“Son, I know you want to serve your country like Dad does, but you may not be able to…I’m so sorry.”
This is the conversation I may be forced to have with my 16 year old son. Since he was nine years old, he’s wanted to serve his country, just like his Dad. Our “baby boy” stands 6 feet tall and weighs 200 pounds. He’s played tackle football since he was 6, brings home pretty decent grades and serves in his school’s JROTC unit. He’s motivated, smart and decided long ago to continue the family tradition of military service.
But he also happens to have ADHD.
The Problem
Multiple military and civilian publications have recently been highlighting significant issues regarding military recruitment and retention efforts.
Currently, 71 percent of American citizens between the ages of 17-24 are not able to meet the minimum requirements and criteria necessary to serve in the military. The aptly named “warrior caste” – which include those with family ties to the military – fall within that statistic as well. Nearly 80 percent of recruits pursuing a military career come from families who have served our country generation after generation…but the all-volunteer force may not be able to sustain that for long.
The pool of potential post-9/11 generation recruits is about to get even smaller.
MEPS, Military Kids, Mental Health and the Military Health System
When our military members serve their country, they are not alone: WE SERVE TOO…and that includes our military kids.
Their lives are full of constant change. They will typically attend 6-9 schools in their K-12 years and on average move three times more often than their civilian peers. In addition to being the perpetual “new kid” every few years, they are simultaneously dealing with their parent’s deployments, inconsistent education standards and coping with the normal roller-coaster of being a kid. As a result, our military-connected children sometimes need additional mental health services to help them cope with living the military life.
We all know that seeking help is encouraged by everyone who understands the military community, to include the Department of Defense. So we do as good parents do and get our kids the help they need to cope and thrive. Little do we know, however, that getting them help could potentially compromise their entire future.
If a young civilian with ADHD who does not require medication were to go to a military entrance processing station (MEPS) to complete the medical evaluation required to join the Army, they would fill out some forms and answer the doctor’s questions. Unless the examination revealed a disqualifying factor or the young civilian disclosed his or her ADHD, the physician would be none the wiser and wouldn’t need to request previous medical records. Once processed, the young civilian is proceed into the Army’s system.
My son, who’s been a military kid his WHOLE LIFE, would go through the exact same process. EXCEPT: Once he’s entered into the Army system, his dependent medical records would be merged with his new service record and he could be barred from serving. While my son does still ‘have’ ADHD, he hasn’t taken medication for it in over 5 years. That is usually the defining factor, so he most likely wouldn’t bother disclosing it. However, once the Army takes a gander at his medical records, they may have another idea about how it should go down.
So why the two standards? And what about other military families who have NO IDEA that seeking behavioral health for their kids, for ANY REASON, could result in ending their multi-generational family tradition to serve and protect their country?
YES. It is important to maintain high standards to ensure a highly qualified, lethal and ready fighting force. But if a military child is diagnosed with depression when they’re 10 years old because of their parent’s multiple deployments or multiple PCS moves, why should they be penalized 8 years later? Why would they be punished for learning the necessary skills through counseling in order to cope with military life?
And while I recognized that medical and mental health waivers do exist, it still doesn’t change the fact that the recruitment policy is not the same for kids who aren’t affiliated with the military. There is already a big enough divide between the military and civilian communities…this just creates an even bigger divide that leaves our future warrior-caste out to dry in many cases.
It is OUR responsibility as parents to oversee the physical and mental health of our military kids. But it is our children’s PROVIDERS and the MILITARY HEALTH SYSTEM’s responsibility to keep us informed about the potential consequences of treatment AND to keep accurate medical records for our families.
BOTTOM LINE: The military’s medical and mental health system could use a little oversight. DoD should begin looking there first to ensure the future ready, lethal and WILLING force doesn’t fall through the cracks today.
Signed,
A (Hopeful) Future Military Mama