Hello ,
Has anyone ever heard of a current serving military member being granted a waiver to stay in the military when they have a condition that can be granted as a 100% VA disability? (IE. Member has an AICD, defibrillator installed in his chest).
Thanks for your comments.
Well, I don't know if COL Gadson's medical conditions warrant a 100% VA disability, but it's probable that a waiver was granted for him to remain on Active Duty...
Gregory D. Gadson (born 1966) is a Colonel on Active Duty in the United States Army and the director of the U.S. Army
Garrison Fort Belvoir. He is a bilateral above-the-knee amputee, occasional actor, and motivational speaker. He served in the U.S. Army for more than 20 years as a field artillery officer and served on active duty for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Operation Joint Forge, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
In retrospect, on the night of May 7, 2007, while returning from a memorial service for two soldiers from his brigade, COL Gadson lost both his legs and severely injured his right arm, to a roadside IED in Baghdad, Iraq. He became one of the first military personnel to use a next-generation powered prosthetic knee with technology to make it possible for amputees to walk with confidence and with a more natural gait.
Moreover, COL Gadson made his acting debut in
Battleship, a 2012 American science fiction naval war movie, as Lieutenant Colonel Mick Canales, playing a war veteran who regains his appetite for the fight when Oahu is threatened by an alien attack. Director Peter Berg, having seen news articles about COL Gadson, decided to cast him as an Army officer trying to recover from the loss of his legs.
Thus, I quite often comment that "possessing well-informed knowledge is truly a powerful equalizer."
Best Wishes!
