Grounded, Again. My Struggle to Return to Flight School and the Bureaucracy That Hindered Me

Resilience isn’t just a word. It’s a state of mind forged under pressure, tested in adversity, and refined by the sheer refusal to quit. That’s the mindset I’ve clung to as I’ve battled for years to return to flight school, only to be met with roadblocks at every turn — roadblocks that reveal a system built on inefficiency, lip service, and the systematic undermining of veterans.

Here’s what happened.

The Journey Back to the Cockpit

My path back to aviation began with a simple goal: finish my commercial rating and reclaim the skies. The first hurdle was getting approved by Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (VR&E), a program designed to help veterans transition into careers. Yet VR&E wouldn’t lift a finger to help until I received my VA disability rating — a battle in itself. Once approved, I chose U.S. Aviation Academy because it was the only VR&E-approved flight school on their list. I was finally on track to begin training in January.

But then came the medical clearance.

To fly, you need a first-class medical certificate from the FAA. My application hit a snag because of a prescription I take, one that is completely legal and safe. The FAA deferred my case for further review — a process that takes months. First, they send a request for documents via snail mail, a relic of the past in a world that thrives on instant digital communication. Then, I’ll wait three more months for them to review those documents. This outdated system isn’t just inconvenient; it’s a slap in the face to anyone trying to navigate it.

When Approval Becomes Denial

The real gut punch came when I met with my VA VR&E counselor. Despite the FAA being the ultimate authority on aviation safety, VR&E decided to deny funding for my training due to my VA disability rating. Yes, the same rating I needed to qualify for their help in the first place. It’s Kafkaesque: a loop of contradictions that leaves veterans like me stranded in bureaucratic limbo.

Here’s the irony: the PTSD rating I have isn’t from the chaos I faced in the Marine Corps, where I had the unwavering support of competent people. It’s from the frustration of living in a system that pretends to care about veterans while actively sabotaging us. The organizations meant to help us often seem designed to grind us down instead.

A System in Need of Overhaul

America loves to pay lip service to its veterans, trotting us out for parades and commercials while burying us under layers of bureaucracy that make rebuilding our lives a herculean task. This isn’t a rant — it’s the reality for thousands of vets who feel abandoned by the country they served.

The FAA’s outdated processes and VR&E’s arbitrary rulings are symptomatic of a larger problem: the laziness or deliberate design of institutions that are more concerned with self-preservation than with fulfilling their missions. It’s no wonder that 22 veterans take their own lives every day. It’s not the battlefield that breaks us — it’s the indifference we face when we come home.

Pivoting Forward

Here’s the thing: I’m not giving up. Resilience means pivoting when you hit a wall, and I’ve become a master at finding new ways forward. I’ll navigate this mess one way or another, but let’s be clear — this isn’t just my struggle. It’s a systemic issue that needs to be addressed.

Veterans deserve better. We need a system that works as hard for us as we worked for this country. Until then, I’ll keep fighting, not just for myself, but for every veteran who feels like they’re stuck at square one. Because giving up isn’t an option — and it never will be.

In the meantime, if anyone knows of any resources that will actually help and not waste my time, I would be most grateful. While this has been disheartening, to say the least, I know there is a way to fulfill my dream of getting back into the pilot's seat!