i don't know how easy it is to do this in the navy, but in the army, when promotions lull in a particular MOS, most people just reclass under a different MOS.  I know of someone who actually served under SEVEN different MOS classifications in his 20 year stint.  I myself will have served under at least five (due to specialized training and MOS changes after special schools) within my first 7 years.  11B, airborne/air assault, sniper, 18X/C, and eventually 18O.  Yes, military pay could be better considering we put our lives on the line every day we go to work, but most people in the military (or at least in my opinion, the ones who joined for the right reasons) are there to serve, not get rich... besides, when you tally up free/rediculously reduced healthcare costs for the soldier and family, all the various allotments (such as housing allotment, special schools pay, seperation pay, hazard pay, combat pay) it comes pretty close to being competitive with the pay/benefit packages you would/could earn working for a major corporation.  And no, i'm not a recruiter either :)

oh yea. one other resource for those needing dentures.  To enlist in the army, i had to have full extraction and replacement.  Due to time constraints, i had to opt for dentures.  I got mine from the Donelson, TN office of Affordable Dentures, Inc.  From what i've been told by the founder of Interfaith Dental Clinic and the Captain who examined me upon my arrival at Ft. Benning, Affordable made me an exceptionally well fitting, high quality set of dentures.  The Captain also commented on how well my extractions were done and how "perfect" (as she put it) my ridges (the gum/bone structures left after extractions) were.  If you're in the middle tennessee area, and need dental work, DEFINITELY look into these 2 resources

Just a couple of suggestions for those who need dental work on a shoestring budget.

1) look for colleges/universities in your area with a dental school... you can generally get work done there much cheaper than at a dentist (because the work is done by students who are supervised by the dentistry professors teaching there)

2) look for dental/health based local charities, or locally or state run health facilities (again, these types of places charge on a sliding scale based on income).  If you're in or near Nashville, TN you could try Interfaith Dental clinic (where i got full upper and lower extraction for less than 1/3 what an oral surgery unit was wanting to charge) or Matthew Walker Comprehensive clinic for almost any healthcare issue (including dental.. they were even cheaper than Interfaith, but i did not have the time to wait on their dental waiting list).

not sure if this will help much or not, but information is all i have to give.  Regarding the housing situation, try contacting habitat for humanity, or similar organizations.  having a working parent, and multiple children, you should fit the profile of who they would assist with housing issues.  Also, for the child with seizures, try contacting your state health department or state social services department.  You are definitely low income, which should, at the very least qualify your child with seizures for state insurance coverage (which should subsidize/offset a large part of her medical expenses).  The car issue is a little bit stickier, but you might try a couple different things.  Try contacting local charities or churches and let them know of your radiator issue and see if they might be able to help or know someone/a company that could.  Another possibility would be (if your husband can change a radiator) to contact the managers of each local parts store and see if they'd donate a radiator to you in exchange for advertising space on your car (simple door magnets or the like).  Also, if you have junkyards where you live or a company called Pull-A-Part, you can find parts dirt cheap in most cases (again tho, your husband would either need to install the radiator, or have someone who would). Hope this helps.

with love; wishing and praying for your success

soldierX

At the time that blogpost was written, they still had not raised the age level to 42.  It was raised to 35 shortly after i posted that, and then right after i finally got enlisted they raised it again to 42. I'm currently in BASIC training at fort Benning under an 11B MOS (finally), and should be finishing up around July.  After that my first duty assignment is guarding the DMZ in South Korea.  Still working on tying together implants, but i got the extractions finished and have extremely high quality, almost perfectly fitted dentures that will at least get me through Basic.  Thank you all for your interest, concern, and support! :)

thank you kindly for mentioning modestneeds.org on my aidpage. I just checked them out, and have posted my needs there as well. Please pray for me, as my time to join is running out, and it's a slow, losing battle fighting the health and wellness issues related to my dental problems.

This ladies and gentlemen is my situation in a nutshell.  I'm currently in the process of enlistitng in the US military (specifically Army branch).  Right now i'm on medical DQ/waiver until i get a full oral extraction (removal of all teeth) and replacement (whether that be dentures or implants).  I have not had dental insurance or the finances to see a dentist in almost 7 years, and due to some complications around the age of 17 to 23, almost every root in my mouth is dead, and all of my teeth have suffered fragmentation and shattering.  I've been on medical waiver now for almost a year trying to save money for the work.  In that time, i've been told by a local dental charity (Interfaith dental clinic, Nashville, TN) that if i didn't get these issues resolved within a few months, i would either wind up in the ER, or dead.  That was roughly a year ago when i first started trying to get the work done.  Since that time, i've been to the ER once with an absess that swelled my right lower jaw to the size of a softball.  The attending physician there told me if i didn't get the teeth extracted within the next few months, i'd probably wind up dead within a year due to absessing and head infections.  That was roughly 8 months ago.  I work for Wal-Mart corporation.  Their dental insurance is (1) horrible, having a yearly maximum of 1,000$ and a lifetime maximum of 10,000$, and also has a year long waiting period for any pre-existing conditions.  It also doesn't kick in for a year as well, so to use their dental insurance, i'm looking at a 2 year wait period.  I've already been told by a dentist and a qualified physician that i won't survive that long.  Other than the dental, i'm in very good health (or else the army would have disqualified me outright rather than put me on waiver).  I'm searching for a dentist or oral/maxilliofacial surgery unit that would be capable and willing to do the work pro-bono, or for advertising/testimonial compensation (willing to allow pictures of before and after), or would be willing to do the work up front with a contractual payment plan (which would guarantee them payment, as i'll receieve sign on bonuses that will cover the costs when i join army). I'm at the point where i have to be very selective as to what i eat, and how fast i eat it, as virtually any hard or sharp edged foods fragment the teeth even worse, and also cut into the gum tissue.  If possible, i'd prefer implants (hoping for instant loads due to timeframe for military; such as sargon implants), but would be able to enlist with dentures and get the implants later.  I can get the extractions done by Interfaith for roughly 1600$ (and have almost all of that saved up. roughly 2 more paychecks and i'll have that), but the implant costs are simply not within my economic reach given that the Army only accepts new recruits up to the age of 32.

As i said, i don't believe in getting something for nothing (i prefer to earn/pay for everything i receive), but do not have the money up front to get these things done, and am on an accelerated and shortening timetable as to feasibility.  I would appreciate any help (for that matter, i'd even be willing to accept grants/loans to cover costs from organizations that provide that sort of aid as well), and am willing to pay back whatever financial assistance or services i receive.  Any prayer that could/would be offered by readers on my behalf would also be GREATLY appreciated.  Also, if anyone knows of a dentist or oral surgery unit who would be willing to help, please forward this information/webaddress to them, or leave me a message with their contact information. I am VERY serious about serving my country, and have a guarantee of Ranger training and assignment waiting on me as soon as this is resolved.Please, help this fellow citizen who only wants to serve and protect his country and fellow Americans.  God bless.

The choice to join military is a career choice, and i intend to serve as long as possible (my first enlistment will be for no less than 6 years, the maximum allowable single term enlistment)

PS. i'm currently located in Nashville, TN.  I will be travelling to the Florida Keys from Sept 16 -22, 2007, and am willing to travel if needs of the contributors require this.