Question

[jc091393]

Hello Marines! I had a question about my supposed asthma. Now I know this has been covered many times but none of the posts I've searched seem to completely answer my question. I've always been told I have asthma by the doctor but I've never had an asthma attack nor has it ever impeded me from playing football,running a 5k,etc. I told the local navy recruiter who came to our school(Marine one still hasn't come) and he said I shouldn't worry about it. I don't know though because I'm wondering that if when the time comes when I have to say if I have asthma or not If I say no and something happens later on down the road It'll be fraudulent enlistment but If I were to say yes it might disqualify me :( Being a Marine has been the only thing I've ever wanted to do,I want to follow in my uncle's foot steps. So my question is, what can I do right now (I'm 16) to prove i don't have asthma? If i get a note from the doctor which says my asthma was a misdiagnosis would I still have to get a waiver? Thanks in advance for the replies Marines

[Failuredrill]

Hmmm, tough situation. If you have been diagnosed with Asthma it doesn't matter if it has never affected you, (I am not a recruiter btw) but I am 100% sure that you can't enlist if you have asthma. The worst possible thing you could do is lie about it because like you said, you could face some pretty terrible consequences not to mention like you said, if something does happen down the road just think of the situation that it could cause for you and the Marines around you. If you somehow managed to get through everything and your asthma decides to flare up in a combat zone in the middle of a firefight, that would be a very bad situation for everybody. I am sorry if this comes off as harsh or anything but it is the truth. That being said, I am not positive if say you go back in for testing and are found to actually not have asthma (I know that there are at least 3 different tests to confirm it), then I would think that you would probably be alright but again, you need to talk to an actual recruiter. I wouldn't give up hope, you really need to talk to a recruiter and then most likely go get some tests done. Talk to a recruiter.

[commdog7]

Chesty Puller had asthma, but times have changed. <br />
<br />
I think asthma is a disqualifier when it comes to enlisting, but I'm not positive. It might depend on the severity of it. Anyways, you can talk...

[jc091393]

Thanks Marines! I asked my Mom if she could take me to a pulmonologist to take the breathing test and she said she would.I can't wait to go! If all goes well I should be enlisting next September right after my seventeenth birthday!