Navy Policy On Diabetes In 2020
According to the Diabetes Handbook for Active Duty Service Members, the Navy mentions that six out of every 1,000 service members lives with diabetes.
However, it goes on to address that diabetes will have an impact on your military career.
Consequently, the Navy treats diabetes similar to other military branches.
It is hesitant to approve new enlistees without a careful medical review beforehand.
Yet it has learned to become more tolerant of active duty members diagnosed with the disease after the fact.
Though the Navy manual mentions that diabetes will limit your options for deployment, it does not necessarily state that the medical condition is not allowed, no exceptions asked.
There is the possibility to submit medical waivers regarding the disease in the Navy, along with every other branch of the U.S. Military.
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Sample Medical Conditions That Might Stop Or Delay Me Joining
Gastrointestinal problems:
- Chronic abdominal diseases like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
- Significant history of dyspepsia.
- History of kidney problems such as malfunction of a kidney or kidney stones.
- Recurrent renal colic.
- Structural abnormalities of the spine and spinal cord.
- History of chronic or recurrent back pain.
Blood diseases:
- Disorders resulting in abnormal coagulation.
Bone or joint problems:
- Knee injuries and chronic knee pain.
- History of bone fractures.
- Shoulder problems resulting in functional limitations or restrictions of movement.
- Loss of a limb.
- Chronic joint diseases such as ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or gout.
- Hypermobility syndrome.
- Symptomatic or medication-suppressed abnormal heart rhythms.
- Cardiomyopathy.
- Asthma .
- Chronic lung disease such as emphysema, bronchiectasis or cystic fibrosis.
- Tuberculosis.
- Current perforation of ear drum.
- Chronic ear diseases like cholesteatoma.
- Presence of eardrum ‘grommets’.
- Chronic eye conditions such as glaucoma, keratoconus and retinitis pigmentosa.
- Damage to the eyelids affecting vision.
- Chronic conjunctivitis.
- Reduction of corrected vision in one eye below army entry standards.
- Diplopia.
- History of head injury with neurological sequalae.
- Migraines.
- History of deliberate self-harm or suicide attempts.
Skin problems:
- An active skin disease like severe eczema or widespread psoriasis.
Other conditions:
Diabetes And The Military
If you have pre-diabetes, Type 1, Type 1.5 or Type 2 diabetes, its not as easy as simply joining the military. Questions may come up about your diabetic condition and even though it may seem discriminatory for the military to tell someone they cannot serve due to this condition, the military is known for rejecting people due to health issues.
Before we start to get too worried, its important to look at how military recruiting and diabetes relate. Its also important to look at what could happen if youre diagnosed with diabetes as a member of the military.
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What You Can Do About Unfair Treatment In The Workplace
Problems in the workplace can sometimes be resolved by educating your employer about diabetes and about your medical needs.
When education isnt enough, try to negotiate a resolution to the problem. Call on others to help, including colleagues, your diabetes team, union or elected official.
Other times, you will need to take more formal action by filing a lawsuit or human rights complaint.
The federal parliament and provincial legislatures in Canada have enacted human rights legislation prohibiting discrimination on the basis of physical disability. As defined within the context of human rights law, diabetes is a disability for which discrimination is prohibited.
Although employers and others are not permitted to discriminate against people with diabetes, sometimes it occurs because of a lack of correct information about diabetes or assumptions made about diabetes.
Tumors And Malignant Diseases
The following conditions may disqualify you for military service:
a. Benign tumors that interfere with function, prevent wearing the uniform or protective equipment, would require frequent specialized attention or have a high malignant potential.
b. Malignant tumors , exception for basal cell carcinoma, removed with no residual. In addition, the following cases should be qualified if on careful review they meet the following criteria: individuals who have a history of childhood cancer who have not received any surgical or medical cancer therapy for five years and are free of cancer individuals with a history of Wilms tumor and germ cell tumors of the testis treated surgically and/or with chemotherapy after a two-year, disease-free interval off all treatment individuals with a history of Hodgkin’s disease treated with radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy and disease free off treatment for five years individuals with a history of large cell lymphoma after a two-year, disease-free interval off all therapy.
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Why Does It Matter
Being in the Army can be challenging both physically and mentally.Therefore, a history of health problems or the presence of health conditions that usually don’t affect your everyday life, can mean that you’re not able to join, or you might have to wait to join.
You will be sent forms asking about your medical history once you’ve submitted your application.
The medical team assess everyone individually, and make their decisions based on their professional opinion in keeping with prescribed army standards. These standards and guidelines are reviewed and amended regularly.
Allergies And Coeliac Disease
Allergies
Significant food or other allergies are a limiting factor to entry.
Coeliac disease
While coeliac disease is manageable day-to-day within New Zealand, in certain situations there may be limited dietary options for a prolonged period. In such situations there is a risk of complications ranging from gastrointestinal symptoms to nutritional deficiency. This has potential implications not only for the individual, but also those around them. The Defence Force has an obligation to minimise risk to the individual and the organisation wherever possible, and accordingly if you have coeliac disease you may not be admitted entry to the Defence Force.
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Can A Diabetic Join The Army Reserves
I had to resign from the naval reserves as a direct result. Hi i am currently serving in the british army.
Can You Join The Military With Diabetes It S Possible
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Medical Conditions That Can Keep You From Joining The Military
Below, you will find details from the Army‘s “Standards of Medical Fitness.” These standards generally apply to all other branches as well. Remember that most of these conditions are not necessarily permanently disqualifying, but they are red flags.
If you have had a medical complication at any time in your life that is mentioned here, then you need to tell your recruiter. They will tell you whether your condition can be waived, or if it is permanently disqualifying. Remember that if you do not get an official waiver and your condition later is discovered, you most likely will be dishonorably discharged for fraudulent enlistment. The choice is yours.
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Workplace Discrimination For People Living With Diabetes
Discrimination can come in many forms. It is possible that an employer may refuse to hire you after an employment medical, limit your job responsibilities or promotions, or fire you. Sometimes an employer might simply not bother to find out what diabetes really involves and take the easy option of employing someone they dont see as a risk.
Here are some examples of discrimination in the workplace:
- You inquire about applying to be an officer with the city police department and are told they do not hire people with diabetes.
- After experiencing a hypoglycemic reaction at your workplace, you are terminated from your job.
- Despite requesting a regularly scheduled morning coffee break to test your blood glucose and eat a snack, your employer makes you work through until lunchtime.
- After the employment medical, your job offer is rescinded because you have type 1 diabetes.
Determination Of Military Readiness
The medical board is established by each branch of the U.S. Military in order to ensure each service member that joins the military is prepared and ready for any type of situation.
Soldiers are deployed into all types of dangerous situations and must demonstrate basic physical and mental readiness.
Unfortunately, diabetes can cause an unnecessary distraction in times of combat.
It can damage the cohesiveness of a squad, and also put other soldiers at risk if they are attending to your medical needs during combat.
Sadly, diabetes adversely affects the career of a soldier as certain opportunities for promotion and development are restricted or blocked because of the medical condition.
It may prevent you from being able to go on certain assignments which ultimately fosters a bad psyche.
The Army, like other branches of the military, likes to remind servicemembers that the world in which they exist is far different from the real world.
Anything that can get away from the single-minded objective of completing a mission is a serious risk.
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Can You Enlist In The Military With Pre
Its hard to enlist in the military with Pre-diabetes, Type 1, Type 1.5 or Type 2 diabetes if you are not already in. Again, the severity of your disease is going to be looked at, and you will have to show that you are self-managing your diabetes. Your A1C will need to be in a range where you are not at risk for complications , and you will need to keep your post-prandial blood sugars under 180.
There are many stories related to people who tried to enlist, but were unable to serve. There are stories related to folks with diabetes of all types, including Type 1.5 . There seems to be a large volume of PDQs given out without any medical evaluation being done with just the mention of diabetes on the application. Military recruiters may say no, but then you will have the opportunity to state your case and get approval through waivers. Be prepared for recruiters to say no anyway, and have another plan in case.
Neurotic Anxiety Mood Somatoform Dissociative Or Factitious Disorders
The causes for rejection for appointment, enlistment and induction are a history of such disorders resulting in any or all of the below:
a. Admission to a hospital or residential facility.
b. Care by a physician or other mental health professional for more than six months.
c. Symptoms or behavior of a repeated nature that impaired social, school or work efficiency.
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Insulin Resistance Evolves To Type 2 Diabetes And Other Costly Disease
Insulin resistance has been brought to our attention with more and more studies, reports, Ted Talks, articles by doctors, and even an article I wrote, titled Biggest Health Problem in the U.S., yet there are no significant programming or dieting changes recommended by the government health and medical community. There are, however, a few in the medical and nutrition field who have been waving the red flag for years as our country is now sporting 70 percent overweight or obese numbers.
Now, even our military is representing those numbers as more and more of the active duty members are overweight or obese. With a national type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes rate of 37 percent, it is only a matter of time before our national crisis affects the pool of military candidates on a strategic level. In fact, Type 2 Diabetes has doubled in the last 10 years and quadrupled since 1980! Currently, the number one reason why young men and women cannot join the military is they fail to meet the height / weight and body fat percentage minimum standards. So our nations health and wellness has already started to affect recruiting numbers.
Insulin Resistant vs Insulin Sensitive
Who Is To Blame?
At some point, we can only blame this health crisis on our own habits of consuming too much sugar or over-eating.
How Do You Know if You Have Insulin Resistance?
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Efmp And The Military Family: Hunters Story
This is Hunter. He’s six. He loves peregrine falcons, Pokémon, Dogman comic books, and climbing trees. He hates needles.
If my math is right, though, Hunters been poked by just over 200 needles in the last six months. Hunter is a Marine Corps kid and a Type 1 Diabetic. That makes him a mandatory member of the Exceptional Family Member Program club.
When Hunter was diagnosed with Type 1, there were three things Iknew nothing about: Type 1 Diabetes. EFMP. How any of this wouldimpact our future as a family particularly as a military family.
Right away it all became clear, though, that the impact was going to be profound.
Upfront, let me do some myth dispelling: Type 1 Diabetes is notType 2 Diabetes. Minus the fact that they both involve insulin, they’re reallynothing alike. Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disorder in which the betacells in the pancreas stop producing insulin. Left undiagnosed or untreated,Type 1 kills quickly. Hunter did nothing to get Type 1, it’s not contagious,and it has no cure. Hunter will live with this disease for the rest of hislife.
Hunter will live with needles the rest of his life.
As long as he’s a military kid, he’ll also live with theExceptional Military Family Program .
EFMP families know what I mean.
In theory, too, EFMP exists to answer some of these questions and keep us calm. But the reality of life with a special needs family member is that no case is the same and solutions are individualized, too.
How can we ever move?
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Air Force Policy On Diabetes In 2020
The Air Force has similar regulations regarding diabetes like the Army.
The manual notes that is it imperative that the deliberations to deploy a service member with diabetes consider all the factors that can compromise the members safety and the ability to accomplish the mission.
Air Force regulations support the same method as the Army that anyone with a HbA1c of less than 7% is allowed to still get deployed with some careful considerations.
The Air Force supports the general stance of the U.S. military that if found fit for duty, the solider may not get deployed to areas where insulin cannot get properly stored.
Furthermore, there should be appropriate medical support for the individual as well.
Talk to an Air Force recruiter to find out which waiver, if any, would be necessary.
Health Care For Veterans
The Veterans Health Administration houses the largest integrated health-care system in the United States. The VHA consists of 152 medical centers and almost 1,400 community-based outpatient clinics. Other resources such as community living centers, centers for veterans and residential living are within the VHA. Among the employees, the VHA employs licensed health-care professionals to help provide expert care to veterans across the United States. Veterans who qualify for VHA services and medical coverage can search the Veterans Affairs website using a tool that lists physicians, nurse practitioners, dentists, and psychologists to help them find a health-care team to work with to determine an individualized plan of care, including care for diabetes-related needs.
The Veterans Health Administration has developed programs for preventive nutrition and wellness, as well as various illness-focused nutrition training at the Veterans Administration medical centers and health-care facilities throughout the nation. Many VA medical centers and outpatient clinics offer a full range of diabetes services. In addition, veterans can work with the diabetes program staff to establish the necessary resources to assist with optimal diabetes care .
More than 800,000 people with diabetes receive care through the VHA. To help you find a VA facility in your state, use the online VA locator tools listed in Veterans Health Administration Resources.
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Does The National Guard Take Diabetics
Because diabetics are reliant on medication and may become in need of medical attention at any time, the various branches of the military — including the Army and the Army National Guard — do not typically allow either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetics to join. However, there is a very small chance that diabetics can enter military service.
Military Stance On Diabetes And Active Duty
This is the hard stance of the military related to Type 1, Type 1.5 and Type 2 diabetes, and generally all branches of the military feel this way about a person with diabetes serving in combat. The general consensus is that you will not be able to make it through tough periods of combat, and that you will be a burden to others that are serving with you.
All branches of the military will not allow a Type 1, Type 1.5, or Type 2 diabetic to enlist. You can submit waivers, but you may still get a no. There are stories of automatic PDQs given out to those with pre-diabetes before a medical evaluation has been done, but it is unclear whether or not these persons were disqualified due to being overweight or obese, or some other factor such as a mental illness. If someone already in the military is diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, they will be discharged unless that person can prove that they are fit for active duty.
There have been some rare cases where this has been done, and a Type 1, Type 1.5 or Type 2 military person has been allowed to remain in active duty, depending upon his or her military occupation. For example, someone with diabetes serving on a submarine, or piloting an aircraft would not be allowed to stay in active duty. There have been cases where someone has been reassigned to another occupation.
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