![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/valorguardians.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/dod-logo.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1\"){kind=logo}
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The Department of Defense Instruction 6130.03, Volumes 1 and 2 establish disqualifying medical standards for entry into and retention in military service. These standards are touted to be driven by both advances in medical care and analysis of first enlistment attrition, to include the results of candidates or members who received waivers.<\/p>\n
These waivers are getting very popular.<\/p>\n
By Rachel S. Cohen<\/strong><\/p>\n At least 1 in every 6 military recruits were given waivers to enter service in fiscal 2022, the highest percentage in at least 10 years, Military Times has learned.<\/p>\n But in the face of historic recruiting challenges, the military\u2019s recordkeeping is spotty.<\/p>\n Data provided by the Office of the Secretary of Defense in November 2022 doesn\u2019t match figures provided by the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force in March 2023. The Army refused to provide the information for this story.<\/p>\n In November, the Pentagon told Military Times that 22,623 recruits with no prior military service had waivers approved in fiscal 2022, out of a total of 130,346 prospective service members. That means around 17% of incoming troops were accepted with caveats for their health, prior misconduct, drug use, dependents or tattoos.<\/p>\n That\u2019s about 6 percentage points higher than the rate in 2013, after the percentage hovered around 12% for much of the past decade, according to Pentagon data.<\/p>\n Numbers provided by four of the five armed forces indicated waivers played an even greater role in accessions last year.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n