Expert: Howard Lorenz - 5/17/2010

Question
Hello!

I was hoping you could give a straight forward answer about what my boyfriend’s chances are of getting accepted into the military, specifically the air force.  Back when he was in high school he was treated for depression and was on medication for a short period of time.  It has been almost 4 years since he was last on the medication and he has not had any depression problems for some time now.  He is currently close to obtaining a private pilot’s license which he was medically cleared for by his doctor (required by the FAA).
Originally he was hoping to be a pilot for the Navy.  He was truthful about his medical history from the beginning but kept getting denied by MEPS, even though he was never brought in for an evaluation.  He has now started the process of attempting to join the Air Force.  He was also truthful with the Air Force recruiter about his history. However, she told him that if he got denied by the Navy, he would most likely get denied by the Air Force too, and that it would be best if he waited a year before attempting again.
It has been a dream of his since childhood to serve his country and fly planes. He is an Eagle Scout, has flying experience, has a family history of military service and has provided recruiters with multiple recommendation letters.  We have both heard of people getting into the military with a past history of depression but it has proved to be an incredibly long and taxing process. I just want to know if he will truly have a better chance of getting accepted if he waits another year or would it be better to try to move on?

thanks for your time

Answer
The problem is the MEPS has the diggs on his past condition. It doesn't matter what service he tries for, they have the info already on him. The military has very tight reigns on entry qualifications. The fact that he had depression, the military looks at it that now in his present state, he is not in a STRESSED environment. They wont allow him entry because this job is full of negative stress, lack of sleep, he doesn't have that now which may be a reason hes able to not take medication and and lead a normal life. Since he is living a medication free life, my suggestion is to move on and try to get into something that he can be happy at.