Expert: Rod Powers - 5/31/2007

Question
Hi Mr. Powers. I was in the USMC for 2 short years and was medically discharged because of depressive episodes I began to experience due to bipolar disorder. It has been about 4 years since I was discharged and since then I have recovered well. I have gotten my degree and believe it or not have been off of all medications for about 6 months without relapsing. From speaking to recruiters I understand that you have to have been off of all medications for at least a year to be even considered. As the one year mark comes closer and closer I have been giving more thought to trying to reenlist. In your honest opinion, what are the chances that the USMC may take me back? Thanks for your help and Semper Fi,

Carlos.

Answer
Hi Caros,

First of all, it depends a lot on the Reenlistment Eligibility Code (RE Code) which was entered on your DD Form 214. If the code is a "4," chances of re-enlistment into the Marine Corps is small (to the point of non-existent).

If the code is a "2" or a "3," that means re-enlisment is *possible* if a waiver is granted.

Waivers for previous history of mental heath disorders (such as depression or bipolar disorder) are among the hardest to get. Basically, you're going to have to convince the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at MEPS, *and* the Department of Navy Medical Command that the condition no longer exists, and is not likely to happen again under the extreme stresses of Marine Corps duty. At a very minimum, they will want to examine all of your civilian medical records.

Waiver decision will be made by the CMO and the Navy Medical Department, based on the followiing criteria:

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.

For more information about the United States Military, feel free to visit my U.S. Military Information Site at: http://usmilitary.about.com

Hope this helps!

Rod Powers
http://usmilitary.about.com