Army Medical problem - can I still enlist? Help please!?

I can’t say for sure but I would think that the tubes in the ear question is regarding currently, not something that happened say 15 yrs ago. You do realize that you will have to take a hearing test, which i assume from your comments you will pass. As far as tubes in the ear I would say no. For a long time that was the standard procedure for ear infections, in children. I wouldn’t worry about it

Let me tell you a personal experience. It was back in the early getting towards the end of the Vietnam era. I decided to enlist into the Navy. There was still an active draft but by this time they were using a lottery system and my number was high enough to insure I wouldn’t be drafted. Either way I wanted to enlist so I went down for my physical and failed my hearing test. I come out of the booth and there’s some guy screaming about how we all failed the test on purpose and he was going to keep us there all day till we passed. He obviously felt we had all failed on purpose to avoid the draft. I walked out. Next day my recruiter called wanting to know what happened they had an appt scheduled for me to see a doctor. So we set up a new physical appt. Before that happens my recruiter explains that the hearing test was timed and if I could get the timing down… well anyway. So I took the test, did better, saw the DR. and he asked me. “well which do you want, in or out?” The bottom line is if you’re hearings not too bad, and you’re not worried about someone sneaking up behind you and shooting you, then you probably can get in. Of course being involved in a very unpopular war at the time helps too.

During my 22 years of Active Duty service, I was an Army Recruiter for many years and then I was a National Guard recruiter.

First, do not lie about ever having tubes or hearing aids. If you did, fine. I dont think that it would be a show stopper. If you had tubes or even hearing aids currently, that would be a problem.

When you enlist you will sign two release of information forms. One for your medical records from birth to present and one for everything else (jobs, schools, police records, etc…) They could potentially legally obtain your early med records and if you did not tell the truth on the questionaire used for med screening and you did not reveal the truth when interviewed…that would be a serious problem.

I am not exaggerating. This happens a lot.

You will take a hearing test at the MEPS. If you pass - you have nothing to worry about. If you fail, you could get a retake.

If you are found medically qualified, you will be permitted to enlist. If not, just know that all services have a basic hearing qualification just to be able to enlist. Some positions have specific hearing requirements ---- but all have a basic qualification.

Good luck to you!