My husband failed BLC due to an injury occurred during BLC. What happens now?

Kimberly Dugdale — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 02:56:03 -0500

So my husband failed the PT tests in BLC. The day was ice during the run and he slipped and fell which caused him to severely injure his hip and knee. Then only gave him 7 days to retake which he was not healed properly. The day before the test they had him run a 2 mile which he fell again due to the pain. He went to the ER after class. He missed it by 18 seconds not that, that matters. Now he’s kicked out of BLC. whats next for him? He’s never failed a PT test before. He’s afraid to be kicked out of the army for this. His grandma also had passed so it’s effected him greatly as she was his caretaker. Bad timing I guess. Anyways. What can he do if anything at this point not to loose his career?

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 23 at 2019 3:02 AM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 03:02:02 -0500

As someone who failed WLC once before, there is life after failing an NCOES. He should take time to heal both mentally and physically. Take the time to train and prepare for the next time. As someone who has been there I am proof that failing an NCOES isn’t the end of the world.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 23 at 2019 3:04 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 03:04:42 -0500

Your husband should worry too much. Although he was unable to finish the NCOES school, he can attend BLC again in the future. He would have to submit a packet through his CoC IOT be reenrolled into BLC. In that packet, he would explain the reason(s) why he couldnt make it. He might have to talk to his CSM so that he/she could bless off on it. In summary, he wont get kicked out for this unless he’s met his RCP. He’ll have to put in a little bit of work IOT be reenrolled. Many people have had this happen before and were able to go back again. Just a milestone in someone’s career. Good luck to your husband and to you!

Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 23 at 2019 3:18 AM

SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 03:18:41 -0500

Your husband should be good it won't count against him since was an injury

Response by SGT Jim Ramge, MBA made Feb 23 at 2019 8:35 AM

SGT Jim Ramge, MBA — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 08:35:42 -0500

Having that ER visit documentation in hand will do him justice upon returning to his unit and any good Leader should place him back on the top of the OOM list if he is worth a damn! Accidents happen all the time... Your husband was just unlucky this particular icy morning! As long as his PT scores weren’t just mediocre he should be perfectly fine and without question, return sooner than later!

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 23 at 2019 10:53 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 10:53:25 -0500

A couple of issues his BLC Cadre did that concerns me. While weather conditions are not to be a consideration factor for cancelling an APFT, but safety issues are. If there was enough ice around to cause even one person to slip, fall and get injured...then it's my opinion and experience that the APFT should have been postponed or relocated to an indoor and safer location (if possible). Also, having him run 2 miles the DAY BEFORE another APFT....that's not right either.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Feb 23 at 2019 7:23 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 19:23:41 -0500

His leadership failed him by not conducting a proper risk assessment.

Response by SFC Javier CruzColon made Feb 24 at 2019 2:38 AM

SFC Javier CruzColon — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 02:38:08 -0500

Hi there, too many variables, the first question what was his APFT score before he went to school? Not just the one he took to report to school but all the previous reports does he was Fit or barely passing it? What his 1059 say in the remarks of reason for failure under medical or APFT? Good this he got his medical papers from when he went to the emergency room. He needs to work twice as hard than before get physically and mentally ready before he start asking to let him go back to school. There is not such thing as bad luck or good luck, if you have prepared for it will it show on the test, that is the result of being ready. Let's move forward and start getting ready.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 26 at 2019 11:49 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 11:49:05 -0500

I suspect the whole story may be left out somewhere. Since you are reporting on here, hearsay...
The APFT should have had a "risk assessment " and been either cancelled or moved to another venue.
Your Husbands injury would have disqualified him from the course to return at another date.
Your husband should have recovered, retake a diagnostic at the Unit, pass.. then take another record APFT then schedule for BLC again.
It wouldn't or shouldn't be a deal breaker for his career... unless there are other unspoken issues.

Response by CW3(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 26 at 2019 5:20 PM

CW3(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 17:20:19 -0500

That happened to a person with us when we went to Warrant Officer Academy. The track we were running on had a bunch of potholes the put highway cones in. Stepped in one and broke his ankle. And this was the pt test taken to graduate

Response by CW2 Michael Mullikin made Mar 1 at 2019 3:19 PM

CW2 Michael Mullikin — Fri, 01 Mar 2019 15:19:57 -0500

If these facts are accurately reported the failures are not his. Requiring troops to run in icy conditions is a poor safety practice and a leadership problem. It is not up to the school to determine how many days he has to retake the test; this is a purely medical decision. If anyone other than a doctor made this decision it is also a leadership problem. Requiring him to run again before the seven days was up, presumably without medical approval, ignoring his trip to the ER and then requiring him to take the test the next day indicates even more leadership problems. This is especially troubling at a course teaching basic leadership principles. Again, if the facts are accurately reported, the soldier has done nothing wrong. His first step might be to get support from the medical personnel who were treating him. If the school won't respond to that the next step is to continue up the chain of command, Finally, the IG is the definite option–an impartial investigation will resolve things one way or another. Unfavorable personnel decisions should not be blindly accepted; even the verdict of a general court martial can be appealed.