Quote:
Originally posted by TShelton
I am 22 years old and currently attending the University of Georgia.
My entire life I have wanted to serve in the military and
protect my country. Unfortunately, I am an
insulin dependent diabetic.
I am in perfect health and physically fit.
I have no complications after having this
disease for over 17 years.
No branch of the military will allow me to enlist
due to the fact that I am a diabetic. |
Welcome to the real world.
I believe you, when you suggest that your health is without
complications, although technically,
it cannot be called "perfect health."
After only 17 years, if you have been properly taking care of
yourself, you should be without any serious complications.
However, that does not mean some things will not develop
further on down the line. If you want to make it a career,
suppose that in ten to fifteen years, or when you are in your
mid to late thirties, you develop hypoglycemic unawareness
?
Even now, without that issue, I know that I wouldn't want someone
to be walking around in my presence with a machine gun and
a low blood sugar
! Quote:
Originally posted by TShelton
Considering I am perfectly able to do anything that the
military requires, I think this is extremely unfair and unjust. |
You could have issues that prevent you from doing things
that a non-diabetic can do.
For instance, in times of combat, under stress,
even at the motor pool, or while doing KP,
and more so if in an unexpected combat situation,
perhaps while guarding a museum in Iraq,
what if you got low, and were shaky or unsteady in your thoughts?
What if you got high, and had to take a piss, or were fatigued,
while you were supposed to be guarding a day-care center,
or some Moslem women? Gonna pull it out and take a pee in front
of them because your blood sugar is high?
Sure, these are contrived examples, but they could happen.
The military can't take that chance. Fair? Of course not, but
that's the way it is, and I think it should be so
!
What if you needed to go on an unexpected march when your
BG was low
? Sounds to me like you are not being realistic.
Diabetics are also prevented from being taxi-cab drivers,
long distance 18-wheel truck drivers, and commercial pilots.
Fair? Would you want to be in a small car alongside of an
18-wheel truck when the driver got low? Or in a plane,
with a low pilot? What if it was hijacked, and he could not
eat on time? I realize that some truck drivers may be high on
pills to keep them awake, or some pilots might have had a
drink before getting behind the controls, but
two wrongs don't make a right.
Fact is, as much as you do not like it,
you are unfit for military duty in a combat or other
possible difficult situation. Even if they try to put you in a
behind-the-scenes area, that would represent discrimination
to those who are risking their lives on the front lines.
Quote:
Originally posted by TShelton
I certainly understand why they would not want a
diabetic to fill a combat position, but
there are numerous non-combat positions that a diabetic could fill. |
(see above comments) There could be some solutions,
although they would involve preferential treatment.
Presently, they do not exist in the US military.
Israel does offer alternative service to men and women
whose religious convictions prevent them from serving in
areas where they may have to take a life.
Personally, I think all armies should operate
that way for everyone, but that is a separate editorial.
In a situation with preferential treatment,
you would still need to complete basic training,
(or ROTC which is pretty much the same and then some),
and have access to weapons that kill, which is not good
when you are low.
Nor is driving a truck, peeling potatoes, or digging latrines.
What if you were going across the Iraqi desert as a truck driver,
and lunch was late? Or would you also want preferential
treatment so that you would not have needed to go to Iraq?
Might have made some soldiers upset with you, and
rightfully so.
The religious Jews in Israel serve in non-military positions
in areas separate from the army.
There are such areas in this country, as the Peace Corps,
VISTA, and numerous community centers or projects.
I would dare say that more good could be done in any of those
projects than in the military, although you wouldn't get to be
a macho, gun-toting, GI-Joe
! Quote:
Originally posted by TShelton
I feel that this is a very blatent example of discrimination.
I would very much appreciate anyone who could give me some advice
on some options I might have to fight this.
I could certainly use a helping hand in this situation. |
Some of this type of "discrimination" is designed for the
protection of others, as I have pointed out.
I also felt that it was grossly unfair when I could not
earn a few extra dollars one summer between college breaks,
as a taxi-cab driver, but I understood the reasoning, even if
it did not apply to me, at that time. And, I wasn't planning
to retire as a cab-driver.
If you want to attempt to fight it, you could try talking to the ACLU,
although I am not at all sure they would be interested.
Depends on who you talk to, and how well you present
your side of the story.
As you would be up against the military,
your chance of getting them to admit that they might be wrong,
is very doubtful.
Then the other side, is what if you had a chance at wining,
and diabetics could be drafted, at a later date, as a result
of your "victory?" There would probably be a lot of people
with diabetes who would want you to lose
!
I do think that your best bet would be to pursue other
avenues of service to your country.
I believe that even Jimmy Carter is looking for a few good carpenters.
Military Discrimination 
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