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type 1 and in the army!

L

leedoak

Active Member
I'm in the army and just found out I've got type 1 diabetes, so what! type 1 I can get my head around and deal with. Has anyone serving or passed serving within the British army had to deal with medical discharged or retention. I'm married with children and the possibility of discharge is pretty scary. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you.
 
I went to join up when I left school in 1986 and was told flat out I could not join because of the type 1.
 
This is what I can find on the web:

http://dvd.sagepub.com/content/8/2/55.full.pdf

Extracts below.

Diseases emergent after joining

In contrast to fresh applicants, those serving personnel that develop disease, including diabetes, often after some years of satisfactory service, are generally not given a military medical discharge if there is chance of redeployment in an appropriate medical category. Often a large public investment will have been made in their training and they will have acquired invaluable operational experience both of which could be put to good use in a reduced or non-operational capacity. However, there will always be a limit to the number of military personnel that can continue to be employed in a medically downgraded role. Each case is evaluated on its merits as was made clear in the official statement on behalf of the British Government in a parliamentary answer by Mr Derek Twigg, Under Secretary of State for Defence and Minister for Veterans at the Ministry of Defence.5

Consequences of diagnosis

As mentioned above, once a diagnosis of diabetes, or any other chronic disease, has been made in British serving personnel, everything is done to enable continuing military service wherever possible. Radical changes in occupational activity may be necessary to achieve this and failure may necessitate military medical discharge. In the British services, over a 10-year period, 29% (295/1014) of personnel diagnosed with diabetes were medically discharged.6
 
Cheers Tim. This is true to what I believe, normally it's type 2 who ate kept in and type 1 on a case to case basis. I was wondering if medically discharged what medically pension people where put on if any? And if they claimed of the AFCS.
 
@leedoak I suppose it's obvious that front line and driving jobs are out but I would hope that you have various staff jobs available to you?

This is what I was told some years ago by an army recruiter answering the "what if I had already enlisted" question.

Tagging @CarbsRok as [she's] got views on this.
 
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Cheers people, I'm not front line and I only drive a car so I can't lose anymore lol. I drive a desk and manage 12 blokes under me, so there's hope.
 
I held a TA Commission in my local Infantry Regiment. I had just completed five years when I started suffering from Type 1 symptoms. I was almost instantly medically discharged. In fact it happened so fast my head was spinning. It really, really messed me up. I am glad to hear that the Army has moved on a little since then. In the end I volunteered with the ACF for just over seven years just to keep my hand in it all, but at the time of diagnosis I felt it had ruined my life.
 
Yea the system is a little slower now, I'm in the regs and at my 14.6 year point. I've just been put on medically non deployable (temporary) for three months with a review. Which will turn (permanent) then. I've just heard horror story's of people losing pensions but I've also heard people getting good payout so I'm look after people advice and leads.

Cheers psuttle (Sir) lol
 
Leedoak, I am a civvie now so no need for formalities

It looks like the outlook is much better now, and of course, things are different with 14 years of regular service under your belt. I think things will probably work out ok, but injecting in the cookhouse must be interesting!
 
There's a regular soldier on another forum who was going through discharge due to type 1 diabetes as far as I know he is out now. From what I remember he was front line then moved to a desk job. Not seen him post for a long time now though.
 
Respect when it's due! Yea I can't wait till the summer ball in the Sgt mess when the rsm is doing his speech and I have to inject lol. Wonder if he ports me for it lol. I know the discharged is coming it just a case of when!!!
 
Hi

I was in the Army (reg) and left 2 years ago, but have since been diagnosed T1. It is individually assessed as to whether to keep or discharge depending on rank/trade. MLD of any form stops you promoting, but if they could put you in the right role then in theory you may be able to stay. For example, another Captain was discharged with T1 as he couldn't fill any staff roles, had he been a Major then it would have been a different story.

If you are medically discharged (I'm working off memory) I believe you get your immediate pension at the rank you are. However, your reporting officer can look that up and clarify it for you (and they should be).
 
I'm a civvie but used to work with a naval officer who had an aortic anerysm and valve replacement and was limited re fitness etc. Although he was never fit enough for active service again he 'sailed' a desk for another 5 years until he reached his normal naval retirement age. It may be that you could do a staff job.
 
Gibbo86,

Thank you, I know of a qmsi who has just picked up his Wo2 after 5 years type 1, but they are also pushing his medical now. The army is a funny place at the moment. Everything you have said is what I'm being told. But as it's still early days (7 days) type 1 I'm still trying to get as much real information as possible. My rcmo want to keep me and in the role and future roles as a marine engineer I'll always drive a desk or teach if promote. I still live in hope but I'm also realistic to what the army needs and want, I'm a risk!
 
Leedoak,

That's great. It's a funny one with the MLD because typically guys/gals can't do the PFA or CFT. However, once you've got it under control and know what you need to do to exercise you'll still be fine.

If the RCMO is onside that's great. When the medical reviews happen at Regiments the CO, OC's and doc will go through each case. The CO is the one who needs to be convinced and will take his lead from the inputs others give at the reviews. You are right to think that the Army wants deployable troops, but I'm 90% sure your pension will be safe.

It's a lot to take in at the start and I know career concerns can be a real worry (life changing obviously). I'd recommend looking at the MOD tri service documents (I can't remember their abbreviation!) which covers discharges etc, so you can see what may/ may not happen in the future, what boxes need to be ticked and how to play it so you've the best shot of staying.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you and if I can help at all feel free to message me.
 
My dad was a sgt in the infantry when he was diagnosed with type 1 - they down graded him but he was allowed to stay and completed his 22 years!
 
All the feed back.I'm getting is positive which is good. Let's just see. Watch this space, it will take a year or so if it not good news.
 
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