[blaser-waffle]

Bingo. There was a awful lot of screening at MEPS -- where you go to process for the US Military, regardless of Marines/Army/Navy/Airforce -- for medical stuff. Lots of implied "do you secretly have a medical issue?" questions, as the military is responsible for paying for your healthcare.

I served with a dude who entered to be a diesel mechanic (even though he had no background/interest in it) because he got his GF pregnant and didn't have a way to take care of a kid at 19.

These are less of an issue in Canada, the UK, etc. where they have universal healthcare and better safety nets.

[Fjolsvith]

> Lots of implied "do you secretly have a medical issue?" questions, as the military is responsible for paying for your healthcare.

Basic training was the hardest exercise that I'd had in my life up until then. They don't want you dying from an asthma attack on the obstacle course or something similar.

Or, if you have a heart condition, they don't want you dying on the operating table from it when they go to remove a piece of shrapnel.

[ericmay]

Yup. And if you have a knee problem, back problem, etc. you will get chaptered out for medical reasons, so why waste time and money if that's the eventual outcome? Does the military want to pay for the healthcare of someone who went to basic training with a bad knee and made it worse due to being in the military? No! That isn't their purpose and we should never expect otherwise.

Sometimes I think people are just looking for a boogeyman.