 12 May 2011 - 06:33 PM