Expert: Rod Powers - 9/4/2006

Question
Sorry to bother you again.  It's Jeff with the question about joining the Army if I take prescription testosterone.  I didn't recieve your email response the first time you sent it because I accidentally put in the wrong email address.  Could you PLEASE respond back to this email address with the information, as it's very important to me!!
Thanks for understanding, Jeff.  

Answer
Hi Jeff,

It will require a waiver. Now, whether or not a medical waiver will be approved is anyone's guess. It depends on several individual factors.

We have a "standard answer" when it comes to ANY waiver. There is simply no way to even guess whether or not a waiver will be approved, even if someone has gotten a waiver for the same condition in the past, or -- conversely -- if nobody has ever gotten a waiver for the condition in the past. Each and every waiver is evaluated INDIVIDUALLY, using SEVERAL individual factors, including but not limited to:

1. Is the condition progressive?

2. Is the condition subject to aggravation by military service?

3. Will the condition preclude satisfactory completion of prescribed training and subsequent military duty?

4. Will the condition constitute an undue hazard to the examine or to others, particularly under combat conditions?

5. Is the recruit *EXCEPTIONALLY* qualified, otherwise? (ASVAB scores, etc.)

6. How are current recruiting goals? How bad does that particular branch of the service need this particular applicant at this particular point-in-time?
There have been several cases of waivers approved for a specific condition, only to see a waiver disapproved for the same condition just a few weeks later.

Remember, if you require a waiver, that means that you are disqualified for military service. The waiver procedure is the process of you "begging" the military to make an exception in your particular case. There is no "right" to have a waiver approved.

Hope this helps!

Rod Powers
http://usmilitary.about.com