anyone considering enlisting in the military?

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Having never been in the military, I'm not in a position to address the issue personally, however,

I enlisted fifteen years before there was such a thing as a diganosis so I cannot speak on if somone is medically eligeable. I was still on active duty for another seven years after my diagnosis (you can stay on active duty with some disabilities that were incurred in service) and the therapy and training I got has made a complete difference in my life. I left the service much more functional than I entered it.

As far as the environment goes I found it to be comfortably regimented. I always knew what the rules were, what I was supposed to wear, where I was supposed to be, what I was supposed to say to someone. As an Army truckdriver I was mostly left alone in my truck and no one thought it was odd or reclusive because well there was only one driver per truck and you drove all day nothing odd there, right?

I did two combat tours and innumerable field exercises. It's loud, bright, smells bad, chaotic, high pressure and unpredictable. Someone will give you one set of instructions and their counterpart may give you a different set. Then you get yelled at when you don't get them both done at the same time. Unlike most of your peers you will likely not have the easy cameraderie to share your feelings or a good working understanding of the friendly horseplay and such the others engage in to blow off steam. This may make the environment more difficult for you. Eventually (usually within about 3-4 years) you will have to be in charge and tell others what to do and explain to your supervisors what you have done and why. You know your abilities better than I do.

Ultimately you need to remember that people's lives are depending on your ability to do what you are there to do without freezing up or falling apart. Judge yourself honestly and it may be the best decision you ever make.

The military could be fun. I've always wanted to go on a killing spree.

I was in back in the Air Force quite some time back, and think I'm probably an HFA based on what i've read and my life experiences. For me it was the best worst time I've ever had.

By that I mean that I really had trouble dealing with the lack of freedom, and having to answer to people that were in my opinion a lot less effective in life than I am. But, that said, I learned so much about how to get along in life that it's hard to put it into words. Basic training was difficult, but they taught you explicitly all of the stuff that I didn't understand. Stuff like don't discuss politics or religion with strangers, a bit of useful info on various social more's and so on. Sounds dumb, but if you can't pick up on subtleties, they spelled it out- just what i needed. But most of all I learned discipline and that if someone else can do something, so can I. In the end i did well; earned rank quickly and came away with strong self esteem- something I definitely lacked when i was younger.

All in all, while I was in I to be honest wasn't all that happy. Now a lot of years later I think it was a life saver. So, you pays your money and you takes your chances...

I'm seeing a few ignorant posts from people who haven't ever been in the military, and don't know a damn thing about it.

Juliekitty, people don't join the military to "get in shape" or get school paid for. It's something one does out of pride for one's country and wanting to serve. As far as the links you posted, no, the military isn't perfect. Messed up things happen sometimes, although if you look at the screwed up things that happen a lot more frequently in the corporate world, you will see the military tends to recognize and remedy problems a lot more efficiently than in the corporate world. The difference is the corporate tools can keep their problems hidden, while the military's dirty laundry tends to get hung out for everyone to see.

I did four years in the Marines, and I am glad I did it. I liked the structure and regiment. Like CDRhom wrote:

"As far as the environment goes I found it to be comfortably regimented. I always knew what the rules were, what I was supposed to wear, where I was supposed to be, what I was supposed to say to someone."

I also learned valuable skills that I use to this day. I can every now and then come out of my AS "shell" and take control of a situation I don't like.

I would say, if someone wishes to join the military, make sure you do not let the recruiter talk you into joining 'open contract'. That means they can put you in any job they feel like, and they won't be good ones.

I am not in the military and do not have children, but I am the granddaughter and daughter of Navy officers and the sister of a Marine Corps officer.

First, being unable to articulate reasons for wanting to join, I don't believe is a trait of AS. I have yet to get a straight answer from my dad as to why he spent 22 years in the Navy and my brother can't give a reason either (my mom was easy - she couldn't find another job). I do think a huge part of it for my brother was that sense of belonging - and I don't think that's a bad reason! Obviously I'd make sure he knew what he was getting into, but not exactly knowing why he wants to do it isn't a huge issue, I don't think.

As far as him getting in, I think it depends. I know I definitely would, but it just depends on so many factors. My brother had visited a counselor in college and did have to go through some extra stuff before OCS to make sure he was "mentally ok". Not sure as to what exactly they look for.

I suppose my concern with AS and the military is that it's not "structured" enough. I know that my parents and brother have an incredible amount of responsibility and aren't told what to do every second of every day. If that's what someone is looking for, they may be looking in the wrong place.

Just my take on things, but keep in mind it's from the officer angle and I've never actually been in the military. I'd be at OCS in a heartbeat though, if I didn't like my current job so much.

I'm not going to argue with you. You learn everything you know about the military from behind your keyboard, whereas I have actually been there and have seen the good and the bad.
Post all the links you want. So you can use Google.
You just keep on finding articles on the internet that reinforce your unfounded beliefs.

For what it's worth, I've been in the army for a little over 2 years now since I came in as a lieutenant out of ROTC. If he wants to join because he likes Halo, he honestly needs a reality check. As far as AS affecting his ability to serve... Based on my experiences so far, it won't be easy. I was diagnosed after I had been in for 7 or 8 months. I got concerned after I had some navigational problems, went in for testing and was diagnosed. I can go from point to point across country, but can't remember directions to save my life until I've driven a certain route 10 or 15 times lol. I never noticed it much before then, probably because I didn't get out much and followed the same few routes, to and from school, the store, etc., most of the time. After the diagnosis, they sent me on to my first unit anyway and I informed my commanders about it shortly after I got there because I felt it was the right thing to do and in everyone's best interests. The result has been that I was given about a month of platoon leader time before I started being moved from one make work job to another starting around last June/July. Basically, they never gave me a chance and I'm hating my job right now. I'm trying to transfer into the JAG Corps. If I'm accepted, I'll start law school next fall. Hopefully a more specialized career field will be a better fit. I had to fight through 5 months of medical boards to determine whether or not I'd be allowed to stay in before they discovered that I never should have gone to the board in the first place because it's a pre-existing condition. At the very least, I made a commitment to serve for 4 years and intend to honor that. When I started I wanted to make it a career, but I'm not going to spend the next 18-plus years as a Human Resources drone, which is basically what I'm doing now. To anyone who is considering joining, I guess I'd say to do your research and find out what you really want to do. Look for a listing of all the different MOSs (military occupational specialties), there are a lot of specialized ones you wouldn't think you'd see. Other than that, I'd say just be honest about the diagnosis (I still think I did the right thing, even if the army's response has been underwhelming to say the least so far) and roll with the punches. Good luck.

I was in the Air Force for 4 years, I found the Air Force to be a perfect place for someone with Asperger's Syndrome. YMMV. There are a lot more careers in the military than ones involving combat, and the Air Force is a fairly safe place to be anyway. You just have to pick the right job and get it guaranteed.

I hope it's not too late for my 2 cents.

The military (especially for enlisted) IS conformity/ "uniformity". I spent 6 years in and got out. If anyone wants to join to go on a killing spree, get a video game. Basic training is a process where they tear you down physically, mentally and emotionally (through proven brainwashing techniques). They will be inches from your face screaming at you and you can't flinch. If you have any hyperkinetic tendencies (like me) you will get yourself and others in trouble. The ability to kind of withdraw from your body can be useful, in small amouts. Toward the end they build you back up with youronly worthwhile attribute as being a soldier.
After basic there is more chance to individualize and become a person again in many cases. Infantry is not necessarily one of them. I didn't go infantry but my best friend did (he was a 6 1/2 foot mutant anyway and did superbly). All aspects are dictated by regulation. They will dictate how to wear your clothes, there is a proper protocol for everything. There is NO run wildly and shoot things.

i was in the navy before i got kicked by a camel.

toothepaste wrote