The care and feeding of your special interest

[HisShadowX]

History with a bits of what people consider pointless information.

Plus a lot of video gaming, and I mean a lot

 

[Berianireth]

You may want to talk to a recruiter about the physicians assistant program, it may be a viable option for you.

I did. Initially they were non-stop talking about training at AMED, but then they told me that they didn't know that I was a Biologist and that I would need a degree in medicine in order to do that. Then they tried to interest me in intelligence and engineering careers, but they would not allow me to proceed with the application process unless I decided to have my doctor remove my prescription for an SSRI. I told them I could easily pass basic training without my SSRI drug, but I'd rather not go off of it permanently. However they have MEPS regulations that don't allow prescriptions for learning disabilities or psychiatric conditions.

 

[Tom]

Thanks. I am actually in a doctorate program but struggling with my interpretation of others' directions. And apparently my teaching is not up to par. I'm hoping military work would at least be very direct... and the financial support should I lose my funding through my program is a nice bonus. I'm not sure how I'll deal with the pressure but usually I'm quite efficient when something sends me into survival mode.

Just some FYI. When I last looked at the situation a year or so ago, Aspergers/Autism unfortunately was a medically disqualifying condition for the military. It could be allowed with a medical waiver but I am not sure how difficult that is to get. Also age 27 is the last year you can join. The only exception I knew about for the age was for doctors, whom could enlist up to pretty advanced age.

 

[Tom]

That is a neat train layout. I have always liked looking at them. Something magical in the Lilliputian world.

 

[A BROUHAHA]

but they would not allow me to proceed with the application process unless I decided to have my doctor remove my prescription for an SSRI.

Per regulation you can't be on any prescription medications upon entry into basic, it is simply a policy put in place to prevent liability on their part. If you were to have the prescription removed and go through basic you can likely get put back on whichever medication you are currently on after seeing behavioral health and giving them a reason to prescribe you with it.

If you want to stay in the pharmaceutical field I would advise not settling for another job that the recruiter is trying to sell you on, it is not worth the headache. Alternatively if you don't have a degree that would permit you to become a PA I would suggest requesting the 68q mos (pharmacy specialist). Doing so will get you through combat medic training and then training to be a pharmacy tech where you will be stationed at a hospital for a normal 9-5 job after PT. These sorts of jobs usually will provide you the time to pursue higher education where you could try and get an additional degree in the medical field after which you can do the green to gold program.

Hope this helps, best of luck.

 

[Berianireth]

Just some FYI. When I last looked at the situation a year or so ago, Aspergers/Autism unfortunately was a medically disqualifying condition for the military. It could be allowed with a medical waiver but I am not sure how difficult that is to get. Also age 27 is the last year you can join. The only exception I knew about for the age was for doctors, whom could enlist up to pretty advanced age.

Tom, I have been under the impression that the cutoff age is for officer candidacy and not enlistment. I decided not to pursue it... I don't have an undergraduate degree in Bio*MEDICAL* sciences, just general biology. My PhD will say Biomedical, but until I have that degree they would probably stick me with intelligence or other jobs anyway. Not that I'm terribly uninterested in language I just don't really have any interest in making it a career. 0.0 I probably don't need to worry as much about my funding as I do at any rate, or perhaps I should just stop if I'm that awful.

 

[A BROUHAHA]

Just some FYI. When I last looked at the situation a year or so ago, Aspergers/Autism unfortunately was a medically disqualifying condition for the military. It could be allowed with a medical waiver but I am not sure how difficult that is to get. Also age 27 is the last year you can join. The only exception I knew about for the age was for doctors, whom could enlist up to pretty advanced age.

You can presently enlist in the army up to age 35, it was 42 but as part of the draw down they reduced it. Additionally I can't find any regulation that lists ASD as a disqualifying condition. I did however find what the army considers to be disqualifying, now if you can reasonably say that your condition has not impaired you to the point where you fit the description below than you should be fine, I will say if that is the case however you are probably better off not mentioning the diagnosis at all, that is entirely up to you however. I will say that since I have been in I have met a few people that were diagnosed asd after enlisting and their command decided not discharge them as it had clearly not caused a problem thus far, so I guess the trick is really just getting your foot in the door, after all I'm in the army and I have done just fine for 7 years thus far. Here's what the Army considers to be disqualifying:


Disorders with Psychotic Features
The causes for rejection for appointment, enlistment, and induction are disorders with psychotic features.

Neurotic, Anxiety, Mood, Somatoform, Dissociative, or Factitious Disorders
The causes for rejection for appointment, enlistment, and induction are a history of such disorders resulting in any or all of the below:

a. Admission to a hospital or residential facility.

b. Care by a physician or other mental health professional for more than 6 months.

c. Symptoms or behavior of a repeated nature that impaired social, school, or work efficiency.

Personality, Conduct, and Behavior Disorders
The causes for rejection for appointment, enlistment, and induction are:

a. Personality, conduct, or behavior disorders as evidenced by frequent encounters with law enforcement agencies, antisocial attitudes or behavior, which, while not sufficient cause for administrative rejection, are tangible evidence of impaired capacity to adapt to military service.

b. Personality, conduct, or behavior disorders where it is evident by history, interview, or psychological testing that the degree of immaturity, instability, personality inadequacy, impulsiveness, or dependency will seriously interfere with adjustment in the Army as demonstrated by repeated inability to maintain reasonable adjustment in school, with employers and fellow workers, and with other social groups.

c. Other behavior disorders including but not limited to conditions such as authenticated evidence of functional enuresis or encopresis, sleepwalking, or eating disorders that are habitual or persistent occurring beyond age 12, or stammering of such a degree that the individual is normally unable to express himself or herself clearly or to repeat commands.

d. Specific academic skills defects, chronic history of academic skills or perceptual defects, secondary to organic or functional mental disorders that interfere with work or school after age 12. Current use of medication to improve or maintain academic skills.

e. Suicide, history of attempted or suicidal behavior.

 

[Tom]

Tom, I have been under the impression that the cutoff age is for officer candidacy and not enlistment. I decided not to pursue it... I don't have an undergraduate degree in Bio*MEDICAL* sciences, just general biology. My PhD will say Biomedical, but until I have that degree they would probably stick me with intelligence or other jobs anyway. Not that I'm terribly uninterested in language I just don't really have any interest in making it a career. 0.0 I probably don't need to worry as much about my funding as I do at any rate, or perhaps I should just stop if I'm that awful.

Yeah, they try to fit you where they want you and to fill holes, but it is this point when you are basically making the deal that you have the last say in it. Once you are in and they meet their initial commitment they can do with you as they please. I worked with Intell people only a little, but didn't see anything that was really appealing in the job. Engineering, also bleh. I wouldn't recommend either unless you knew for sure that was what turned your crank. I am surprized Bio-Environmental didn't come up, or maybe it did. That wasn't quite as bad as you where at least trying to safely handle hazardous waste, which is rewarding in a way. Don't just throw the old nerve gas barrels down the ravine like before, etc.

But if you don't mind me asking, as this subject does come up periodically: Did they know about your AS diagnosis and if so what was the protocol? Is it allowed now, would you need a waiver, etc. When I researched it the regulations stated what I shared above, but it may have changed or the policy is different. Quite a few Aspie young people consider the military and I want to have the right info.

Btw I wasn't diagnosed but early in career did start to have issues and went to mental health. They diagnosed me with anxiety and I was on meds for that for years. It did not affect my career in any way, but then again I wasn't in any of the fields that have strict entry requirements or needed high level clearences. As Joe Blow enlisted person I just had to make sure I reported everything accurately when it came up.

 

[A BROUHAHA]

But if you don't mind me asking, as this subject does come up periodically: Did they know about your AS diagnosis and if so what was the protocol?

They didn't know about it upon my entry but I am being looked at now for it and it has been made clear that it is not a deal breaker. If you read the descriptions under what is deemed to be disqualifying in my last post you will see that have the condition in itself is not a deal breaker, it's if it causes you impairment outside of what is considered to be acceptable for retention in the army if that makes sense.

 

[Tom]

You can presently enlist in the army up to age 35, it was 42 but as part of the draw down they reduced it. Additionally I can't find any regulation that lists ASD as a disqualifying condition. I did however find what the army considers to be disqualifying, now if you can reasonably say that your condition has not impaired you to the point where you fit the description below than you should be fine, I will say if that is the case however you are probably better off not mentioning the diagnosis at all, that is entirely up to you however. I will say that since I have been in I have met a few people that were diagnosed asd after enlisting and their command decided not discharge them as it had clearly not caused a problem thus far, so I guess the trick is really just getting your foot in the door, after all I'm in the army and I have done just fine for 7 years thus far. Here's what the Army considers to be disqualifying:


Disorders with Psychotic Features
The causes for rejection for appointment, enlistment, and induction are disorders with psychotic features.

Neurotic, Anxiety, Mood, Somatoform, Dissociative, or Factitious Disorders
The causes for rejection for appointment, enlistment, and induction are a history of such disorders resulting in any or all of the below:

a. Admission to a hospital or residential facility.

b. Care by a physician or other mental health professional for more than 6 months.

c. Symptoms or behavior of a repeated nature that impaired social, school, or work efficiency.

Personality, Conduct, and Behavior Disorders
The causes for rejection for appointment, enlistment, and induction are:

a. Personality, conduct, or behavior disorders as evidenced by frequent encounters with law enforcement agencies, antisocial attitudes or behavior, which, while not sufficient cause for administrative rejection, are tangible evidence of impaired capacity to adapt to military service.

b. Personality, conduct, or behavior disorders where it is evident by history, interview, or psychological testing that the degree of immaturity, instability, personality inadequacy, impulsiveness, or dependency will seriously interfere with adjustment in the Army as demonstrated by repeated inability to maintain reasonable adjustment in school, with employers and fellow workers, and with other social groups.

c. Other behavior disorders including but not limited to conditions such as authenticated evidence of functional enuresis or encopresis, sleepwalking, or eating disorders that are habitual or persistent occurring beyond age 12, or stammering of such a degree that the individual is normally unable to express himself or herself clearly or to repeat commands.

d. Specific academic skills defects, chronic history of academic skills or perceptual defects, secondary to organic or functional mental disorders that interfere with work or school after age 12. Current use of medication to improve or maintain academic skills.

e. Suicide, history of attempted or suicidal behavior.

First, Thankyou for serving!!!


As far as age limit goes I think it may be a difference in Services. I was Air Force 20 yrs and think it has been 27 forever. My son also went thru the process a few years ago. The Army has always had a lot more slots to fill. I was also an Army DOD civilian for 7 yrs after my active duty service.

The reg I saw was similar to the one you posted. What you say about it being revealed after you are in is similar to the flying world. You get disqualified for flight school for just about any known condition. However if those show 2-3 years down the road, after they spent gobs of money training you, and you also showed you can do the job then they just give you your meds and keep flying.

 

[Tom]

They didn't know about it upon my entry but I am being looked at now for it and it has been made clear that it is not a deal breaker. If you read the descriptions under what is deemed to be disqualifying in my last post you will see that have the condition in itself is not a deal breaker, it's if it causes you impairment outside of what is considered to be acceptable for retention in the army if that makes sense.

It would be a great relief to me if the services openly welcomed HFA people, and you didn't have to go thru hiding or not dilema. But I am encouraged by what you say in that they seem to be taking a functional approach. In my time we didn't know, but we were there in some number. The military can actually be a good match job wise as the rules are so clear. And if its a special interest... well there you go (it was/is with me). And in my experience those I think were probably ASD were generally very diligent and hard workers, a bit more dedicated then the average bear. As far as stress, if you can make it thru Basic you are fine I think.

But hiding something has been done for a variety of reasons since there was a military. I hid things. I imagine a large percentage do. A young guy I know recently joined Marines and did not reveal he had metal pins in his ankle from a car injury. He was in awesome shape though and it never came up. I did wonder what he would say if by chance an x-ray revealed it. "Well I'll be damned! Now how did those get in there?"

 

[A BROUHAHA]

Army is 35, Navy is 34, Marines are 28, and Airforce is 39 presently, just FYI.

If it is something you really want to do and you can read the above and honestly say to yourself it has not impaired your ability to function as an adult then I would say go for it.

Also my area of interest is firearms, so it's quite convenient that I am a small arms repairman for the army. I'm like a kid in the candy store

 

[kris]

Mine is sewing and I've also managed to happily make a living out of it

I'm actually trying to pick a second interest because I feel like I need a hobby.. but nothing has really stuck yet.

 

[Structrix]

I haven't been able to enjoy my special interests much due to depression. I want to but once I start looking at them I find no joy. It's terrible when I feel like this because I feel so much better when I AM able to enjoy my special interests.