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JumpingJackFlas
12-26-10, 02:00 PM
Hello everyone I am 15 years old and I am planning to join the Marines after getting out of VMI. I have asthma but this summer i ran a 5K in 23 minutes and did not have to use my inhaler. this is just one example of when I did not have to use, it not the only one. so my question is, can i join the marines in my current state? what should I be doing to prepare? i already several days a week and do push-ups and pulls ups every day. how much will my mild asthma effect joining?

Quinbo
12-26-10, 02:01 PM
Vmi??

Lisa 23
12-26-10, 02:04 PM
Vmi??

Virginia Military Institute

Quinbo
12-26-10, 02:21 PM
Virginia Military Institute

Ahhh humm LMAO. I know what VMI stands for. 15 years old and attending VMI?

SgtThrasher
12-26-10, 02:38 PM
Looks like this kid will likely grow out of asthma before he's old enough to start shaving and enlist,but a 15 years old @ VMI ! He should be cracking atoms @ MIT !

JumpingJackFlas
12-26-10, 02:38 PM
im not in VMI yet lol. but thats what im planning on doing. if that doesnt work im just going to enlist.

JumpingJackFlas
12-26-10, 02:39 PM
but my GPA is 3.9 and im trying for a scholarship to VMI

Lisa 23
12-26-10, 02:46 PM
Ahhh humm LMAO. I know what VMI stands for. 15 years old and attending VMI?

I knew you knew what it meant....just busting with ya...lol!

R Landry
12-26-10, 03:35 PM
From SGT Leprechaun:

Medical & Criminal Waivers...READ THIS FIRST
<hr style="color: rgb(181, 177, 177); background-color: rgb(181, 177, 177);" size="1"> <!-- / icon and title --> <!-- message --> I'm noticing a disturbing trend of late, and that is folks coming here and asking various and sundry medical questions most of which WE cannot answer, not being doctors. However, through long experience, perhaps this short tutorial will assist in the answering of questions, and avoid the seemingly constant questions of "I have.....can I?"

The 2nd part of this is to avoid adding yet another sticky to this thread, so I'm combining 'criminal' waivers as well. That will be in part 2 of the thread. If you are curious about 'criminal' issues, skip this and go to the next post.

First, and foremost, you may WANT to be a Marine/Recon/Infantryman etc etc with all your very being, your heart and soul, and it's been your dream since you were knee high to a grasshopper. Alas, all that 'want' and a dollar, will buy you a cup of coffee at the 7-11.

"Want" don't hump the pack in the Afghan Mountains, nor does it toil through the swamps and heat of Camp Lejeune. The Marine Corps needs FULLY FIT Marines, not Marines who need inhalors, have food allergies, or anything ELSE that would make them a liability to themselves, and others in wartime, or even in a peacetime training environment. Read that again, slowly....LIABILITY to OTHER MARINES and YOURSELF.

Conditions which won't even be considered include ANYTHING that has to do with breathing difficulties since age 13, (if you were prescribed an inhalor, had/have asthma, missing a lung, or any OTHER breathing issues...) you are disqualified. Confirm this with a recruiter, but plan on that being the answer. Now, you might very well run marathons, play football, never used the equipment, and so on and so forth, but if you were PRESCRIBED it, the law PRESUMES you USED it. Go blame your overprotective parents, society, teachers, or whomever. That's just the way it is, and the way the Marine Corps will view it. No amount of complaining, crying, begging, or pleading will change that fact. Seek career opportunities elsewhere.

Next on the list, Mental disorders. No offense, folks, but if you suffer from depression, manic depressive, schzio, ADHD, ADD, attempted suicide, spent time in a mental ward, institution, or padded room of any sort, AS DIAGNOSED BY A LICENSED PHYSICIAN/MEDICAL PROVIDER, you are disqualified from enlistment. IF you were prescribed medication for any/all of the above, you will need to be COMPLETELY MEDICATION FREE FOR A MINIMUM OF ONE YEAR, AND HAVE A DOCTORS CERTIFICATION STATING YOU NO LONGER HAVE THE CONDITION WHICH RESULTED IN THE MEDICATION BEING PRESCRIBED to be "Considered" for a waiver, which in all likelihood, will be disapproved. (The military as a whole is realizing that it has taken in too many people with prior diagnosed mental issues that have re-occurred....). Why in the WORLD you believe you could successfully handle the rigors of Recruit Training, not to mention heavy and sustained combat, multiple deployments, and close living in somewhat harmony with 100 of your closest "Friends" without making any or all of those conditions WORSE, and becoming a liability to YOURSELF AND FELLOW Marines, is beyond me. Trust me, it's hard enough on folks that don't start out with these issues, much less already having them. Seek other career paths.

Broken bones: If you suffered a normal broken bone and it healed normally, with no issues, a waiver will likely be granted. IF you had to have pins, parts, metal things, etc, added, your chances of a waiver are poor. Still, YOU should contact a recruiter.

Taking medication of ANY kind, as prescribed by a LICENSED PHYSICIAN. You can't take it to recruit training. Disqualifed. See a recruiter for specific details. The one year rule may or may not apply.

Major surgeries: If you were born with missing parts (kidneys, testicles, etc etc) you are disqualified. If you had parts removed, including fingers, kidneys, testicles, breasts, etc, for any reason, you are disqualified. See a recruiter for fingertips, toes, toenails, or very MINOR things like that, including hernias getting fixed.

Scoliosis, diseases of the spine. Disqualified. Period.

Blood diseases: Generally disqualifed.


So, that's about it. Take it as a "General rule of thumb" that if you are NOT in good health NOW, the military is really not interested in you. Perhaps you've been told otherwise, or believed it to be so, but I'm afraid that answer is incorrect.

I'll leave this one open for a bit for comments FROM MARINES OR DOCS DIRECTLY RELATING TO THE ABOVE. Poolee/Friend/wannabee commentary will be deleted and the offender will get a 7 day extraction for failing to follow simple instructions.

Sgt Leprechaun
12-26-10, 11:41 PM
Re-read that, lad. Asthma after age 13 is almost always always always a 'DQ'.

Sheila Hays
12-29-10, 01:26 PM
My grandson only had one asthma attack when he was ten. None since, he is now 22 yrs. old. He was 19 yrs old when he tried to join the Marines. He had high scores on his tests, but he was rejected. JUST BECAUSE OF ONE EPISODE!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is now in the Army, he always wanted to be a Marine. He is on his second tour in Iraq, he is a tanker.
The Marines lost out on a young man who wanted to be one of theirs. Semper Fi Sheila Hays

Agent Johnson
12-29-10, 02:57 PM
You will most likely be denied from any service unless you can prove through breathing test/get a private doctor and meps doctor to say there is no indication that there is any form of breathing issues.

Now finding a recruiter to spend the time on you will be even harder, they are looking for quality recruits who are ready to ship they don't need to find people who want to join they need to find qualified people who want to join. Maybe if we get in another war or there's a huge push somewhere they will go back to the standards they used to have but don't count on it. You should plan on hearing, no. Meps doctors ask you if you have asthma like literally 4 four times throughout your physical and thats one of the easiest things to find out you lied about if you have an episode while in the service. But on that note, there are alot of things that are fine to "forget" to tell the meps people but a condition that could kill you is not one of those things.