Joining A Service In the Military!!

[Type 1 Diebet]

I am a Type 1 diabetic and am 19 years old. My dream as a kid was allways to be in sometype of military service. With my disease the U.S. for some reason does not give a damn about my service. Now from reading what the military has said about diabetics I see where they are going with it. But what if they could set up a Unit or Division that was strictly for diabetics. I am damn, in the civil war all the way to WW2 they split the races up like spanish and black units. Why cant they split up and make a type 1 diabetic unit!!! If anyone else is fighting for U.S. Military Service or Has Advice please RESPOND!

[ARMY_STRONG]

im a 16 year old diabetic and have been since i was 5. my dream is to be an officer in the u.s. army.my uncle who is a major in the army says thet they might get a waiver for it soon. but not gaurunteed.... i say for real that we fight it..if gay people can tote a m-16 in combat and manage i think we can to.. yall just please dont give up, im not. because i am truly ARMY STRONG. i come from an army family to, so.... lets get something going guys for real, because i want to retire from the army as a 2 star general and im gona make it happen....HOOAHHH

[Corrada]

I wanted to be in the Special Forces but I can't .I found out of my type 1 a week before I turned 18 I had the same hopes as u Bro. But I think working at base and (If I can) work at the armory that be awsome. I just hope that in the future they change the rules.

[type1betic]

Hello I think i might be able to help you. I to am about to run into the same problem.
first of all id like to start by saying that any one who says that you CAN NOT do something is on crack and should go jump off a cliff because that is the biggest lie i have ever herd.

Im a 16 year old diabetic (2 years in) and my dad is a navy recruiter. my entire family is in the navy or army so u can see why i was disapointed when i found this small bit of info out. since then i have been composing a letter to the president to fight our case. I strongly suggest doing the same. I would like to get a group of people like us to fight this.

[Diabetic_Reality]

Well - unfortunately, that is the way it is.  The military requires healthy, able bodied men and women.  They do not want to have to be concerned about special needs when you have to be deployed at a minute's notice.  I come from an Air Force and Army military family - I know first hand.

Diabetes, like any other lifelong chronic health condition, will exclude you from active military service. (Forget about getting a private or commerical pilot's license too - Diabetes is on the FAA's physical exam's list of disqualifications.)  It stinks, it makes you feel like a non contributor .... but someone else will have to stand on the wall and defend you.

And this is not just in the United States ....

Was reading recently at pumpers.org where a Royal Canadian Air Force Officer / Fighter Pilot went to his base hospital with the classic symptoms of frequent urination and thirst.  The base doctor told him the bad news that he was DM Type 1.  Pilot goes .... "but I'm a Pilot!"  The doctor goes, "Your *were* a pilot, now you're a Type 1 diabetic."  He served the rest of commission behind a desk and was discharged.

There are many civilian jobs in the military though, equally or more important than shouldering a weapon.  But - if you're after a stripe on your shoulder, the reality is, they (those who would be your fellow soldiers) don't want you out there with them.  You're a liability and liabilities can get them killed.

:^(

[Type 1 Diebet]

OK OK so I see your alternative. But see i dont want to work as a normal civilian with military personel. Thats just plain boring and  yes part of me being in the military is getting the uniform gaining ranks serving the country as a Military personel instead of a wanabe who because of medical issues has to be a helper of the military just for the money and no honor or service!! I dont know I see how its a dead end but i wish just before i turn like 25 i could become a part of the U.S. military team.

[JDRF Team SGG]

Those non-combat jobs are just what I am talking of being outsourced so much nowadays. As a case in point, my husband, a colonel, has a BOSS who is a civilian! Truly you should check out the civilian side of the military, for many of the jobs that were active duty jobs just a few years ago are now civilian jobs. OK, so they don't wear the uniform. But it is hard for me to believe that the uniform is your sole reason for wanting to do this. I would like to hope that your main reason is the mission of service to our nation. Civilian guys are now repairing airplanes, doing hospital work, doctoring most of us in the military (very few of our doctors are actually active duty now), handling the support operations, communications offices, etc. I have personally known two civilians whose jobs were the same as that of a squadron commander -- these guys had replaced the active duty squadron commanders! So they had active duty folks working under them. Odd, I know. But that's the way the structure is these days. At our last base, over a thousand jobs were civilian jobs instead of military, and the active duty military forces were actually the minority of folks working on the base. DO check it out. The military as a whole is now a real team effort between the few active duty folks we are allowed by budget and the civilian folks who do the jobs that used to be military jobs.