A test is considered positive if metacholine causes at least a 20 percent decrease in your breathing ability. A negative test usually rules out asthma. A waiver may be requested during recruitment. The Army may be less selective than some of the other branches, as it maintains a higher enrollment than the Air Force, Marines, and the Navy. The Coast Guard also typically disqualifies candidates who have had asthma symptoms after turning 13 years old. The Coast Guard also discourages health waiver applications from students applying to the U.
Navy personnel who develop asthma symptoms while they are serving must apply for a waiver to remain in the service. The Marine Corps is the smallest and most selective of the Armed Services, meaning that it also observes strict guidelines for obtaining health waivers for any cause. The Marines observe the same review process involving MEPS and the guidelines for no symptoms after 13 years of age. As with signs of any medical condition during military service, asthma symptoms should also be taken seriously.
Every effort should be made to determine whether an individual can continue with military service in order to avoid unnecessary risk to their own life or to the lives of others who serve with them. Medical research supports the involvement of people with asthma in the military with basic treatment for symptoms.
Researchers involved in this study also suggest that an asthma diagnosis should be given along with the following tests to confirm the accuracy of the diagnosis:. Poorly controlled symptoms are likely to lead to a waiver disapproval and disqualification from joining the military. Waivers for certain positions in the military, such as pilots and other aviation personnel, are also generally harder to obtain with a history of asthma, but other military occupations may have more lenient guidelines.
If your symptoms are mild, you may be able to obtain a waiver that can allow you to join. This can involve passing one or more tests of respiratory strength, as well as completing a physical examination.
Flight duty in the various branches may also be more difficult to obtain a waiver for, but other roles in the Armed Services may be more accepting. Talk with a recruiter to learn more.
Fitness assessments consist of different types of tests and exercises used to determine your overall health and physical fitness level. These tests…. The Armed Forces previously restricted entering due to Asthma because of the requirements of the training environment in relation to fitness and physical health. Also, some jobs in the Armed Forces require members to be deployed in areas where the environment may not be conducive to breathing issues.
Moreover, in order to treat Asthma, individuals may be required to take a medication or carry around a steroid inhaler which may not always be available to them. Applicants that have been diagnosed and experience asthmatic issues after they turn 13 can still attempt to enlist as long as they have all of their medical documentation, are in good cardiovascular shape and possibly be subject to a pulmonary function test in order for a waiver to be considered. Once accepted in the military, the asthma condition can be better treated with free healthcare for service members.
This is the same for if an individual who entered the military and did not have asthma but later was diagnosed with it.
Their condition is treated with the proper medications and they may not be required to leave the Armed Forces depending on the state of their condition. While the Armed Forces are extremely selective in some cases, there have been changes in policy that are allowing more medical disorders to be waivered thus opening more doors for individuals with a medical history. While the military wants higher enlistment numbers, the policymakers have to ensure they are letting the right people in and maintaining the same quality of force.
When evaluating practices and disqualifying factors, medical issues are in some situations easier to get approved versus financial or criminal issue. Also, financial and criminal factors are the result of something the individual did versus medical issues can result from genetics or the environment in which the applicant had no control over.
If you are someone you know wants to enlist in the Armed Forces and were denied before due to asthma-related issues, you should try again now more informed of the current enlistment situation. Hey Lorenzo, I hear you man, but we have to go by what the official literature says. Your email address will not be published.
Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. So can you join the military with Asthma? Author Recent Posts. Rob V. While he never actually served in the US Military, he has a passion for writing about military related topics. His hobbies include beach volleyball, target shooting, and lifting. Latest posts by Rob V.
Military Policy On Asthma 4. OMK got in touch with recruiters from every branch of the military to find out what their policy on asthma is. Share on Facebook. Braces or dental ailments. Retainers are allowed as long as all dental treatment is completed. Individuals that are allowed to enlist can participate in the Delayed Entry Program if an orthodontist proves that all active treatment will be completed before the recruit is sworn into active duty.
Other dental issues like tooth removal or tooth replacement may cause disqualification if there are potential complications or troubles eating food later on during service.
Cavities will not disqualify recruits as long as they are properly treated and filled. Service members are put in a variety of situations involving moving vehicles. Since motion sickness can be incapacitating, multiple branches list it as a disqualifying medical condition if it continues to occur after childhood. Persistent motion sickness is addressed on a case-by-case basis, and waivers are sometimes possible.
Additionally, Army and the Navy aviators can undergo counseling and desensitization that may qualify them for a waiver. Typically, recruits who must take medicine to cope with the sickness are not eligible. Even though the military disqualifies candidates with motion sickness, there are still service members who get sick.
However, there is a new invention looking to combat this in military personnel and civilians. Ototech , a device that is strapped to a headband, tricks the brain into ignoring sensations of motion sickness. The device is still in testing phases. Though acne may just be a minor annoyance for teenagers and adults alike, it could be the reason a recruit is disqualified from service. Like other medical conditions on this list, acne only becomes a problem when it is severe and disrupts the individual from completing their everyday duties.
If the acne is severe and interferes with the individual properly wearing military equipment, he or she would be disqualified. Individuals undergoing treatment with system retinoids like Accutane must be at least four weeks off of treatment.
While height is clearly not an illness, being over 80 inches tall deserves an honorable mention for being an unexpected reason a recruit may be disqualified.
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