Anyone currently serving or has served in the military?

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I served in the Navy (Never again vol. yourself). I found it very difficult to deal with the sleeping conditions onboard my ship. In berthing there is always someone moving around that added to the natural sounds of a operating ship you soon learn there is no "quite" place to retreat to if you get overstimulated.
I love the sea but shipboard life does not give you much chance to enjoy the open ocean. You will work a 8-10 hr work day then you will have a watch to stand that is another 8 hrs. during the remaining 6-8 hours of the day you will have to eat sleep shower(if not on water restrictions) and study for your next rate exam and your professional tests. This happens 7 days a week while you are at sea.
The services are not designed to accomadate the individual. They are designed to force you to bond with the people around you and to form you into a cohesive team. NT's are naturally wired to bond with each other we are not. Your failure to fit in during boot camp will fustrate both you and your company commanders. Your fustration is irelivant only your company commanders frustration counts. Thier frustration will result in instruction for you and your entire company and the company comanders will be sure to let everyone know that you are to thank for this instruction.
Carefully consider your reasons for wanting to join the services if it is only to see the sea and get your education paid for they I suggest that you find another way to accomplish your goals.
If you must join the services then seriously consider the Coast Guard it is not any easier than the Navy but you most likely will not be stuck on a ship for months at a time .

I was in the U.S. Air National Guard for 6 yrs, though no one knew that I had Asperger's... no one asked so I didn't tell. (So goes the standard practice.) If you pass basic training and tech school, they won't likely kick you out just for having Asperger's either... they can't afford the loss of manpower or the money they invested in training you, especially in light of the state the military is in these days. I would actually suggest going into the guard first (for so many reasons I can't explain here that would benifit persons such as have AS), then transferring asap after your tech school to active duty if that is were you really want to go. At any rate, Asperger's is considered more similar to a learning disability for the purposes of military duty and since you have to pass the ASVAB to get in, there is no question about your "trainability". Also, if you serve your initial enlistment without any problems, they can't legally deny you from reenlisting even if you tell them flat out that you have asperger's because you proved you were able to do it the first time around. In conclusion, the military isn't for social butterflies. In fact, you'd be better off being a technical, literal, non-imaginative workaholic. I had some comunication and authority problems, but none so severe that they tainted my record in any way. I just received an honorable discharge a couple months back and will be enlisting again in a couple more years after I finish my degree. (btw, if you enlist directly into the guard, you get to pick your job, not so with active duty... but once you're trained through the guard, you can transfer to active duty into the same job.)

Keeping with the "don't ask, don't tell" theme here -- as far as AS, anyway! If you don't have it officially documented in some doc's office, then don't mention it!!

Navy is by far the MOST difficult to get into. They are way more particular about who gets in, who can use what waivers, and so forth. I don't think they allow GED's anymore, either.

Army is a lot more relaxed on that. I went Army in '98; didn't know about AS at the time. I didn't complete bootcamp, but that is due to 2 vision problems I have (lazy-eye and cataracts) -- which made it difficult to pass the rifle qualifications.

Army chaplains don't carry anything besides maybe a 9mm. Chaplain assistants on the other hand, have the M16s and the added responsibility of protecting the Chaplain's life.

If you go Army, try to get Fort Jackson for basic training; that way you're already at the base when you graduate and have less stress in preparing for advanced training. (Chaplain school is at Jackson.)

I can understand a desire to serve our country. I can understand a desire to challenge yourself and see what you can accomplish. In these areas, I believe it could be beneficial to you. I only state my own experiences and do not wish to make your mind for you. I will say this, make sure you take your time in making this decision and by no means let anyone pressure you into signing a contract. They dont have the right to make you feel OBLIGATED to fulfill any agreement other than a written one. Always remember that if things dont seem to be working out, there IS a way out. There ARE people who have been in your situation and have made it out and on with thier life. I am currently in the process of getting out. It is a long road but it is worthwhile in my case. I am happy that I gave my best effort to serve my country. I only wish I would have had more information before I took the dive into the abyss known as military life.

I am a diagnosed Aspie and I'm in the Air Force ... as soon as they discovered my condition ... which I was not able to hide any longer due to anxiety issues ... I was informed that I would be sent before a medical review board. I will go through the process of being diagnosed ... again ... and if they determine that I in fact do have Asperger's, I will be medically discharged ... if they find that I'm mearly excruciatingly wierd ... I'll simply receive some sort of treatment and be allowed to finnish out my enlistment.

the thing is ... none of the branches accept individuals with any PDD... even (especially) in the clergy (not to mention toeven begin the process of becoming a Chaplain you have to have a BS or BA AND be accepted to a seminary to complete your MDiv AND be endorsed by a denomination.

the military is really not the place for an individual with PDD especially if there are sensory issues ... in time of peace is one thing ... but in time of war is a completely different story ... routine etc is completely out of your hands at that point as you are always on alert whyle deployed and anything could happen at any time.

Chaplains are not issued any sort of weapons (against the geneve conventions) that is why there are chaplain's assistants ... they do the shooting for the chaplain. the chaplain's role in the military is 25% religious and 75% other such as counselor etc ... and chaplains have their hands tied due to political correctness junk ... on some posts the chaplain can't pray in the name of Jesus even during his own services!

one last point ... I was diagnosed after I enlisted (in fact 2 of my sons were diagnosed with autism after I enlisted) ...all of the branches have "core values" and one of the core values in some manner of each branch is INTEGRITY ... if you believe you have AS wether it is diagnosed or not ... there will be plenty of opportunities for you to tell them (if you answere their questions honestly) the first of these opportunities being MEPS ... and if you do not reveal your diagnosis or concern... and something happened to you or someone else ... you'd have it on your consious at the least ... but if someone were to find out that you had this concern/diagnosis prior to enterring the military and that you chose not to reveal it ... you would be charged with fed felony perjury and fraud in addition to a large number of other things they make you sign like your 3rd day of basic trining.

well sorry to be so discouraging ... but this is a subject that I'm passionate about as I've internalized the AF core values and will continue to adhere to them even when I'm no longer a serving Airman ... Integrity first ::: Service before self ::: excellence in all you do.

Welcome to Wrong Planet! Do you get to fly planes?

Thanks!

No ... it's kind of ironic ... in the Air Force and don't like flying... so no I don't fly. I picked the Air Force because, even though I wasn't diagnosed, I knew I was stress/anxiety prone and the AF offered me a job that I thought I could handle. I am a network administrator and Workgroup Manager ... I kept all the computers in the Squadron running in addition to making sure that everyone was up to speed with their security requirements... the job itself I loved but the seperation anxiety whenever I had to go anywhere was terrible ... I went from being able to sleep on command to getting less than 8 hrs of sleep each week whenever I'm seperated from my family ... no sleep = no controll eventually... then I'd start having problems when ppl would enter my personal space etc... I've found that a lot of Mil personnel have a habbit of talking loud and close (close being within 12 inches of my face).

Thanks for the welcome and I hope I've shared something useful in my experiences ... if not disregard

X

I am in Air Force ROTC and I asked the cadre (hypothetically) what would prevent access into the Air Force. DEPRESSION disqualifies you. The military does not accept mental "abnormalities". If you feel like you can mask it and this is what you really want, do it. I understand most of the psychological restrictions but some just don't make sense. I have a lot of social/sensory difficulties, trouble interpreting some things, but I am one of the smartest people in my wing and have been told by my commander that I'm one of the best cadets (granted, this was before I dropped out due to doubts about my ability to handle and came back in after realizing this is what I want to do and I'm good at it). I think the trouble with Autistic spectrum (in particular) is that unit cohesion is a big deal...they want to know you'd take a bullet for your fellow airman/soldier/whoever. I would in an instant (even though I barely get along with any of them), but that is difficult to explain to the military. If you think you can do it, do.

Do not hide anything ... if you can mask "symptoms", mask them ... but if you have a DX ... you must disclose it or you could end up in trouble. If you disclose a DX and get a waiver ... you are good to go...


.X.

Judging from the experience of a lot of people here with asperger's who have joined the military I would say that you may want to think long and hard before making that decision.

I served in the Navy for 8 1/2 years and was honorably separated. (Downsizing/higher tenure) I did struggle quite a bit but persevered and rose above in a lot of situations. I never understood the politics though. I just couldn't play them and that may have been what held me back. The whole social aspect of it.

I spent a short amount of time on a ship because I ended up having a baby. It was a living hell to say the least. I never adjusted but I did only spend 5 months on the ship.

I still believe joining the Navy has been the best decision I made and I am currently using my GI bill to go to college.

The good things about the military are structure, people telling you what to do and how to do it(if your lucky), the uniform (you don't have to decide what to wear, the experience and benefits, the pride and accomplishment, and you will most definitely be forced to learn some social skills. You also have many endless opportunities academically.

The bad things are unusual hours, people telling you what to do and when to do it, high social expectations as you make rank, ship life can be a real challenge (this can also be good), inconstant hours if it is war time, mis-interpreting orders by your higher-ups. (I was always getting in trouble for this), and melt downs can land you in the psych ward in a second.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

ps: If I had the oppurtunity I would probably go back in.

I served in the Air Force but worked in a Joint intel environment with mostly Navy guys. I didn't know about AS when I was in, so I never had to cover up a "disability" -- I just had to hide the fact that I was a bit off (but everyone knew already).

Two quick points: the Chaplain corps in all services is predominately comprised of officers. If you don't have a college degree, you're not going to be an officer (which also means that your not going to be a chaplain). They have a few numbers of enlisted postions that work with the Chaplains but the prospects of getting one of those positions are incredibly slim because the demand is so low.

Also, the work is primarily administrative support, so it's not like your going to spend your time praying for your fellow seamen. In fact, Chaplains in the services to more psychological work and therapy than, say, performing church services.

So, despite having a desire to serve, the thing you need to keep in mind is that the military has needs for specific skills. So, unless you ace the ASVAB (which will allow you to pick from a broader range of career choices) what you'll end up doing will be whatever they have a need for the moment after your sworn in. For most seamen, that means maintenance, supply, and paperwork.

I am currently on my way out of the Air Force, partly because of my AS and partly because of force-shaping. Depending on your strengths and weaknesses, you may be successful and tolerated within the medical community or some other very specialized community in high demand, but in general it will be a struggle. No one so far has mentioned being an officer, but I can tell you that now that I have resigned from medical school and will no longer be a doctor, there is no tolerance for an officer who has difficulty with social integration and nonverbal communication. I wish I could be enlisted so I could just be "told what to do," or so I could go into linguistics or IT, but being busted to enlisted rank is a violation of my contract, so I can not do that either. Hence, I am on my way out. I cannot imagine how an Aspie could be successful as an actual line officer. As an officer who really isn't one, like a doctor, nurse, etc, perhaps, but not in a command position. Even being a sergeant (E-5) strikes me as difficult for most of those who have already posted.

Our talents are not being utilized with the current system. However, you can't change the system unless you are high up in the system, and you can't get high up in the system unless you are an NT like the ones who currently run the system.

Where is the Aspy Corps of Engineers? The Aspy Strategy and Tactics ThinkTank? The Aspy Efficiency and Streamlining Group? The Aspy Deep Recon Solo Ops and Solitary Listening Posts Command? We could do a lot to improve the efficiency, audacity, and success of the military, but mostly we will be excluded.

I've seen my fair share of officers that couldn't communicate their way out of a paper bag. I think some of them get commissioned because they see it as a hurdle to overcome -- like people who skydive as a way to cure their fear of heights. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. I do think that the promotion system is communication-dependent, however. So you can only get so far without figuring out a successful adaptive strategy.

Also, for officer positions that would support aspies: 61S and 62E.