December 6, 2024Enlisting in the military just became easier for people with ADHD.The restrictions on ADHD and other medical conditions historically used to disqualify potential recruits from joining the military have been lifted by the U.S.
Department of Defense (DOD) under its Medical Accession Records Pilot (MARP) program. According to MARP’s new guidelines, people with ADHD and learning disorders, such as dyslexia, can enlist without a waiver if they have not received treatment for the conditions within the past year.Historically, ADHD disqualified candidates unless they secured a military waiver to allow enlistment, a lengthy, multi-step, and largely imprecise process.
Candidates were also required to go without treatment for ADHD for at least three years prior to enlistment.When the MARP program began in 2022, it listed 38 medical conditions that no longer required waivers for enlistment.
Earlier this year, the DOD increased the number to 51. Removing the waiver requirement accelerates the enlistment process and frees up medical evaluators to review candidates with more complex medical histories.“Nearly 77% of youth between the ages of 17 and 24 need some type of waiver to qualify for military service,” said Dr.