Expert: Aaron Shifferly - 3/26/2009

Question
My son completed navy boot camp and is now in the nuke program
but on a questioner he answered yes to ever wanting to commit
suicide. So now he cannot be in the nuke program and was told he might have bipolar which i do not believe but he says they will see in him in april. Will he be discharged?

Answer
Ma'am:
The honest answer to your question is "I don't know."  While having suicidal thoughts at one point in a person's life is not necessarily a disqualifier, depending on how frequently and recently the thoughts have manifested themselves, it could be.  I'm not in the Navy, and have little knowledge into their discharge methods, but for us in the Army, bipolar, as long as it is controlled by medication, is not cause for separation as long as it manifests itself after the initial training period.  Your son's best bet is to just wait and see what the trained doctors say and go from there.  As long as he expresses a desire to continue his service, I can't see his doctors wanting to separate a qualified Sailor unless his mental stability is truly in question.  I'm sorry I couldn't have been more help.

Aaron