Expert: John L - 2/6/2012

Question
Hello sir, I'm supposed to be going to MEPs this coming Wednesday and I have some concerns I was hoping you could help me with. I've been in the process of joining the Navy for the past few months. I scored well on my ASVAB and am all set to go to MEPs and am leaving on but my recruiter told me to lie about a few things during my medical and on my W4 forms. These things are that I took a generic brand of Prozac called Fluoxetine for about 11-12 years for an unspecified twitching disorder provoked by sedentary lifestyle, excessive consumption of sugars and fatty foods and staring into a television/computer screen for too long (hours and hours nonstop) He also temporarily diagnosed me with ADHD as a child and put me on a short trial period of a medication which he did not specify, but took me off of almost immediately afterwards because it proved to be ineffective. He also says that it was "most likely" false, though I know it definitely is as I have no mental health conditions now, nor have I ever, including depression of any form. I have also never needed to see a psychiatrist and in that doctor's opinion I'm fine to serve (he wrote this in a note to my recruiter). I weened myself off the Prozac and have been off it for two years, I have not had a twitch since then, I lost 85lbs, eat healthy and run/work out 4-5 times a week. I also had a benign (non-cancerous) tumor removed in my knee through laser surgery when I was 15, it was a same day procedure and I did not stay in the hospital, I was down for two weeks, went to physical therapy for a few months and it was fine, still is to this day. Lastly I tore most of the ligaments in my left ankle when I was around 16, this required no surgery but I had to wear a boot like cast for a few months and go to physical therapy for a few months as well, that also healed with no complications. I have all the paperwork but despite this my recruiter told me not to disclose at MEPs because the Prozac, although I have a well written note from my doctor fully explaining the situation, would most likely disqualify me from ever serving in any branch of the military just for being in my medical history because some people take it for depression (though I never did) and that the other things also posed a small chance of disqualification, at first I believed him but I'm having second thoughts because I eventually want to try for SEALs and they run extensive background checks on recruits (top secret level I believe) and I don't want to go in blind and risk going to jail, but at the same time if these factors will definitely disqualify me I'm also willing to lie and risk it because this is my dream and I'm willing to face the risks and potential consequences to accomplish it. Please let me know what you think I should do ASAP, thank you sir, I hope you can help.

Answer
technically, you have to be honest with all medical questions.  I will tell you, that if you answer truthfully, you will not get to join without jumping through lots of hoops.

The ankle issue is the biggest of my concerns and is likely to creep its head up during physical training.  You will then be discharged as a fraud for lying about your medical condition.  Of you only had one small issue, I wouldn not be concerend, but you have had several main issues and your recruiter is setting you up for failure.  He just wants a number and has no concerns about you or your well being.  The best bet is to get medical documents on all your issues and submit them.  You might get a waiver to get in, but then you might not.

The choice is yours, but your recruiter is not living up to values we set in the military by telling you to lie.  In the military, we pride ourselves on being better morally than others, him telling you to lie that much, tears at the moral fabric on which we strive to achieve.  

Do what you feel is right and best for you.