Spine And Sacroiliac Joints
The following conditions may disqualify you for military service:
a. Arthritis.
b. Complaint of a disease or injury of the spine or sacroiliac joints with or without objective signs that has prevented the individual from successfully following a physically active vocation in civilian life or that is associated with pain referred to the lower extremities, muscular spasm, postural deformities or limitation of motion.
c. Deviation or curvature of spine from normal alignment, structure or function if —
It prevents the individual from following a physically active vocation in civilian life.
It interferes with wearing a uniform or military equipment.
It is symptomatic and associated with positive physical finding and demonstrable by X-ray.
There is lumbar scoliosis greater than 20 degrees, thoracic scoliosis greater than 30 degrees, and kyphosis or lordosis greater than 55 degrees when measured by the Cobb method.
d. Fusion, congenital, involving more than two vertebrae. Any surgical fusion is disqualifying.
e. Healed fractures or dislocations of the vertebrae. A compression fracture, involving less than 25% of a single vertebra is not disqualifying if the injury occurred more than one year before examination and the applicant is asymptomatic. A history of fractures of the transverse or spinous processes is not disqualifying if the applicant is asymptomatic.
f. Juvenile epiphysitis with any degree of residual change indicated by X-ray or kyphosis.
Allergies And Coeliac Disease
Allergies
Significant food or other allergies are a limiting factor to entry.
Coeliac disease
While coeliac disease is manageable day-to-day within New Zealand, in certain situations there may be limited dietary options for a prolonged period. In such situations there is a risk of complications ranging from gastrointestinal symptoms to nutritional deficiency. This has potential implications not only for the individual, but also those around them. The Defence Force has an obligation to minimise risk to the individual and the organisation wherever possible, and accordingly if you have coeliac disease you may not be admitted entry to the Defence Force.
How Hard Is It To Get Into Coast Guard
The Coast Guard is one of the more difficult branches to join because it accepts far fewer new recruits than the other branches of the military. If you have a GED, it will probably be difficult to be accepted into the Coast Guard. You will have to undergo a credit check and pass a security clearance check.
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The Medical Waiver Process Can Be Time Consuming
I had to get medical waivers to join the Air National Guard the waivers were required because I had two knee surgeries while I was on active duty. Because I had a history of surgery, I needed to get a physical from an orthopedic surgeon who looked at my health history, gave me an exam, and stated I was physically fit to serve again. The process for me to join the ANG took about 6 months from start to finish. It went like this:
- Submit 2807-2. It was declined by MEPS with multiple PDQs.
- Research PULHEES codes in DODI. Realize each condition was waiverable.
- Set up medical appointments with specialists.
- Get exams and letters from doctors on their letterhead.
- Resubmit 2807-2 with appropriate letters from doctors.
- 2807-2 was again declined by MEPS my recruiter then sent in the 2807-2 and my doctors letters to the Surgeon Generals Office and requested a medical waiver to take the MEPS physical.
- Waiver approved scheduled for a physical at MEPS.
- Physical declined by MEPS . My physical was good with the exception of the items we already knew about. MEPS recommended a medical waiver based on my physical and supporting documentation.
- MEPS forwarded my physical and all documentation to the Surgeon Generals Office for a waiver.
- Waiver Approved.
This process can take months, depending on the complexity of your case, your medical conditions, how long it takes to get your medical exams and letters, how busy MEPS and the SGs office are, and other factors .
Can I Join The Army With Tattoos Are There Restrictions
Yes, you can join with tattoos, as long as they are not visible above your collar or below your cuff. The Army does not typically accept individuals with tattoos on their hands, wrists, face, or neck. Tattoos anywhere above the neckline or on the head, including in the mouth, ears, or eyelids, disqualifies a candidate. A tattoo waiver is available for candidates who have disqualifying tattoos. However, tattoos that are extremist, racist, sexist, or indecent are prohibited anywhere on a Soldiers body, without exception.
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Asthma During Military Service
Asthma was one of the most common reasons for medical evacuation during the 1991 Gulf War. Using partial data pertaining to 19951997, Clark et al estimated that approximately 1000 asthmatic recruits per year were discharged from military services with an EPTS reason. A more complete statistical investigation conducted more than a decade later reported nearly 3,000 military applicants being disqualified from military service each year because of asthma. The appearance of acute asthma during military service may necessitate immediate treatment, subsequent military discharge, and possible future medical care through the VA system.
Perhaps, the implication of asthma in the military was highlighted after researchers from the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Newport, New York claimed that there was an increased risk for developing new-onset asthma because of U.S. military deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. The concern has not yet been adequately settled.,
Adult And Childhood Asthma Phenotypes
Distinct adult and childhood asthma phenotypes depend upon on the type of airway cellular inflammation and the airway’s unique response to environmental stimuli., Purportedly, the asthmatic child and adolescent are different than adults with asthma., Adult asthma may be predestined in childhood asthma as early allergen exposures and viral infections intersect with genetic susceptibility., Although structural and biochemical dissimilarities between children and adults change over time, the inherited tendency towards respiratory symptoms never disappears.
Asthma’s transformations over time are influenced by its clinical heterogeneity, airway structural changes, unrelenting airway inflammation, persistent airway remodeling, and fluctuating airway hyperreactivity. The age when various airway changes originate or end have not been precisely defined in adult and children. More men than women experience a worsening of their asthma as adulthood approaches. Presently, men predominate in the military services. Particular environmental stimuli, during military deployment, might institute an acute asthmatic attack or initiate a new case of asthma de novo in susceptible individuals.
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Understanding The Medical Waiver Possibilities
As a military recruit with ADHD, its important to understand the waiver possibilities. The Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard all grand waivers to those not meeting the basic eligibility criteria for admittance.
A waiver may be granted based on your specific circumstances and may vary from one branch to another. Its very difficult to give out general guidelines for waivers because they can vary so much.
However, it has been pretty common for waivers to be granted to military recruits with ADHD that have shown success in school without the need for medication. The key to getting a medical waiver when you suffer from ADD, ADHD or any other mental health or behavioral condition is directly related to the medication. Most disqualifying medical issues require you to be off medication to join the military.
If youre a young person looking forward to serving in the military, its best to speak to a military recruiting office before you let ADD or ADHD disqualify you. This illness is no longer a disqualifying medical condition. While theres no guarantee youll be accepted, the possibility is much higher than it used to be.
Service In The Us Military
In the case of the US military, however, successful careers for people with TS happen only infrequently. If military recruiters do their job as directed, no one who has ever taken a psychiatric medication or who has ever been diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental condition will be admitted.
But occasionally military rules are set aside recruitment officers can and do take a case-by-case approach. In the current environment, an individual whose TS symptoms have all but disappeared by adulthood and who no longer takes medication may well join the military.
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Why Is An Evaluation Needed
For civilian medical care providers:
Military personnel may need medical documentation to show the existence of a condition requiring discharge, the severity of the condition of a dependent, or mitigating circumstances for an unexcused absence. Although the military has its own health care system, individual and specialized attention can be difficult to find. In many cases, civilian evaluation may be the only way to ensure that a patients needs are considered.
Civilian evaluation can be used to provide evidence of a patients medical or psychiatric condition. However an evaluation will not be protected by patient/doctor privilege once it has been submitted to the military. Anything said may be used as evidence against the patient. For example, discussion of illegal drug use could result in criminal prosecution for the military patient.
It is unnecessary for civilian medical provider to spend time on legal technicalities. A knowledgeable GI Rights counselor or attorney can review any letter. It is perfectly legal to medically evaluate a member of the military even when the member is absent without leave . In fact, medical evaluation is sometimes an important step toward return to military jurisdiction. The risk of civilain providers being forced to attend hearings or trials is virtually nonexistent.
Can You Join The Military With Ptsd
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder disqualifies you from military service in most cases.
The problem with PTSD is that the disorder is often linked to serious trauma like what you might experience serving the Armed Forces.
Therefore, serving the military might only make symptoms worse.
You should avoid service to find more effective ways to cope with the disorder.
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Becoming A Truck Driver
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Coast Guard Asthma Policy For 2019
OMK spoke with Petty Officer Devoir, a Coast Guard recruiter stationed in Sandy Springs, Georgia.
Heres what he had to say regarding the Coast Guards policy on asthma:
With the Coast Guard, if youre taking any asthma medications it is a disqualifier.
In the Coast Guard, the service person must have spirometer test, and the recruit must get doctors consultation.
The recruit will not be able to do strenuous jobs.
Well update the Coast Guards asthma policy regularly to reflect any changes.
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Navys Policy On Asthma In 2019
OMK spoke with Officer Mendoza, a Navy recruiter stationed in Atlanta, Georgia, about the Navys policy on Asthma.
Heres what he had to say:
Its definitely possible to get in the Navy if you were previously diagnosed, but it can be very difficult. For starters, if you currently have asthma, its not going to work out.
The military has a very strict policy on this if you are currently being treated for asthma, then you will not be able to serve.
In addition, any history of Asthma after the age of 13 will require a waiver.
The waiver process will happen at your Military Entrance Processing Station, or MEPS.
Before enlisting, youll be required to perform whats known as a pulmonary function test, or PFT.
A PFT is essentially a noninvasive test that shows how well your lungs work.
If you can pass this test, you can join the Navy.
Overweight Unfit Or Shy The British Army Still Wants You
Borderline recruits are getting a second chance to make the grade on four-week boot camp
Overweight, unfit and shy recruits are being given a second chance to join the British army via a four-week boot camp as the military seeks new ways to increase troop numbers in its under-strength armed forces.
The soldier development course which first ran in September is designed to help borderline recruits make the grade and is one of a range of measures aimed at stemming a 10% shortfall in fully trained personnel.
Speaking as the army unveiled its latest annual recruitment campaign, Col Nick Mackenzie, the head of army recruiting, said: We are constantly looking at our publications and our policies to ensure we can get more people into the army.
About 200 would-be recruits have already attended the boot camp, and the plan is to run nine such courses a year, taking in 50 applicants at a time, at a centre in Pirbright, Surrey.
Mackenzie said the course would help those with borderline fitness, who were a bit slow on their run, or they were just a little bit too large, to meet the minimum standard required.
The army is desperately trying to bolster soldier numbers after a long period of decline. There are 73,740 trained personnel, well below the target figure of 82,000.
But that has not yet led to an increase in fully trained soldier numbers because of the time it takes to train them.
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Asthma Reports From Other Countries
Sears et al determined that persistence or relapse of asthma among New Zealand children were associated with sensitization to house dust mite antigen, presence of airway hyperresponsiveness, current cigarette smoking and early age of asthma onset. Asthma relapses were common among ex-asthmatics showing persistent respiratory symptomatology. Asymptomatic airway hyperresponsiveness may be a feature of some cases of quiescent asthma that enter the military.
According to Taylor et al, who followed New Zealand children over time, 35% had asthma in remission at 18 years of age but relapsed by 21 or 26 years of age. Totally, new adult asthma developed by 26 years of age in 9% of study members who reportedly had no asthma or wheezing at any time up to 18 years of age.
In a 1988 study by the British Army, 6.3% of annual medical discharges were attributed to asthma. About 43% of 108 discharged soldiers were ultimately shown to have a history of asthma in childhood. Nearly 30% of military service persons discharged because of asthma denied having asthma in childhood.
In an Australian population, undiagnosed asthma was common and had a similar clinical spectrum as individuals with diagnosed asthma. Service in combat units tended to unmask previously mild cases of asthma that were not disabling and induced asthma in subjects who had never suffered from the disease. It was recommended that candidates with a history of asthma should not be accepted before the age of 22 years.
How Do You Get Discharged From The Air Force
In order to qualify for separation under this provision, the hardship must not be of a temporary nature must have developed or become increasingly worse since entry on active duty discharge or release from active duty is the only readily available means of alleviation and the individual must have made reasonable
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General And Miscellaneous Conditions And Defects
The following conditions may disqualify you for military service:
a. Allergic manifestations. A reliable history of anaphylaxis to stinging insects. Reliable history of a moderate to severe reaction to common foods, spices or food additives.
b. Any acute pathological condition, including acute communicable diseases, until recovery has occurred without sequelae.
c. Chronic metallic poisoning with lead, arsenic or silver, or beryllium or manganese.
d. Cold injury, residuals of, such as: frostbite, chilblain, immersion foot, trench foot, deep-seated ache, paresthesia, hyperhidrosis, easily traumatized skin, cyanosis, amputation of any digit or ankylosis.
e. Cold urticaria and angioedema, hereditary angioedema.
f. Filariasis, trypanosomiasis, schistosomiasis, uncinariasis or other parasitic conditions, if symptomatic or carrier states.
g. Heat pyrexia, heatstroke or sunstroke. Documented evidence of a predisposition , recurrent episodes requiring medical attention or residual injury malignant hyperthermia.
h. Industrial solvent and other chemical intoxication.
i. Motion sickness. An authenticated history of frequent incapacitating motion sickness after the 12th birthday.
j. Mycotic infection of internal organs.
k. Organ transplant recipient.
l. Presence of human immunodeficiency virus or antibody. Presence is confirmed by repeatedly reactive enzyme-linked immunoassay serological test and positive immunoelectrophoresis test, or other DOD-approved confirmatory test.
How Long Do You Have To Be Off Adhd Medication To Join The Military
Recruiters generally tell applicants that they must be off medication for a considerable length of time by far the most important measure to take and show that they are able to function properly while off medication prior to starting the enlistment process and to be considered for a waiver.
The time frame required to be off medication differs across the branches and even among recruiters within the same branch. Some also recommend different approaches to demonstrating proper functioning without medication.
In the Army, Navy, and Marines in particular, recruiters largely advise applicants with ADHD to be off any and all stimulant or nonstimulant medications for at least one year.
Some recruiters, notably within the Air Force, tell applicants they must be off medication for 15 months or more . The Coast Guard which represents just 3 percent of active armed forces members is widely considered to be the most difficult branch to successfully petition for an ADHD waiver.
The time spent off medication should be noted by a doctor in the applicants medical and pharmacy records, and handed in as part of the waiver process. The records should also describe the applicants ADHD history, diagnosis, treatment, and stability while off medication.
Apart from medical documentation, recruiters may also recommend that applicants submit transcripts and letters of recommendation to showcase evidence of successful academic and work performance while off medication.
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