ADD, Deppression and WOFT

[ATallTopHat]

Hello all,

 

I am civilian about to graduate college in 2 semesters, after high school I originally attempted to join the army by SEP (simultainous enlistment program) but was rejected due to having been previously diagnosed with ADD and clinical deppression, I attempted getting a waiver, and my recruiter said I likely could, but apperantly I could only get one waiver or the other, not both.

 

My question is this: Do I have a shot at woft? When I called my local recruiter he seemed to think it was technically possible, and looking at army website it seems technically possible, as long as no meds or life disriptions.

 

He did not seem siked about it at all though, hes voice went from friendly to robotic, so I am unsure if i should undertake the process... I am also wondering if just enlistig normally then attempting woft from within army would help. The linguist program seems most interesting to me, plus I will be fairly fluent in korean upon university graduation.

 

Thanks for any info you can provide

[USCav19D]

Highly unlikely.

[MichaelRyanSD]

Where's there is a will, there is a way.

[Flying Pig]

Not always

[MichaelRyanSD]

Not always

True, but as said on here 100 times over, the only 100% NO, is not trying.

[Flying Pig]

Thats not the same thing as "where there is a will there is a way" Pick a statement and stick with it. I would imagine if the guy wants it bad enough nothing said here will deter him from trying. "where there is a will there is a way" is psycho babble nonsense.

Edited June 16, 2015 by Flying Pig

[Insights_STG]

Just go talk to your recruiter. If you want it bad enough, maybe its possible. No need to ask here. Good luck.

[Cantankerously]

I'm not advocating anything is this post at all. I had a very wise mentor tell me once.... do you have "x" problem or do you want to fly for the Army?

[TachedOutOffRoad]

Here's a fun read, AR 40-501

 

http://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/pdf/r40_501.pdf

 

you'll need lots of medical docs saying its all clear now. But Army docs are very, very stringent when looking at mental illnesses/disease/treatment ect.

 

you'll have to pass your regular MEPS physical and THEN your flight physical. I had a buddy get delayed at Rucker for months because they founds his ADD med records on his Tricare stuff from when he was a dependent under his dad. And this guy was already through WOCS and BOLC.

 

I always tried to shoot people straight while I was actually recruiting and now when I semi-recruit: it is very unlikely that you will get picked up with stated issues. You can/should try, but don't tell your mama that your going to fly Apaches just yet.

[mdeneso]

You will need to be off any medication for those for at least three years, must have past 5 years of medical records that state you no longer have depression or ADD. The ADD is easier to work with without needing a waiver but the depression will most likely need a waiver. Now these requirements are for enlistment into the Army not for a class 1A flight physical (which I am sure are a little more strict). Hope this helps.

[d10]

The moral of this story is never seek treatment for psychological issues.

[USCav19D]

The moral of this story is never seek treatment for psychological issues.

This is the best answer.

[Joe_P148]

This is kinda a double edge sword.

 

The way I see it, in today's world, kids are encouraged to seek ADD treatment and are diagnosed as depressed by clinical psychiatrists that are pushing meds and their agenda.

 

I'm not saying you personally didn't need it, I just feel society's dependency on meds is increasing.

 

On the other hand, The Army is very unforgiving in terms of past medical treatment. I myself have covered up some things when I applied for woft. The Army's stance on mental health issues is almost like don't ask don't tell. At least that's the way I saw it. Got a problem, seek help outside official channels for feel of reprisal.

 

The recent crash in the Swiss alps has she'd light on the ugly side of mental health and depression. In light of recent events, I'd say your chances of getting in our slimmer due to that.

 

That being said, you can do it. You're going to have to find a doc that is willing to clear you and assess your psychological health. If you have already told the Army about your past well, next time, don't feed them information unless they specifically ask most of us that are pilots could be disqualified medically for a slew of different medical deficiencies.

[UH60L-IP]

As general advice, once you are in (sorry original poster, I don't think you will ever be selected), be very discerning about what you disclose.

 

If you have marital issues, see a counselor at your church. If you have back pain, civilian chiropractors take cash and are fairly cheap. If you have headaches, take Excedrin. If you return from deployment, check "no" in all the boxes. The list goes on.

 

I know a pilot who is grounded right now because he said the Alabama air (during allergy season) was making it hard to breathe on a run. Months later he is still being evaluated for "asthma," which he does not have. Let me tell you, if you mow your lawn in SE Alabama during certain times of the year you won't be able to breathe for 2 days.

 

Nobody should tell you to not seek assistance for what ails you. But in full disclosure, you need to decide what is most important to you in terms of your career. People are grounded every day. It can be a career ender and in the minds of many that makes them feel worse than their original ailment.