My niece hit in leg by shrapnel during live war games, in surgery.

[Philosoraptor]

Just got the bad news from my mother, my niece is in the army, preparing to deploy to hell next month.

What is her status at this point? What if she's deemed physically unfit to stay in the army? (to me this would be a lucky break, she's not too crazy about the army)

I'm trying to find out where she's stationed and other info.

I just hope she's alright, and I just wish that prescott bush and his descendent's were never born.

[ORDagnabbit]

1. "shes not to crazy bout the army"..... how come she joined up?

hope she recovers.

[Philosoraptor]

4. Good question.

She's 30, and looking to better her life.

[soothsayer]

10. sounds like she's having a disastrous Saturn return (astrologically speaking)

That's a real bummer of one.

[tabasco]

11. A lot of soldiers don't discover that until they are in their unit for awhile.

Ever heard of someone taking a job and discovering they don't like it?

Pretty common phenomena. Maybe your experience is limited.

[MindPilot]

2. I hope she'll be okay

well okay enough to get on with her life, but not okay to deploy.

Seems like you have to have some pretty nasty injuries these days to get out of going.

Good thoughts going her way...

[YOY]

3. What an oxymoron: "War Games"

Hope she's OK...but not OK enough to stay in the Army if you get my drift.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

5. If she's deemed unfit, she'd get a medical evaluation board, which would determine how much

disability pay, if any, she'd be eligible for.

If you had a severe enough injury to make you ineligible for service, you'd think by definition you'd be eligible for at least SOME disability, but I guess a lot of soldiers have been getting jobbed by the med board process in recent times, go figure.

If she had service connected disability she should be eligible for care in the VA system for the service related problems, although I hear that system is pretty overstressed at this time, go figure...

If she were "medically retired" (a different status than just getting "boarded out" as unfit), as far as I know, she'd be eligible for medical benefits through the military health system for life, and pay as well, I believe.

[marions ghost]

6. is this the niece

daughter of the brother who carries the cross down Bourbon St?? Or another niece? (obviously that image stuck in my mind).

Just wonderin. Hope she's OK.

[jollyreaper2112]

7. sheesh

In peacetime the military might be a good gig, certainly not now. If I were in her shoes I'd be gaying up a storm and hope they'd discharge me, though I hear that doesn't work too well anymore. "Don't ask, don't tell" has become "I don't care if you're so gay you make oscar wilde look straight, you're deploying."

[LostinVA]

12. DADT discharges are up, as per Soulforce's statistics

[jollyreaper2112]

13. oh!

Well, that's a positive at least! Assuming the DADT people were wanting out.

[JackBeck]

15. Question: What is "gaying up a storm"?

And apparently you're not hearing from people with a grasp on facts, who just spew nonsense without doing any research.

"For the first time since the September 11 terrorist attacks, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" discharges from the U.S. military rose in 2005.

Data gathered by the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network from Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Department of Defense sources shows 742 DADT discharges in 2005, up from 668 discharges in 2004."

http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/press/DADTDischargesUpGroupSays.html

[EFerrari]

8. I'm so sorry, Philosoraptor.

:(

[Zywiec]

9. When you find out where she is stationed

Please post it. I'm always curious about where these training accidents happen. Thanks.

[Forkboy]

14. Maybe this will keep her from actually going over there.

If there's any positive from something like this that might be it.

[Zywiec]

16. What's the update on your niece?

Hopefully she's doing better. Did you find out where she is?

[Philosoraptor]

17. She's doing fine, had a blasting cap in her calf.

Removed by hand apparently, a few stitches. She's in Lawton? Oklahoma.

[Madspirit]

18. Hey Philosoraptor

I hope your niece is OK. Keep us informed.
Lee

[Philosoraptor]

20. She's doing fine now.

I just wish the hell she wasn't going to Iraq next month to drive a truck.

[BurtWorm]

19. She could rate a service-connected disability

and would if this weren't the Bushist Army.

[HamdenRice]

21. I'm very sorry to hear that, Philosoraptor

I hope she recovers soon.

My nephew is going to shipped out to Iraq in a week or two. He also joined the Army only to discover he hates it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. Hiope she gets better soon