I want to take a year to work on my degree and improve my physical fitness to return to the military. I would work part time if I absolutely need to, but I will already be splitting my time between my family, the gym, and school. I would rather not add a job to the mix. If I attend school full time (12 credit hours) I will be eligible for a housing stipend of about $1500 for the Charlotte area, the exact amount depends on the zip code of the school I attend. From the little bit of searching I have done, it should very easily cover rent and utilities.
I understand that you’re focused on getting in shape for the SF qualification tests, but what’s the context for your one-year timeline? How close are you to finishing a BS or BA degree? When you return to the military, do you want to do it via OCS as an officer? Those are highly individual personal choices, but even the SF enlisted would prefer to have you show up with a degree under your arm rather than being just a semester or two short.
I guess I am just looking for guidance on how to live like a normal person, from normal people.
Maybe I’m oversimplifying the situation, but it looks to me like you’re yet another vet going back to college on the GI bill. You’ll probably find a dozen or two vets even at UNCC, and the college has probably been working with vets for well over a decade.
The campus may have a Veterans Programs rep who can go into more detail on the academics and the student program. For example when you’ve used up your Tricare transition benefits then you could shift to the college’s medical insurance. They may have a pretty competitive program for student health, even including spouses & kids.
The military has transition programs, unfortunately they are mostly taught by people, such as myself, that have never had to walk the walk.
Um. I hope you’ll talk with the people who are giving the transition seminar at your location and learn more about their resources as well as their backgrounds. They’re technically restricted to teaching from the DoD/DoL curriculum anyway, and they can tell you a few personal stories, but their real value is not that they’ve “walked the walk”. Their value is all the knowledge they’ve networked from their transitioned vets as well as the local community organizations and businesses. There are literally thousands of organizations across the country who are trying to connect vets with military-friendly companies, and they’re stalking the TAP classes.
If you hit a bunch of TAP duds at your current location, then when you settle at your college you might be able to do better with the local business community and the veteran’s organizations.
I am in an unusual situation I guess, being that I have no intention of getting a normal job when I get out, and my desire to re-enter active duty after a year of college. I am worried about what I will do about things like health care.
As you go through the separation process, here are a few other factors to consider:
- Do you want to affiliate with a local Reserve or National Guard unit? I know the military has mobilized a lot of Guard SF servicemembers over the years, and if you’re in a Guard unit during college then you might have plenty of professional SF assistance at getting ready for the SF program. A drill billet would make you (and your family) eligible for Tricare Reserve Select medical insurance.
- Do a thorough job with your separation physical and with a Veteran Service Officer for your VA disability screening. I’d recommend against trying to avoid (or even hide) any discussion about veteran’s disability, because when you try to get back on active duty the MEPS will do the whole exam process anyway. You can return to active duty with up to a 30% VA disability rating (especially in a valuable skill like SF) so you might as well get it documented and in your medical record. If you’ve been around enough firearms and explosions then you can probably start with a 10% disability rating for tinnitus plus whatever the audiologist determines on the Compensation & Pension exam.
- During your separation physical, ask the military to refer you to as many specialists as it takes to thoroughly diagnose (and treat) any issues that you uncover. You might even want a couple months of physical therapy to improve your kinesiology or range of motion. Again you’d prefer to deal with these questions up front rather than encounter them during your physical preps for SF, and then having to worry about the entrance exam.
- During that same period, work with a chapter of a vet’s organization like the VFW or the American Legion or the DAV to find a VSO who can help you research your questions. You could submit a “fully-developed” disability claim with an effective date of the first day after you separate from active duty. Depending on your income and the nature of your disability, you and your family might even be eligible for medical or dental care at the local VA clinic.
- When you get back on active duty, take a look at your GI Bill benefits to see if you’re able to transfer the remainder to your spouse or daughter.
