In an effort to foster increased recruitment, the US Air Force is changing their waiver policies. The adjustments will focus on several health issues that previously would have disqualified candidates with a goal of increasing recruitment numbers by 1,000.
Now, applicants with food allergies, asthma, and various degrees of hearing loss will be granted waivers to join the military branch. Although these waivers relax certain restrictions, recruits with these conditions will still not be eligible for job opportunities with stricter medical restrictions, such as those in special warfare and aviation.
Recruits with these medical issues will be issued an assignment limitation code that ensures they will not be placed in functions or locations that could jeopardize their health. This is especially true for recruits with food allergies who carry epinephrine.
Said Col Ian Gregory:
These people are still at risk, but it’s felt that the risk is acceptable. Thus far, we haven’t had too many problems with people who develop food allergies while on active duty, and they do deploy and carry an EpiPen.
The Air Force has struggled to meet their recruiting numbers in recent years, falling short by 10% in 2023. Although they met their goal in 2024, they hope to increase recruitment by 16% with an aggressive push in 2025.
“It’s ambitious, but I believe it is executable,” said Brig Gen Christopher Amrhein.
The Air Force strategically chose the waivers to maximize the return on investment in training new recruits. Food allergies, asthma, and hearing loss comprise a fair number of waiver requests with “low operational risk and additional medical support.”
“We chose these three diagnoses because we wanted to get the most bang for our buck,” Gregory said.
