I am dub's roommate who was also looking at the 18x contract after I graduate from college. I have a history of asthma before my 13th birthday and have the necessary paperwork to show the docs during my physical. My problem is that somewhere along the way the asthma was replaced with GERD. About five years ago some of the acid got into my airways and caused them to swell, making it difficult to breath. I have since been on nexium, a perscription acid reducer. The problem has since gone away. I am currently training for a marathon, i.e. running is not a problem. The problem is in Army Regulation 40-501, the Standards of Medical Fitness that is linked from professionalsoldiers.com on page 18, 2-3a which says GERD or complications from Gerd is disqualifying.
Is there a way around this? I'm sorry, I have to ask. I hate taking no for an answer. Thank you very much.
The Reaper
01-23-2007, 20:20
Why are you using Dub's account? We do not share accounts here.
You can request a waiver. I wouldn't count on getting it.
Not just you, but once again, I have to wonder at why people who have potentially serious long-term health problems want to get into a unit with long, isolated missions in austere environments and endanger others to take care of them.
The regs are there because if you are with your team in the middle of nowhere, Asscrackistan, 300 miles from the nearest medical facility, and your scrip runs out, there will be no Eckerd's to go to for a handy refill. Then, when you are eating local crap and MREs, you have another episode with your airway problems and an 18D (or less) is trying to keep you alive with what he has in his ruck. Now an entire aircrew is put at risk, flying at night, blacked out, through mountains at 16,000' elevation, to haul your sorry ass out.
Or your bad knee gives way in the middle of a cross country movement to a hit, and your teammates are forced to carry you and fail in their mission, or leave you alone, halfway between a rock and a hard place.
Or you are on OP and your color blindness prevents you from seeing an enemy sapper team working their way into your perimeter.
Or you are on a HALO infil, at 13,000' when your LASIK corneal flap blows off, and you cannot see your teammates, or your altimeter.
This is not some High School sports BS we are talking about. This is serious business with hard men on both sides, and the consequences are deadly.
If you do not see the risk to your potential teammates, even if you are the only one killed, or to your family, which would not knowingly let you go into combat without being properly prepared, you are selfish and are missing the larger point.
Thank you for your desire to serve. Thank you for your patriotism. That is laudable, especially today.
But think long and hard, and be honest with yourself and others. The medical regs exist for a reason, and for good reason, they are more stringent for SF. You may request a waiver. If it is disapproved, accept it and find some other way to serve.
Good luck.
TR
longrange1947
01-23-2007, 20:55
TR you left out the possibility of an asthma attack while quietly sitting on an ambush site in decidedly unfriendly terrain. I had a man like that and had him boarded off the team and banned from being on another team as I did not want to see him merely passed off to another unsuspecting group.
As TR states, I admire your desire, but there are reasons for these limitations and they are there to protect not only you, but the team that is depending on you.
FearTheCats
01-26-2007, 13:52
I cannot in any way comment on SF selection and training. I can tell you there are other ways to serve WITHOUT putting your mates in danger.
I have a history of asthma too, and I thought I was over it until it came back last year and now I take meds semi-regularly. I might could have gotten some general to waive me into the National Guard, but I absolutely cannot argue with The Reaper, LR1947. and many others. They know what they are doing.
A man's got to know his limitations; you can only do what you can do. Accept that not everybody can do every job. If you are otherwise squared away, we would be glad to have you in law enforcement. Keep your inhaler in the accessory pouch of your patrol rifle case and drive on.