Expert: Jason Grabill - 3/10/2008

Question
I spent four years on active-duty from 1996-2000. I was honor graduate out of boot camp.

I received various official recognition for my work in public affairs during my time in the fleet, including a personal letter from then Marine Corps Commandant, Gen. C.C. Krulak.

I was awarded a Navy Achievement Medal for initiative I took in my public affairs office at my first duty station.

I was one of three NCOs who build LCTV-10 (Lejeune Cable Television) from scratch, and it is now the most advanced cable station in the Marine Corps. When we started out, all we had was a VCR and a few video cameras.

I was forced to get out at the time of my EAS (honorable, of course), because my (then) wife left me with my baby daughter when she was just two-months old, and I could not go on deployments being a single father (my daughter was two yrs-old when I got out).

Here I am, just over seven yrs later, and I have been dying to get back into the Marine Corps. My daughter is older now, and I am remarried. I am in school full-time, and would like to join the Marine Corps Reserve until I graduate and can put in a package for OCS or Warrant Officer School.

I recently joined the Army Nat'l Guard, but they won't give me my job back in public affairs OR let me go infantry because of my red/green color deficiency. As a result, I have been sworn in, but haven't even checked into my unit or received any uniforms.

The only reason I went Army Guard to begin with was because my wife was freaking out about me reenlisting in the Corps, and the Army offered to pay 100% of my tuition. The tuition reeimbursement was the only thing that got her to settle down about my reenlisting.

It was actually a relief when I found out that things weren't working out with the Guard, because I now had an excuse to try to switch back to the Corps. Now that things aren't working out with the Army, my wife has grown accustomed to the idea and is not giving me so much hell about the Corps. She also realizes how much it really means to me.

So - I went to the Marine recruiter's office, and asked if I could switch over to the Reserve infantry. They said, "Sure, no problem."

Then they asked me if I was on any medication, and I said, "Yes, I'm on Adderall for ADD."

I have only been on it for about a month, and it is prescribed by a doctor.

I'm 30 yrs-old, and this is the first time in my life I have been prescribed a daily medicine for anything other than allergies. All adderall does is make me more focused, sort of like drinking a Red Bull. It helps me with my studies.

The recruiter told me I was ineligible because of it, and that I could come back one year after stopping the medication and try again.  The Gunny who worked there likened it to "smoking dope" and told me it was basically the same thing. I am not and have never been a drug user or a heavy drinker.

I would like to know if having taken a prescribed medication like Adderall is something that is waiverable. I was an outstanding Marine, and I never had less than a 1st-class PFT. I made Corporal in less than two years. I can even still obtain letters of recommendation from my former colonel and other Marines I've served with.

I apologize for such a long message, but I wanted to include my background, because it boggles me how any branch of the military would turn away someone as able-bodied and motivated as me, with a great service record over something so petty, yet they will give waivers to potheads and people who do LSD.

Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,
Missing the CORPS!

Answer
Brandon:

 Simple answer to the question, which is, you are still on the meds, therefore, DoD (not USMC) policy is, you have to be med free for a year prior to enlistment.  I assume you did not tell the guard about this, otherwise, you wouldn't be enlisted there, either.   You'll have to be off the meds (no matter WHAT your record is/was) prior to going back.  Like it or not, it's not waiverable, and it wouldn't matter if you had the Navy Cross and a host of other awards and commendations.  

 The other drug waivers are laxer for the army, but the Marines, as you well know, do things differently, and excessive drug use, or very recent drug use, wouldn't be waiverable for the Corps.  Your meds ARE waiverable, but you'll have to be off em for a year, like the Gunny said.  

 So, the bottom line is, you either suck it up and wait a year, or do the Guard thing and hope they don't find out about the meds (they WILL boot you if you didn't tell them, and I suspect you didn't or you weren't on the meds when you enlisted...if they find out you'll be done).  Either way, the DoD won't budge on it.  Sorry, but that's just the way it is.

Jason