What your military haircut says about you

SFC Dr. Jesus Garcia-Arce, Psy.D I was glad to be alive and still healthy at age 60. I work for a courier service so I'm always in shape. I'm grateful I don't have arthritis in my left leg because I broke my ankle in Afghanistan trying to get certified in combatives on my off time. I am rated 10% disabled but I don't feel it.

LTC (Join to see) - I got a low back surgery couple month after my ETS, also a got multiple left kidney surgery, radiculopathy, peripheral neuropathy, Eczema due chemical exposure during my service as Chemical Specialist. I rated to 100% disable with 25% Employability.

SFC Dr. Jesus Garcia-Arce, Psy.D I am so sorry to hear that but it kind of haunts me what you're telling me. I didn't know that the chemical biological radiological and nuclear training hurt you as well. My father was healthy prior to going to a cbrn course in 1952. He was part of a scout element of a National Guard division. He was a Corporal and a 19 Delta. He went to a chemical School. Not sure how long it was but he did mention to me that he was exposed to fosgene and other gases and when he came back from the training, he was allergic to everything. He has severe asthma and eventually was separated from the Army at 100% disability. Later it was lowered to 10%. He had Decades of asthma problems. He had to move from Minnesota his home state to California where the dry air helped him. I always knew him as an asthmatic walking Flem machine is what I used to say. He took all kinds of medications including steroids when he got sick. He was often sick with asthma. He was lucky he was able to pass the sheriff's department and work the jails and do okay as a sheriff in California for 13 years until he was retired on medical disability not related to asthma. In the late 90s, he was able to take all the documentation that he had from the Army and from his health records and he was able to turn into the VA and got 100% disability 3 years before his death. It's possible that his use of Albuterol and other steroids caused him to get lung cancer. The lung cancer metastasized to his brain and from the time it was discovered to the time he passed on was less than 5 months.
He went to St Thomas Military Academy which was a Catholic High School in Minneapolis-Saint Paul minnesota. Prior to World War II his OCS would have counted for a commission. Since he graduated 1948, it basically counted as pldc. He went into the National Guard as a corporal. He never had to go through basic training.

He had about a year and a half active duty and he was discharged because of his asthma. He was part of a eyes and ears of the division. To Sherman tanks and two Jeeps working together so he had to have chemical warfare experience probably to assess the battlefield for chemical agents.

I'm sorry you are suffering but I'm glad you're still alive. My father passed away at age 72 in July of 2002.

I got 70 and counting, thankfully of God mercy. I just came from San Juan VA Hospital for 5 days with antibiotic due to urine tract infection, and continue the home therapy for 11 more days.