Final (?) Physical Exam. Or is it?
February 9, 2012My most recent string of posts delved into the adventure that is checking out of the Marine Corps. It was a search for pirate treasure and Easter Egg hunt all rolled into one, although not quite as thrilling. After all, there were no Captain Jack Sparrows or Blackbeards, and the lack of candy filled plastic eggs was sadly evident. Getting the final signature, however, made every line I queued in and every frustrating hunt for the holder of the magic checkout stamp well worth it.
One of the enchanted stamps I picked up along the way was held by the Medical Officer, whose duty it was to ensure that I was poked, prodded, specimined, and examined from the tips of my toes to the hairs on my head. To that end my quest led me to the Regimental Surgeon’s office to endure the last physical examination I would be subjected to as a Marine.
I had heard many stories about the mysteries that surround the “final physical”- ranging from friends who said that it was no big deal to others who opined that it was far worse than they could possibly have foreseen. Personally, I was hoping for an experience more on the “no big deal” side of the scale. Just like everything else, however, it turned out to be not quite what I expected. I have been subject to myriad physicals throughout my career, ranging from halfhearted glances from bored medical technicians to the exams in which modesty plays no role whatsoever. A big part of being a Marine (or a Soldier, Sailor, or Airman for that matter) is being physically fit and ready to fight, and our medical folks do a great job of ensuring that we are ready to go at a moment’s notice.
Before you are ready to fight, though, you have to be examined to ensure you are fit enough to serve. Your relationship with physical exams begins with a battery of tests that begin before you ship to recruit or officer training (to make sure you are healthy and strong enough to make it through the rigors of bootcamp or Officer Candidate School) and continues once you get there. Wanna be a pilot? Special exam for you! Paratrooper? Exam for that, too. Been a year since your last exam? Time for another one! Been deployed? Step up to the counter and say “ahhhh…” It seemingly never ends.
Until your final physical, that is. My next few posts are going to bring you, my faithful reader, along for the ride to the aid station, hospital, and various clinics I had to visit to get that single stamp from the Medical Officer. It was good, it was bad, it was funny, and it was sad, but most of all it was thorough. Just how thorough you will see in my upcoming posts!
Comments
Standing By
We can't wait, Mike. S/F, Tom
Thanks, Tom!
We won't keep you waiting long....
Thanks for reading!
Mike
Final Exams
I got out in 1985 went thriugh the BS and got a clean bill of health even though I told the Drs. that I was still having pain from my second major knee surgery (1984) and was told well it's something you'll have to get use to,it's arthritis.The pain has continued ever since.I lost my medical records that they gave me on microfish to a house fire in 1988.I sent for another copy and re-sending every 3-6 months and low and behold 18 years later after being told that they had been misplaced to burned in a fire to my personal favorite"DD 214 can be forged and we(Dept. of the Navy and Marine Corps Record Dept St. Louis,Mo.)have no showing that you were ever in the Marine Corps.Finally I recieved them tried to file a claim and the VA said they had no records stating I had ever had 2 knee surgeries and no information pretaining to anything wrong with me and that I was just trying to get over on the VA and the kind heartness of the VA personal.And was denied.I sent the medical records in and they said "Oh you are still denied because you have submitted no new or pertant information and on and on it has went since 2002.I worked as a volunteer at the Nashville VA hospital for about 6 months and made some friends in perement personal and was shown a memo from Juan Morales (Head of the Dept. of Veterans Afaairs) and it stated that all VA employees are to dissuade any Veteran from filing a claim,but if the claimant persist the VA employee is to drown the claimant in so much paperwork and deniels that they will quit in disgust or DIE. Also I found out from my medical records (that I had to request) that the VA Drs. that I had seen about my knee found an 8mm metelic forgein object in my knee(the VA) has yet to officially inform me and when I brought it up and showed them my medical records I was trasfered to another primary care Dr. I've had 10 in the last 9 years.Been denied 6 times for any comp. and then when I recieved my Social Security Disability the VA started taking $137.40 (for about $6,000)from my $916.00 that they said I owe for co-pay that they said I owed them.(I did my yearly means test and only one year did I have a co-pay).I have asked many,many times for paper work to contest the finding and all I've gotten is lip-service and NO we won't send you anything,it's to much work to send that much paperwork.Now I'm a Marine,and I said I'd never quit fighting for what is owed to me but after all this BS.THEY WON,I QUIT,AND FUCK THE VA.Now I still fly my flags and I stand for the National Anthem.I still support my Veterans but I will not ever forget how I have been treated by the ones that are supposed to be helping the Veterans.They can really pucker up and KISS MY Old Devil Dog ASS!!!!!
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keep 'em coming!
Keep 'em coming, Mike! What an adventure ...
Bradley
Will do!
Bradley,
I'll keep writing- thanks for reading!
Mike
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