Army Lifts Ban On Mentally Ill & Here’s Why It’s Happening

The Army officially will now allow recruits with a history of mental health issues to serve in the military. Despite warnings from the industry about the risks involved, the U.S. Army lifted the ban due to low recruitment levels. This new rule allows recruits who have bipolar disorder, depression, drug and alcohol abuse and issues with self-harm to join the Army. The decision to lift these restrictions comes as the military looks like it will miss the challenging goal of recruiting 80,000 new soldiers by September 2018. 

Last year, the Army accepted more recruits who performed poorly on aptitude tests, increased the number of waivers granted for marijuana use and offered hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses in order to meet their goal of 69,000 new soldiers. In the fiscal year 2017, the U.S. Army paid out $424 million in bonuses, an increase from $284 million in 2016. In 2014, that figure was $8.2 million. Some of the enlisted recruits qualified for bonuses of $40,000.

With the new rules in place, those with mental health issues can now receive waivers to join the Army. The Army did not respond to a question of how many waivers, if any, have been issued since the policy was changed. This change is largely in part due to the fact that the Army now has much more access to medical records than ever before. They have access to each and every potential recruit’s medical information and have more details on each individual case. The Army had originally issued the ban on waivers for mental health issues back in 2009 due to a spike in suicides among troops. 

“The decision was primarily due to the increased availability of medical records and other data which is now more readily available,” Army spokesman Lt. Col. Randy Taylor said. “These records allow Army officials to better document applicant medical histories.” 

“We’re not prepared to close the door on such individuals who are otherwise medically, mentally and physically qualified for military service,” Army Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Thomas C. Seamands said. “We think this is the right thing for our Army, and the selfless young men and women who wish to serve.” 

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The Army signed off on the new policy in August, but never announced it. 

But according to Elspeth Ritchie, a psychiatrist who retired from the Army as a colonel in 2010 and is an expert on waivers for military service, accepting recruits with those mental health conditions in their past carries many risks. She stated that people with a history of mental health problems are more likely to have those issues resurface than those who do not. Ritchie believes the lift on this ban is a red flag for the Army, but it is unclear how much of a red flag it really is.

This news is especially troubling following the recent tragedy in Sutherland Springs, Texas where 26 people were killed and 20 were injured as a result of Devin Patrick Kelle, a veteran with a history of psychiatric problems, opening fire inside the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs.

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