Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Celiacs In The Military

debmidge

Recommended Posts

debmidge Rising Star
debmidge
Posted

I had been looking for this info and finally found it.

The Summer 2003 edition of Lifeline (put out by Celiac Sprue Association USA Inc.)

Article written by John Himberger, Capt. U.S. Air Force (NC)

Capt. Himberger explains that "rapid deployment requires prepackaged foods

Many assignments are isolated and far from medical facilities" (or fresh food).

"The Armed Forces varies its policy on individuals with medical conditions depending

on the mission and the branch of the service."

"officials (of military) decide on whether the individual will be retained in the military in the military

or released to the civilian community."

Basically he says that if you've been in for some time, they evaluate the situation, but if you're

fresh out of basic training or officer training school they may not want to retain you. It also

depends on how indispensable you are.

At the time of this article the Capt. stated that there were 6 persons on active duty in the Air Force with celiac disease

and report of about 1 in the Navy; "Army and Marines maintain tighter medical standards and would not tolerate the restrictions of celiac disease on active duty."

If anyone has info since 2003 which changes the military's position from what the Captain states, please fee free to share it.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


LuvMoosic4life Collaborator
LuvMoosic4life
Posted

i ALWAYS WONDERED ABOUT THIS! Thanks for sharing!

  • 3 months later...
anchor-grill Newbie
anchor-grill
Posted

I had been wanting to join the RAF for ages. I got my fitness up,did loads of research,practice aptitude tests and 2 days before my interview i found out i had celiac disease. It was soul destorying to find you cant join, yet the armed forces will cater for vegitarians, vegans and provide halal meat. My next choce of career was police but that is also unatainable,

Does anyone else think this is rediculas?

With 1 in 100 people having the disease this has too be sorted. And i pray to god its soon!!!

pinkscooby6 Rookie
pinkscooby6
Posted

Hi, well, I have some new information. I'm currently serving in the Navy, and I was diagnosed with Celiac about 2 and a half years in. I know of atleast 6 or 7 people just in the San Diego area who have Celiac and are still in. When I talked to some of my superiors about it, they said that it all depends on what type of job position you hold in the military. As for me, I am an Air Traffic Controller, and they are letting me stay in, because there aren't very many deployment billets for my job. But for someone who is mostly on a boat, they would not be able to stay in. It also depends on how much money they have already spent on you. My A school for my job costed over $30,000 for only 16 weeks of training, and that was just the basic stuff. so you can see how they would factor that in. But if you have celiac before you join, they won't let you in. Now this is just the Navy, I don't know how the Marines, Army, or Air Force are handling situations with Celiacs, but I know the docs in the military are starting to try and find ways to help us out!

Ashley Enthusiast
Ashley
Posted

It makes me furious that vegans are catered to but not Celiacs. I was in JROTC for three years than quit because I knew there was no way I was getting into the Air Force.

Well, thanks for the info, Debmidge. It's interesting to keep up with.

-Ash

  • 1 year later...
Nesnem Newbie
Nesnem
Posted
Hi, well, I have some new information. I'm currently serving in the Navy, and I was diagnosed with Celiac about 2 and a half years in. I know of atleast 6 or 7 people just in the San Diego area who have Celiac and are still in. When I talked to some of my superiors about it, they said that it all depends on what type of job position you hold in the military. As for me, I am an Air Traffic Controller, and they are letting me stay in, because there aren't very many deployment billets for my job. But for someone who is mostly on a boat, they would not be able to stay in. It also depends on how much money they have already spent on you. My A school for my job costed over $30,000 for only 16 weeks of training, and that was just the basic stuff. so you can see how they would factor that in. But if you have celiac before you join, they won't let you in. Now this is just the Navy, I don't know how the Marines, Army, or Air Force are handling situations with Celiacs, but I know the docs in the military are starting to try and find ways to help us out!

Hi Pinkscooby6-

I know it's been over a year since this post, but I was wondering how you're still doing with everything and if you have any dependents with Celiac since it tends to be hereditary. If so, did you have to enroll them in EFMP?

Thanks in advance!

*Daniella* Apprentice
*Daniella*
Posted

Wow, this is interesting. I'm in the Air Force and I was diagnosed with celiac over a year ago. Your research stated in 2003 there was only 6 people in the Air Force diagnosed. I wonder what the numbers are now? Only 6 makes me feel a wee bit lonely. :blink:

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


  • 4 months later...
cadillacactor Newbie
cadillacactor
Posted

The sad thing for me is that I wanted to become a chaplain in the army. The recruiter wouldn't even let me get the MEPS physical since he knew about my celiac. I mean, sure chaplains get deployed, but there are plenty of them on bases, too. It broke my heart. My brother just joined and I wanted to go through it at the same time as him.

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

The sad thing for me is that I wanted to become a chaplain in the army. The recruiter wouldn't even let me get the MEPS physical since he knew about my celiac. I mean, sure chaplains get deployed, but there are plenty of them on bases, too. It broke my heart. My brother just joined and I wanted to go through it at the same time as him.

Welcome to the board.

Coming from someone who had an undiagnosed celiac in the military I can tell you that you would never make it through basic. They simply can't feed you safely. I am sorry that your plans didn't work out but there are plenty of folks that could use your services outside of the military. It will work out in the end. Since you were planning on being a chaplin I feel it safe to say that God has other plans for you. You'll figure out what they are when the time is right.

  • 1 year later...
KatherineQml Newbie
KatherineQml
Posted

I still can't believe it. Most of my family was in the armed forces. I was a member of Air Training Corps for fours years then my mum told me the bad news. Gutted isnt the word... I'm currently studying for my operational department practioner (Surgical nurse)... I was just wondering as i saw it apply to certain job types. As i wouldn't be on the front line and would most likely be on base does it still mean that i can't join the Royal Air Force? [been diagnoised for 11 years]

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

I still can't believe it. Most of my family was in the armed forces. I was a member of Air Training Corps for fours years then my mum told me the bad news. Gutted isnt the word... I'm currently studying for my operational department practioner (Surgical nurse)... I was just wondering as i saw it apply to certain job types. As i wouldn't be on the front line and would most likely be on base does it still mean that i can't join the Royal Air Force? [been diagnoised for 11 years]

Have an honest talk with a recruiter. They can give you the answer you are looking for. If you can't serve in the RAF you can still work as a nurse in a hospital.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,543
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    yfuvhg
    Newest Member
    yfuvhg
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Beverage
      Diagnosed celiac for 1-2 months ago and everything makes me bloated.

      By Beverage · Posted

      I had a very rough month after diagnosis. No exaggeration, lost so much inflammatory weight, I looked like a bag of bones, underneath i had been literally starving to death. I did start feeling noticeably better after a month of very strict control of my kitchen and home. What are you eating for breakfast and lunch? I ignored my doc and ate oats, yes they were gluten free, but some brands are at the higher end of gluten free. Lots of celics can eat Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oats, but not me. I can now eat them, but they have to be grown and processed according to the "purity protocol" methods. I mail order them, Montana Gluten-Free brand. A food and symptoms and activities log can be helpful in tracking down issues. You might be totally aware, but I have to mention about the risk of airborne gluten. As the doc that diagnosed me warned . . Remember eyes, ears, nose, and mouth all lead to your stomach and intestines.  Are you getting any cross contamination? Airborne gluten? Any pets eating gluten (they eat it, lick themselves, you pet them...)? Any house remodeling? We live in an older home, always fixing something. I've gotten glutened from the dust from cutting into plaster walls, possibly also plywood (glues). The suggestions by many here on vitamin supplements also really helped me. I had some lingering allergies and asthma, which are now 99% gone. I was taking Albuterol inhaler every hour just to breathe, but thiamine in form of benfotiamine kicked that down to 1-2 times a day within a few days of starting it. Also, since cutting out inflammatory seed oils (canola, sunflower, grapeseed, etc) and cooking with real olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, and coconut oil, I have noticed even greater improvement overall and haven't used the inhaler in months! It takes time to weed out everything in your life that contains gluten, and it takes awhile to heal and rebuild your health. At first it's mentally exhausting, overwhelming, even obsessive, but it gets better and second nature.
    • Jsingh
      Protein or fat?

      By Jsingh · Posted

      Hi,  I care for my seven year old daughter with Celiac. After watching her for months, I have figured out that she has problem with two kinds of fats- animal fat and cooking oils. It basically makes her intestine sore enough that she feels spasms when she is upset. It only happens on days when she has eaten more fat than her usual every day diet. (Her usual diet has chia seeds, flaxseeds, and avocado/ pumpkin seeds for fat and an occasional chicken breast.) I stopped using cooking oils last year, and when I reintroduced eggs and dairy, both of which I had held off for a few months thinking it was an issue of the protein like some Celiac patients habe mentioned to be the case, she has reacted in the same fashion as she does with excess fats. So now I wonder if her reaction to dairy and eggs is not really because of protein but fat.   I don't really have a question, just wondering if anyone finds this familiar and if it gets better with time.  Thank you. 
    • Chanda Richard
      High Cost of Gluten-Free Foods

      By Chanda Richard · Posted

      Hello, My name is Chanda and you are not the only one that gose through the same things. I have found that what's easiest for me is finding a few meals each week that last. I have such severe reactions to gluten that it shuts my entire body down. I struggle everyday with i can't eat enough it feels like, when I eat more I lose more weight. Make sure that you look at medication, vitamins and shampoo and conditioner also. They have different things that are less expensive at Walmart. 
    • petitojou
      Frequent nausea after gluten-free diet

      By petitojou · Posted

      Thank you so much! I saw some tips around the forum to make a food diary and now that I know that the community also struggles with corn, egg and soy, the puzzle pieces came together! Just yesterday I tried eating eggs and yes, he’s guilty and charged. Those there are my 3 combo nausea troublemakers. I’m going to adjust my diet ☺️ Also thank you for the information about MCAS! I’m from South America and little it’s talked about it in here. It’s honestly such a game changer now for treatment and recovery. I know I’m free from SIBO and Candida since I’ve been tested for it, but I’m still going to make a endoscopy to test for H. Pylori and Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Thank you again!! Have a blessed weekend 🤍
    • knitty kitty
      Unusual bright yellow but odourless discharge

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Yes, I, too, have osteoporosis from years of malabsorption, too.  Thiamine and magnesium are what keep the calcium in place in the bones.  If one is low in magnesium, boron, selenium, zinc, copper, and other trace minerals, ones bone heath can suffer.  We need more than just calcium and Vitamin D for strong bones.  Riboflavin B 2, Folate B 9 and Pyridoxine B 6 also contribute to bone formation and strength.   Have you had your thyroid checked?  The thyroid is important to bone health as well.  The thyroid uses lots of thiamine, so a poorly functioning thyroid will affect bone heath.  
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.