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One of my favorite benefits in the Army, right after free college tuition, is our healthcare! How amazing is it to have a job where if you wake up ill or hurt- you can go to the doctor's office (sick call, for FREE) and not worry about a pay cut or your boss flipping out?!? Not to mention, no annoying trips to CVS or Walgreens for your over priced/under insured meds! Bless Tricare!
This is why I am truly saddened when I hear my fellow comrades making fun of soldiers who go and refuse to themselves! Unfortunately, just like every good thing does, we have those violators- the ones who take advantage of sick call. Maybe they want to get out of a ruck, or are too tired from gaming the night before and are hoping for quarters, maybe tiny heart syndrome? As a current medic that has worked in an aid station performing sick call ops - I too am guilty of talking smack about repeated sick call offenders! Was it right? Not at all!
When I hear my battle buddies (male and female) competing in their "I've been in the army for x amount of time and have never gone to sick call" I just laugh to myself. GOOD JOB! You're obviously the toughest and meanest and the most soldier-est (new word) of us all! Lies lies lies! I'm so sick of the stigmas put on sick call. Your health and wellness should be number one in your basic soldiering. Why do you think we recieve the benefit to begin with? Uncle Sam wants the healthiest! (Aka- biannual HIV tests, mandatory PHAs, immunization requirements!)
Everyone gets sick or hurt at some point. It's one of those messed up parts of being human. If you are sick and cannot perform your daily duties because of it, do us all a favor and be seen! The faster you are seen the sooner you can get to feeling better- and the less chance of infecting your entire company or BATTALION! Chronic pains - schedule an appointment, and emergencies go to the ER! That's my take on it. What do you think about our sick call procedures and the stigmas on them?
This is why I am truly saddened when I hear my fellow comrades making fun of soldiers who go and refuse to themselves! Unfortunately, just like every good thing does, we have those violators- the ones who take advantage of sick call. Maybe they want to get out of a ruck, or are too tired from gaming the night before and are hoping for quarters, maybe tiny heart syndrome? As a current medic that has worked in an aid station performing sick call ops - I too am guilty of talking smack about repeated sick call offenders! Was it right? Not at all!
When I hear my battle buddies (male and female) competing in their "I've been in the army for x amount of time and have never gone to sick call" I just laugh to myself. GOOD JOB! You're obviously the toughest and meanest and the most soldier-est (new word) of us all! Lies lies lies! I'm so sick of the stigmas put on sick call. Your health and wellness should be number one in your basic soldiering. Why do you think we recieve the benefit to begin with? Uncle Sam wants the healthiest! (Aka- biannual HIV tests, mandatory PHAs, immunization requirements!)
Everyone gets sick or hurt at some point. It's one of those messed up parts of being human. If you are sick and cannot perform your daily duties because of it, do us all a favor and be seen! The faster you are seen the sooner you can get to feeling better- and the less chance of infecting your entire company or BATTALION! Chronic pains - schedule an appointment, and emergencies go to the ER! That's my take on it. What do you think about our sick call procedures and the stigmas on them?
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Health
Health
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 29
I would say that Sick Call is a great but it should be used wisely. We always had to see our docs before we went to sick call. There was a lot of THS, Tiny Heart Syndrome, that happens. I recall guys at Ranger feared going to sick call. They knew they would be dropped if they went. They sucked it up and went to on to make it.
It is great but when you go for just a cough, then a headache, then a stomach ache all in one month you may be pushing. If you are hurt by all means go. I went when I was injured. But there is a difference between being hurt and being injured. But when you see a guy with a "Dead Man's Profile" and then they are off to their room to play games and shoot hoops on the weekend you really have to question a few things.
It is great but when you go for just a cough, then a headache, then a stomach ache all in one month you may be pushing. If you are hurt by all means go. I went when I was injured. But there is a difference between being hurt and being injured. But when you see a guy with a "Dead Man's Profile" and then they are off to their room to play games and shoot hoops on the weekend you really have to question a few things.
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SGT Luke Fouquier It is sad that soldiers do that. It pisses me off to no end. I called in a bird one for a soldier that said he hurt his neck. while riding a bradley. The Base shut down the Air Space and they send a bird. He was saying he couldn't fell his feet and that they were numb. So I go to the Hospital to check on him and the Doc asked why did I called a bird. I will just say he walked out in about twenty minutes of being there. He deserved a Emmy for his act. I was pissed to no end.
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It absolutely is a good thing and for someone needs the care. During my time they did away with the over the counter meds program. After that, I would by aspirin at the BX. Others would make an appointment or go to sick call to see a doctor, complain of a headache, just to get prescribed aspirin. Was not meant to be abused but like anything it that can be, it will be.
I'd like the stigma of a troop visiting the mental health clinic (if they still call it that) to change. I see reports too frequently of military suicide due to PTSD or other life stresses. I hope peers don't bust balls of a troop that needs to sit down with a counselor. I also hope a troop can be comfortable that his/her chain isn't going to over react and sink that persons career. That was the factor that kept people away from the MHC when I was in.
I'd like the stigma of a troop visiting the mental health clinic (if they still call it that) to change. I see reports too frequently of military suicide due to PTSD or other life stresses. I hope peers don't bust balls of a troop that needs to sit down with a counselor. I also hope a troop can be comfortable that his/her chain isn't going to over react and sink that persons career. That was the factor that kept people away from the MHC when I was in.
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When I was stationed in England I had the stomach flu. Didn't know it when I started the day. As the day went on I just got worse. Finished all my tasks except for driving over and getting supplies for the dining hall, I was to sick to drive. Told my dining hall supervisor this and she told me that I had to go. I informed her I was unsafe to drive. She told me we needed that truck delivery today. I then informed her that we needed to call the other storeroom person or she had to go get it, we were the only three authorized to drive the truck, that I was to sick to drive. She then said if you are so sick why didn't I go to the hospital? I then told her that was why I was there to see her. Was going to secure the storeroom and then walk to the hospital, I didn't own a car. She got me a ride over. Ended up in bed for the next three days. Was so glad for the ER doctor.
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I kept flying and soldiering on with a spinal injury that put me out of the army.
Don't be stupid. Get yourself checked out when you need it and demand the best possible care. There is a stigma surrounding being injured or sick in the military. People treat you differently, in some cases, people will treat you poorly despite your performance because they think you're faking it.
There are a lot of people who want to get out of doing things by using sick call or having constant appointments. We had a guy fake back pain to get out of the deployment I finished with an actual back injury. What doesn't serve anyone is to assume EVERY SINGLE SOLDIER at sick call is faking it. That is no way to provide care, and it is no way to figure out if there is actually something wrong.
Don't be stupid. Get yourself checked out when you need it and demand the best possible care. There is a stigma surrounding being injured or sick in the military. People treat you differently, in some cases, people will treat you poorly despite your performance because they think you're faking it.
There are a lot of people who want to get out of doing things by using sick call or having constant appointments. We had a guy fake back pain to get out of the deployment I finished with an actual back injury. What doesn't serve anyone is to assume EVERY SINGLE SOLDIER at sick call is faking it. That is no way to provide care, and it is no way to figure out if there is actually something wrong.
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If you're sick . . . you're sick. You're neither strong nor weak. If you are faking it, it's not a matter of "weakness" per se . . . its a matter of honesty and integrity. I would add that issues like depression, anxiety, PTSD, addiction, etc often manifest themselves in lethargy, drowsiness, fatigue, etc. In those cases, the service member needs the mental health clinic--not sick call nor condemnation. But, sure . . . I bet you have seen a lot of fakers.
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Completely silly not to go to sick call when you have something that can infect the entire office. I use to tell some to stay home or at rest in the barracks until they've taken anti biotic for full twenty four hours until they were not contagious. It's one thing to have one person out but really bad when the whole section or office is out or not even out because you can't afford to have over half the office out suck at the same time. The ones making fun of sick call are unprofessional and inconsiderate.
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Thanks to tricare I still have my son. We did a brief rally of costs and stopped at $800k from the Cancer treatments, surgeries, etc.. If your hurt or sick go to sick call. At times you can hinder the mission if you are only operating at 50% your normal self. So if someone says another is weak for getting help they need to cut their hand off and then go do some push ups and see who ends up complaining and wanting to go to sick call
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I do not believe you are weak for going to get medical care. You are taking care of your body and maintaining its functions. Its those in ranks that abuse the system that give 'sick call' an image for the weak
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Taking care of yourself, making sure you are fit to fight is more important than being seen as week. Being sick is naturally weakening. Sick Call is there to help keep a Soldier at his or her best.
Weakness is being stupid enough to think you don't need sick call.
Weakness is being stupid enough to think you don't need sick call.
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