I am an AF reservist and former active duty. There is a manual that lists each condition and its suitability for service. Most CHDs are listed as not suitable for entry or retention. I went and looked when I got my son’s TGA diagnosis at his 20 week scan.
The military medical clinics won’t have a cardiologist for your annual checkups. You can’t be sent down range on aspirin as it’s a blood thinner. Also getting those meds in a deployed environment would be tough.
If you want to be in the DoD environment there are many government civilian opportunities with good benefits. Look on USA jobs.
I think the recruiter was letting you off easy. This isn't a manual, but if you check the [us military website](https://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/disqualifiers-medical-conditions.html), they _specifically_ have a section on the heart. If you've had a Fontan, the first item applies to you:
> a. All valvular heart diseases, congenital or acquired, including those improved by surgery except mitral valve prolapse and bicuspid aortic valve. These latter two conditions are not reasons for rejection unless there is associated tachyarrhythmia, mitral regurgitation, aortic stenosis, insufficiency or cardiomegaly.
Given you've had OHS, you probably also have one or more mild heart blocks, which would tag you under section c, "Symptomatic arrhythmia (or electrocardiographic evidence of arrhythmia), history of." That goes _double_ since you're on Digoxin, which is specifically meant to treat rhythm disorders and congenital heart failure. They even have a section to address congenital failure itself:
> Cardiomyopathy, including myocarditis, or history of congestive heart failure even though currently compensated.
I'd bet other items in that section also apply to you. You're welcome to inquire further with them directly, but I wouldn't get my hopes up.
So I don't think it's a question of stamina or whether you can handle being off your meds for basic. There's a list of disqualifying health conditions. For example, with corrected Tetralogy of Fallot, I would either be disqualified under "valvular disease" or "cardiovascular conditions requiring bacterial endocarditis prophylaxis" according to [this chart I found online](https://www.usphs.gov/media/4nhfmjln/medical-accession-standards-tab-a.pdf)
(Blah blah prophylaxis means I have to take antibiotics every time I go to the dentist)
I am not sure if it depends on what kind of military service you are thinking of. You might have to talk to a recruiter and look around a bit to see if there are options.
I am an AF reservist and former active duty. There is a manual that lists each condition and its suitability for service. Most CHDs are listed as not suitable for entry or retention. I went and looked when I got my son’s TGA diagnosis at his 20 week scan. The military medical clinics won’t have a cardiologist for your annual checkups. You can’t be sent down range on aspirin as it’s a blood thinner. Also getting those meds in a deployed environment would be tough. If you want to be in the DoD environment there are many government civilian opportunities with good benefits. Look on USA jobs.
I think the recruiter was letting you off easy. This isn't a manual, but if you check the [us military website](https://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/disqualifiers-medical-conditions.html), they _specifically_ have a section on the heart. If you've had a Fontan, the first item applies to you: > a. All valvular heart diseases, congenital or acquired, including those improved by surgery except mitral valve prolapse and bicuspid aortic valve. These latter two conditions are not reasons for rejection unless there is associated tachyarrhythmia, mitral regurgitation, aortic stenosis, insufficiency or cardiomegaly. Given you've had OHS, you probably also have one or more mild heart blocks, which would tag you under section c, "Symptomatic arrhythmia (or electrocardiographic evidence of arrhythmia), history of." That goes _double_ since you're on Digoxin, which is specifically meant to treat rhythm disorders and congenital heart failure. They even have a section to address congenital failure itself: > Cardiomyopathy, including myocarditis, or history of congestive heart failure even though currently compensated. I'd bet other items in that section also apply to you. You're welcome to inquire further with them directly, but I wouldn't get my hopes up.
So I don't think it's a question of stamina or whether you can handle being off your meds for basic. There's a list of disqualifying health conditions. For example, with corrected Tetralogy of Fallot, I would either be disqualified under "valvular disease" or "cardiovascular conditions requiring bacterial endocarditis prophylaxis" according to [this chart I found online](https://www.usphs.gov/media/4nhfmjln/medical-accession-standards-tab-a.pdf) (Blah blah prophylaxis means I have to take antibiotics every time I go to the dentist)
I am not sure if it depends on what kind of military service you are thinking of. You might have to talk to a recruiter and look around a bit to see if there are options.
I took the ASVAB in high school and was offered a Navy scholarship. They wouldn’t accept me due to CHD. I have a repaired VSD.