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Careers: Military--Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines, Coast Guard/My son is interested, but has medical conditions
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Question
My son is 15 years old and in JROTC in High School. He has been diagnosed with Aspergers, Tourettes, and mild ADHD. He is mainstreamed with an IEP, but for the most part does well in school. Since joining JROTC, his social skills have improved remarkably and he enjoys the structure of JROTC. He is thinking about pursuing a career in the military after graduating high school. The problem is, I read somewhere that anyone with any form of Autism is automatically rejected as it is not a waiverable condition. (He does require medication for his condition.) Is this true? What are my son's chances of being able to join the military following high school?
You have heard correctly, any one taking any type of maintenance drug for anything is not qualified for military service. Autism is also a disqualifyer with no waiver authorized.
Let him know now, he will still get lots out of JROTC as you well know, and have him start focusing on his next step...college.
Good luck.
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| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 10 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | Thank you so much for your straight-forward response. While I'm disappointed that he won't be able to serve our country, I do hope that he remains in JROTC, because he does get a lot of benefits from it. Thanks again. | ||
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Answers by Expert:
John L
Expertise
I am a National Guard recruiter , been doing it for seven years and am a subject matter expert on qualifications for National Guard and I keep up to date on Regular Army regs and programs. I was in the Navy for 4 years and have 13 years in the Guard. I will not sugar coat my answers to you. They are usually short and to the point. If you need more in depth, ask me. Because each situation is different, alot of times you need to actually talk to a recruiter and let them evaluate your situation in person, by looking at your documents, issues etc. If I suggest this, it would be in your best interest to do so. Finally...thank you for your interest in serving this great nation of ours. Very few people can actually make the cut to serve let alone choose to do so. So thank you for wanting to and hopefully you will get a chance. Whatever branch you choose, thank you and good luck.
Experience
13 years Guard experince, combat missions and homeland missions. 7 years recruiting. I have been a platoon sergeant and squad leader. Mentor to new recruiters and recruits.
Education/Credentials
Recruiters course and advanced courses in recruiting
Awards and Honors
Top recruiter in district for FY 2008. Nominated for recruiter of the year for 2010.
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