Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a directive ordering a top-down review of the medical conditions that disqualify individuals from joining the US military.
The memorandum, signed April 24 and addressed to senior Pentagon leadership, sets in motion a 30-day evaluation of current medical waiver policies under Department of Defense Instruction 6130.03, Volume 1, which governs the medical standards for enlistment, appointment, or induction into military service.
The initiative comes amid growing concern that an increasing number of medical waivers may be undermining the effectiveness of US forces. According to a Defense Department Inspector General review, roughly 17% of new recruits in 2022 were granted waivers for conditions that previously would have barred their service — a sharp increase from 12% in 2013.
The Navy alone issued 15,900 medical waivers in 2022 of the 41,964 new recruits (active-duty and reserve, enlisted and officers.) That’s nearly 38% of recruits getting waivers for medical conditions.
“Applicants for military service must be physically and mentally able to perform their duties under the harshest of conditions without risk to themselves or others,” Hegseth stated in a video released on the Department of Defense’s social media channels.
The review will focus on identifying which medical conditions should be categorically ineligible for waivers and which may warrant case-by-case consideration — particularly those requiring approval from a military department secretary.
Among the current list of waiver-eligible conditions are schizophrenia, paraphilic disorders, congestive heart failure, and chronic oxygen use — ailments that raise red flags for long-term viability in demanding operational environments.
“Service members need to be medically ready to fight,” Hegseth said. “We need clear, high, and uncompromising medical and mental standards to match the realities of today’s missions.”
Medical experts and military planners have voiced concern that certain serious health conditions may not only prevent recruits from completing initial training but also pose risks to unit cohesion and mission success. Studies cited in the memorandum note that disorders like schizophrenia may deteriorate under combat stress, and conditions such as heart failure or respiratory dependency are incompatible with high-stress, physically taxing deployments.
The directive places responsibility on the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to propose updates to accession standards and submit them for final approval within 30 days. This review is expected to serve as a blueprint for aligning medical policies with the military’s operational requirements.
Hegseth’s action reflects a broader effort under the current administration to restore and uphold traditional standards of excellence within the armed forces.
“High standards equal lethality,” Hegseth said. “Under President Donald J. Trump, we’ve seen a huge surge of Americans who want to join a military with high, clear standards.”
The Defense Department is expected to release findings from the review in late May, potentially reshaping how the military evaluates the fitness of future recruits.
Makes sense
Combat readiness is essential for a professional, lethal and effective military.
This should apply to generals and admirals without exception as well as to the people who actually do the fighting.
Schizophrenia and supplemental oxygen dependance. For Heaven’s sake. What are we running a nursing home and mental hospital? Whoever signed off on those waivers MUST be discharged.
“Among the current list of waiver-eligible conditions are schizophrenia, paraphilic disorders, congestive heart failure, and chronic oxygen use — ailments that raise red flags for long-term viability in demanding operational environments.”
Schizophrenia? Congestive heart failure? Who in their right mind thought that these conditions have any place in an active duty military setting?
I wonder if these conditions were added to enlist a certain few talented recruits (maybe for cyber command), but because it can not be a selective set of rules, waivers can be granted to anyone regardless of MOS. This now potentially admits individuals to military roles unsuitable to their conditions, taking resources and focus off the mission at hand.
I wonder if bone spurs will remain on the list. If so, well then issue the person with golf shoes instead of combat boots. That seems to work as far as I have observed.
Trump has done far more for the military than Kerry or Clinton or Obama or Biden….
Trump is a draft dodger and he’s the President. That’s disgusting.
…..just like Bill Clinton as both got deferments….( which is not the same as running off to Canada). What’s your point?
Trump is a draft dodger and he’s the President. That’s all anyone needs to know.
Hmm it seems you have your terminology wrong:
Draft dodger: a person who illegally avoids joining the armed forces (per Webster).
Since deferments were a legitimate government granted excuse from service, they are not a dodge. Leaving the country to avoid the draft on the other hand is.
That all is neither here nor there, as this current occupant of the oval is following some of his recent predecessors, Clinton, Biden, who all just like him received deferments and did not serve.
Considering that we now have an all volunteer armed forces, the vast majority of our lawmakers have not served, yet they all make rules, laws and policy and there seems to be no objection (congress does have the power to declare war and funds the armed services). There also seemed to be no objection to Obama, who was too young to serve in Vietnam and did not choose to serve at all, yet was commander in chief just the same.
Your implication that President Trump’s non-service is somehow especially egregious, is demonstrably false in the face of the facts. You just needed to express your TDS instead of having anything meaningful to say about the actual topic at hand.
Trump is a draft dodger and he’s the President. That’s despicable. I would have served, but he hid behind a lie. Coward.
Did you? Serve that is….
No but I would have if called. And please don’t try to put this on me. Dodging the draft at a time of war is not the same thing as not volunteering during a time of peace.
Trump is a draft dodger and a coward. Simple as that. SHAMEFUL, and an insult to any that have served and died.
No, but I would have gladly done so if called. And please don’t try to put this on me.
Dodging the draft during a time of war is different than not volunteering during a time of peace.
Trump is a draft dodger and a coward. He’s an affront to all who have served, all who currently serve, and especially all who have perished doing so.
Can you show the class exactly where President Trump dodged the draft?
Receiving a LEGAL deferment is not dodging as it’s been pointed out a few times to you.
You missed Joe’ s “asthma” that still let him play college football,yet still not be drafted
And asthma, too. Brandon bragged about playing football and being a lifeguard, but was not physically able to serve in uniform. And then there was Slick Willy…..