Joining the military can certainly be a challenge. But can you join the military with Tourette’s? Depending on the severity, it doesn’t have to be a deal-breaker.
It is possible to join the military with Tourette’s Syndrome, although the condition can certainly make it more difficult. It is important to be open and honest about medication and tics, and there are instances when recruitment officers have taken people on if the standards are met.
We will refer to the US Military primarily for two reasons.
Firstly, the majority of readers live in the USA, as the website stats reflect this. Secondly the US Military will no doubt have some of the most strict recruitment policies, and any good news here will hopefully be motivational for anyone outside the US.
But this does depend on the nations understanding of Tourette Syndrome.
Can you join the military with Tourette Syndrome?
When I first researched this, it took me to a bunch of military forums. There wasn’t much information on this and this is where forums thrive. However the Tourette Association of America (TAA) give us some information about the recruitment situation.
After telling us about some past figures around the world serving their country with tic disorders, it says the following:
In the case of the US military, however, successful careers for people with TS happen only infrequently. If military recruiters do their job as directed, no one who has ever taken a psychiatric medication (including most of the drugs used to suppress tics) or who has ever been diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental condition will be admitted.
Pretty non-negotiable here then.
However, they do go on to say this in the next paragraph:
But occasionally military rules are set aside; recruitment officers can and do take a case-by-case approach. In the current environment, an individual whose TS symptoms have all but disappeared by adulthood and who no longer takes medication may well join the military.
So there is some hope here. Although it is practically stating that to join you have to no longer have symptoms, it certainly seems more optimistic.
Why would Tourette be a problem in the military?
The main factor here is stress.
No doubt that someone going into the military will have an understanding of the stress levels expected, but there is always the concern that tics may increase at these times. It is difficult to know how tics may be under such stressful conditions, and they may be exacerbated on the front lines.
In 2004 an experienced Guardsmen had to be sent home after stress made his tics worse. So it is something that the military have experienced. No doubt the individual believed he was capable and passed all the tests previously, but even then tics caused a problem.
What is also mentioned is that if medication is taken to control tics, these may not be readily available at times, especially during conflict.
Can you join the military with Tourette’s? Yes. Will this cause a problem? Possibly.
Are there examples of people that have joined the military with Tourette's?
The TAA provides an example of one such individual that defied the odds and had a successful military career.
Lt. Col. Kelly Hannum has worked as an Air Force Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) Officer in Southwest Asia. Despite his tics he has had a successful career diffusing bombs.
”Tourette’s Syndrome is just a part of me, it doesn’t define me” he is quoted to have said in this article at DVIDS.
Tourette Syndrome isn’t something I can easily hide, so I decided my best strategy was to be open about it. By being open and explaining to people ahead of time what they might see, they are more likely to ask me questions rather than try to speculate about my condition.
He goes on to say that when instructing a class of new Civil Engineer Officers, one student even approached him stating he too had Tourette’s Syndrome.
Don't always read the forums!
It was a pretty depressing read scrolling through some of the military forums. I am sure that many users are very aware of what is required to get into the military, but very few know what it is like to have TS.
One user posted ‘Hey guys, can I join the army with Tourette’s?‘, and was shut down pretty fast. Only a couple of people stood up for him and offered moral support, the rest basically said ‘give up‘.
This isn’t helped by the stereotypes shown across media. The majority of people do not know what it is like to have the condition, nor do they know how much it varies across the population.
Conclusion
Can you join the army with Tourette’s Syndrome? Possibly. Will it be difficult? Probably.
Do not go with the impression that Tourette’s Syndrome is a conclusive ‘no’ in the military. Although we have to be rational and understand that TS makes it a lot harder to get there.
The important thing is to be open and honest about how Tourette’s affects you, and not try to hide it which will cause problems further down the line. Recruiters do seem to treat cases individually, so have faith in the system.
Be 100% sure that this road is the one you want to go down. TS is well documented to have influence on stress and anxiety. Saying that, there are examples of people that have handled the pressure with this neurological disorder.
If you are certain that the military is right for you, go for it. There is no harm in trying. And all the best with it.