Redirection for former SEAL Candidate

[Bluestem]

Our son was working thought the BUDS program to become a SEAL. He scored high on ASTB tests and was in the top 1/3 of his class. He was well on his way to achieving his dream of becoming a SEAL.

During a particularly difficult workout, he experienced chest pain and was taken to medical. It was determined that he had high blood pressure and then had a series of tests that resulted in his removal from the SEAL program because of an apparent defective heart valve. Since then, it's been determined that he is healthy, the tests results were a misdiagnosis and and had no medical problem at all.

We're delighted that he's healthy, but concerned that, through some bad luck and a situation beyond his control, his options are now seriously limited. He's was given the rank, "seaman undes" and told there were no other open positions. He thinks that his future now is more janitorial than professional military.

Is there anything more he could do? What can he expect?

[Bluestem]

Thanks so much! Great info and I'll pass on to our son.

[TexasMomof2]

I see others have given you the link to the group "Undesignated." This is good - you need to join if you haven't already. My oldest son's PIR was January 2008. He had chosen a rate and then decided it wasn't what he had thought it to be and went undesignated.....I should say not by choice. He was wanting to choose another rate but that wasn't the Navy's thoughts. :o) At first, he was devastated and was thinking he'd be at the bottom of the "barrel." And ya know what? He absolutely LOVED it! He was assigned to a ship that's in dry dock so he didn't travel but he was assigned to a particular department and stayed there the entire time which was 2 years. He wasn't looked down upon and as far as being given the yucky things to do on the ship.....everyone regardless of their rate is given the same thing. This time as undesignated gave him the opportunity to view other rates. At the beginning of this year, he applied for corpsman school and was accepted. He's currently there and he applied and was chosen as platoon leader for his class. Tell your son to hang in there and not listen to other people because they don't know what they're talking about. Whatever they assign him to do, tell him to be the best at it.....life is what we make it and there must be a reason why he wasn't to be on the Seal path. Just don't see it at the moment. :o) If he has the opportunity to go aircrew undesignated, this is what the special ops guys from my youngest son's PIR have chosen to do - the ones who were in the same situation your son is. My youngest has graduated from aircrew rescue swimmer and is still in additional schools - his PIR was Sept '09.