Everyone keeps telling me that I'm going to be disqualified for having only one kidney...so when does this disqualification come?

Where are you enlisting from?

Honestly I’m surprised your recruiter even went as far allowing you to take the ASVAB. If you came into my office guarantee you will be turned away as soon as I found out about the missing kidney. It is not our job as Recruiters to disqualify you because that is what MEPS, regulations and policies are for. But typically if you are medically disqualified we won’t even bother.

Madison, you have made it this far. Congratulations. I know that I have been wrong before, and I am sure that everyone else in this mail chain has been also. If you make it all the way to being accepted, you should accept that with grace and dignity, just as I hope you would if you were disqualified for the same. SFC Boyd is correct. Being petty will not help you.

There are waivers for almost anything you can think of. Hopefully the Air Force will give you a chance as long as you pass every other part of the physical. I am certain your attitude will be checked at Basic Training if you get that far. Best of luck getting in.

Physical and Medical Standards are set by Medical Professionals and subject matter experts. Most are set in stone, some allow for waivers. Having ONE functional kidney is usually qualifying for initial entry by all branches of the Uniformed Services.
I found out that I have one minimally functioning kidney and one normally functioning kidney after nearly 8 years of service but was able to complete more than 20 years of active service.

The causes for rejection for appointment, enlistment, and induction are:


a. Cystitis (595).

b. Urethritis (597).

c. Enuresis (788.3) or incontinence of urine beyond age 12. (See also para 2–29.)

d. Hematuria, pyuria, or other findings indicative of renal tract disease (599).

e. Urethral stricture (598) or fistula (599.1).

f. Kidney.

(1) Absence of one kidney, congenital (753.0) or acquired (593.89).

(2) Infections, acute or chronic (590).

(3) Polycystic kidney (753.1), confirmed history of.

(4) Horseshoe kidney (753.3).

(5) Hydronephrosis (591).

(6) Nephritis, acute (580) or chronic (582).

g. Proteinuria (791) under normal activity (at least 48 hours after strenuous exercise) greater than 200
milligrams (mg)/24 hours, or a protein to creatinine ratio greater than 0.2 in a random urine sample, unless
nephrologic consultation determines the condition to be benign orthostatic proteinuria.

h. Renal calculus (592) within the previous 12 months, recurrent calculus, nephrocalcinosis, or bilateral renal
calculi at any time.

The minute you meet the wrong doctor you'll be out. Meeting the minimum physical requirements to serve helps, but there is a lot more to being a successful Airman than just doing your PT. I doubt you're joining for the right reasons anyway, so you should probably consider another career. If you have something to prove you can always become a MMA fighter.

I was in the military with only one kidney, but I was born with only one kidney. How did you lose your kidney?

I'm DQ'd from reenlisting in the Marine Corps for a tattoo.

A recruiter may consider going through the process of they need appointments, but I'd still need a waiver.

A waiver that never gets passed.

Most DQ circumstances do not get passed with waivers.

Hope that helps you understand.

You'll know at MEPS if you are medically fit to serve...if you make it passed that the rest is up to you. who cares what anyone else says...Sounds like you're pussy hurt already Grow up. I joined the Marine Corps. at 21 with Mild Cerebral Palsy, Scoliosis, and flat feet. I didn't mention any of that to my recruiters MEPS didn't find my Cerebral Palsy and my Scoliosis is between my shoulders so it doesn't cause any performance issues and flat feet they didn't care...I served my time in the Suck 91-95 Honorably Discharged Suck it up and handle your shit!

I went through the process of enlisting in the Army back in 98. Hell, I spent many a morning in the gym with my recruiter, trying to drop the post-HS weight gained.

However, it was discovered at MEPS that I have congenital hearing loss. I was just over the threshold for where they could no longer grant a waiver.

If you have serious potential medical issues, son, you do NOT want to enlist. In 2002, I would likely have been in Afghanistan (had I enlisted in the MOS I was aiming for). In August of that year, I survived a ruptured cerebral aneurysm. Had this occurred while I was deployed, the likelihood of survival would have been nil.

Consider yourself lucky that you have the knowledge of your medical issue. I didn't know a damned thing until it was too late.

Don't be stupid about it.