Posted on Apr 25, 2021
SGT Michael Abadsantos
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I’m a former Marine (09-14) and just recently re-enlisted into the Army to go the 18X route. I graduated the 22 week Infantry OSUT successfully and almost completed airborne school. Unfortunately, there was a malfunction in my parachute on my second jump that caused me to land at a faster rate and I did not pull my reserve in time. I fractured my fibula and required surgery forcing me to drop out of the course. I have a few questions...

- Would it be possible to stay in the pipeline and just finish my last 3 jumps as soon as I recover?
- If I get stuck with a leg unit, will they even send me back to airborne school to complete my jumps?
- Will they reclass me to some different MOS other than 11B?

Thank you
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Responses: 3
SFC Retention Operations Nco
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This is why 18X and Option 40 aren't a good choice for enlisting.

You will most likely be kept as an 11B as long as you meet the physical requirements as per the MOS requirements. The Army can reclass you but if you don't have a permanent profile (aka chit) you are still physically capable of performing your MOS.

18X drops who haven't graduated Airborne get sent to a non Airborne Infantry unit. Non Airborne units are not authorized to send people to Airborne school. If you want to go back to Airborne school you have a few options.
1. Go to SFAS after you're at your unit for a year
2. Go to RASP after a year. 75th is the premier raid unit in the world and attracts a lot of former Marines.
3. Submit a request for Airborne school to your branch manager after you've been at your first duty station 1-2 years.
4. Reenlist for Airborne training
5. Request a spot as OPFOR at Ranger School through your branch or Reenlistment
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SGM G3 Sergeant Major
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SFC (Join to see) - That sounds about right. Back in the old days when Option 40 was RGV4, I went through LA MEPS where they had used up all of their RGV4 seats just to sell kids on 11B to meet their 11B quota, and no doubt 80-90% of them quit/failed and took the bus to Bragg.
I had to sit there all day while the GC called around to other Recruiting BNs to borrow a seat just to get to RIP, where I watched 85% of my RIP class get on the bus to Bragg.
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SFC Retention Operations Nco
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SGM (Join to see) when I went to RIP half my class dropped while they were holdovers waiting for the next class to start and 2/3rds dropped in the course. Everyone thinks they've got what it takes when they're first joining.

When I'm building contracts in our system it shows me what their original enlistment program was and a ridiculous amount of Soldiers in the Infantry came from these programs.
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CPT Lawrence Cable
CPT Lawrence Cable
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SFC (Join to see) - Since I have never dealt with this side of the Army, if the SGT. was on an Airborne Contract only, would they recycle him and allow him to complete training after being cleared?
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SFC Retention Operations Nco
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CPT Lawrence Cable whether or not they recycle him in Airborne school comes down to how long they're willing to keep him at Airborne School as a holdover. I don't know what their policy is, only that the Army isn't willing to keep IET Soldiers around unemployed for very long.
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SSG Intelligence Analyst
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You will just be a non-airborne qualified 11B. You will also need to pass a new airborne physical which is now going to be harder given the fact you needed surgery. They will not reclass you
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CW2 Electronic Warfare Technician
CW2 (Join to see)
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Not necessarily. There's a lot of former 18X who were made 19K.
There's no guarantee of 11B for 18X failure, or 31B for 37X failure.
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SSG Nodal Network Systems Operators/Maintainer
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Honestly, it depends. I tore my calf at SFAS and they reclassed me because the healing process took too long. Others who were injured stayed 11B. It's on a case-by-case basis.
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SGT Michael Abadsantos
SGT Michael Abadsantos
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How long was your recovery? The surgery went well and it wasn’t a displaced fracture. Doctors are saying I should on full duty within 2-3 months.
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SSG Nodal Network Systems Operators/Maintainer
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SGT Michael Abadsantos That's good, faster than mine. Took 4 months for my full recovery
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