To not tell Army Cadet teen who has heart completely set on a military career that they won't get in?

[CadetMum]

DC is an army cadet and doing amazing there, the instructors have said they can see potential in them and dc has even been put forward for promotion alone. It's all they want to do. Either a medic or a dog handler.

Cadets is the only thing they enjoy and the only time they will happily leave the house.

The problem is there isn't a chance DC will get in due to some SPld, recent school anxiety which will likely result in medication and very probable Asperger's as well as a history of inhalers. Although not had asthma problems in years DC was given an inhaler last year for a chest infection.

It's all they want to do but looking at the entry recently I extremely.doubt they would be taken. Do I let them try and find out for themselves or do I try steer them away. I have tried before in a oh this looks good kind of way with no success.

If anyone knows any military type similar jobs I would be grateful for ways to point DC!

structure, the discipline, the drill

I suspect other jobs could provide that.
I think I would try to realistically say to the DC that the military entry criteria thresholds are very high so let's keep open-minded about other options just in case. Keep looking for that structure & discipline in other places, too.

What I noticed about the COs in DS's cadet group is that they often did jobs that required wearing uniform and involved strict hierachies.

I think being an odp is pretty cool but each to their own.

Yes the roles i listed are sometimes mudane but so is army and forces life. If not deployed or on exercise many do office hours. And if you think guard duty is fun

It's interesting people are assuming this is a boy, when thr op has remained deliberately gender neutral. Some things never change I guess..

Aspergers is no longer diagnosed.

op has remained deliberately gender neutral

So tedious don't you think? Because what? MN posters can't be trusted so we have to have little games played with us?

Tiresome.

Gender neutral... whatever gender the DC of OP is/identifies as I reckon all the advice given applies.

So tedious don't you think?

I think that when it's a relationship post. But keeping DC as unrecognized as possible
Is fine by me. Gender neutral, fake age, all fine.

In any case, the advice is similar.

Well I thought dog handliing would refer to a front line role, and Im still not sure of the status of women applying for those

The reason I've put as little as possible about DC and their age etc is so that they aren't recognisable for a variety of reasons not to play games MMA. Especially as I am discussing possible undiagnosed conditions which could affect their entry or even their current camps with cadets.

Have you had a discussion with him yet? Maybe organise a trip to a recruitment office?

I feel they are highly likely on the spectrum.
If a diagnosis will not help your DC then don't get one.

Slightly off topic but the military is about the only career that I’d be utterly devastated if DC wanted to pursue. Id think you all lucky if they were not to get in. But of course I understand your worry about their disappointment of course.

You can also work as a civilian defence worker - a lot less picky. They can even be sponsored through university (dtus). The army is definitely the pickiest with health, dd flew through navy selection but her eyesight would have prevented army.

My DS1 has ASC and always had low level anxiety until he got into mindfulness. Totally transformative. He mmay not need the meds?

I’m dyspraxic & dyslexic & I spent 5 years in the Royal Navy.

Covered where they aware when you applied that you had a diagnosis of above please?

Tiscold i have. We are going to talk to the cadet leaders who are both ex military.

They would also like to work in airport security or those were they check incoming packages for drugs/weapons etc so that may be an option.

Thanks will be try mindfulness.

When I was cadet age I wanted to be in the RAF

When I was 18-19 I wanted to do other things instead

Hmmm, tell them to have a look at border force then, they do the immigration side of things as well as customs checks on goods etc

Well obviously that might be the case Easyandy but by the same token I could say that my Mum wanted to be a nurse when she was 7 and still wanted to be a nurse at 16. She's recently retired as a surgical nurse.

Yes DC might want to do other things in the future and part of me hopes they do but at the moment they are currently a ranked cadet who wants to start a career in September of this year in that area.

Thanks Tiscold

Is it definitely Border Force who do the good checks? I wasn't sure if that might be HM Revenue!

My DS has Asperger's. He too was a cadet and wanted to join the military. The reason he was turned down was his heart murmur, not his ASD. He has a congenital defect which is extremely common and has so far required no treatment, but because he is monitored annually by a cardiologist he was turned down. It was a relief to me to have such a black and white reason tbh. It wasn't his fault, but couldn't be changed.
I think the OP has to let their DC go through with the assessment, otherwise they will always wish they had done it.
My DS works as an Emergency Medical Technician, having developed an interest in first aid at cadets.

Given that they’re desperate for fresh cannon fodder i’m sure that they’ll be some branch of the military that would work.

Yes believe it's border force. Had a look at the website and that's what they suggest anyways.

I joined the military and for a while I had a medical thing that I thought was going to stop me enlisting - it was the toughest few weeks I’ve gone through as the military was all I wanted to do. I’d definitely talk to your DC and say that there may be a chance they won’t get in so just to be prepared. Try all branches if one doesn’t work out as some will take medical issues that others won’t - some you can get waivers for. Best of luck, I know exactly how your DC feels!