Almost, a year ago I re-enlisted for 4 years (new ETS date 15 DEC 2012) and also reclassed to 68w from 44c. I have since redeployed only to find out that I have had a torn ACL that needs reconstructive surgery. I have been told that recovery time is 9 month and I am suppose to report at FSH for 68w AIT on January 6. I was told that I could have the surgery as early as November.

On my HRC page I have orders for Fort Lewis in June after my 68w AIT. I am currently married Active duty station at Fort Carson as a 44c. I am very disappointed to have my career put on hold and am open to the idea of getting a heavy duty knee brace and seeing if I can proceed as planned and get the surgery done after AIT and PCS’ing to Lewis seeing that I can currently pass a PT test with at least a 240.

Although, I don’t know if a doctor would clear my profile and allow me to do this. Also, there is upside to this surgery. One being, I have only been home from Iraq too my wife and almost two year old girl for a month now and won’t mind the extra time with them, as well as focusing on my civilian education. Not to mention my wife and I are from Indiana and was hoping to PCS some place closer to home instead we just got pushed further West, but at the same time I hear Ft. Lewis is great and I don’t like the idea of getting surgery and rolling the PCS dice once again just to get stationed even further from home (Alaska, Hawaii, or Korea).

So to recap my questions are as follows. Is it possible to delay surgery and proceed with my current reclass and report at FSH this January, then PCS to Ft. Lewis to have my reconstructive ACL surgery? I don’t imagine this is a possibility but I would like conformation from anyone that knows for certain. I understand my injury and I know what type of movements to avoid so I feel confident that I could get threw AIT without causing further injury to my knee.

Now, assuming that I must get this surgery what does it do to my current orders? Will I be placed into a new 68w class after I clear my profile here in about 10 months? My knee has rehabilitated aside from my ACL not being able to repair itself my meniscus is good and I can pass a PT test with at least a 240 so with all things considered I assume I can recover and clear my profile and proceed to 68w school where I assume I will be given new PCS orders? Is this a safe assumption? What is the likelihood that my knee will not recover and that I will not become a 68w what then? Will I be stuck as a 44c until the end of my current contract or will I be given the option to reclass to another medical MOS without as much physical demand?

Hey Bro- I tore My ACL Riding a Motorcycle First nice weekend in march. I had the surgery on June 2. They did a hamstring graft, the Doc said it went great and that when it's healed, it'll be stronger than my other one.
Now for the bad news.. I NEEDED the surgery. My ACL was Completely destroyed. I couldn't pivot, cut, run, and the slightest unexpected terrain change took my breath away. And that's WITH the painkillers. I didn't think anything could hurt more than the initial injury, but when I woke up from that surgery, I was in the worst pain if my entire life. I'm a tough guy, but nobody prepared me for that shit. Anyway, It's Oct, my leg isn't as strong as my other one, I have full range of motion, but I still can't kneel on that knee without being really careful. I'm a fast healer. They say the longest part of recovery is training your brain to use the leg again, and learning how to react to spacial changes. All I know is, it's real nice to be able to move around again. Stay positive! All my Docs say I've made an amazing recovery, and it's cause I never believed there was any other option. Good Luck

Thanks for the info! My doc recommended the hamstring graft for me as well. I expect to heal quickly I take real good care of myself and heal quickly, although I have had problems with infections in the past so hopefully I don't get infected.

How long where you in the hospital after surgery?

How long was your convelesent leave?

How long on crutches?

What type of meds post surgery, and currently.

Do you go to physical therapy and or you do exercises on your own.

When do they say you'll be able to clear your profile?

Keep me posted if you can I apprecaite it

I'm still waiting on a call for my pre-operation appointment so I still have questions. Although, I have been researching its just nice to hear it from someone that has gone threw it already.

I have had an ACL reconstruction surgery on each knee. Both of them were in high school. Both of them were hamstring grafts. And each time I was good to go in about four months. I don't know if that is because I was younger or what. Eight years later my knees are still strong. There is some discomfort when I kneel sometimes, and every so often I'll feel a little pain, but it isn't that bad. It is mainly do to some missing cartilage.

I believe an ACL reconstruction is an outpatient procedure. I as home the same day after one of them and I spent one night at the hospital after another. I can't remember how much time I spent on crutches, but I was pretty good at using them when I was done. I was given vicodin(sp?) afterwards and it helped cut down the pain pretty good, but it still hurt. I went to physical therapy the same week I had the surgery and I went for a few months.

Thanks that good info redleg_64

My company’s retention NCO is trying to hook me up with a career counselor as far as the details of my contract.

From what I have gathered the PULHES requirements for 68w are 111121 right now I am 113111 and that after about 6 to 10 months I will be a 112111. From what I read is that it is possible to get a waiver but that I must wait 1 year from the time of the surgery in order to be eligible for a waiver on my 2 status to be waived.

One year from the time of my surgery will put me at November 2010, and my current ETS date is December 2012. This does give me plenty of service remaining time to proceed to 68w school, but what I hope to find out is if there is a possibility that in December of next year when I am within two years of my new ETS date re-enlist for 68P. This way I won’t need a waiver because the PULES requirements for 68P is 222221. I would have originally wanted to go for this MOS last year at this time but last year at this time when I reenlisted for 68W I did not have the Academic Requirement of a C or better in Algebra since then I got a B in Intermediate Algebra and an A in College Algebra.

My concern is that I have struggled enough as it is with PT for the last 3 years and coming out of my recent deployment have been in my best shape I lost 30 pounds so I don’t have to be taped anymore and my last PT score was a 240. I fear that a year from now I won’t be in as good of shape, and since I am no PT stud I really shouldn’t peruse a waiver to be a 68W and seeing how I meet the academic requirements for 68P what I hope for now is that I will be able to re-enlist again for 68P. Any career retention experts or career counselors out there know if I will be able to do this?

If you become E-5, or even E-4(P) then as of right now you will not have a chance. I have been down that road before. However, you might be able to do 68V if you have all of that MOSes prereqs.

I have all the Pre-Reqs for 68P.

Also, I couldn't be E-5 or E-4(P) for 68W so my leaders already know that I need to remain non-promotable until I reclass.

So basically I will have to wait till I am under 24 months from my ETS date to see about re-enlisting again and possibly re-classing to 68P or some other MOS.

Well, I suppose if God wants me to be a medic I will heal complelty and quickly, and if not then I'll find myself on profile next year at this time only time can tell I suppose.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ccliff,

First thing you need to do is go see your Career Counselor, so that way they can send up a request to Retention Management Branch to put a holf on your training due to your injury. Once a date is determined by your doctor that you will be good to go, then a Career Counselor will send another request for a training date after the date the doctor provided.