Military accession, retention, and deployment: Defining the role of the allergy consultant

Knowledge of the military regulations is key to guiding medical evaluations for applicants and service members. Military and civilian allergy consultants are often called on for their expertise to provide guidance with regard to the allergic conditions that may be potentially disqualifying from service per the published regulations for accession and retention. This review focuses on the role of the allergy consultant in military accession, retention, and deployments. To better understand and attempt to define the role of the allergy consultant in the process of medical evaluation for military applicants and for active duty service members, in the context of the ongoing national recruitment and force sustainment crisis, it is imperative to comprehend the intricacies of military accession and retention guidelines. Military medical standards guidelines are easy to access and should be used when evaluating applicants or active duty service members with allergic conditions. Medical documentation that aligns with military guidelines can help our patients streamline accession, retention, and waiver requests. The objective of this review is to provide a framework for how to address allergic concerns in the context of military service and apply accession and retention standards as indicated for patients who present with common allergic diagnoses.