Autistic army recruit is home, recruiter removed from duty

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I was in the British army for three years. It was a great job, but had a bad habit of telling superiors when I thought I had a better way of doing things. I also didn’t like being told what to do, which is a problem. I mostly enjoyed my time as an amphibious engineer, but I’m glad I left after my three years was up. This was all before I’d ever heard of autism etc.

I joined the Army when I was 18 and completed a four year enlistment around the world. No one informed me that I might have autism until I was 30, in 2014.

I was in the Air Force in the 1970s. Asperger's Syndrome (my spot on the Autism Spectrum) was not yet in the DSM so I could not possibly have had a diagnosis. When I said I was going to leave the Air Force at the end of my active duty they were upset, they wanted to keep me and tried to talk me into staying. My problem was the physical stuff—in 2011 I learned I had a "probably congenital" heart valve problem—I believe it caused me difficulty in military physical activities. I managed to muddle through but it wasn't easy.

My mild Autism Spectrum "Disorder" was not diagnosed until 2019...long after I'd last worn a uniform.

I think it is ridiculous to automatically disqualify someone for being Autistic. I think it helped me—I worked in computers and, looking back, I think it was a "special interest". I was quite good at my job. I think they should treat the Autists like everyone else, give them a chance and wash them out if they don't work out.

If they're looking for reasons to automatically disqualify someone, how about gender? An awful lot of the people that fail in the military are male. Oh, I think a lot of them are Caucasian, too. If they're going to disqualify people because they are like a lot of the people that failed in the military then maybe they should automatically disqualify male Caucasions.

It's likely that there's a significant gap between the rate at which autistics fail vs. males, or whites.

If they thought we were useful, they'd want us.

during wartime they will take us.

There are some autistic people who do very well in the army though it's understandable why there's often a blanket ban.

I read a article a couple of years ago about an army captain being immediately booted out of the British army upon being diagnosed with autism. What has me pondering is if he reached the rank of captain, then surely he must have been outstanding at his job. A few more years and he could have become a Major.

gov'ts and bureaucracies tend all too often to throw the autistic baby out with the bathwater.

Not just with autism.

Age of majority is another good example. Some people are mature enough to have those responsibilities and rights before turning 18 (or whatever it might be locally), some probably should be made to wait a few months or more. But, we have to have a consistent policy because otherwise it would be a fustercluck.

All of those age-assigned things work that way. There's 15 year olds more suited than some 16 year olds for operating a motor vehicle, but we don't apply the rules differently to the mature ones vs. the immature ones.

mebbe there should be widespread testing for aptitude for things such as drivers regardless of age?

I don't think autism alone should necessarily bar someone from the military, I imagine some autistics may do quite well there.

But autism with an active anxiety disorder you need medication for, and depression issues is a different story. I can see why that might be problematic.

in retrospect, during my basic training there was a fella who seemed to me autistic/highly insular, who was [what i heard about from other recruits] a hasidic jewish man whose dishonest recruiter told him the army wouldn't make him cut his curls. when he found out otherwise [the drills brutally held him down and dry-shaved his head resulting in some head cuts, this i witnessed from a distance] he [again, what i heard in the army grapevine] went awol. he was caught, returned to CCF and eventually given a failure to adapt discharge.

I joined the Army when I was 18, in 2002. I had a lot of the indications growing up that I could be on the spectrum, but had no clue about it then. Honestly I did okay in a four year enlistment as a combat arms soldier without knowing I was on the spectrum. I know I would have had an easier time for sure though if I were not autistic.

sounds like you did pretty well, all things considered. you were not chaptered. it doesn't sound like you had any major kerfluffles. you were probably hellafit. i will admit i was very thankful i was not in combat arms, not to belittle the field but to reveal that i was nobody's [including my own] idea of a real soldier.