Asthma and the Military

K

Kain99

Guest
My daughter has RADS (Occupational Asthma) She was diagnosed in 2002. This disease last anywhere from 1 to 5 years on average.

After months of working with her Air Force Recruiter has been denied the opportunity to join the Air Force.

Obviously, we are really disappointed. Is there any branch of the Military that will accept a person with Asthma?

Medical records were the determining factor.
 

Sharon

* * * * * * * * *
Staff member
PREMO Member
Originally posted by Kain99
Is there any branch of the Military that will accept a person with Asthma?
None that my son has found.
 

Warron

Member
A guy I worked with in the navy got out on a medical discharge due to asthma so I doubt they will let anyone in who has it. I always thought it was bs though. He could moonlight in college as a skiing instructor but he couldn't sit on his bottom running a nuclear reactor on a ship. He ended up getting his entire college education payed for as part of his discharge as well while I stayed the entire 6 years and only got the cruddy GI bill.

Oh well, maybe it was a factor of being able to get medication while out to sea?
 

Pete

Repete
Originally posted by Warron
A guy I worked with in the navy got out on a medical discharge due to asthma so I doubt they will let anyone in who has it. I always thought it was bs though. He could moonlight in college as a skiing instructor but he couldn't sit on his bottom running a nuclear reactor on a ship. He ended up getting his entire college education payed for as part of his discharge as well while I stayed the entire 6 years and only got the cruddy GI bill.

Oh well, maybe it was a factor of being able to get medication while out to sea?
:confused: How did he get his entire education paid for? Cruddy GI Bill, you mean the one where you put in $1200 and you can draw out like $30,000 for tuition and books?
 

crabcake

But wait, there's more...
Originally posted by Kain99
Is there any branch of the Military that will accept a person with Asthma?[/SIZE]

unfortunately not :huggy: it sucks, I know, but the reasons behind it are to have an able-bodied fighting force (yes, even for the air force) ... that means people who can perform anything and everything thrown at them without fail. in a combat situation, if someone has an asthma attack while wearing a chem mask, how would they take that medication?

like I said, I know it's sucky, but when you look at it from that perspective ... it does make sense. :ohwell:
 

jlabsher

Sorry about that chief.
Navy doesn't want him having an attack at sea. Not all sailors are on ships with large medical facilities like a carrier. If he had a serious attack while on a tin can or sub it could affect readiness while they medivac his sorry azz out.

If he got out on a medical discharge he would be eligible for the full GI Bill, all $35 K of it, and if he was a nuke it was probably more like $50K. They shouldn't have let him in, caught the asthma on the entry physical.
 

Warron

Member
Originally posted by Pete
:confused: How did he get his entire education paid for? Cruddy GI Bill, you mean the one where you put in $1200 and you can draw out like $30,000 for tuition and books?

The GI bill may offer up to $35,000 for college now, but it did not even come close 10 years ago. And the Navy College Fund did not even exist then. I did pay in $1200, but only got back $400 a month for the 36 months I was in school (9 months a year for 4 years = $14,400). I agree it was better then nothing. But it was paid month by month and lagged a month behind the school start date. Unless you saved the entire amount until the next semester, there was no way to use it for tuition or books (both of which had to be bought at the beginning of the semester). Even then $1800 a semester didn’t even come close to the $5k bill I got from the university, let alone the cost of books.

I kept in touch with this guy for most of the first three years at college. He had his tuition and housing paid in full as well as anything mentioned on a syllabus (books, calculators, etc), by the government.
 

jlabsher

Sorry about that chief.
He got Vocational Rehabilitation then, the VA decided his asthma was a disability caused by his service. He is also getting a monthly disability check from uncle sam
 

itsbob

I bowl overhand
Originally posted by Kain99
My daughter has RADS (Occupational Asthma) She was diagnosed in 2002. This disease last anywhere from 1 to 5 years on average.

After months of working with her Air Force Recruiter has been denied the opportunity to join the Air Force.

Obviously, we are really disappointed. Is there any branch of the Military that will accept a person with Asthma?

Medical records were the determining factor.

NO.. that's s how stopper. EVEN to the level if someone has ever used an inhaler, the MEPS doctor will disqualify you. If she REALLY wants to go, go find a different recruiter and don't tell him/her. AS long as she hasn't taken her physical there is no record of her medical past,

I'm a fromer Army recruiter.. if you have any questions PM me.. I can give you some hints!!
 

itsbob

I bowl overhand
Originally posted by migtig
Actually, if your doctor will write a medical waiver, she can be accepted by almost any branch, even the Air Force. She is just gonna have to try a different recruiter. Also, a point of noteworthiness, always go towards the end of the month when recruiters are more desperate to fill their quota and more willing to accept medical waivers.


NOT going to work.. Asthma and Bee stings are two of the biggest Disqualifiers.. the only way a note from the doctor will work is if she has taken the physical, been disqualified byt saying she had something she really didn't.. ie she THOUGHT she had asthma but never really did. Doctor states whe never had an attack, was never diagnosed, parents do the same.. if the doctor says "yes she has asthma, but not bad enough to preclude militarty servide" She's PERMENANTLY Disqualified from ALL services. (little known fact.. it used to be on record for only two years that you were DQ'd, then you could go back and try again)

Recruiters really have no input on medical waivers, there is a doctor at MEPS that has to DQ her, THEN he says yes or no to the possibility of a waiver.. then it goes to the Services Surgeon General for approval or Disapproval.. The only input recruiters have is getting the letters mentioned above.
 
K

Kain99

Guest
Originally posted by migtig
Actually, if your doctor will write a medical waiver, she can be accepted by almost any branch, even the Air Force. She is just gonna have to try a different recruiter. Also, a point of noteworthiness, always go towards the end of the month when recruiters are more desperate to fill their quota and more willing to accept medical waivers.
Thank You Thank You Thank You Mig ! Rachels Recruiter agreed to accept the waiver and has recommended that she consider going in as an officer. That was awesome advice!
 

itsbob

I bowl overhand
Now if you CAN get in with it, they will not kick you out for it.. unless you have an attack with-in the first six months. Once you pass the first six months it's considered military connected, and as long as you can still perform your job, you can continue on in your career. I've known several people in the ARmy that had their first atatcks on active duty, and went on to retire. SAme with bee stings.. reconstructive surgery etc etc... a LOT of things that DQ you from joining, are ine if they happen while on active duty.. even had one person who lost both legs below the knee in a sky diving incident.. was allowed to continue on active duty.

Question is how bad do you want it? How good are you at keeping secrets? And can you be interrogated without giving it up? IE if you have attack in Basic Training can you stick to your story that it's the FIRST time this ever happened? OR the first time they threaten you with a $10,000 fine or 6 years in jail are you going to sing like a bluejay??
 
K

Kain99

Guest
Originally posted by itsbob
Recruiters really have no input on medical waivers, there is a doctor at MEPS that has to DQ her, THEN he says yes or no to the possibility of a waiver.. then it goes to the Services Surgeon General for approval or Disapproval.. The only input recruiters have is getting the letters mentioned above.
Bob you are absolutely right but.... RADS is evidently a different deal. Not 100% sure after reading your post. I'll PM ya.
 

itsbob

I bowl overhand
Originally posted by Warron
The GI bill may offer up to $35,000 for college now, but it did not even come close 10 years ago. And the Navy College Fund did not even exist then. I did pay in $1200, but only got back $400 a month for the 36 months I was in school (9 months a year for 4 years = $14,400). I agree it was better then nothing. But it was paid month by month and lagged a month behind the school start date. Unless you saved the entire amount until the next semester, there was no way to use it for tuition or books (both of which had to be bought at the beginning of the semester). Even then $1800 a semester didn’t even come close to the $5k bill I got from the university, let alone the cost of books.

I kept in touch with this guy for most of the first three years at college. He had his tuition and housing paid in full as well as anything mentioned on a syllabus (books, calculators, etc), by the government.

Just graduated college in PA.. (Dec 2002).. State paid my tuition because I was a VET, then the Army paid me >$900 a month for the GI BILL.. PLUS I still got to take out loans... Was a full time student for three years.. making more money going to school then most people in that part of PA were getting paid to work.

Even better deal is if you go to school on loans and THEN join.. army pays back 1/3 of your student loans for the first three years you are in.. Had one back in early 90, went all the way through law school amassed well over $100,000 in loans.. joined the Army as enlisted (officers not eligible) left the ARmy three years later debt free.. since then they have limited the Loan Repayment to $65,000. Army is the only Active Branch to offer it, and it comes with ANY job they offer.

*this add paid for and approved by the United States Army*
 

itsbob

I bowl overhand
Originally posted by kwillia
But if the military is looking for warm bodies... and the military is going to such lengths to keep people with this medical condition out.... there must be really good reason for this...:shrug: As a mother of a kid with mild asthma, I know he can go for long periods of time with no flare up, but with the right trigger he can end up sick enough for the ER in a matter of hours. Combat conditions, be it in the desert or on a submarine are not the best conditions for anyone who can be triggered into an asthmatic attack...:ohwell:

You'd be AMAZED at what can keep a young man or woamn out of the service.. some of them make sense.. MOST don't.. we used to have a saying for the medical questionaire..

Have you ever had...

NO = Numerous Opportunities

YES = Your Enlistment Stops.

Had one kid perfect vision.. 20/20 in both eyes.. doctor DQ'd him because when he got nervous one of his eyes "vibrated"

Ever been knocked unconcious?

Have or had ANY Excema? Psoriasis?

Taken TUMS? YES, they WILL DQ a kid for taking tums!!
 

Pete

Repete
Originally posted by Warron
The GI bill may offer up to $35,000 for college now, but it did not even come close 10 years ago. And the Navy College Fund did not even exist then. I did pay in $1200, but only got back $400 a month for the 36 months I was in school (9 months a year for 4 years = $14,400). I agree it was better then nothing. But it was paid month by month and lagged a month behind the school start date. Unless you saved the entire amount until the next semester, there was no way to use it for tuition or books (both of which had to be bought at the beginning of the semester). Even then $1800 a semester didn’t even come close to the $5k bill I got from the university, let alone the cost of books.

I kept in touch with this guy for most of the first three years at college. He had his tuition and housing paid in full as well as anything mentioned on a syllabus (books, calculators, etc), by the government.
Sounds like you had VEAP which was not a great deal but it was something. I look at any deal where I get a 14:1 return on investment as a kick ass deal. Do you get upset because the candles on your birthday cake are the wrong color?
 

Warron

Member
Originally posted by Pete
Sounds like you had VEAP which was not a great deal but it was something. I look at any deal where I get a 14:1 return on investment as a kick ass deal. Do you get upset because the candles on your birthday cake are the wrong color?

I was merely explaining the difference between what I got (which was all that was available at the time) and what a friend with a medical discharge for asthma got. Someone said that what he got was do to the GI bill and I explained that I had the GI bill and it didn't cover anywhere near that amount. You all seem to be the ones who are upset about it. It's ancient history to me.

Also, your math is off a little. It was a 12:1 return (14400/1200 = 12).
 

itsbob

I bowl overhand
Originally posted by Pete
Why commit fraud? We are not talking about the girl scouts here.

True, but if the military is something you want to do, why let a doctor that has only known you for 5 minutes disqualify you because when you were 15 you took a tums for a stomachache?

I couldn't tell you how many people I had Disqualified because they answered yes to something they never even had... they thought they remembered a parent saying they had this or that. Have you ever tried to prove you never had something?? ALMOST impossible.

AND I will tell you.. it's the recruiter putting his career on the line IF he suggests to someone to withhold information.. I never told anyone what to say or not to say.. but I could tell them what would happen if they did, and 90% of the time I was sure to explain this to the parents too.
 

itsbob

I bowl overhand
Originally posted by Warron
I was merely explaining the difference between what I got (which was all that was available at the time) and what a friend with a medical discharge for asthma got. Someone said that what he got was do to the GI bill and I explained that I had the GI bill and it didn't cover anywhere near that amount. You all seem to be the ones who are upset about it. It's ancient history to me.

Also, your math is off a little. It was a 12:1 return (14400/1200 = 12).

Actually if I remember right, VEAP you had to put in $75 a month for 3 years.. and in return while you went to schoool you got $225 a month.. Your $75 pllus $150 from the military.

Was the reason I re-enlisted after my first term.. I was told I was eligible for "kickers" totalling another 30K.. when I got ready to leave the service and go to school was told ther was no such thing.. $225 MIGHT have paid for a book or two at Dartmouth.

10 years later when I became a recruiter, I found out that there were kickers out there.. depending on when you joined.. where you joined, and what job you enlisted for, I qualified for it by those three criteria BUT I didn't qualify because they forgot to annotate any of this on my enlistment contract. I did get to convert to the GI Bill shortly after I retired, but it cost me $2400 (a GREAT investment).
 
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