So I'm starting to really loathe my new Operations NCO. On May 14th I submitted a packet to take leave from July 12 to the 25th to see my little sister come home from Afghanistan. No big deal. Submissions are allowed 60 days out, I submitted 58 days out.

I got my leave packet back on June 23rd saying it was denied because I'm supposed to take a PT test on July 20th, during my leave. They can't do that per regulation. So my boss went to talk to ops and comes to find out that I have to take a PT test before I go, or they cannot approve the leave.

Leaves have to be approved at least 14 days in advance. That's Monday. So we called Ops back to set up a PT test for Monday morning. No go. Ops was already gone for the day, it being 1430 on a Friday. So since reg says any E-7 or higher not in my chain of command can administer a PT test, we grabbed the E-7 that works in our office as a facility administrator who has no soldiers technically to come give the PT test at 0630 Monday morning. He said I can do it however I want, so long as it's done. He's as pissed about this as I am.

They beauty of the whole situation is that because we're doing the PT test, we choose our course. There are three certified courses on post. One's a long course (2.12 miles), ones an accurate course (2.0 miles), and ones a short course (1.78 miles). Guess which one I'm running? Yep, the one thats nearly a quarter mile short.

So now since we're doing everything by regulation, if the company still chooses to deny my leave, I have a valid IG complaint because of them forcing me to take a PT test with 3 days notice after have 44 days to have given me notice. Thinking about going to IG now, but I'll wait until after they deny my leave a second time, which I'm pretty certain they will do.

My mother in law took 2 weeks off to take care of my wife while I'm gone. My Grandparents are driving 1200 miles here to pick me up, then driving another 1800 miles to get to Ft. Lewis, Washington. Were going on a nice little vacation through Mt. Rushmore and the Black Hills on the way. So when they deny my leave again, it's going to screw up everybody's plans. IG is going to love me.

My First Sergeant, who is a former medic, decided that he is going to reccomend me for a med board after the kidney transplant. He was vocal about not wanting me to do the transplant because it's expiramental medicine. Since he is a former medic, he knows all the paperwork to have me shown in a negative light to get me chaptered out of the military. I would lose our health insurance which is the biggie.

If I decide to not give DW my kidney so I could then stay in the military, I would in turn be chaptered out on a compassionate discharge due to the longstanding and ongoing nature of dialysis and her need for constant care. Once more, losing the health insurance.

Damned if you do, Damned if you don't. The only major difference is that with a med board chapter, there are two options. First, and most likely, is a medical seperation payment, or severance pay, of about $40,000. The second, and not unlikely, is to be placed on temporary disability retirement until it is known if there will be any issues from the kidney transplant. I would draw $1200 a month based on this for up to 5 years, and then if actually medically retired, continue to draw that $1200 for life, adjusted for inflation. Still without health insurance.

Does anyone know anyway to get health care coverage for someone with a longstanding, permanent disability outside of from a group rate from an employer? Tricare is paying $70,000 a month for her right now. There is now way we could come close to affording any of that. If my First Sergeant is successful in chaptering me, it would be about a year from now. Im going to college full time for an economics degree.