Michigan Guardsman runs into Catch-22

SARANAC, Mich. (WOOD) - All Pvt. Kaleb Vickery wanted to do was serve his country and go with his unit on their deployment to Afghanistan.

But a glitch over his GED was putting his deployment on hold.

Vickery, 34, earned his General Equivalency Diploma on his own in 2005. But the National Guard, following the standards of the US Army, requires its troops to use its own GED program.

But he can't get in, because he already has a GED.

"When they asked me if I took the GED before, I said yes. I told them when, where," he said. "They looked it up, they found it and that's when they pulled me out and I had to go, because you weren't allowed into the schools with a GED already."

His training was suspended. His unit is scheduled to report to Fort Jackson, South Carolinaon May 17 for a nine-week program. If he misses it, he'll be in West Michigan, and not in Afghanistan for a 12-18 month tour of duty.

Vickery's age is also working against him, as the cutoff age for the National Guard is 35. His brother will be deployed in the fall, and Vickory wants to join him.

"My brother's a staff sergent with the same unit," he said.

He enlisted with the National Guard after failing to find new work in the construction industry. Because of unemployment, the Guard has no trouble finding recruits, but Vickery wants to make the case he's different.

"I feel the need to serve, to protect. It's a family tradition. Not only that, but I was hoping it would open some doors for me and I'd have a chance to go military for the rest of my life."

Late Monday afternoon, the National Guard decided to allow Pvt. Vickery to leave with his unit as planned. He told 24 Hour News 8 he's thrilled.