Expert: Howard Lorenz - 11/17/2007

Question
QUESTION: OK my question is if I have high blood pressure can i join the air force? The reason i ask is because i scored high enough on the asvab with an 88 but i do take high blood pressure medecine. I also work out everyday and try my hardest to get it down without medicine but the doctor said it will take time. I am in perfect health besides that. I also have one more thing against my record because when i was 3 i had seizures until i was 4.5. But have not been on medecine since i was 7 and now i am 21. I know i have a lot against me but i always wanted to join the air force since i was around 8 or 9. This is what i want and will do anything to get in. If not do you know if i can get in the Navy because that will be my second choice but i will love to be in the iar force.

ANSWER: Donald,

In most cases if you are taking meds for High Blood Pressure, its going to be a show stopper. The reason why they will not let you in the airforce is based on entry rules set by the Department of Defense, not the Air Force in general. The seiezures would not be as big an issue as the HBP with meds.

My advise to you is to check with all the services, if you do not get a greenlight to go active duty, then search for other avenues to serve your country. You can check with the Department of Homeland Security. I know that they are hiring TSA agents all the time. These are the folk who do the screening at the Airports.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: OK i do appreciate it but the head doctor here told me that i can not join the airforce with my past seizures. I know i can past my blood pressure test off the drugs and out of my system but after a couple of days it will go back up. Another thing is my blood pressure has never kept me from being active and in shape. So again should i try and find a good air force recruiter and give them all my documents are just find another way to serve my country?

Answer
Don,

My advise is this. The Military is the same animal regardless of which branch. Your best bet is to try to fine another way to serve. You have the ATF, DEA, Immigration & Natralization (Border Patrol), FBI or your Local & State Law Enforcement. All of these agencies serve America. Those agencies that I listed are saving the US from Drugs, Terrorism and threats of many kinds every day. The only difference is that those wars are fought here on our own soil every day...Jobs that are in "Public Service" is infact serving your country. Its just not the 5 armed forces that protect the US interests across the globe.

I dont think finding a good AF recruiter will get you in, but the entry standards are different for civillian based public service jobs. Can you have HBP and still be a cop,yes you can, they do not require you to have a physical of military nature, other than the confidence course, but then you said you are athletic so you should have that in the bag....Right?

HW