Expert: MARK A. HOWELL - 7/22/2009

Question
Hello
I understand that you yourself does not have any experience with the USAF, although based on your criteria you seem like your a knowledge individual and maybe you can lend me a hand. My whole life i have been allergic to peanuts; it is something i have lived with and always put up with. Recently i have received a blood test back saying that i am now only allergic to tree nuts -Pistachios, cashews, Hazelnut- and i am not allergic to peanuts anymore. Although after a recent skin test,i am in fact still allergic to tree nuts and also have a milder allergy to peanut than i use to but i am still allergic to peanuts. The allergist suggested to me that i am alright with touching peanuts although he recommended me not to eat them.
Reading tons of post, forums and ingredients; i have found that almost all allergies are dis-qualifying unless you present a waiver. In my certain case do you think it will be possible to have a waiver granted to me based on this situation?
From my study's the only time i will come in contact with anything close to peanuts is the one week i will be undergoing at basic. There SOME MRE's will have peanuts in them and other than that i should not come in contact with MRE's because i am going for a communications and computer systems job.
Thanks for your time!

Answer
Jeff,
Thanks for making me laugh today.  I suppose my 30 years in the AF might have some influence on my answer.

Being allergic to nuts of any kind is not a problem with the military.  My boss is a 2-star general and a former Thunderbird pilot and he's deathly allergic to pine nuts.

A direct quote from the medical regulations says, "An Allergy to common foods (milk, bread, eggs, meat, fish or other common food) is not a disqualifer.  A medical waiver is not required unless the allergy is not controlled by oral medications."

It's only a problem if you have life-threatening reactions like anaphylaxis and you need to carry an epinephrine injector.  Those kind of folks get disqualified.

By now I assume you're good at reading labels and you simply know what foods to avoid, so it's not a problem for you.  Although some people outgrow certain food allergies over time (like milk, egg, soy, and wheat allergies), peanut and tree nut allergies are usually lifelong in most people, so you're probably stuck with it.

I wouldn't even mention it if I were you.

BE ADVISED:  If you ever go overseas to Germany, the Germans don't grow peanuts because of their climate, but they have an abundance of Hazlenut trees and use Hazelnuts (Haselnuss) in everything.  Especially candy bars where we're used to finding peanuts.

Enjoy your time in the military.
Colonel H