Will people with a stutter be accepted into the army: the main aspects of passing a medical examination

Author of the article

Uradovskikh Irina Leonidovna

Member of the St. Petersburg Bar Association, lawyer with over 20 years of experience

5 minutes Author: Elena Pavlova 38

Stuttering is a speech disorder that not only complicates the transmission of information and its understanding by listeners, but also imposes restrictions on the patient’s full life. This feature also affects service in the Armed Forces. But stuttering is not a guarantee of evasion from service. It is important to understand whether people with a stutter are accepted into the army, and what nuances will help avoid serving.

Types and criteria of the disease

Stuttering, like many diseases, is ranked according to severity and manifestation of impairments. It can develop in preschool age or be a consequence of any disease (brain injuries and diseases, nervous and mental disorders, etc.). In this case, stuttering takes on a more serious form, called logoneurosis.

Logoneurosis is a common form of stuttering that is a consequence of neurotic disorders. It is expressed by impaired speech fluency, prolonged sounds and their repetitions, and the manifestation of convulsive symptoms. It occurs in both adults and children. According to ICD 10, it refers to mental illness and is a behavioral disorder.

• brain injuries;
• infectious diseases;
• stroke;
• tumor neoplasms;
• psychopathy and mental illness;
• heredity;
• unstable psyche, emotional excitability (typical for teenagers).

The decision of the military commission depends on the severity of the pathology, so it is important to divide stuttering into degrees:

• Mild – occurs when there is excessive excitability, anxiety, or the need to quickly convey information. The speech is clear, the speaker does not focus on defects, and the latter, in turn, are easy to eliminate.
• Medium – can also occur at rest. During a period of emotional outburst, stuttering becomes pronounced.
• Severe – stuttering becomes constant, complemented by gesticulation.

And also stuttering has 3 types:

• Evolutionary - appears in childhood (usually preschool) age. During puberty it intensifies, after which a decline is often noticeable. May have a neurotic or neurosis-like nature.
• Reactive – observed in adolescents as a result of exposure to psychogenic factors.
• Symptomatic – occurs due to damage to brain structures, encephalitis, neoplasms, circulatory disorders. Acts as a secondary sign.

Examination at the military registration and enlistment office

The military commission is guided by the “Schedule of Diseases” - a document that contains a list of diseases and criteria for which a conscript is assigned a certain category. It is recommended that everyone who plans to undergo examination at the military registration and enlistment office read this document.

Having found your disease and read the recommendations for medical experts, you can determine your fitness category (taking into account the severity of the disease). Logoneurosis is discussed in Article 88, paragraphs A and B:

• a high degree of disease, the manifestations of which are neurotic pathologies, speech is incomprehensible, and the person is plagued by breathing problems. Category “B” is assigned, which does not imply conscription in peacetime;
• moderate stuttering and other speech disorders that make it difficult to understand. Category “B” is assigned - fit with restrictions, the young man is subject to military service.

Testing is carried out to determine suitability. The conscript must provide documents from the place of study/work, relevant medical certificates (if the stutterer has a severe form of pathology). If stuttering is a consequence of a disease, the young man is referred for examination to specialized specialists.

High degree of stuttering

Taking into account the intensity and duration of muscle spasms of the speech apparatus and taking into account the disorders associated with stuttering, 3 degrees of severity of the disease are distinguished. Let us dwell in more detail on the high degree of stuttering.

If a young person has a high degree of stuttering, then stuttering can be traced in all forms of speech, without any exceptions. Communication with such a person is almost impossible. In addition, over time, other disorders are added to stuttering, which include logophobia, embolophrasia, accompanying movements, and others.

Stuttering has the ability to progress and acquire new complications. In addition, stuttering causes certain complexes in a person; many may withdraw into themselves and try not to make contact with people.

Do they take you into the army if you stutter?

When asked about the suitability of a stutterer for service in the armed forces of the Russian Federation, he answers:

DECREE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE RF OF 04.07.2013 N 565 (EDITED FROM 29.12.2016) “ON APPROVAL OF THE REGULATIONS ON MILITARY MEDICAL EXAMINATION”

The list of diseases of this document includes speech disorders - Article 88, paragraphs “A” and “B”:

A) a high degree of stuttering, covering the entire speech apparatus, with breathing difficulties and neurotic manifestations, and other speech disorders that make it difficult to understand. Category B, limited fitness , that is, not subject to conscription in peacetime.

B) moderate stuttering and other speech disorders that make it incomprehensible. Category B, fit with minor restrictions , subject to conscription.

If there are speech disorders, the person being examined undergoes an in-depth examination by an otorhinolaryngologist, a psychiatrist, a neurologist, and, if possible, a speech therapist. A conclusion about the category of suitability for military service is made on the basis of examination data and the study of documents received from a military unit, military commissariat, from the place of study or work before entering military service and characterizing his state of health.

The severity of stuttering is determined by dynamic observation of the state of speech function in various conditions and is assessed by its state at the moments of the most pronounced manifestation of the disease. The conclusion on the fitness category is made taking into account the ability of the person being examined to perform the duties of military service.

Moderate stuttering, which does not interfere with military service, is considered to be only a delay in pronunciation, “stumbling” at the beginning of a phrase, the remaining words of a short phrase are pronounced (in one breath) freely or slightly slowly, but without repetition.

In simple terms, if you stutter severely on almost every word at the first commission and at subsequent studies where you are sent, according to paragraph “A” of Article 88 of the disease schedule, you will be given category B and you will not serve. And if the stuttering is rare, and you can speak individual sentences clearly, according to paragraph “B” of Article 88, you will be given category B and you will be called up for military service, perhaps with restrictions on the branch of service.

And if your stuttering is practically unnoticeable, you won’t be noted for it at all when passing the commission. Depending on your desire to serve and the degree of stuttering, you should follow the following steps:

Logoneurosis and the army

Logoneurosis is a pathology when speech impairment occurs. The majority of conscripted citizens may be wondering whether they will be accepted to serve if they have such a pathology.

The goal of speech therapists is to correct the young man’s speech before the conscription period. This is due to the presence of excessive nervous tension at this age, which leads to complications.

Before recruiting a young man for service, it is recommended that he undergo a military commission. The list of diseases is a document that the conscript is recommended to familiarize himself with in advance. It includes information about key diseases and recommendations for experts in each specific variant.

In accordance with Article 88, the complexity of logoneurosis is determined according to 2 positions. The first of them indicates the presence of symptoms indicating a high (severe) degree of stuttering. The formation of pathologies can be traced in the area of ​​the entire speech apparatus. If a young man tries to express his own opinion, then the emergence of neurotic disorders can be traced.

Note ! _ In some cases, the pathology is accompanied by impaired breathing. With this form of the disease, army service is contraindicated, since interaction between soldiers is carried out through speech.

A young man can serve in special forces with minor violations. With moderate logoneurosis, the guy draws out specific sounds. Despite the significant incomprehensibility of the speech, it is quite possible to understand it. In case of illness at this stage, service, if there are no disruptions in the activity of other organs and systems.

Procedure

So that you are not taken into the army

At the initial commission at the military registration and enlistment office, stutter as much as you can. During further examinations, where you will be referred, stutter just as badly. In this case, you are practically guaranteed category B and you will not be drafted into the army.

Some people ask whether this imposes any restrictions on the choice of a civilian profession, since all employers study your military ID and see for what reason you were not accepted into the army. This adequately limits your choice of profession if you stutter during an interview. If you managed to get out of the army due to stuttering, but in life you can speak normally, and show yourself in the same way at an interview, you can easily explain this to the employer, and there will be no problems with employment.

To be taken into the army

Obviously, this will require you to hide your stuttering as much as possible. If the stuttering is weak or almost imperceptible, you will be given category B or the stuttering will not be noted at all in the results of the commission, and you will be drafted into the army on a general basis, unless of course you have other restrictions. If you want to go to serve, we advise you to ensure that you are not noted for stuttering at all, so that this does not impose restrictions on the choice of branch of the military.

We are often asked how to serve with a stutter and how much it interferes with the service. It is very important to understand how badly you stutter. If this does not bother you too much, then there will be no problems, and stuttering will not interfere with you in the army. If you were nevertheless recruited into the army with a noticeable stutter, or you have severe logophobia, it may be difficult for you, since not all commanders and colleagues can treat this with understanding. It should be borne in mind that for some, stuttering intensifies during service, which makes the situation even more difficult. At the same time, there are often cases when service helped improve speech; to some extent, this is due to active socialization in the army.

Appeal the decision of the draft commission

At any time and at any stage of the commission, you can appeal the decision of the draft commission, in accordance with paragraph 7 of Article 28 of the Federal Law “On Military Duty and Military Service”. This happens in an administrative manner, that is, for this you need to write a complaint, describing in detail the essence of the claims, and send it to a higher commission, that is, to the draft commission of the region or region. After consideration of your complaint, within three days you will be scheduled for a re-examination with the involvement of independent specialists. The complaint shall indicate in writing the name of the higher commission, your full name and your postal address, and the essence of the complaint shall be indicated in detail. A personal signature and date are also required. Please refer this complaint to the head of the military registration and enlistment office, with the decision of which you do not agree. By filing such a complaint, the present decision of the draft commission is declared invalid until the results of the re-examination are received. In practice, the re-commission is quite objective and makes a decision in your favor. The main thing is to stutter as hard as you can if you don’t want to serve. And if possible, don’t stutter if you want to serve, but they don’t want to hire you.

And if you do not agree with the decision of a re-examination by a higher regional or regional commission, you can appeal it in court. In practice, it is almost impossible to prove the illegality of the decision of the repeated conscription medical commission on your own. Therefore, find yourself a lawyer as soon as possible, with whose competent support your chances of achieving the desired court decision are quite high. Let us note that it is useless to sue the decision of an individual doctor, since this will not suspend the legal force of the decision of the draft commission. It is necessary to file a lawsuit against the decision of the draft commission; this suspends its action until a court ruling is made. But the lawyer already knows all this well, the main thing is not to delay in finding him.

It should be added that you can also file a lawsuit against a decision of a draft commission of any level while already in a military unit, but this will be more difficult. We repeat, a lawyer can help you.

In case of particularly serious violations of the draft commission, we recommend that, in parallel with filing an application to the court, you contact a local prosecutor or the military prosecutor's office at the appropriate level. However, it should be borne in mind that contacting the prosecutor’s office does not suspend the action of the decision of the draft commission that is unlawful in your opinion.

Stories from our subscribers

1) Hi all! I have a stutter and with this illness I joined the army. Of my own free will, I decided to overcome myself and see how the army would affect my speech and me in general. I want to say that there were and still are quite a few difficulties, but in this year of service that is coming to an end, I emphasized and discovered many qualities in myself that will be very helpful in ordinary life. In short, to some extent the service helped to stutter less, no matter how strange it may sound

2) I stutter, one might say, from birth. I treated myself (breathing exercises, going to a speech therapist, psychologist), but it didn’t help. It was only when I served in the army that I stopped stuttering. And I thought that I was cured, but after returning home a couple of months later it began to manifest itself again, and is getting worse every day. Now I’m trying to analyze what exactly helped me then. P.S. This is me sharing my thoughts and my experience.

3) It turned out that I had to serve, although during the commission I tried to stutter more than usual. I will not describe all the stressful situations in the army for which life did not prepare me, I will simply say: there is nothing to do about stuttering in the army. Everyone knew about my problem, but instead of condescension from all sides I received only ridicule. Society does not accept people like us, and in fact this problem should be resolved at the draft board. But I was declared eligible! Although my stuttering was clearly visible. If you stutter, think ten times before going to serve.

4) Guy, I'm 24 years old. From Tatarstan. I started stuttering when I was scared, which is why I began to stutter. I studied well in all 11 grades at school. It's time to go to the military registration and enlistment office. I was very afraid to go for a medical examination with a stutter, everything else was fine. The psychiatrist sent me to a psychiatric hospital with a diagnosis of “Organic personality disorder,” and I proved there that I am a normal person. They took me into the Army. There were various harmless jokes, I laughed with the boys, I even liked it. They understood me about this. After the army I got a job. All these events that happened after school helped me become more confident and stutter less. So those who are afraid to join the Army, this will help you, like it did me. The main thing is not to be stupid at work, and everything will be okay.

5) In the army. The military leaders are such morons, they constantly demanded to account for every bullshit, but how to report, what to say, you can’t even figure out, like such a trifle that you wouldn’t even pay attention to, but you have to say something and then they started, “Are you stuttering or something? » and this happened very often. It was very awkward.

6) At the CSP, the neurologist noticed a slight stutter, but still assigned the fitness category A1, like all the other members of the commission. They were sent to the 83rd OGDShBr (Airborne Forces), although there was not much choice. With mild logoneurosis it was difficult at first, especially when they asked for my personal information, and I could not tell my name and the name of my mother) But thanks to the fact that I was considered a good person, kind and reasonable, they treated me and my illness well , with understanding; A huge role was played by the fact that I treated stuttering with self-irony. When my colleagues started talking about how difficult it was for them at work, I inserted my arguments in favor of the fact that they at least did not make special efforts to talk normally. This encouraged them:3 Ps It was much more difficult to settle into an orphanage as a teenager, since there was no need to seek understanding from the children.

When compiling this article, the following information was used:

• Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of July 4, 2013 N 565 (as amended on December 29, 2016) “On approval of the Regulations on military medical examination”

Reviews

Dear readers, you can leave your feedback on whether they will accept service if the conscript stutters in the comments, your opinion will be useful to other users of the site!

Kirill:

They won’t take you into the army if you stutter only if you don’t speak anything clearly, can’t express your thoughts, etc. In other cases, people with stuttering still get recruited into the army.

Ivan:

One of my acquaintances stuttered his entire adult life. They took me to specialists and treated me, but the stuttering remained. But he is not critically direct, which is generally incomprehensible. They took me into the army. There they mocked him and always imitated him. People don’t understand that this is a disease, and not a whim to talk like that.

What to expect from the commission?

Frequent repetition of individual sounds and syllables, hesitations and stops when trying to pronounce words or entire phrases are characteristic signs of stuttering. Unfortunately, these symptoms are not enough to exempt you from military service. Any diagnosis must be documented by qualified specialists. Stuttering as a diagnosis is made by a speech therapist or otolaryngologist.

Various reasons can lead to such speech impairment, most often causing the disease in childhood.

Liberation from the army

Men with severe logoneurosis are subject to exemption. By law, the reasons for refusal of conscripts with serious pathologies are not included in the military ID. Such a person can get a license, but when applying for a job as a driver, there is a high chance of receiving a refusal from the employer, who takes into account other nuances.

If the violations are less serious and the conscript himself insists on serving in the army, he may be recruited with a defect. The main thing is to have no complexes regarding stuttering, and then you will be able to join the team. Positive dynamics in speech development are often observed after adaptation to society. In the presence of complexes and worries, the situation due to nervousness can only get worse.

Types of disease

Stuttering is divided into three main types, namely:

Evolutionary

characteristic of childhood, with a tendency to increase during puberty and with subsequent weakening. Such stuttering can be both neurotic and neurosis-like in nature.

Jet

It is typical for older children (more often for teenagers), and occurs against the background of the negative impact of psychogenic factors.

Symptomatic

It is secondary in nature, therefore it is considered a consequence of damage to brain structures due to neoplasms, encephalitis and cerebrovascular disorders.

Basic criteria for stuttering

According to the generally accepted classification, stuttering is divided into three degrees:

Lightweight

Characterized by speech impairment only in a state of excitement or when it is necessary to quickly share information. Suspensions in the speech process are easily overcome, and the person does not focus attention on his defect.

Average

Rarely manifests itself at rest and in normal surroundings. Against the background of emotional stress, stuttering becomes pronounced.

Heavy

The speech impediment becomes permanent, and pronunciation is often accompanied by gesticulation.

In case of minor speech disorders, the military medical commission assigns the conscript a “B-4” category. In this case, the young man may insist on additional examination if there are severe speech impairments.

Survey from the military registration and enlistment office

Most often, neuroses, pathologies of the nervous system and infectious diseases lead to stuttering. That is why you will have to visit an otorhinolaryngologist, speech therapist, psychiatrist and neurologist.

If a third-party disease is detected that has caused a speech disorder, the examination will take place according to a specific item from the List of Diseases. To assess suitability, test results and documentation from the place of work or study are used.

During the examination, the ENT or speech therapist records the severity of speech disorders, since this indicator is considered decisive for conscription into the army.

What does the suitability category depend on?

After handing over the completed report, the doctor from the military commissariat will be able to determine the conscript’s suitability category. Whether a young person will be hired depends on the severity of the violation. Examination of conscripted citizens is carried out according to Article 88 of the Schedule of Diseases.

In accordance with it, a conscript is able to receive the following categories:

1. For moderate violation – “B-4”.
2. With a high degree of violation - “B”.