Am I able to join the Air Force even though I was hospitalized?

Hi,

I was talking with a recruiter months ago but he asked me if I was taking any medication and when I said I was and he asked could I do without it for months? I said no. He said though confusingly that birth control is ok to be on.

Besides that once they do a background check and see maybe that I was hospitalized, would that disqualify me?

At this point I was discouraged and stopped pursing it. Right now I'm not in any place to join because of my mental health but I was just wondering for the future?

Thank you in advance for any help.

My son wanted to join the RAF as a medical officer but was unable to because of his asthma / allergies. The problem being that if you are deployed in a remote area it might be difficult to get the necessary medications to you. It might be ok once you are off the medication. The hospitalisation might be an issue depending on the reason, I know of someone who was unable to join because his father had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Sorry, this might not be what you want to hear. Wishing you well.

That must have been tough for your son. Thanks so much for your help and kind regards. That was helpful in understanding it all better.

Hi Full Moon,

I am an Air Force retireee. If you are in the US, your recruiter will not know about your hospitalization unless you disclose that information, or if it was the result of police or legal action.

However, if you join the Air Force and have recurring mental health problems, you might run into problems. If they discover that you didn't disclose information truthfully in your initial application, that will cause serious legal trouble.

I recall that several of the recruits in basic training were discharged due to problems with coping with the stress of basic training.

I would just advise you to be honest on the application, but don't volunteer information. I wish you much luck with pursuing your dream and with recovering your heath.

That was very helpful,thank you very much for your expert help and your warm regards!

Yes,, it was, he lost his path for a while but fortunately he found a new one😊

His interest started when he joined the ATC(air cadets) as a teenager. I don't know your reasons for wanting to join the RAF, if it is as a career move this may not be of interest to you but if it is because of a general interest in the Air Force you might want to consider the air cadets, my husband joined when he was an adult. I am assuming you are in the UK but there might be a similar organisation in the US.

Best wishes

I'm glad your son found his way.

I had never considered it, but I am in the US

so that is an idea to think about. Thanks!