- Defense Department updates screening policy that halts processing for applicants with disqualifying medical conditions.
- Peanut allergies are among the flagged medical conditions unlikely to be waived.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has prioritized troop fitness and appearance.
At a moment when military recruitment in the U.S. is reportedly on the rise, would-be recruits with peanut allergies — and a long list of other designated preexisting conditions — are now more likely to be flagged and disqualified from service early in the pre-screening process.
Last week, the U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command, or USMEPCOM, implemented a policy — dubbed “Conditions Unlikely to be Waived — that halts processing for applicants with one or more of 28 medical conditions designated as unlikely to be waived.
Identifying such conditions earlier in the process, according to the command, reduces unnecessary medical evaluations, while conserving resources.
“This is a shift in order,” said Army Col. Megan McKinnon, USMEPCOM command surgeon. “Instead of doing complete processing and then handing it to the waiver authority, we’ve created a trigger on the front end for these specific conditions that requires additional Service sign off, because all Services agreed that they are unlikely to be waived on the back end.”
The list of “unlikely to be waived” conditions — which was provided to Military Times — includes peanut anaphylaxis.
An estimated 6.2 million U.S. children and adults have a peanut allergy — and approximately 33 million people in the country have at least one food allergy, according to Food Allergy Research & Education, or FARE.
The percentage of the U.S. population living with peanut allergy has notably increased in recent decades, added the the nonprofit organization’s report. A serious allergic reaction to food can be life-threatening.
What other medical conditions will be flagged early?
Besides a peanut allergy, other “unlikely to be waived” physical conditions for aspiring military recruits include several cardiac conditions; bariatric surgery other than gastric sleeve; Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis; eczema or psoriasis requiring oral or injectable medications within the last 12 months; active malignancy and resolved malignancy with less than one year of remission, sickle cell disease; and Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.
Multiple mental or emotional health circumstances are also classified as “unlikely to be waived” — including two or more lifetime suicide attempts and bipolar I or II “with a documented episode of mania or hypomania.”
Identification of one of these conditions during the medical prescreen prevents applicants from coming to a military entrance processing station for their final fitness assessment, except in rare cases as approved by the Service waiver authority.
“In an environment where resources are limited, USMEPCOM must focus on policy changes and technical solutions that increase our operational efficiency,” said Navy Capt. Christopher Carmichael, USMEPCOM Western Sector commander, in the Defense Department release.
“(The prescreening policy) improves operational efficiency by both relieving pressure on USMEPCOMs center of gravity, our people, and ensuring that the focus is placed on the applicants that qualify to serve.”
“America’s warfighters must be physically and mentally capable of performing their duties in the harshest of conditions,” wrote Hegseth. “Severe underlying medical conditions introduce significant risks on the battlefield and threaten not only mission priorities, but also the health and safety of the affected individual and their fellow Service members.
In that same memo, Hegseth wrote that the DOD policy on gender dysphoria remains unchanged.
“Applicants for military service having a current diagnosis or history of or exhibiting symptoms consistent with gender dysphoria would require an accession waiver from the Secretary of a Military Department.”
Recruiting’s reportedly up — and calls for ‘fit not fat’ troops
Hegseth has prioritized troop fitness and appearance since taking command of the agency.
Last year, he ordered a department-wide review of existing standards set by U.S. military branches pertaining to physical fitness, body composition and grooming.
“We must remain vigilant in maintaining the standards that enable the men and women of our military to protect the American people and our homeland as the world’s most lethal and effective fighting force,” wrote Hegseth. “Our adversaries are not growing weaker — and our tasks are not growing less challenging.”
U.S. troops, he added on social media, “will be fit — not fat.”
Late last year, the DOD reported that military recruiting efforts have returned to levels not seen in over a decade.
“Since November 2024, our military has seen its highest recruiting percentage of mission achieved in more than 15 years,” stated chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell.
Last fiscal year, all active-duty services “made mission,” according to the DOD release. Most reserve components also met their mission goals, with the exception of the Army Reserve, which met 75% of its goal.
Meanwhile, in April, the U.S. Army began allowing men and women to enlist up to age 42.
The Army’s updated enlistment policy also allows applicants with a single marijuana possession conviction to join.