Originally Posted by Penn
My Friends reply:
I most certainly know that the military does not automatically DQ Asperger's
Syndrome or high functioning autism. As with any potential enlistee,
enlistment is on a case-by-case basis. From both my personal experiences
with an Asperger's diagnosis (diagnosed post-military discharge) and my
experiences working with others on the spectrum, I would exercise great
caution to anyone on the spectrum wishing to enter the military.
First, no MOS will ever be guaranteed. So if an individual on the spectrum
signed an 18x contract and doesn't pass the Q course, he must select another
MOS (unless the Army has the option where if you don't make it through the
course, you can drop your contract). Although I was only Airborne and was
injured before being able to earn the right to wear the coveted green beret,
the tempo and mentality of typical leg units (non-infantry, and even
airborne units in support roles) is likely to be far below expectation ...
and tolerance. And with the extended contract that an 18x is required to
sign, that's a lot of years in units with soldiers who will likely dislike
the hard-charging mentality. As an example, I did more with my"breathe-
at-your-own-pace" profile than most of the others in my battalion.
.
Second, for HFA and AS stress, especially unexpected stress (much higher
tolerance for AS), causes autistic behaviors to become manifest. My autistic
behaviors didn't noticeably surface until I was in the high tempo, graduate
work at Univ. of Penn. It was only then that I was diagnosed - at the age of
40. A small unit of 11 teammates wouldn't have been able to count on me when
my tolerance ceiling was reached. I would have unexpectedly "self-frago'ed"
into a liability, jeopardizing not only the team and the mission,
There is no way to know what that ceiling
for stress tolerance is, except through experience. Finding that experience
in training is much preferred, but then the team would, and should, peer-out
that member. There can be no "autism" in "A-Team," especially down range
where lead flies free and in abundance. (There simply aren't enough
letters.)
If the potential enlistee is very much interested in pursuing an SF
career, my opinion would be to recommend enlisting in a Ranger contract ...
with all the trimmings. Ranger school ought to be an excellent test for
appropriate social skills under stress. Then, when the stress experiences are found
not yet to be a hindrance, seek the plat daddy's approval to pursue an SF recruiter and
give that ole Q course a whirl.
Sun Tzu wrote as advice, never enter a combat scenario that you don't know
you will win. Know your assets, but more importantly, know your weaknesses.
There is sufficient information out there that appropriately discusses the
weaknesses of autism.
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