Posted on Apr 18, 2018
Based on my ADHD history posted below, do you think that I will have a large amount of trouble receiving a waiver?
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Here is a brief run-down of my ADHD history:
I was diagnosed in 3rd grade and took Adderall up until 8th grade. I stopped because I wanted to gain weight for football and I didn't want to be stuck using medicine the rest of my life. I went through high school and made all A's and a couple B's, so my grades did not suffer while being off of my medicine. Freshman year of college I decided to see a doctor and get back on my meds (this time Vyvanse) because I thought I would need them to make it through engineering school. I quickly realized that I could do fine on my own (plus, i still hated the idea of being stuck taking meds), and so I stopped taking the meds after only 3 months and i never saw a doctor about it again. That was December of 2013. I can obtain all my medical records from the doctor that I saw in college, as well as a letter of recommendation from him regarding my ability to serve in the military. I can also provide my official college transcripts showing good grades that actually increased throughout and college and didn't go down, and potentially even high school transcripts if that helps.
What do y'all think? I will be attempting to enlist in the National Guard as 11B.
I was diagnosed in 3rd grade and took Adderall up until 8th grade. I stopped because I wanted to gain weight for football and I didn't want to be stuck using medicine the rest of my life. I went through high school and made all A's and a couple B's, so my grades did not suffer while being off of my medicine. Freshman year of college I decided to see a doctor and get back on my meds (this time Vyvanse) because I thought I would need them to make it through engineering school. I quickly realized that I could do fine on my own (plus, i still hated the idea of being stuck taking meds), and so I stopped taking the meds after only 3 months and i never saw a doctor about it again. That was December of 2013. I can obtain all my medical records from the doctor that I saw in college, as well as a letter of recommendation from him regarding my ability to serve in the military. I can also provide my official college transcripts showing good grades that actually increased throughout and college and didn't go down, and potentially even high school transcripts if that helps.
What do y'all think? I will be attempting to enlist in the National Guard as 11B.
Potential Recruit
Waivers
Medical
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 9
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AR 40-501 Standards of Medical Fitness 14 JUN 2017
2–27. Learning, psychiatric and behavioral disorders
a. Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (314), or Perceptual/Learning Disorder(s) (315) does not meet the standard, unless applicant can demonstrate passing academic performance and there has been no use of medication(s) in the previous 12 months.
b. Current or history of academic skills or perceptual defects (315) secondary to organic or functional mental disorders, including, but not limited to dyslexia, that interfere with school or employment, do not meet the standard. Applicants demonstrating passing academic and employment performance without utilization or recommendation of academic and/or work accommodations at any time in the previous 12 months may be qualified.
c. Current or history of disorders with psychotic features such as schizophrenia (295), paranoid disorder (297), and other unspecified psychosis (298) does not meet the standard.
d. Current mood disorders including, but not limited to, major depression (296.2–3), bipolar (296.4–7), affective psy-choses (296.8–9), depressive not otherwise specified (311), do not meet the standard.
(1) History of mood disorders requiring outpatient care for longer than 6 months by a physician or other mental health professional (V65.40), or inpatient treatment in a hospital or residential facility does not meet the standard.
(2) History of symptoms consistent with a mood disorder of a repeated nature that impairs school, social, or work efficiency does not meet the standard.
e. Current or history of adjustment disorders (309) within the previous 3 months does not meet the standard.
f. Current or history of conduct (312), or behavior (313) disorders does not meet the standard. Recurrent encounters with law enforcement agencies, antisocial attitudes or behaviors are tangible evidence of impaired capacity to adapt to military service and as such do not meet the standard.
g. Current or history of personality disorder (301) does not meet the standard. History (demonstrated by repeated inability to maintain reasonable adjustment in school, with employers or fellow workers, or other social groups), interview, or psychological testing revealing that the degree of immaturity, instability, personality inadequacy, impulsiveness, or dependency will likely interfere with adjustment in the Armed Forces does not meet the standard.
h. Current or history of other behavior disorders does not meet the standard, including, but not limited to conditions such as the following:
(1) Enuresis (307.6) or encopresis (307.7) after 13th birthday does not meet the standard.
(2) Sleepwalking (307.4) after 13th birthday does not meet the standard.
(3) Eating disorders (307.5), anorexia nervosa (307.1), bulimia (307.51), or unspecified disorders of eating (307.59) lasting longer than 3 months and occurring after 13th birthday do not meet the standard.
i. Any current receptive or expressive language disorder, including, but not limited to any speech impediment, stammering and stuttering (307.0) of such a degree as to significantly interfere with production of speech or to repeat commands, does not meet the standard.
j. History of suicidal behavior, including gesture(s) or attempt(s) (300.9), or history of self-mutilation, does not meet the standard.
k. Current or history of anxiety disorders (anxiety (300.01) or panic (300.2)), agoraphobia (300.21), social phobia (300.23), simple phobias (300.29), obsessive-compulsive (300.3), other acute reactions to stress (308), and post-traumatic stress disorder (309.81) do not meet the standard.
l. Current or history of dissociative disorders, including, but not limited to hysteria (300.1), depersonalization (300.6), and other (300.8), do not meet the standard.
m. Current or history of somatoform disorders, including, but not limited to hypochondriasis (300.7) or chronic pain disorder, do not meet the standard.
n. Current or history of paraphilic disorders (302), including, but not limited to, exhibitionistic disorder, transvestic disorder, voyeuristic disorder, and other paraphilic disorders, do not meet the standard.
o. Current or history of alcohol dependence (303), drug dependence (304), alcohol abuse (305), or other drug abuse (305.2 thru 305.9) does not meet the standard.
p. Current or history of other mental disorders (all 290–319 not listed above) that in the opinion of the civilian or military provider will interfere with, or prevent satisfactory performance of military duty, do not meet the standard.
I know a kid who grew up with ADD and was put on flight status as a crew chief, so you should be good to go.
2–27. Learning, psychiatric and behavioral disorders
a. Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (314), or Perceptual/Learning Disorder(s) (315) does not meet the standard, unless applicant can demonstrate passing academic performance and there has been no use of medication(s) in the previous 12 months.
b. Current or history of academic skills or perceptual defects (315) secondary to organic or functional mental disorders, including, but not limited to dyslexia, that interfere with school or employment, do not meet the standard. Applicants demonstrating passing academic and employment performance without utilization or recommendation of academic and/or work accommodations at any time in the previous 12 months may be qualified.
c. Current or history of disorders with psychotic features such as schizophrenia (295), paranoid disorder (297), and other unspecified psychosis (298) does not meet the standard.
d. Current mood disorders including, but not limited to, major depression (296.2–3), bipolar (296.4–7), affective psy-choses (296.8–9), depressive not otherwise specified (311), do not meet the standard.
(1) History of mood disorders requiring outpatient care for longer than 6 months by a physician or other mental health professional (V65.40), or inpatient treatment in a hospital or residential facility does not meet the standard.
(2) History of symptoms consistent with a mood disorder of a repeated nature that impairs school, social, or work efficiency does not meet the standard.
e. Current or history of adjustment disorders (309) within the previous 3 months does not meet the standard.
f. Current or history of conduct (312), or behavior (313) disorders does not meet the standard. Recurrent encounters with law enforcement agencies, antisocial attitudes or behaviors are tangible evidence of impaired capacity to adapt to military service and as such do not meet the standard.
g. Current or history of personality disorder (301) does not meet the standard. History (demonstrated by repeated inability to maintain reasonable adjustment in school, with employers or fellow workers, or other social groups), interview, or psychological testing revealing that the degree of immaturity, instability, personality inadequacy, impulsiveness, or dependency will likely interfere with adjustment in the Armed Forces does not meet the standard.
h. Current or history of other behavior disorders does not meet the standard, including, but not limited to conditions such as the following:
(1) Enuresis (307.6) or encopresis (307.7) after 13th birthday does not meet the standard.
(2) Sleepwalking (307.4) after 13th birthday does not meet the standard.
(3) Eating disorders (307.5), anorexia nervosa (307.1), bulimia (307.51), or unspecified disorders of eating (307.59) lasting longer than 3 months and occurring after 13th birthday do not meet the standard.
i. Any current receptive or expressive language disorder, including, but not limited to any speech impediment, stammering and stuttering (307.0) of such a degree as to significantly interfere with production of speech or to repeat commands, does not meet the standard.
j. History of suicidal behavior, including gesture(s) or attempt(s) (300.9), or history of self-mutilation, does not meet the standard.
k. Current or history of anxiety disorders (anxiety (300.01) or panic (300.2)), agoraphobia (300.21), social phobia (300.23), simple phobias (300.29), obsessive-compulsive (300.3), other acute reactions to stress (308), and post-traumatic stress disorder (309.81) do not meet the standard.
l. Current or history of dissociative disorders, including, but not limited to hysteria (300.1), depersonalization (300.6), and other (300.8), do not meet the standard.
m. Current or history of somatoform disorders, including, but not limited to hypochondriasis (300.7) or chronic pain disorder, do not meet the standard.
n. Current or history of paraphilic disorders (302), including, but not limited to, exhibitionistic disorder, transvestic disorder, voyeuristic disorder, and other paraphilic disorders, do not meet the standard.
o. Current or history of alcohol dependence (303), drug dependence (304), alcohol abuse (305), or other drug abuse (305.2 thru 305.9) does not meet the standard.
p. Current or history of other mental disorders (all 290–319 not listed above) that in the opinion of the civilian or military provider will interfere with, or prevent satisfactory performance of military duty, do not meet the standard.
I know a kid who grew up with ADD and was put on flight status as a crew chief, so you should be good to go.
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2LT (Join to see)
Thanks. After reading that I feel confident I should be able to get the waiver. I spoke with the doctor last night and he said it was no big deal at all, and that he has had to write many of these letters of recommendation for military service. This is a doctor that specializes in ADHD treatment.
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Long story shorter, you will need a medical waiver, but your successful academic history will make granting it routine unless you are still actively taking medication. If you are, expect some scrutiny and pointed questions.
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Did you graduate college? If you score more than 110 on your GT Score you could go Officer.
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MAJ (Join to see)
Hate to say this but you're not joining the old guard one weekend a month, two weeks in the summer. You should prepare your family for the struggle. If you want to do something, do it early while you are young, healthy and motivated. Things will not get easier the longer you're in. In 5 years you can be a CPT or a SGT trying to go OCS. Though Fed Rec is killing Officer Promotions right now.
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2LT (Join to see)
I understand that I need to be prepared for many things that are unexpected. My wife and I both understand the struggles, but at the same time there is nothing wrong with us also being prepared for what IS guaranteed and expected. That is our thought behind going Officer straight out of the gate. I know that i would go to Basic, then come home and wait until Traditional OCS begins and be in that for 16 months, and the upon completion of OCS I would need to attend BOLC in an 18 month window upon completing OCS. I would not want to wait until the end of that 18 month window either, and would prefer to go ASAP after completing OCS. That route is actually what I have wanted to pursue for several years now, but things have changed a little bit for my family, and now enlisted is the route I am looking into. Do you know anything about the process of going enlisted to officer in the Guard? I am looking for as much info as possible so that I can make a wise decision of whether to go officer or enlisted right now.
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MAJ (Join to see)
The fastest way to go Enlisted to Officer is get it in your initial contract when you enlist and make sure you are slotted for Federal OCS since you are non prior service. 9-10 weeks of Basic, 12 weeks of OCS back to back with Basic so in less than 6 months you're a commissioned officer. That was my route. From there you've got 18 months to complete BOLC. I did Engineer BOLC which is 179 Days, the longest of them all. Infantry BOLC I know is rigorous but not as long. Most that I see go Traditional or State OCS don't make it just because you have to stay committed over such a long time and your drills and FTXs are irregular and lots of time is required outside of drills to make up for the fact they see you so infrequently. If you wait and go Enlisted first do realize that there are only so many slots for OCS and that there will be a limited number of slots for Enlisted trying to go to OCS, your Command will have to recommend you, so if you've got bad leadership that could also negatively impact your quest. Again good luck on your journey.
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1SG (Join to see)
LOL. Lieutenants with AD/HD. Good one sir.
That pretty much describes all of them when they are on the land nav course.
;-)
That pretty much describes all of them when they are on the land nav course.
;-)
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