AboutRod Powers Expertise Rod Powers is considered one of the premire experts about U.S. Military career information on the Internet. He has more than 30,000 articles about U.S. Military career information on the About.com U.S. Military Careers Information website at: http://usmilitary.about.com. In addition, he is the co-author of "ASVAB For Dummies (first edition)," published by Wiley Publishing in 2003, the author of "Barrons' Guide to Officer Candidate School Tests," published by Barron's Educational Series in November 2006, the author of "ASVAB for Dummies, 2nd Edition," scheduled to be published by Wiley in June 2007. He's currently working on "World War I for Dummies," scheduled to be published by Wiley, in the spring of 2008.
Experience Rod Powers is a retired Air Force first sergeant, with 23 years of active duty service, 11 of those years as an Air Force First Sergeant. He has helped thousands of military members, recruits, and military applicants since he took over the About.com U.S Military Careers Information site in 1999. He has a reputation for "telling it like it is," so questions may not be answered based on "what you want to hear," but will be answered based of the bast available information, concerning the service/situation.
Question My son joined the army reserves at 17. he then signed up for the army. he has recently been diagnosed with bipolar. he wanted to stay in but has been released from the army right before going to AIT. He has now defaulted back into the reserves which is what he joined in the first place. he desperately wants to join a branch of the military so he can move away a start a life of his own. is there any hope that he can join a branch which would allow him in under these circumstances.
Answer Hi Robert,
The chances are not good. If he is actively bipolar, and is currently under medication for such a condition, it is a disqualifying medical condition. Unfortunately, it's also a condition that is rarely waived (for obvious reasons).
Military members are subject to deployment, with no notice, at any time, to many areas of the world. These areas often do not have full-medical facilities, or the ability to issue medications, or the ability to observe someone to make sure the medications are effective, if such even are available.
There is no *right* to serve in any branch of the U.S. Military. The miltary services exist to provide a fighting force in order for the United States to further their political and strategic objectives. As such, each service has been given the authorty (by Congress) to determine which particular medical conditions they feel are detrimental to military service, and which conditions are not.
