If I saw this in a movie or on TV, I wouldn't believe it

Let me start this by saying that I love the Army, it's been my home and my family for more than a quarter century. One thing that has always bothered me has been Hollywood's unfair and inaccurate portrayal of the military, well today I had an experience that even the worst sitcom hack writer couldn't have dreamed up....let me tell you about it.

The Army medical system works like this: if you're sick or you have something that needs attention you go on sick call at the clinic at 0630 in the morning, if it's something that you don't need immediate attention for you call the clinic and schedule an appointment with a doctor, if it's an emergency you go to the ER and wait 16 hours to be given Motrin and told to go on sick call. A few weeks back I pulled my shoulder and it's been bothering me so I called the appointments desk, they told me that they were booked and to call back at 0830 the next morning. Everyday for the past two weeks I've called at 0830 and everyday for the past two weeks I get a busy signal, keep calling until I get through and get told that all the appointments have been booked and call back tomorrow. Yesterday I got tired of calling and went to the clinic, walked up to the appointments desk and asked to talk to the supervisor, I explained the trouble I've had in trying to schedule an appointment and she informed me that if my shoulder is bothering me that bad that I should come in on sick call in the morning. Today, bright and early I show up to the clinic at 0630, walk in and get directed to the back of a huge line of sick people all sniffling and coughing to wait for my turn to see the triage nurse. After 30 minutes in line, it's finally my turn, I go into the nurse's triage station, she looks at my paperwork, ask me what my medical problem is and......wait for it.......she hands me a card with the number to the clinic and tells me that I have to call at 0830 to make an appointment!!! After leaving the triage nurse, I hunted down the clinic NCOIC and after we had a short chat (for those of you who've worked with me, yes I did use the F word in all its forms, it's amazing that one word can be used as a noun, pronoun, verb, adverb and adjective) I now have an appointment for next week.