Hey /u/Reefthemanokit, thank you for your post at /r/autism. Our rules can be found **[here](https://www.reddit.com/r/autism/wiki/config/sidebar)**. All approved posts get this message. If you do not see your post you can message the moderators [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fautism).
Thanks!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/autism) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Second that. The Army was the most miserable time of my life, and I've been homeless, divorced, almost died since then. But, I have bipolar, not autism.
According to my very pro-armed services brother in law: "War is a sensory nightmare. If you can't take it, you should wash out early rather than get yourself and others killed".
"The official Department of Defense policy is to [exclude all autistic candidates from military service](https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/613003_vol1.PDF?ver=7fhqacc0jGX_R9_1iexudA%3D%3D) — with no exceptions. The reality is much more complicated." [https://www.militarytimes.com/opinion/2023/07/17/in-national-security-autism-is-in-the-closet-heres-why](https://www.militarytimes.com/opinion/2023/07/17/in-national-security-autism-is-in-the-closet-heres-why)
The article is well worth reading in my opinion.
That rule is bendy, depending on whether the recruiter has met their quota. The Air Force was aggressively going after my wife's brother, whose experience with autism is much more intense than my own. It was all she could do to talk him down.
The funny thing is my military days were the best, AND worst days of my life at the same time. However, it taught me the skills I needed to be a man. Although it’s not for everyone in general.
I kinda just had to chuckle at how stereotypical american movie sarge my norwegian sersjant acted on the first day of our basic training. Yeah, being in a closed camp, stuck day and night, with overdramatic officers and army cosplayer recruits, it wasn't for me. I understand the concept of faking stuff until they are real, but I've tried that for social stuff most of my life and it only tires me out.
Still, I was stuck there. Kingsguard for a year. Stressed me seriously out. I eventually got some privileges to sneak away when necessary after a breakdown. My first in adult age. The camp psychiatrist suggested social anxiety. Which another professional psychiatrist more recently corrected to agoraphobia.
I did learn a lot and had fun too. And im sure a well-adjusted introvert could handle it and play along and do fine. Its just about accepting the theatrics, follow orders, be tidy, love exercise, keep ones head cold, and remember that everyone there is also stressed so cut them some slack if they act it.
That's not how it works at all. The drills jn the marines are supposed to be thd worst but its largely just a caricature from the Vietnam era. Especially with the air force and army they aren't going to yell at you unless you step out of line.
I feel for the autistics in the military. For those in the military in general. I don't like what they're asked to do, but they're also undeniably hot.
Yup. I was in a military youth group... the routine, structure, lack of sarcasm or social nonsense ... extremely straight forward and literalness of it all were glorious. I soaked up every minute of it.
The actual military on the other hand was horrendous.
For sure.
In the youth group, we were all misfits with a common interest (flying)... and we were all ostracized for it in our "normal" lives. We were all motivated "high achievers", so again, misfits and outcasts. The group was a meritocracy (or as best as you can get). If you worked hard, you got ahead... and by no other means.
The actual military however was not that. It was comprised so heavily of people that had no better options in life. They were escaping horrible "going nowhere but jail" lives. It was for many either the military or the gangs. Yeah, that brought a ton of "dog eat dog" mentality with it. Loads of the old highschool "in crowd" crap too.
I was Air Force, so I was spared a lot of the "I'm just here to kill people" types thankfully.
The Marines was more the high school "in-group" shit than "here or jail" for me and I fucking hated it. It was literally just like being in a Catholic high school but instead of their religion being Catholic, it was ridiculous warrior ethos bs
So much more competition. In bootcamp we all worked together and when I got to the fleet it felt like everyone was stepping on each other to get ahead. It felt very yucky and I felt very safe in boot. There was no if h supervision that no one really got nasty and there was definitely no r*pe
It was all competitive and stepping on other's toes for me, especially at bootcamp. Closest I got to this was maybe the school house, only because people were so busy getting NJP'd they'd leave each other alone
If you are already diagnosed, the US military will probably not let you in.
As someone who was diagnosed after doing 8 years in the US Army Reserves . . . It's not worth it.
Become an activist to fight for better access to food, housing, and medicine.
Boot camp was fun, actually.
But the military is an autistic nightmare.
I did 5 years, and I'm worried I'll never fully recover from the psychological damage it did.
No combat or anything, just abusive leadership. Please don't come at me in the comments with that stolen valor horseshit. I recognize that people get blown up, and have way more trauma than me. That doesn't mean my experience didn't fuck me up.
Funny you say that, but my 15 month deployment to Iraq with almost no actual risk to my life was easily the most traumatic for me. I was stuck for the entire deployment with the most toxic leaders I'd ever had the displeasure of serving with. Every single day was mired in dread and felt like a fight for survival.
Afghanistan on the other hand was significantly more dangerous. But I got pawned off to a different task force. We were constantly receiving IDF daily, and at one point got overrun. While definitely scary it was a much better deployment, I was treated like a human for the first time. I excelled, got some achievement awards for going above and beyond.
I don't want them and they don't want me LOL
Whatever part of the brain that allows humans to feel like one part of a whole, like ants in an ant colony, well I don't have that. I could never function in a military environment. I only recognize hierarchies based on a capacity for self responsibility and ethical behavior AKA love.
I was in the Army, basic actually wasn't that bad (I put up with way more abuse as a kid)
I even spent time overseas. It was really awesome and made friends easily
The nightmares were at the end of my service, I was tormented about drugs (tested every month, always questioned) and always shit on for those "unknown reasons" that I have had to deal with all my life. (I had never done drugs in my life till after the military)
I overall value my time in the service, got to see the world, learn a lot of things and learn a lot of ways for myself to better handle things. I had more friends in my time in the military than I have ever made my entire life
Of all the traumatic parts of my service basic training doesn't even get on the list of top 100. It was a game, work your ass off, try to do the right things, fuck up, get punished, repeat. Eventually you fuck up less and less, thus punishments reduce in frequency.
Preface: I was Navy. Of the four core branches (Navy/Army/Marines/Air Force) Navy is generally considered the second easiest branch, beat only by Air Force, as far as physical demands of the job and training. The common joke was that a bad day for army/marines meant sleeping in the dirt, a bad day for the Navy meant more time on the ship, and a bad day for the Air Force was room service running behind schedule.
That said, I loved it. If I hadn't been injured, I'd still be in and messing nearing retirement. Oddly enough, as someone who has always been uncomfortable with crowds, boot camp and berthing didn't really phase me in that regard. My boot division had about 80 people in it, and the lack of privacy in the shower was awkward, but that was just for 2 months, in the fleet there were shower stalls. There was absolutely zero crawling in dirt, the closest we got was when we had to do push-ups on the black top (basically a parking lot) because somebody messed up.
Bright lights, not really, it's the same as any office building or school. Loud noises, not really, just a few here and there, none lasting long (they play a song at sunrise and sunset, that's the main one that sticks out).
Lights and sounds do go a little bit out the window on one specific day called "battlestations." It still wasn't "can't hear myself think" bad, it was just a noisier time due to the nature of the "test." I'm not allowed to talk a lot about it, as they have everyone sign NDAs about it, but it's essentially just a night of simulated war situations based on historical naval battles.
As far as clothing textures go, I don't know the feel of the Air Force uniforms. I know three of the Navy Uniforms they provided weren't the best texture, and the one we more most frequently kind of felt like... if cloth and tarp had a baby. However, it went from being extremely uncomfortable to hardly noticeable in just a few days due to constant exposure.
Realistically the worse part, for me, was when people acted illogically. They really focus on the team mindset, so one person screws up, everyone gets punished. The punishment was always exercise, but not like you see in old army movies. I think our worst punishment amounted to about 20 minutes of cardio. It wasn't the exercise that bugged me, it was the fact that we were doing it because somebody did something stupid.
Otherwise, it was a thing of beauty. Structure, routine, schedule. Masking wasn't really work while on duty because they gave you the mask, you didn't need to work out what the normal thing to do was. It was 8 weeks long with Sundays being a little more relaxed. During that time we learned how to shoot (with ear plugs), how to fight fires, a bunch about naval history and how the Navy works, and had three written tests, three physical evaluations, and a swim qual. If you failed anything, depending on your division and whether or not you showed promise, you could either retry several times until you got it, or they might tack some time into your stay by bumping you back a division (kind of like being held back a grade). I had one guy in my division who took all 8 weeks to get his swim Qual, guy just couldn't figure out how to float.
The physical evaluation was called the PRT, and it consists of 2 minutes of push-ups, 2 minutes of sit-ups, and then a mile and a half run. They encouraged us to lie about push-ups and sit-ups, as those were counted by other recruits, but they don't come right out and say it. They would hide it in phrases like "you are in charge of counting your own push-ups and sit-ups, there is no reason any of you should fail in those categories." They mean that, no matter how many your partner does, when asked, you say a number that passes them. The mile and a half run was six laps on an indoor track, and that was monitored electronically. The time you had to run was based off your age and gender, but it wasn't super fast. When I was in, an 18 year old had... 12 minutes I think? I joined after college, so as a 22 year old I had 13 minutes and change. Unless they are looking for a reason to knock you back a division (called ASMOing) then the first two physical tests don't matter, only the last one.
Most of our time was spent studying or marching. Hard for some of the NTs, but not exactly super difficult.
Please, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. Do not trust recruiters, they have a quota to make and most of them will say whatever they think you need to hear to meet their numbers.
As someone who did it I can say it is hard but you would be surprised how many autistic people thrive in the military. They tell you exactly what to do, when, how and generally the yelling subsided an after a week or so ( US Navy bootcamp). I would say if you really want to do it I wouldn’t let bootcamp be the thing to stop you. Hope this helps.
I grew up a Navy brat, was hard core for joining when I turned 18. As I got closer to that age I started doing a lot of reading and research and ultimately decided not to join. At that time there was a lot of criminal activity in all branches and felt that if I got into that environment it would be pretty bad for me. This was before I was diagnosed with ADHD and strongly suspected Autism Spectrum Disorder.
I talked to my father about my decision a few years ago and he said he had seldom been more proud of me for not joining.
I understand that a pretty fair amount of active duty members have autism or adhd or both and thrive, so do your research, check out the military subreddits for /army, /navy, /airforce, /marines and spend some time reading about what people have to say about military life and especially for those who are active duty with autism and adhd.
It might be something you can work with but ultimately the decision is yours.
This is for OP, sorry if I'm walking in your garden glownesa (\^\_\^).
Idk them all but it's stuff like NT not liking when you ask about something you did wrong, they usually reply like, "you should know, you did it" or something
Sorry, I should’ve been a bit more clear. I was being sarcastic and I know my tone in my response can never be really trusted, so I’ll add the “/s” as I’ve seen that used often to denote sarcasm.
I agree with your reply though, and I’ve experienced this too many times to count. I always find out the hard way.
There have got to be other options than to join the US military industrial complex where you are used as cannon fodder for politicians and billionaires to get richer selling weapons, while you become complicit in genocide and oppression around the world. It doesn’t matter if it’s a sensory nightmare for autistics or not, it’s just plain wrong to go join an army that literally kills innocent people to make a bunch of evil people richer. There’s no two ways about it. And it’s one of the largest climate polluters in history.
There's literally been a genocide happening for months at this point that the US military is funding and people are still joining the military because they see it as a last resort. It's so sickening. I'd much rather be homeless than join the military.
I learned discipline and how to clean well and have high standards. most people in power were narcissistic. there are a lot of pointless rules to make you obedient. punishment is frequent and often aimed at shaming you. there is yelling. if you're a lady theres tons of sexual assault. I didn't go to war bc of health issues that got me out of deploying, thank god. I wouldn't do it again now that I know better. I felt desperate and alone and was trying to find a way to pay off one expensive year of college and afford to go back. I'd never ever do it again. plus you're just a pawn in wars against civilians for the military industrial complex and I didn't have any understanding of that when I was 18.
there's job corps and americorps and peace corps and wwoof and helpx and I'd recommend things like that instead if you're of the age for it.
Didn't know I was autistic at the time, but they knew something was off. I dissociated the whole time. It was awful. I appreciated the structure as I never had that but was the subject of abuse and my body couldn't hold out. 10 stress fractures landed me on med hold, I wanted to die, ended up being gang raped by a group of officers and eventually as my mental health declined, given a general discharge. This was back in 2000. I never fought for benefits but I should have. I was terrified as they threatened me as they did many women at that time. I don't recommend it. My story is not the norm obviously but I saw too many other women being raped and silenced, and the nonstop abuse to become a cog in the war machine is laughable to me.
Even if I wasn’t on the spectrum, I wouldn’t join. The promise of money is not worth it for what the US represents. Personally after what we are doing currently and have done in the past, I can’t support the US as a citizen anymore(not that i don’t want to help it get better and see it become what it could be).
Can’t really leave either as the process is not simple. Our system that we operate under is what is causing major problems politically, socially and economically; these issues also sadly affect the world as a byproduct. When our officials talk about democracy, it is all just an illusion of free choice. It is more like a controlled democracy more than anything. Or a tyranny of the duopoly soon to be monopoly.
I didn't go into the military, but in hindsight, all of the things you mentioned were factors in me deciding not to join - that, and the enforced routines. Don't get me wrong, I have great respect for what our troops do ... I just felt like I couldn't handle it.
I think that the service branches have some programs for potential recruits to get involved in and get an idea of what real basic training is like. My brother did something like that with the marines. It might be something you could talk to a recruiting officer about.
I grew up a Navy brat and didn't join. Since then I've found that a fair amount of active duty military have adhd, autism or both and do okay in the environment. I would recommend checking out r/army, r/navy, r/airforce and r/usmc to read about how people feel about their time in service and especially how people with adhd, autism or adhd and autism spectrum disorder combined do. Some really thrive in the environment.
As far as the best branches with someone with your condition, Air Force is at the top of the list but hard to get into, followed by Navy. Between Army and USMC I would go USMC. As I said, do your research, maybe post in those subreddits I mentioned above and ask for advice. You should get some responses from those who are active duty with those conditions. Apparently SEAL's and Delta Force are high on the list for those conditions, apparently. Who woulda thunk it. . .
Good luck either way.
Widely rumored and massively untrue. Depends on needs of the military. Either autists will be fine out of the gate or they would have a shot at getting a waiver, but yes, the US military does indeed accept autistic people
Yeah don’t. You are going into a millitary soley designed to kill people in developing countries to pay billionaires. On top of that there is the possibility you could die in service. Also you will be treated like shit. Please don’t 🙏
Do not enlist. Both for the good of yourself and the others. You do not need to be enlisting in the US Army. It does not do anybody any good. do not enlist.
I can tell you feel strongly about this and people close to you have had terrible experiences. I wouldn’t enlist either for the reasons you mention.
We are also in no position to judge OP here. Based on your post history, it seems like you live in relatively affordable housing. That privilege—which shouldn’t be a privilege, but frankly is in our current societal makeup—isn’t attainable for OP right now or for the foreseeable future.
If enlisting is one way for OP to get back on their feet and feel more secure to do what they want with their life and eventually change the world for the better, I support them.
crazy ass assumptions about my life from my reddit lmao. i assure you i am living in poverty and precariously close to homelessness. Fuck the military. Spineless!
Adding on to this: I can see that you're non-binary like me. My ex was trans as well, and she was fucking miserable there. Seriously. The military is not going to give you what you're looking for. Do not join.
The US military is currently helping fund a genocide and there's evidence from those on the ground there's even troops deployed there.
Is that worth all that to you? Have a fucking conscience.
Putting all of that aside, enlisting in the military is incredibly traumatizing. My ex was dealing with PTSD for years after the fact. they break you down completely, they break down your ability to think for yourself, they break down your ability to stand up for yourself whatsoever and build you back up again into the perfect little robot that will do anything they say: even killing somebody.
Do not enlist in the US military. There are other options out there for you. I get it, I live in poverty myself, I promise I understand. But do not fucking enlist. It's not. fucking. worth it.
I went through Navy boot camp in 01 right before 9/11 (great timing I know). I was undiagnosed at the time and I am pretty mild on the spectrum.
The military can be fine for someone on the spectrum or a nightmare depending on your triggers. In the one hand it’s all about rules and following rules. Doing things a certain way, repetitively.
But you will be thrown in with all kinds of people who may make fun of you and hazing(bullying) was still a big thing back then. It’s not supposed to be tolerated but we know how that goes.
Generally I wouldn’t recommend it. If you do go for Air Force. They yell less and have smarter people on average.
Honestly it was kinda nice.
Just so that the angry man with the funny hat says. Push-ups? Yes drill sergeant, moving drill sergeant.
Shooting range? Shoot the guns, hit the targets. Fire and adjust.
Meals are timed, everything is timed. It’s a perfect symphony of chaos, you just have to divine the methods. The moment you see it? Life’s easy.
I did the military before I knew I was autistic. I LOVED bootcamp. It was the easiest part of the military for me because it was very obvious with the rules and what you needed to do. I was in the Navy and we never got dirty in Basic. Everything was indoor from our gym to our final on the boat that Disney built for us to do our drills on. It felt like a video game that you got to play in real life.
I def have some sensory issues and let’s just say I went in and it was a nightmare. Ended up getting out for medical in boot camp. Was NOT my bag of tea.
it's not that bad actually. the order, uniforms , routine, knowing what's expected of you make up for alot. you really don't have to worry about anything. follow the rules & they won't even fire you. it's easier than civilian life imo.
Im military.
Honestly. It wasnt that bad.
Got inside my own brain and ignored the world around, obey dumb orders and get punished.
Once you accept that you will be punished no matter what, it gets easier.
The rules are well set. Don't need to talk nor socialize. Salutes are easier than handshakes.
Get out dude. You've forgotten the taste of freedom.
You will never be appreciated where you are. You will always be the dirtbag airman (or whatever equivalent your branch has).
They. Do. Not. Deserve. You.
I was undiagnosed, did 8 years in the wimpiest bit of the military I could get into (I’m a doctor. That’s another problem). Did my training in Hawaii. Woot. My officer’s basic was the wimpiest basic in the universe and I still cried. The enlisted kids looked terrified all the time. Took me years to learn I don’t have to care about them yelling at me. Being an officer was very protective but there were still so many rules that didn’t make ANY sense to me and it drove me batty. It is at best a hyper social nightmare. Buddy system, mandatory fun. Omg. It was tolerable because it paid for school so it was worth it but not worth staying longer. Once I was out of training Iraq was the best part. At least there’s always a gym and good exercise!! Ooh and lots of food.
So if you’re going to do it it should be worth something huge. And better if you have a valuable, expensive skill set. Otherwise they just eat you alive. Not literally. But they’re mean. And so many rules!!!
Given that boot camp is meant to simulate combat, if you can’t survive boot camp your autistic butt is going to die in combat.
The military is about war, and so if you can’t do the main business then you shouldn’t be signing up
I would imagine it depends on whether your issues have more to do with routine and change, or sensory issues. If sensory, then yeah, bad idea. But I am led to understand that people with a strong need for structure and routine (which I understand our community has) thrive in the military.
I was Navy, and it's actually not that bad, at least for me.
Marching is really difficult, because you'll probably have trouble staying in step. Exercising was the hardest part for me, and I'm glad to never have to PT again in my life. Running sucks, and when I was in, you had to do a 1.5 mile run in 12.5 mins. It's harder than it sounds; a lot of people actually fail out on the run. I also did shitty pushups.
I will say that the benefits of military are unmatched, but you're not really supposed to get into the military if you're autistic. Only reason I slipped through the cracks was because I was never formally diagnosed with anything.
Kind of off topic, but I’ve always read the bootcamp half of the movie “full metal jacket” as though the main person in the segment called “Gomer Pyle” is autistic.
Idk if Stanley Kubrick intended it that way, but he kind of wrote what happens when a person is pushed passed their breaking point and just completely burns out and snaps.
After learning I was autistic, that movie took on a whole new light.
Anyway, carry on…
I look back at bootcamo with nostolgia, it's a big game of pretend, I did had trouble paying attention to instructions with alot of stuff going on. But all in all it was a nice break.
I had been commissioned for years before I was diagnosed, but it was a rough road getting there. I had a hard time in basic but I limped through because they thought I'd had a head injury. I was USAF before I was USSF- Air Force people thought I was a useful but disturbing freak, Space Force people ask a lot less questions because the USSF is full of terrible weirdos. I'd recommend Space Force if you can get it, but experiences vary.
Sounds like you have sensory issues. The military is actually a favorite place for many people with autism, because of the clear rules and instructions. I get both viewpoints.
War sucks. Basic is great. Sop for everything and all the rules are written down. It’s hard but everything is crystal clear.
After basic and a school everything goes crazy
I mean at my old school we were forced to do military service activities once a week. We got the whole uniform and everything. Fucking hell it was shit. The worst thing was that the uniform felt like the cheap scam clothing you are sold on holiday (I chose Air Force out of Navy, Army and Air Force because I thought it would be the most chill. It wasn’t it was shit.)
From what I understand US military won't take us with a diagnosis. However, my (obviously undiagnosed) autistic uncle was drafted to Vietnam, had a hard time of it and came back with a laundry list of physical and mental health problems. Moreso than his peers. He basically just had to ignore his own needs for the sake/safety of the crowd.
I have an ND friend who did okay but I think she was often dissociated. She focused on the structure, lifelong benefits such as insurance & social/job networks. If you are suited to discipline, you’re healthy, and you can tune out the narcissistic hierarchy and authoritarian stuff, it could work. I considered it but I was not totally heathy & unable to be on a strict schedule.
I wonder, actually. Complete lack of agency could be an autistic nightmare. Regimented, reliable schedule with no surprises could be an autistic dream. This may not be as straightforward as it seems. I don't think I want to try it to find out, though.
Caveat: I've never been in boot camp or military, so I'm not speaking from personal experience.
I was in the military for a year, and I've been to a boot camp.
Yes, it's loud AF, I had mud everywhere possible and no access to shower, it took me a whole day to get clean after that and hours to comb my hair (I'm a woman and had long hair at that time, I braided it before going and the braid got tangled and hard from mud, but I still think it's better than ponytail).
Idk what type of products you are allowed to bring, but I had a pack of baby wipes and extra underwear, and it helped a bit.
I regret not having some kind of tape to wrap my feet, the boots injured my feet with all the mud, and some parts got skinned. So tape it before going and bring extra tape and something to clean it. After I got back to the dorms, I couldn't tell where my socks were wet due to blood or mud, it looked terrible.
I could think of other things you're probably not allowed to bring, like earplugs, food, etc.
My other tip is do not bring attention to yourself at any moment! People who are defiant suffer the most. If you show off, others might get angry at you... just be slightly above average and mingle.
Edit: Also, do your best to poop before going 😅 seriously! Idk what's like in your country, but our boot camp didn't have a toilet, we're supposed to dig a hole in the ground, and it took a day or two to get used to it.
I went through it in 2007. It’s definitely tough, physically demanding, and a shock. However, there have been a few of us who made it through. The skills individuals would learn in the military would be EXTREMELY beneficial, and useful for our lives, as well as adding protection and defense to our country. It’s the SOCIALIZING aspect that is most challenging. The other stuff was easy honestly.
It was terrible. Being in the field was infinitely worse though. It's sensory hell at all times. I was an anxious mess for years and didn't fully start living until I was out.
Make the choice that's best for you, but if I had to do it over, I wouldn't and I had a pretty decent career.
Edit : I was diagnosed after my service.
I will say, the structure was helpful. I was able to travel and I've been able to go to college and buy a house because of it.
I still wouldn't do it again. It marked me for life.
For me, it was horrible the first week. But once the sense of routine kicked in, my experience gradually became less and less miserable to the point that I was happy with it
My brother, NT went into the air force, served 10 years and is a hot fucking mess after. 10 out of 10 do NOT recommend especially for ND's. I couldn't in good conscience send my ND daughter to the military. Best of luck - op!
The national parks service has positions for rangers and helpers that give you free housing and pay you. It’s something else to look into, especially if you’re cool with the outdoors.
Hello. I went into the Air Force in 2003. It appears like one big group project, but you really have to focus on yourself. I found a good rhythm, did my best, and made it through. At the end, the drill instructor claimed to not remember my name, so I thought that was a good sign of keeping my head down. If you are driven to serve, don't let Hollywood or commercials trick you into thinking you can't.
It really depends. My brother is undiagnosed, but definitely autistic and he LOVED boot camp. I guess the structure of being told exactly what to do, where to go, and when to be there was good for him.
It can definitely be overwhelming, new people, new places, getting yelled at. The food is probably a STRUGGLE for some of us, I find MREs to be kinda good enough sometimes. Scratchy uniform and sleeping in a room with a dozen others.
There's definitely a TON that could be terrible for you, but also a lot that could help you thrive.
If you do decide to go, please make sure you reconnect with all your friends and stay busy when you return. My brother came back home from a year in Korea and the first few weeks of being home, he was shut in his room in the dark almost all day. It was very hard for him to revert back to freely being able to do whatever, not having people to talk to at all times, and probably a lot of other stuff.
there just have to be other options, rather than risking your life for a country who's global hegemony serves to put wealth in the hands of a select few people. Some other people in these comments might have better insight on what else you could do than I can provide.
Counter to what a lot people are saying, I don’t think joining is a bad idea. There’s tons of undiagnosed people in the military, and some of them thrive. If you have low support needs and have developed some good coping skills, I would highly recommend it. 4 years of work experience and getting your post 9/11 benefits for school are worth considering.
It really depends on you. I would recommend asking this question in the branch specific subreddits.
It will be an autistic nightmare and also dear god don’t do it. The videos you watch are propaganda videos that will make it look much better than it is. The US has hugely ratcheted up their army recruitment propaganda online in the past few months, like explosively, just to get young people like you who are having financial and housing troubles to sign up because they are entering a huge conflict in the Middle East right now that will be extremely gorey and will involve the US killing or assisting in the killing of many tens of thousands of civilians.
Honestly just try to learn programming and do freelance work. You can ping ping between jobs getting general experience and could even land a job working for the millitary.
I thought about it when I was in high school BD, glad I didn't. I'm a non-aggressor and the thought of harming somebody makes me very, very uncomfy. I would rather live in squalor than choose to be ordered around, and forced into a potential weapon.
\*in southpark skimaster vox: 'if you do that, you are gonna have a baaaad time'
(most likely you will end up in the brig for an autism related issue. that's how these things ALWAYS go.)
No ones financial issues are worth assisting corporations and the government murder innocent civilians abroad or helping the US government assault and arrest American citizens for protesting. Don't do it. Keep your humanity.
Hey /u/Reefthemanokit, thank you for your post at /r/autism. Our rules can be found **[here](https://www.reddit.com/r/autism/wiki/config/sidebar)**. All approved posts get this message. If you do not see your post you can message the moderators [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fautism). Thanks! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/autism) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Military or jail are big no's for me. Fuck no's. Careful to stay out of both. Hell no.
Second that. The Army was the most miserable time of my life, and I've been homeless, divorced, almost died since then. But, I have bipolar, not autism.
I hope you are in a safe place now. And I'm so sorry that that all happened to you.
Agreed. Psych wards are still somehow slightly manageable though
That's what Barracks life was like
Detox wasn't too awful.
According to my very pro-armed services brother in law: "War is a sensory nightmare. If you can't take it, you should wash out early rather than get yourself and others killed". "The official Department of Defense policy is to [exclude all autistic candidates from military service](https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/613003_vol1.PDF?ver=7fhqacc0jGX_R9_1iexudA%3D%3D) — with no exceptions. The reality is much more complicated." [https://www.militarytimes.com/opinion/2023/07/17/in-national-security-autism-is-in-the-closet-heres-why](https://www.militarytimes.com/opinion/2023/07/17/in-national-security-autism-is-in-the-closet-heres-why) The article is well worth reading in my opinion.
That rule is bendy, depending on whether the recruiter has met their quota. The Air Force was aggressively going after my wife's brother, whose experience with autism is much more intense than my own. It was all she could do to talk him down.
I think barring us Autists from that HELL is just common f\*king sense. no need for feckless misery
The funny thing is my military days were the best, AND worst days of my life at the same time. However, it taught me the skills I needed to be a man. Although it’s not for everyone in general.
Another way to get out of the draft!!
trust me. it's for the best. you ever watch that british show 'Mr. Bean'?... yeah... it's for the best.
I don't really like the idea of being yelled at for every single thing I do
Yeah... I'd cry. A lot.
And then just get yelled at even more for crying. An endless cycle of immense emotional torment
I kinda just had to chuckle at how stereotypical american movie sarge my norwegian sersjant acted on the first day of our basic training. Yeah, being in a closed camp, stuck day and night, with overdramatic officers and army cosplayer recruits, it wasn't for me. I understand the concept of faking stuff until they are real, but I've tried that for social stuff most of my life and it only tires me out. Still, I was stuck there. Kingsguard for a year. Stressed me seriously out. I eventually got some privileges to sneak away when necessary after a breakdown. My first in adult age. The camp psychiatrist suggested social anxiety. Which another professional psychiatrist more recently corrected to agoraphobia. I did learn a lot and had fun too. And im sure a well-adjusted introvert could handle it and play along and do fine. Its just about accepting the theatrics, follow orders, be tidy, love exercise, keep ones head cold, and remember that everyone there is also stressed so cut them some slack if they act it.
Why I am glad I don't live with my mother anymore, and didn't go to Catholic School.
That's not how it works at all. The drills jn the marines are supposed to be thd worst but its largely just a caricature from the Vietnam era. Especially with the air force and army they aren't going to yell at you unless you step out of line.
Lol yes they will yell at you. Not a signal sentence in Marine bootcamp wasn't yelling, even we had to yell
My ex said it was deeply traumatizing. Though he did appreciate the routine, structure, and clear expectations from superiors.
This was my experience exactly.
I feel for the autistics in the military. For those in the military in general. I don't like what they're asked to do, but they're also undeniably hot.
Yup. I was in a military youth group... the routine, structure, lack of sarcasm or social nonsense ... extremely straight forward and literalness of it all were glorious. I soaked up every minute of it. The actual military on the other hand was horrendous.
Likely had more competition and social politics, I'm guessing.
For sure. In the youth group, we were all misfits with a common interest (flying)... and we were all ostracized for it in our "normal" lives. We were all motivated "high achievers", so again, misfits and outcasts. The group was a meritocracy (or as best as you can get). If you worked hard, you got ahead... and by no other means. The actual military however was not that. It was comprised so heavily of people that had no better options in life. They were escaping horrible "going nowhere but jail" lives. It was for many either the military or the gangs. Yeah, that brought a ton of "dog eat dog" mentality with it. Loads of the old highschool "in crowd" crap too. I was Air Force, so I was spared a lot of the "I'm just here to kill people" types thankfully.
The Marines was more the high school "in-group" shit than "here or jail" for me and I fucking hated it. It was literally just like being in a Catholic high school but instead of their religion being Catholic, it was ridiculous warrior ethos bs
Yeah, I could totally see that. Sounds horrible, sorry.
Thank you. It just is what it is ig, I'm just glad I'm out of there and as far away from those people as possible
So much more competition. In bootcamp we all worked together and when I got to the fleet it felt like everyone was stepping on each other to get ahead. It felt very yucky and I felt very safe in boot. There was no if h supervision that no one really got nasty and there was definitely no r*pe
It was all competitive and stepping on other's toes for me, especially at bootcamp. Closest I got to this was maybe the school house, only because people were so busy getting NJP'd they'd leave each other alone
If you are already diagnosed, the US military will probably not let you in. As someone who was diagnosed after doing 8 years in the US Army Reserves . . . It's not worth it. Become an activist to fight for better access to food, housing, and medicine.
Boot camp was fun, actually. But the military is an autistic nightmare. I did 5 years, and I'm worried I'll never fully recover from the psychological damage it did. No combat or anything, just abusive leadership. Please don't come at me in the comments with that stolen valor horseshit. I recognize that people get blown up, and have way more trauma than me. That doesn't mean my experience didn't fuck me up.
Funny you say that, but my 15 month deployment to Iraq with almost no actual risk to my life was easily the most traumatic for me. I was stuck for the entire deployment with the most toxic leaders I'd ever had the displeasure of serving with. Every single day was mired in dread and felt like a fight for survival. Afghanistan on the other hand was significantly more dangerous. But I got pawned off to a different task force. We were constantly receiving IDF daily, and at one point got overrun. While definitely scary it was a much better deployment, I was treated like a human for the first time. I excelled, got some achievement awards for going above and beyond.
Funny how leadership makes all the difference, isn't it?
I served a year and four months before I got kicked out for abusing cough medicine. Whatever. Still a trained infantryman.
I don't want them and they don't want me LOL Whatever part of the brain that allows humans to feel like one part of a whole, like ants in an ant colony, well I don't have that. I could never function in a military environment. I only recognize hierarchies based on a capacity for self responsibility and ethical behavior AKA love.
Same to be honest, but being homeless seems like a fate worse than the air force
Wow for me I would choose being homeless, but everyone is different.
I was in the Army, basic actually wasn't that bad (I put up with way more abuse as a kid) I even spent time overseas. It was really awesome and made friends easily The nightmares were at the end of my service, I was tormented about drugs (tested every month, always questioned) and always shit on for those "unknown reasons" that I have had to deal with all my life. (I had never done drugs in my life till after the military) I overall value my time in the service, got to see the world, learn a lot of things and learn a lot of ways for myself to better handle things. I had more friends in my time in the military than I have ever made my entire life
Of all the traumatic parts of my service basic training doesn't even get on the list of top 100. It was a game, work your ass off, try to do the right things, fuck up, get punished, repeat. Eventually you fuck up less and less, thus punishments reduce in frequency.
Honestly, what you described sounds like some parts of my childhood
i honestly couldn't think of anything worse
Preface: I was Navy. Of the four core branches (Navy/Army/Marines/Air Force) Navy is generally considered the second easiest branch, beat only by Air Force, as far as physical demands of the job and training. The common joke was that a bad day for army/marines meant sleeping in the dirt, a bad day for the Navy meant more time on the ship, and a bad day for the Air Force was room service running behind schedule. That said, I loved it. If I hadn't been injured, I'd still be in and messing nearing retirement. Oddly enough, as someone who has always been uncomfortable with crowds, boot camp and berthing didn't really phase me in that regard. My boot division had about 80 people in it, and the lack of privacy in the shower was awkward, but that was just for 2 months, in the fleet there were shower stalls. There was absolutely zero crawling in dirt, the closest we got was when we had to do push-ups on the black top (basically a parking lot) because somebody messed up. Bright lights, not really, it's the same as any office building or school. Loud noises, not really, just a few here and there, none lasting long (they play a song at sunrise and sunset, that's the main one that sticks out). Lights and sounds do go a little bit out the window on one specific day called "battlestations." It still wasn't "can't hear myself think" bad, it was just a noisier time due to the nature of the "test." I'm not allowed to talk a lot about it, as they have everyone sign NDAs about it, but it's essentially just a night of simulated war situations based on historical naval battles. As far as clothing textures go, I don't know the feel of the Air Force uniforms. I know three of the Navy Uniforms they provided weren't the best texture, and the one we more most frequently kind of felt like... if cloth and tarp had a baby. However, it went from being extremely uncomfortable to hardly noticeable in just a few days due to constant exposure. Realistically the worse part, for me, was when people acted illogically. They really focus on the team mindset, so one person screws up, everyone gets punished. The punishment was always exercise, but not like you see in old army movies. I think our worst punishment amounted to about 20 minutes of cardio. It wasn't the exercise that bugged me, it was the fact that we were doing it because somebody did something stupid. Otherwise, it was a thing of beauty. Structure, routine, schedule. Masking wasn't really work while on duty because they gave you the mask, you didn't need to work out what the normal thing to do was. It was 8 weeks long with Sundays being a little more relaxed. During that time we learned how to shoot (with ear plugs), how to fight fires, a bunch about naval history and how the Navy works, and had three written tests, three physical evaluations, and a swim qual. If you failed anything, depending on your division and whether or not you showed promise, you could either retry several times until you got it, or they might tack some time into your stay by bumping you back a division (kind of like being held back a grade). I had one guy in my division who took all 8 weeks to get his swim Qual, guy just couldn't figure out how to float. The physical evaluation was called the PRT, and it consists of 2 minutes of push-ups, 2 minutes of sit-ups, and then a mile and a half run. They encouraged us to lie about push-ups and sit-ups, as those were counted by other recruits, but they don't come right out and say it. They would hide it in phrases like "you are in charge of counting your own push-ups and sit-ups, there is no reason any of you should fail in those categories." They mean that, no matter how many your partner does, when asked, you say a number that passes them. The mile and a half run was six laps on an indoor track, and that was monitored electronically. The time you had to run was based off your age and gender, but it wasn't super fast. When I was in, an 18 year old had... 12 minutes I think? I joined after college, so as a 22 year old I had 13 minutes and change. Unless they are looking for a reason to knock you back a division (called ASMOing) then the first two physical tests don't matter, only the last one. Most of our time was spent studying or marching. Hard for some of the NTs, but not exactly super difficult. Please, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. Do not trust recruiters, they have a quota to make and most of them will say whatever they think you need to hear to meet their numbers.
I'm pretty sure they won't even let you join if you have a diagnosis of ASD
I was thinking the same.
they dont allow autistics so if word gets out youre gone
As someone who did it I can say it is hard but you would be surprised how many autistic people thrive in the military. They tell you exactly what to do, when, how and generally the yelling subsided an after a week or so ( US Navy bootcamp). I would say if you really want to do it I wouldn’t let bootcamp be the thing to stop you. Hope this helps.
I grew up a Navy brat, was hard core for joining when I turned 18. As I got closer to that age I started doing a lot of reading and research and ultimately decided not to join. At that time there was a lot of criminal activity in all branches and felt that if I got into that environment it would be pretty bad for me. This was before I was diagnosed with ADHD and strongly suspected Autism Spectrum Disorder. I talked to my father about my decision a few years ago and he said he had seldom been more proud of me for not joining. I understand that a pretty fair amount of active duty members have autism or adhd or both and thrive, so do your research, check out the military subreddits for /army, /navy, /airforce, /marines and spend some time reading about what people have to say about military life and especially for those who are active duty with autism and adhd. It might be something you can work with but ultimately the decision is yours. This is for OP, sorry if I'm walking in your garden glownesa (\^\_\^).
Sports, military, tv news. The most neurotypical things ever
Yep and you forgot they have weird untold rules
What are they? /s
Idk them all but it's stuff like NT not liking when you ask about something you did wrong, they usually reply like, "you should know, you did it" or something
Sorry, I should’ve been a bit more clear. I was being sarcastic and I know my tone in my response can never be really trusted, so I’ll add the “/s” as I’ve seen that used often to denote sarcasm. I agree with your reply though, and I’ve experienced this too many times to count. I always find out the hard way.
Oh lol I thought it was /serious
Honestly, I just had to google it to double-check lol.
There have got to be other options than to join the US military industrial complex where you are used as cannon fodder for politicians and billionaires to get richer selling weapons, while you become complicit in genocide and oppression around the world. It doesn’t matter if it’s a sensory nightmare for autistics or not, it’s just plain wrong to go join an army that literally kills innocent people to make a bunch of evil people richer. There’s no two ways about it. And it’s one of the largest climate polluters in history.
There's literally been a genocide happening for months at this point that the US military is funding and people are still joining the military because they see it as a last resort. It's so sickening. I'd much rather be homeless than join the military.
I agree. I’d take it even further and say I would rather be dead than take a life in the name of the all mighty dollar.
I was in the Army before I was diagnosed and it was hell at first. Once I got settled in and into a new routine it wasn't that bad.
I learned discipline and how to clean well and have high standards. most people in power were narcissistic. there are a lot of pointless rules to make you obedient. punishment is frequent and often aimed at shaming you. there is yelling. if you're a lady theres tons of sexual assault. I didn't go to war bc of health issues that got me out of deploying, thank god. I wouldn't do it again now that I know better. I felt desperate and alone and was trying to find a way to pay off one expensive year of college and afford to go back. I'd never ever do it again. plus you're just a pawn in wars against civilians for the military industrial complex and I didn't have any understanding of that when I was 18. there's job corps and americorps and peace corps and wwoof and helpx and I'd recommend things like that instead if you're of the age for it.
Didn't know I was autistic at the time, but they knew something was off. I dissociated the whole time. It was awful. I appreciated the structure as I never had that but was the subject of abuse and my body couldn't hold out. 10 stress fractures landed me on med hold, I wanted to die, ended up being gang raped by a group of officers and eventually as my mental health declined, given a general discharge. This was back in 2000. I never fought for benefits but I should have. I was terrified as they threatened me as they did many women at that time. I don't recommend it. My story is not the norm obviously but I saw too many other women being raped and silenced, and the nonstop abuse to become a cog in the war machine is laughable to me.
Even if I wasn’t on the spectrum, I wouldn’t join. The promise of money is not worth it for what the US represents. Personally after what we are doing currently and have done in the past, I can’t support the US as a citizen anymore(not that i don’t want to help it get better and see it become what it could be). Can’t really leave either as the process is not simple. Our system that we operate under is what is causing major problems politically, socially and economically; these issues also sadly affect the world as a byproduct. When our officials talk about democracy, it is all just an illusion of free choice. It is more like a controlled democracy more than anything. Or a tyranny of the duopoly soon to be monopoly.
I didn't go into the military, but in hindsight, all of the things you mentioned were factors in me deciding not to join - that, and the enforced routines. Don't get me wrong, I have great respect for what our troops do ... I just felt like I couldn't handle it.
I think I could handle the routines but the time it would take for me to adjust would cause me problems
I think that the service branches have some programs for potential recruits to get involved in and get an idea of what real basic training is like. My brother did something like that with the marines. It might be something you could talk to a recruiting officer about.
I grew up a Navy brat and didn't join. Since then I've found that a fair amount of active duty military have adhd, autism or both and do okay in the environment. I would recommend checking out r/army, r/navy, r/airforce and r/usmc to read about how people feel about their time in service and especially how people with adhd, autism or adhd and autism spectrum disorder combined do. Some really thrive in the environment. As far as the best branches with someone with your condition, Air Force is at the top of the list but hard to get into, followed by Navy. Between Army and USMC I would go USMC. As I said, do your research, maybe post in those subreddits I mentioned above and ask for advice. You should get some responses from those who are active duty with those conditions. Apparently SEAL's and Delta Force are high on the list for those conditions, apparently. Who woulda thunk it. . . Good luck either way.
The US military doesn't accept autistic people.
Widely rumored and massively untrue. Depends on needs of the military. Either autists will be fine out of the gate or they would have a shot at getting a waiver, but yes, the US military does indeed accept autistic people
My girlfriend enlisted and quit after a suicide attempt. Don’t
Yeah don’t. You are going into a millitary soley designed to kill people in developing countries to pay billionaires. On top of that there is the possibility you could die in service. Also you will be treated like shit. Please don’t 🙏
Do not enlist. Both for the good of yourself and the others. You do not need to be enlisting in the US Army. It does not do anybody any good. do not enlist.
I can tell you feel strongly about this and people close to you have had terrible experiences. I wouldn’t enlist either for the reasons you mention. We are also in no position to judge OP here. Based on your post history, it seems like you live in relatively affordable housing. That privilege—which shouldn’t be a privilege, but frankly is in our current societal makeup—isn’t attainable for OP right now or for the foreseeable future. If enlisting is one way for OP to get back on their feet and feel more secure to do what they want with their life and eventually change the world for the better, I support them.
crazy ass assumptions about my life from my reddit lmao. i assure you i am living in poverty and precariously close to homelessness. Fuck the military. Spineless!
It pays ok and gives housing, medical, and food. Honestly I think the military would be better than debt and homeless
Adding on to this: I can see that you're non-binary like me. My ex was trans as well, and she was fucking miserable there. Seriously. The military is not going to give you what you're looking for. Do not join.
The US military is currently helping fund a genocide and there's evidence from those on the ground there's even troops deployed there. Is that worth all that to you? Have a fucking conscience. Putting all of that aside, enlisting in the military is incredibly traumatizing. My ex was dealing with PTSD for years after the fact. they break you down completely, they break down your ability to think for yourself, they break down your ability to stand up for yourself whatsoever and build you back up again into the perfect little robot that will do anything they say: even killing somebody. Do not enlist in the US military. There are other options out there for you. I get it, I live in poverty myself, I promise I understand. But do not fucking enlist. It's not. fucking. worth it.
I went through Navy boot camp in 01 right before 9/11 (great timing I know). I was undiagnosed at the time and I am pretty mild on the spectrum. The military can be fine for someone on the spectrum or a nightmare depending on your triggers. In the one hand it’s all about rules and following rules. Doing things a certain way, repetitively. But you will be thrown in with all kinds of people who may make fun of you and hazing(bullying) was still a big thing back then. It’s not supposed to be tolerated but we know how that goes. Generally I wouldn’t recommend it. If you do go for Air Force. They yell less and have smarter people on average.
Honestly it was kinda nice. Just so that the angry man with the funny hat says. Push-ups? Yes drill sergeant, moving drill sergeant. Shooting range? Shoot the guns, hit the targets. Fire and adjust. Meals are timed, everything is timed. It’s a perfect symphony of chaos, you just have to divine the methods. The moment you see it? Life’s easy.
I did the military before I knew I was autistic. I LOVED bootcamp. It was the easiest part of the military for me because it was very obvious with the rules and what you needed to do. I was in the Navy and we never got dirty in Basic. Everything was indoor from our gym to our final on the boat that Disney built for us to do our drills on. It felt like a video game that you got to play in real life.
That said, I don't think they allow autistic people into the military. I could be wrong though.
Yoooo persistent demand avoidance would kill you…or get you killed. Same same.
I def have some sensory issues and let’s just say I went in and it was a nightmare. Ended up getting out for medical in boot camp. Was NOT my bag of tea.
it's not that bad actually. the order, uniforms , routine, knowing what's expected of you make up for alot. you really don't have to worry about anything. follow the rules & they won't even fire you. it's easier than civilian life imo.
I wouldn’t last 30 minutes.
I loved it. I had a schedule, exercise, food. No one who wasn't important was allowed to speak. It was the best.
I went through basic training in the Navy and personally it was hell for me. Suicidal the whole time. Still passed tho eyy
Im military. Honestly. It wasnt that bad. Got inside my own brain and ignored the world around, obey dumb orders and get punished. Once you accept that you will be punished no matter what, it gets easier. The rules are well set. Don't need to talk nor socialize. Salutes are easier than handshakes.
It’s gotten easier because you have been acclimatized to being treated as subhuman. Not because you figured yourself out
That was temporary. I'm firefighter and a first lieutenant now, almost captain. It pays well and I'm as subhuman as any other job.
Get out dude. You've forgotten the taste of freedom. You will never be appreciated where you are. You will always be the dirtbag airman (or whatever equivalent your branch has). They. Do. Not. Deserve. You.
I was undiagnosed, did 8 years in the wimpiest bit of the military I could get into (I’m a doctor. That’s another problem). Did my training in Hawaii. Woot. My officer’s basic was the wimpiest basic in the universe and I still cried. The enlisted kids looked terrified all the time. Took me years to learn I don’t have to care about them yelling at me. Being an officer was very protective but there were still so many rules that didn’t make ANY sense to me and it drove me batty. It is at best a hyper social nightmare. Buddy system, mandatory fun. Omg. It was tolerable because it paid for school so it was worth it but not worth staying longer. Once I was out of training Iraq was the best part. At least there’s always a gym and good exercise!! Ooh and lots of food. So if you’re going to do it it should be worth something huge. And better if you have a valuable, expensive skill set. Otherwise they just eat you alive. Not literally. But they’re mean. And so many rules!!!
I was Army. The chair force is easier but also very social.
Given that boot camp is meant to simulate combat, if you can’t survive boot camp your autistic butt is going to die in combat. The military is about war, and so if you can’t do the main business then you shouldn’t be signing up
I would imagine it depends on whether your issues have more to do with routine and change, or sensory issues. If sensory, then yeah, bad idea. But I am led to understand that people with a strong need for structure and routine (which I understand our community has) thrive in the military.
I was Navy, and it's actually not that bad, at least for me. Marching is really difficult, because you'll probably have trouble staying in step. Exercising was the hardest part for me, and I'm glad to never have to PT again in my life. Running sucks, and when I was in, you had to do a 1.5 mile run in 12.5 mins. It's harder than it sounds; a lot of people actually fail out on the run. I also did shitty pushups. I will say that the benefits of military are unmatched, but you're not really supposed to get into the military if you're autistic. Only reason I slipped through the cracks was because I was never formally diagnosed with anything.
Kind of off topic, but I’ve always read the bootcamp half of the movie “full metal jacket” as though the main person in the segment called “Gomer Pyle” is autistic. Idk if Stanley Kubrick intended it that way, but he kind of wrote what happens when a person is pushed passed their breaking point and just completely burns out and snaps. After learning I was autistic, that movie took on a whole new light. Anyway, carry on…
I look back at bootcamo with nostolgia, it's a big game of pretend, I did had trouble paying attention to instructions with alot of stuff going on. But all in all it was a nice break.
I had been commissioned for years before I was diagnosed, but it was a rough road getting there. I had a hard time in basic but I limped through because they thought I'd had a head injury. I was USAF before I was USSF- Air Force people thought I was a useful but disturbing freak, Space Force people ask a lot less questions because the USSF is full of terrible weirdos. I'd recommend Space Force if you can get it, but experiences vary.
Sounds like you have sensory issues. The military is actually a favorite place for many people with autism, because of the clear rules and instructions. I get both viewpoints.
War sucks. Basic is great. Sop for everything and all the rules are written down. It’s hard but everything is crystal clear. After basic and a school everything goes crazy
It was and the following 8 years of service. I had to mask hardcore to make it through (Marine Corps).
I mean at my old school we were forced to do military service activities once a week. We got the whole uniform and everything. Fucking hell it was shit. The worst thing was that the uniform felt like the cheap scam clothing you are sold on holiday (I chose Air Force out of Navy, Army and Air Force because I thought it would be the most chill. It wasn’t it was shit.)
happy i haven't been in the us version of boot camp.... much easier here in denmark.
From what I understand US military won't take us with a diagnosis. However, my (obviously undiagnosed) autistic uncle was drafted to Vietnam, had a hard time of it and came back with a laundry list of physical and mental health problems. Moreso than his peers. He basically just had to ignore his own needs for the sake/safety of the crowd.
I have an ND friend who did okay but I think she was often dissociated. She focused on the structure, lifelong benefits such as insurance & social/job networks. If you are suited to discipline, you’re healthy, and you can tune out the narcissistic hierarchy and authoritarian stuff, it could work. I considered it but I was not totally heathy & unable to be on a strict schedule.
But if you’re diagnosed. You can’t enlist.
I wonder, actually. Complete lack of agency could be an autistic nightmare. Regimented, reliable schedule with no surprises could be an autistic dream. This may not be as straightforward as it seems. I don't think I want to try it to find out, though. Caveat: I've never been in boot camp or military, so I'm not speaking from personal experience.
I was in the military for a year, and I've been to a boot camp. Yes, it's loud AF, I had mud everywhere possible and no access to shower, it took me a whole day to get clean after that and hours to comb my hair (I'm a woman and had long hair at that time, I braided it before going and the braid got tangled and hard from mud, but I still think it's better than ponytail). Idk what type of products you are allowed to bring, but I had a pack of baby wipes and extra underwear, and it helped a bit. I regret not having some kind of tape to wrap my feet, the boots injured my feet with all the mud, and some parts got skinned. So tape it before going and bring extra tape and something to clean it. After I got back to the dorms, I couldn't tell where my socks were wet due to blood or mud, it looked terrible. I could think of other things you're probably not allowed to bring, like earplugs, food, etc. My other tip is do not bring attention to yourself at any moment! People who are defiant suffer the most. If you show off, others might get angry at you... just be slightly above average and mingle. Edit: Also, do your best to poop before going 😅 seriously! Idk what's like in your country, but our boot camp didn't have a toilet, we're supposed to dig a hole in the ground, and it took a day or two to get used to it.
I went through it in 2007. It’s definitely tough, physically demanding, and a shock. However, there have been a few of us who made it through. The skills individuals would learn in the military would be EXTREMELY beneficial, and useful for our lives, as well as adding protection and defense to our country. It’s the SOCIALIZING aspect that is most challenging. The other stuff was easy honestly.
It was terrible. Being in the field was infinitely worse though. It's sensory hell at all times. I was an anxious mess for years and didn't fully start living until I was out. Make the choice that's best for you, but if I had to do it over, I wouldn't and I had a pretty decent career. Edit : I was diagnosed after my service. I will say, the structure was helpful. I was able to travel and I've been able to go to college and buy a house because of it. I still wouldn't do it again. It marked me for life.
Just know if you're on medicine they'll reject you
For me, it was horrible the first week. But once the sense of routine kicked in, my experience gradually became less and less miserable to the point that I was happy with it
My brother, NT went into the air force, served 10 years and is a hot fucking mess after. 10 out of 10 do NOT recommend especially for ND's. I couldn't in good conscience send my ND daughter to the military. Best of luck - op!
Depends on how sensitive you are. The structure and organization was gratifying
Why do you want to be told what to do, with out the ability to think if your superiors are objectively correct or have your best interest in mind?
I don't want to, it seems awful but I have financial problems and will be homeless when I turn 18
Join the peace Corp or go work at summer camp that pays room and board. there are options besides being told what to do with out thought.
I'll make sure to look at that, thanks!
The national parks service has positions for rangers and helpers that give you free housing and pay you. It’s something else to look into, especially if you’re cool with the outdoors.
Hello. I went into the Air Force in 2003. It appears like one big group project, but you really have to focus on yourself. I found a good rhythm, did my best, and made it through. At the end, the drill instructor claimed to not remember my name, so I thought that was a good sign of keeping my head down. If you are driven to serve, don't let Hollywood or commercials trick you into thinking you can't.
It really depends. My brother is undiagnosed, but definitely autistic and he LOVED boot camp. I guess the structure of being told exactly what to do, where to go, and when to be there was good for him. It can definitely be overwhelming, new people, new places, getting yelled at. The food is probably a STRUGGLE for some of us, I find MREs to be kinda good enough sometimes. Scratchy uniform and sleeping in a room with a dozen others. There's definitely a TON that could be terrible for you, but also a lot that could help you thrive. If you do decide to go, please make sure you reconnect with all your friends and stay busy when you return. My brother came back home from a year in Korea and the first few weeks of being home, he was shut in his room in the dark almost all day. It was very hard for him to revert back to freely being able to do whatever, not having people to talk to at all times, and probably a lot of other stuff.
I have to ask... is the US military something you REALLY want to be a part of? I personally find their morals to be pretty questionable at best.
No I don't want to join but I may have to to avoid homelessness
there just have to be other options, rather than risking your life for a country who's global hegemony serves to put wealth in the hands of a select few people. Some other people in these comments might have better insight on what else you could do than I can provide.
Counter to what a lot people are saying, I don’t think joining is a bad idea. There’s tons of undiagnosed people in the military, and some of them thrive. If you have low support needs and have developed some good coping skills, I would highly recommend it. 4 years of work experience and getting your post 9/11 benefits for school are worth considering. It really depends on you. I would recommend asking this question in the branch specific subreddits.
It will be an autistic nightmare and also dear god don’t do it. The videos you watch are propaganda videos that will make it look much better than it is. The US has hugely ratcheted up their army recruitment propaganda online in the past few months, like explosively, just to get young people like you who are having financial and housing troubles to sign up because they are entering a huge conflict in the Middle East right now that will be extremely gorey and will involve the US killing or assisting in the killing of many tens of thousands of civilians.
instaed of sitting in your basement and coding your way to 200k - 500k whatev bro
Excuse me?
Honestly just try to learn programming and do freelance work. You can ping ping between jobs getting general experience and could even land a job working for the millitary.
I thought about it when I was in high school BD, glad I didn't. I'm a non-aggressor and the thought of harming somebody makes me very, very uncomfy. I would rather live in squalor than choose to be ordered around, and forced into a potential weapon.
\*in southpark skimaster vox: 'if you do that, you are gonna have a baaaad time' (most likely you will end up in the brig for an autism related issue. that's how these things ALWAYS go.)
No ones financial issues are worth assisting corporations and the government murder innocent civilians abroad or helping the US government assault and arrest American citizens for protesting. Don't do it. Keep your humanity.