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Air force and Adhd. Can I qualify?

I'm 18 and about to talk to an recruiter. The doctors, when I was real young, said I had "Adhd" but I don't believe it. I've functioned and concentrated harder than most of anyone in my classes. Anyway, I haven't been on those meds for like 5+ years. Even when I did take them, they were not for long, because the medicine always made me sick. I really want to join the USAF as an Security Forces Specialist. Good answers please. God Bless.

Update:

My adhd is not debilitating. Like I said, I function alot better than the potsmoking, party-goer, teens my age. You wouldn't know I had it by looking at me or even if you watched me all day.

4 Answers

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  • ?
    Lv 7
    8 years ago
    Favourite answer

    We know what ADHD is. And so do doctors. Military doctors too. So, keep the ADHD to yourself. Don't even mention it. If you do, it's goodbye enlistment. And once it's goodbye enlistment, it's a matter of record and every other branch of service will have access to that record. Since you were diagnosed when you were a kid, that means that the record of it might not exist any longer. The services do a background check on you (both civil and medical). And those background checks are partially based upon what you tell them. So keep your mouth closed about the ADHD. They might not even discover it. In the event that military doctors do see an existing record and question you about it, your answer is simple, "you know, I've forgotten all about that thing > when I was a kid, my mom had me tested and they gave me some medicine. The medicine got me very sick and my mom threw the medicine away and we never went back to that place." That's your only answer. With a little luck and good school and civil records, you might get away with the whole thing. Good Luck.

  • Anonymous
    8 years ago

    If you were officially diagnosed and put on medication, you won't qualify for Security Forces. I'm sorry. Usually if you did have a history of good functioning off medication, they would allow it, but there are several conditions such as ADHD that if you were diagnosed, you can't join, no matter how well you have functioned.

    EDIT: You can always conceal it from them, but that is risky. But consider how debilitating your ADHD is. You will be endangering the life of your fellow airmen if you can't function and use weapons proficiently under extreme stress. However if you are sure you can work well, and that they won't find out, try it.

  • 8 years ago

    I got 'diagnosed' with ADHD. I didn't tell anyone and I got into the army. As long as it isn't debilitating and you can still function, the less they know the better.

  • Anonymous
    8 years ago

    If you tell them you were diagnosed with ADHD, you'll be shown the door.

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