Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the U.S. Army: Recruiting and Readiness Implications - Neurodivergent Abilities That Can Be Leveraged in Emerging Jobs to Diversify the Army

This report has been professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction. An all-volunteer force, the U.S. military faces a decreasing eligible recruitment population due to declining health, declining education, and increasing criminal history. This thesis examines one aspect that currently affects sufficient force capacity for the Army: the increasing number of individuals with an ADHD diagnosis. Currently, in the United States under DoD policy, individuals with an ADHD diagnosis can, in some cases, serve their country, but just as long as they have not leveraged any of the evidence-based core treatments for ADHD. Increasingly, scholarship points to the benefits rather than the stigma of the neurodivergent population at large, including those with ADHD. Both other militaries and the private sector specifically recruit neurodiverse individuals, including the Israeli Defense Forces, which has created unit 9900, where neurodivergent individuals can and do benefit their country. This thesis suggests alternative insights that individuals with ADHD offer unique abilities that are best suited for military service and can be leveraged in emerging jobs, and further diversify the Army. The thesis presents a detailed literature review, subjective narratives from two current soldiers, and a comprehensive analysis that includes a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (S.W.O.T.) analysis, as well as recommendations for future research.

This compilation includes a reproduction of the 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community.

I. Introduction * A. Problem Statement * B. Significance * C. Research Question * D. Research Design * II. Literature Review * A. What Is ADHD? * B. How Is ADHD Diagnosed? * C. How Is ADHD Treated? * D. Prevalence Of ADHD * E. Prevalence Of ADHD Among U.S. Service Members and Their Children * F. Military Entrance Policies Relevant To Adults With an ADHD Diagnosis * 1. DoD Instruction 6130.03: Medical Standards For Appointment, Enlistment, Or Induction Into The Military Services, Dated 6 May 2018 * 2. Standards Of Medical Fitness Army Regulation 40-501, Dated 14 June 2017, In Conjunction With New Policy Regarding Waivers For Appointment And Enlistment Applicants Army Directive 2018-12, Dated 30 June 2018 * G. Neurodiversity And Recruiting * III. Breaking the Stigma: The Subjective Experiences of Two Soldiers in the U.S. Army with ADHD * A. Background * B. Stacy: Female, Asian, 35 Years Old, U.S. Army Officer * C. Matthew: Male, Caucasian, 42 Years Old, U.S. Army Officer * D. Conclusion * IV. A Neurodivergent Workforce * A. The U.S. Army's Current Recruiting Dilemma * B. The Military is a Family Business * C. Inherent Workplace Challenges for Neurodivergent Individuals * D. Israeli Defense Forces: Unit 9900 * E. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (S.W.O.T.) * 1. Strengths * 2. Weaknesses * 3. Opportunities * 4. Threats * F. Discussion * G. Conclusion * V. Conclusion * A. Recommendations * B. Suggestions For Future Research