Getting into the military with Aspergers

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VladimierNorton
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01 May 2017, 12:45 am

I want to get into the military. I have aspergers. Do I have any hope or is it a pipedream that I should stop following.



BetwixtBetween
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01 May 2017, 2:38 pm

Ask a recruiter.

They will know what your branch of choice wants/needs in applicants, and what exceptions they are willing to make to meet those wants/needs. That being said, ask if they could put you in touch with someone who does what you want to do. Ask that person about the realities of training and military life- not just the routines and the rules, but about being exposed to gas, OC spray, etc. Ask about their worst training day. Ask about PT.



Nav_Aspie
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01 May 2017, 9:09 pm

Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): If it's something that you are passionate about it, I'd say go ahead and do it.

Force the recruiters to tell you no.

The official DoD instruction on the matter says "no" to diagnosed developmental "disorders". That being said... EVERYTHING in the DoD can be waived by the right person for the right reason if you scream loud enough. There's no law that prohibits somebody with Aspergers/Autism from serving, it's just a question of it makes sense or not. Google the phrase "DoDINST 6130.03" to find the POLICY that discusses what medical/psychiatric/neurological/dental conditions are allowed. I highlight the term "policy" to distinguish from "law". Policy can be waived... in fact, DoDINST 6130.03 even discusses waivers a bit on page 2. Keep in mind, that if you are told 'no', then (hopefully) it's for a good reason. If somebody's Aspergers/Autism were debilitating to a point that required constant care/attention, then they'd likely have a very miserable time in the military. Not saying that yours is or isn't, but just keep an open mind on that point.

I would guess (without knowing for sure) that the probability of getting a waiver is proportional to the degree in which Aspergers is perceived as possibly preventing you from doing your job (or helping you do it better).

I can well imagine that the recruiters would be willing to help you acquire the necessary waivers if your ASVAB score was high enough. In some communities within the Navy (i.e. nuclear propulsion, cryptology, communications, maybe even SOF or EOD), I sometimes think that having Aspergers is the norm rather than the exception. Don't believe me? Google "Hyman G. Rickover". While he was never formally diagnosed, skip to the section on "Controversy" and tell me that doesn't sound a bit like an Aspie. If you have college aspirations, consider that there are officer programs that might help you pay for college (or even pay you to go to college).

Have been in the Navy now for over 16 years and counting. Never was formally diagnosed, but I score pretty high on a lot of the online tests and the more I read about Aspergers, the more I said "Holy Crap!! ! That's me!! !! !" The more I read on this forum, the more I identify with the people posting here. Personally, I think there are a lot of very positive up-sides that have enabled my success (assuming I'm an Aspie... my wife swears that I am). Eating the same crappy food every day doesn't get me down... I like the routine. Intense focus is a huge bonus. Actually having a rule for every occasion is another win for me. I love having a structured routine. Being very literal is also a win... I tend to see things as they are, not as the group-think-mentality would like them to be. Thinking about things differently has enabled me to come up with innovative solutions to difficult problems.

It's not all sunshine and puppy-dogs. There are some obvious downsides associated with working in tight quarters with a lot of NT folks. There are some downsides to being in the military. Some I think are felt more acutely by Aspie types, but honestly... some are felt more acutely by NT types as well. Each situation is unique.

If you're passionate about it... the I say go for it! Force them to turn you away. Uncle Sam needs good people in all branches of service. That being said, if you're undiagnosed, I wouldn't volunteer your suspicion. If you *ARE* diagnosed, then be sure to tell the truth when you're filling out the forms. If you were to lie and get in, then you'd be running afoul of the Uniformed Code of Military Justice (False enlistment) if it later came to light that you had Aspergers, knew it, and lied on a form. That whole "integrity" thing is really important in the military. That's something I think Aspie types excel at?

Hope that helps.

(The opinions presented in this post are the personal opinions of the author and in no way represent the official policies of the US Government, Department of Defense or the Department of the Navy)



Nav_Aspie
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02 May 2017, 2:16 pm

By the way... my apologies to anyone not from the US. That was an incredibly US-centric reply as I implicitly assumed we were talking about the US military. Can't speak at all to policies in other countries, however I'd say that the logic of "force them to tell you no" and "make sure you understand what you're getting in to" holds true in any situation.



JoeNavy
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04 May 2017, 12:15 pm

If you do go in, try to get a more technical field if that is your purview. Some military ratings/MOS require more people skills and customer service than others, and you won't get very far if you cannot think on your feet and learn to lead others. I was only a mediocre (at best) supervisor, but a good technician (and later discovered) excellent tactician which while not gaining me enormous accolades and back-slapping, kept me at least fairly competitive. My rating also allowed me to switch jobs on a fairly regular basis, which helped to keep me from stagnating, as I also likely have a dyspraxia comorbidity which manifests itself in a poor working memory resulting in difficulty performing more complex procedures and tasks. My only regret was not really having the leadership acumen and people skills to make a serious push to make CPO or LDO. Made board nine times but was not selected.

Nav_Aspie - What's your rating? I retired 5 years ago as an STG after converting from MM. When I enlisted, the Asperger's diagnosis didn't exist as it did not make an appearance until the DSM-IV in 1994. I was medically dropped from Sub School for an undefined, previously undiagnosed, personality disorder (shortly after being a Nuclear Field Academic Drop when it was still in Orlando) but as it did not interfere with my duties, they didn't pursue it further, or they could have discharged me. It wasn't until my son was diagnosed with autism, (after which my wife began to suspect that I was on the spectrum) that I began to learn anything about it. Had an epiphany last year and then was asked by my wife how I could be so dense...


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Your neurodiverse (Aspie) score: 153 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 60 of 200
You are very likely neurodiverse (Aspie)


HisShadowX
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04 May 2017, 5:14 pm

VladimierNorton wrote:
I want to get into the military. I have aspergers. Do I have any hope or is it a pipedream that I should stop following.



What country do you live in and are you diagnosised?

If your a self diangosiser then that doesn't really count anywhere so you should be good if that's the case



shortfatbalduglyman
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05 May 2017, 11:17 pm

:jester: just ramblings from a civilian. feel free to ignore: :jester:
(statements could be factually inaccurate, outdated, or otherwise unjustified)

since I was underage, I have been obsessed with all things military. at the end of sophomore year undergrad, I wanted to dropout and enlist in the Air Force. however, I was too cowardly to do so. likewise my precious little "parents" wanted and expected me to get at least a BA/BS. (Chinese stereotype). they did not want me in the military. they did not want me in the united states military.

since then, I have continued being preoccupied with the military. Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines. enlisted, officer. officer training school, ROTC, direct commission, DEP. and I have read a lot of forums about the military.

the military seems like it is so meaningful. like it has a purpose.

but, of course, that is just the perspective of a civilian, that has never been and will never be in the military.

anyone can label anything meaningful or meaningless. every job, civilian or military, has some sort of purpose. and what is a good purpose and bad purpose is subjective anyways.

besides, the military has a wide variety of jobs. not just infantry. Shower/Laundry and Clothing Repair Specialist. Food Service. enlisted ranks contain some jobs that do not have specific civilian counterparts. for example, Artillery, Combat Engineer.





you need to do a lot of research.

if you lie at MEPS, then they could court martial you for Fraudulent Enlistment. some articles claim that Fraudulent Enlistment has a penalty of sacrificing previously earned pay, and getting sent to the brig.

according to what I read, once someone signs the enlistment contract, they can't just get out of it. it takes longer to leave the military base through outprocessing, than it takes to graduate Army Boot Camp.

quite frankly, the real reason why I did not join the military was b/c I am afraid of getting raped. there are plenty of articles about rape in the military. while that happens in the civilian world too, in the military, more of a hierarchy. someone with authority could easily misuse it to do something illegal and get away with it. likewise, in the military, according to some articles, soldiers/sailors/airmen/Marines below a certain rank must live on base. when they live on base, they can be woken up in the middle of the night and ordered to do their job. when they live on base, the barracks are crowded. there is only so much privacy. some articles claim that in the military, they only have time to go to the head after lights out. moreover, you can only choose the first two out of four digits of your MOS. and there is no guaranteed you will get that MOS. the needs of the military come first. in the military, there are no laws that specify how many hours a supervisor can make a soldier/sailor/airman/Marine work. some jobs regularly work 24 hour shifts.

in the military, there is an entirely separate judicial system. some things that are legal in the civilian world are illegal in the military. in the military, for example, it is illegal to be late to work. after reading all those articles, it just seemed that every slightest thing that any higher ranking professional did not like, could pretty much be labelled as bad/wrong. and the punishments seemed grossly out of proportion to the crime. just my perception, but I would find it hard to get use to. having to be perfect, lest dire punishment. getting fined monetarily for ever slightest thing.

having to fulfill the Initial Strength Test, physical fitness standards, Combat Fitness Test.

getting sleep deprived.

also, having to live in close quarters with a bunch of soldiers/sailors/Airmen, sounds like it is easy to get pretty physically sick.

they only have a couple minutes to eat each meal. according to articles, it says that that is not enough time to eat slowly. and that some of them develop or maintain unhealthful eating habits as an indirect result.

and then there's getting severely punished for something someone else in the platoon allegedly did.

likewise, plenty of injuries, post traumatic stress disorders.

veterans face more challenges than civilians. veterans that did not get the honorable discharge (and that could be for a lot of good reasons), do not get the GI Bill or veterans benefits. according to articles, the percent of veterans that have problems with unemployment, drugs, homelessness, and mental illness, is higher than the percent of civilians with those problems. furthermore, some civilian employers have misconceptions about veterans, and are reluctant to hire them. (discrimination).

after you sign the contract, the military has the legal right to change the terms of the contract.


that is just from articles that i have read. but they only apply in the united states. those articles could be factually incorrect or outdated. and I am just a civilian. I might be partly or completely wrong.

but, even if I am completely wrong, you need to do a lot of research. familiarize yourself with the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

joining the military seems like a much bigger commitment than just getting a civilian job.

______________________________________________________________________

if you want to serve the country, and the MEPS disqualifies you. or if you choose not to join the military, you can still serve the country as a civil servant. civilian working for the military. public schoolteacher. mailman. border patrol. firefighter. police officer. fbi. cia. irs.


___________________________________________________________________________________________

having said that, it is also correct that the united states and the rest of the world contains plenty of Aspies. some articles claim 1% of the united states is on the autism spectrum. some articles claim 1% of the united states is in the military. including the reserves.

so, there have to be plenty of Aspies in the military.

and plenty of autistics are academically smarter, more emotionally resilient, and more socially adept than me.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

please thoroughly research before signing a contract. the military has marketing propaganda to make it easier to lure someone to sign the enlistment contract. read the marketing materials from the military, but take in perspectives from other sources too.


:idea:



ka5s
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06 May 2018, 10:01 am

Abused, undiagnosed, quite bright but still getting predominantly poor grades in school and with no way out but out, I ran away from home in the early 1960's after a "last straw" incident.

The Draft was still accessing our population of young men to meet the requirements of the Cold War, and a recruiter believed (maybe) my lies about name, age and travel; it was six months later -- after I'd turned 18 -- that a phone call to a girl I liked at HS resulted in a leak to my parents, who showed up with my brother and sister at Fort Riley. It was an emotional afternoon, but the result was that we submitted my enlistment to the Board of Corrections for Military Records, and I would have a 21 year career in US Army communications and avionics.

Looking around the Web, it seems that the military for some time required exemptions of those of us on the spectrum to enlist, but it appears now that they now take high-functioning recruits who can adapt to military discipline and accept training. I could do both, but years of parental abuse had left me a troubled young man who would not now be enlisted, except that the Draft wasn't then seeing enough bright and talented soldiers.

Young men must still register for the Draft, but conscription was ended long ago and the apparatus to make it work would take quite a while to rebuild, cost millions of dollars, and upset military budgets already stressed by inflation, politics and too many deployments funded taking money from from R&D, maintenance and training budgets.

And it's recently been reported that 70 percent of those who apply for enlistment aren't being accepted. See the Military Officer's Association of America Feb 05, 2018 article, "How the Military Recruits when 70% of Americans Can’t Serve".

Show autism is having little effect on performance and working with others; pass the ASVAB tests (demonstrating intelligence), have a HS education, and it's likely even a diagnosed ASD can be accepted.

Good luck!



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07 May 2018, 4:10 pm

VladimierNorton wrote:
I want to get into the military. I have aspergers. Do I have any hope or is it a pipedream that I should stop following.


IDK, I suppose it depends somewhat on why exactly you want to sign your life away to the military. I mean sure if all goes well and you don't get injured physically or develop something like PTSD then perhaps it will work out. But more often then not veterens who return maimed weather physically or mentally end up homeless or near homeless and are left to fall through the cracks...not well taken care of for serving their country.

Basically I hope you consider what you could be getting yourself into, and if its worth all the risks to you than I say go for it. I suspect in the right circumstances aspergers would not bar you from serving if that is really what you want to do.


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Nira
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08 May 2018, 3:30 am

I'd be afraid of bullying in army.


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