Ok here's the skinny. Spent 9 years in the Marines. Now disabled vet at 50 percent. Hard to find a job since I'm a liability and cant perform whole lot. L3 to s1 Replaced and caged with a fusion in there. Most can imagine I'm limited at it is. Former Helo Mech on AH and UH (Cobras and Huey) obviously cant be crawling around the ground and inside engine bays, already failed the Bell physical. My VA is about 1100 a month. Cant live on that. Looking for a job i can move freely. Be able to sit and move around to get jobs accomplished. no issues moving for a few hours or sitting a few but lack of education at 30 is very hindering. Any ideas?

First and foremost don't sell yourself short. Have you thought about teaching at a community college or technical school? 9 years as a helo mechanic means you have some pretty sound technical knowledge.

Any interest in truck driving? Lots of places will train you for a year's worth of driving for them.

Good luck with whatever you do.

I have thought about troops to teachers guess kinda scared to take that leap. Was a SNCO and a Division Cheif and a Quality Assurance Representative was lookig in tho fields. But small pickings especially for disabled. Honestly i had a hard time driving 4 hr to Brooke army medical center. Couldn't hadnle sittin in the truck for 10 hpurs a day. Put so app in at Lowes for a Managment position

Troops to Teachers is a great way to go. That is what I am looking at doing here shortly, in between undergrad and grad school. I know how you feel though, I spent a couple years pretending I wasn't in pain trying to be a mechanic and then a dispatcher for the oilfield industry. But if teaching isn't your thing, you have other options. You don't have to do something even remotely related to what you did in the military. I was a 120mm mortar gunner, and a door kicker in the sand box, now I'm an artist and I plan to teach art. Have you thought of being a dispatcher for the police? Or maybe a helo mechanic for a news station? One bird means you wouldn't be spending a ton of time working on it. But like I said, if you are up for a change from what you once did, flip the script, find something you are passionate about and do that, it's a difficult thing to do, but it's worth it. I never knew I wanted to be an artist, never even took the title of artist seriously as a career path, I stumbled into it, I've been doing it for four years now, and I make work trying to educate the general public on things veterans deal with. I wouldn't change it for the world. It's really tough, and it can take eating ramen for a month praying the lights stay on, but if your willing and up for it, it'll change your life. Find something your passionate about and do everything in your power to make that your career. Plus, you are only 30, you can go back to school and the VA has plenty of money to give you to do so, they'll pay a housing allowance while you're in school. My wife went back to school at 30, she just graduated with a double major in history and child psychology, she's gonna be an advocate for kids in foster homes. But don't settle or count yourself short, you've got tons of knowledge, can obviously learn and you've already been through hell, it can only get better, but not if you're not willing to take some risks.

Just my $0.02

Barber I got my barbers licens even I thought i would be able to sand and do it but after surgery that went out the window My wife is a barber and make better money the I did and an active E6 with bah bas she make way more then i did and you can use the disability rehabilitation program save your GI Bill ad get them to pay for a lap top all kinds of barbering needs I keep my licens up to date but i dont cut but 2 people hair it just is to painful

Vocational Rehabilitation through the VA, also known as Chapter 31, does not allow you to "save" your GI Bill, it replaces it. For example, say you start school on the GI Bill and decide to go to Voc Rehab, if you've only got 24 months left of GI Bill, then you only get 24 months on Voc Rehab, unless you get an extension. It's set up that way to keep people from abusing the system and staying in school for 15+years on the different programs. That is for University, I am not sure about technical school, but, I started in a tech school and that is how it was explained to me by the school and multiple people at the VA. However it is worth it, Voc Rehab is an awesome program, except for the miles of red tape you have to jump through in the VA's unique pattern, but they will buy you Anything that is Required to fulfill your education requirements within the confines of your specific education plan i.e. A laptop computer, a MacBook if you are an art student, an iPad, tools, supplies, anything that you need, I've used mine to buy 400lbs of steel for a sculpture, glass blowing tools etc. etc.

Yea i have been looking to the VA for help. The VR&e program right? Got a nice savings account to keep us afloat but need to get on the ball. Wont last another 6 months.

Thankfully were not big spenders. My wife is wrapping up her RN degree she started in 05 before 2 kid 3 duty stations and 6 deployments. Anyway im thinking most likely networking administration or cyber security. With me being a work center supervisor and a division cheif shouldn't be hard to get a small management role upon completion of school then id be able to move around instead of aitting at a computer and getting locked up. Gotta keep my legs going so i dont lose feeling

I am disabled with Spinal Muscular Atrophy and my strength has been deteriorating to the point that soon I will loose my ability to walk. I went for a check up last week and came out with a prescription for a wheelchair.

I have full time employment, but its not enough to support my family. What I do is promote construction business; remodeling, roofing, siding, painters, floors, just about anything. When I get a lead, I either go myself to measure or if i can't do it physically I send the contractor to the address to have quote the project. I've been bringing in decent commissions out of that. Hopefully it will continue to grow. Contact me if your interested in learning more.

[quote=RoadBlock]Vocational Rehabilitation through the VA, also known as Chapter 31, does not allow you to "save" your GI Bill, it replaces it. For example, say you start school on the GI Bill and decide to go to Voc Rehab, if you've only got 24 months left of GI Bill, then you only get 24 months on Voc Rehab, unless you get an extension. It's set up that way to keep people from abusing the system and staying in school for 15+years on the different programs. That is for University, I am not sure about technical school, but, I started in a tech school and that is how it was explained to me by the school and multiple people at the VA. However it is worth it, Voc Rehab is an awesome program, except for the miles of red tape you have to jump through in the VA's unique pattern, but they will buy you Anything that is Required to fulfill your education requirements within the confines of your specific education plan i.e. A laptop computer, a MacBook if you are an art student, an iPad, tools, supplies, anything that you need, I've used mine to buy 400lbs of steel for a sculpture, glass blowing tools etc. etc. [/quote

]its not chap 31 its in entirely different program i dont recall the name but you an ask i had to take a test meet with a couple of people you had to have a combat disability rating of 30% or grater get excepted and it DID NOT USE ANY OF MY GIBILL My sone is using my gibill he he has all of it even after a year of school i wouldn't miss lead someone it was like the ch31 but there were a few thing different like say your car bork down they would get you to school make a loan up to 800$ to fix it if you had a tooth ache and it was a 2moth wait you call them they get i you in the next day weather you had dental insurance or not the who thin is to get you trained and get you working there were more perks like it did not draw on your gibill for tech schools it has hard has hell to get it i know a few of the guys i went to barber school that the councils said not they dont make enough that is what thy told m till ti shoed the my wifes pay stub mines her tips and i got in an arugemtn these councilors art the deciding factor someone els is i mad them put my paperwork though is someone was going to reject it it want going to be them a monty later i got a call saying i was accepted in to the program. if i no no mistaking chapter 31 extend your gibill by a few more moths to 48 what the big difference the rehab program i didi also didi that and when you were done it caned your back to the 9/11 gibill like i had when i came in i was consider full time alive duty do to being in the guard and being activeated in NY i spot 7 moth at ground zero then i spend over 18month working with customer and border patrol I think i have my concise number if i have it i will send it to you can she can help you get in to the program that i was in i remember all the guy in the ch31 program really up set with all the perks i got that thy didn't i need tried on my truck so just to see i told the lady i had to have tires om my truck 2days later she sent me to the sop on ft hood and had 4 brand new GM tried s put on it lol and my sone had all of my gi to go do school with

Yea i sent a request in a few days ago. Hopefully hear something back soon. I need to get this rolling asap. I would hate to ask my wife to drop out of school to work since were finally settled and shes been putting her carrer on hold for me all these years.

To get a name for a vet working in the VA system talk to Don Bridges. He was in Wacobut I think he is in Dallas now. You'd have to check. He will help you get the benefits you deserve in education, job search, and continued VA checks. Stick to it until you find someone that will be your advocate.

If you haven't looked into government jobs, start researching USAJobs.com. You'll get extra points in the scoring based on disability, and if you need some additional pointers I can email you some info from transition classes I attended (if I can still find it!)--PM me for an email address.

The State of Texas government also has hiring preference for veterans, and I think for disabled vets as well--so far as even requiring a certain percentage of an agency's personnel to be vets. Check that out too.

ya i tried their hire preference my last 2 1/2 yrs in the army i was the NCOIC of the HR it didn't count for squat. you just have to look got to a vocrrhab school lean a trade its your only options not many job for guy who can jump plane or speed rope down a line so all i had to fall back on was my recalls it was [censored] because i has in rehab with zero short term memory get a babes licens its job that will never go out my wife make more then i did with bas bah

There was a news story a month or so ago down here in San Antonio about Vets being able to train or Cyber Security jobs. Do a Google search, lots of potential. Good Luck!

Suggest you look at the USAJOBS webpage and specifically look at either US Army Corps of Engineers jobs and GSA motor fleet operations - both in Fort Worth. The service status and disability will go a long way to getting you something you can do.