# What's up with flat feet and the military? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 6, 2010, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-flat-feet-and-the-military/527877 "2010-02-06T02:20:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-flat-feet-and-the-military/527877/1 "2010-02-06T02:20:05Z")
I’ve always heard that flat feet will keep you out of the service. True? Why??? ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-flat-feet-and-the-military/527877/2 "2010-02-06T03:11:59Z")
True. Bad arch support makes it hard to walk long distances, especially with a lot of weight. ---
**Author:** ![flyboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4da419/32.png) [@flyboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flyboy)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-flat-feet-and-the-military/527877/3 "2010-02-06T04:14:51Z")
Weird. This is the second time I’m referring to the Army medical book ([AR 40–501](http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/r40_501.pdf)) this week. According to it, “3–13. Lower extremities The causes for referral to an MEB are as follows (see also para 3–14): [snip] b. Feet. (2) Pes planus, when symptomatic, more than moderate, with pronation on weight bearing which prevents the wearing of military footwear, or when associated with vascular changes. (3) Pes cavus when moderately severe, with moderate discomfort on prolonged standing and walking, metatarsalgia, and which prevents the wearing of military footwear.” Pes Planus being flat feet, cavus being the opposite–the arch is too high. Basically, it says if either is beyond a moderate condition, you’re going to a medical evaluation board, and likely dismissed. So you can have flat feet, as long as it’s not severe. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Bith\_Shuffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@The\_Bith\_Shuffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Bith_Shuffle)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-flat-feet-and-the-military/527877/4 "2010-02-06T04:15:51Z")
This is how my father got out of the draft. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-flat-feet-and-the-military/527877/5 "2010-02-06T05:06:31Z")
My husband got out of it because of eczema. Still don’t quite get that one. ---
**Author:** ![Bacon\_Salt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@Bacon\_Salt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bacon_Salt)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-flat-feet-and-the-military/527877/6 "2010-02-06T05:22:40Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > My husband got out of it because of eczema. Still don’t quite get that one. I would guess because of the increased risk of infection due to the skin being constantly inflamed or open. ---
**Author:** ![conurepete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@conurepete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conurepete)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-flat-feet-and-the-military/527877/7 "2010-02-06T05:36:21Z")
My great grandpa got rejected in WW1 and WW2 due to flat feet. He was allowed to drive a bread wagon in WW1. ---
**Author:** ![conurepete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@conurepete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conurepete)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-flat-feet-and-the-military/527877/8 "2010-02-06T05:37:36Z")
To the best of my knowledge, asymptomatic and no complaints in 94 years. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-flat-feet-and-the-military/527877/9 "2010-02-06T13:24:54Z")
Were I at risk for being drafted, I think I’d scour the earth for a foot-flattener. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-flat-feet-and-the-military/527877/10 "2010-02-06T13:45:16Z")
Moved MPSIMS --\> GQ. twicks, who has both flat feet and eczema, though, since she’s both female and a Quaker, has never worried about being drafted ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-flat-feet-and-the-military/527877/11 "2010-02-06T14:16:59Z")
You can’t be a military pilot if you need glasses or contacts (unless that rule has changed) Don’t know if there is a good reason for that rule . Maybe they think you could lose or break your glasses/contacts during combat. ---
**Author:** ![flyboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4da419/32.png) [@flyboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flyboy)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-flat-feet-and-the-military/527877/12 "2010-02-06T15:25:22Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > You can’t be a military pilot if you need glasses or contacts (unless that rule has changed) Don’t know if there is a good reason for that rule . Maybe they think you could lose or break your glasses/contacts during combat. Not quite true–you can’t _become_ a pilot. Once they’ve invested in you, they’re more open to dealing with bad eyes. There are plenty of pilots with glasses. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-flat-feet-and-the-military/527877/13 "2010-02-06T16:00:07Z")
The key there is whether you can wear military footwear. Once you’re out of boot camp, you can generally wear whatever shoes/boots you want as long as they meet regulations. I’ve got flat feet and spent a fair amount of time looking for boots, oxfords and dress shoes that would work without orthotics. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-flat-feet-and-the-military/527877/14 "2010-02-06T18:05:07Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > You can’t be a military pilot if you need glasses or contacts (unless that rule has changed) Don’t know if there is a good reason for that rule . Maybe they think you could lose or break your glasses/contacts during combat. I was indeed told that the military was NOT interested in training me as a pilot because I have such bad uncorrected eyesight, because in an emergency situation, if my glasses got knocked loose or I lost a contact, I’d be useless. However, that was over 32 years ago…before I got married. Probably about 35 years ago, in fact, which is when I started getting letters from every branch of the armed forces, wanting me to become an officer. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-flat-feet-and-the-military/527877/15 "2010-02-06T18:08:46Z")
I’ve heard bad hemorrhoids or varicose veins in the legs will disqualify you from service too. True or not? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-flat-feet-and-the-military/527877/16 "2010-02-06T18:46:26Z")
Here is an odd fact - recently the Army would not deploy soldiers overseas if they were heavily in debt. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-flat-feet-and-the-military/527877/17 "2010-02-06T19:05:22Z")
> [@The\_Bith\_Shuffle](#): > > This is how my father got out of the draft. Interesting. Although I ultimately got out of the draft through other means (legal maneuvering), I went through the pre-induction physical in 1970, in Downtown Los Angeles. The whole process was a farce, examiners going through the motions as they rubber stamped everyone as 1-A. All my life I’ve had the flattest feet imaginable. They’re comically flat, no arch whatever. I was given the same cursory exam as everyone else, and passed the foot exam just as quickly as everyone else. . ---
**Author:** ![Uncertain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Uncertain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncertain)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-flat-feet-and-the-military/527877/18 "2010-02-06T19:13:33Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I’ve heard bad hemorrhoids or varicose veins in the legs will disqualify you from service too. > > True or not? A [pilonidal cyst](http://www.snopes.com/military/limbaugh.asp) may have disqualified Rush Limbaugh from military service. (Please let’s not have a political argument.) ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-flat-feet-and-the-military/527877/19 "2010-02-06T20:05:18Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Here is an odd fact - recently the Army would not deploy soldiers overseas if they were heavily in debt. A soldier who is heavily in debt is a security risk. The theory is that if you are really heavily in debt then you are much more likely to take a bribe. I don’t know how it affects being sent overseas so I’ll take your word on that one, but I do know that a soldier who gets himself (or herself) into a huge amount of debt can have their responsibilities taken away from them, which very negatively affects their career in the armed services. ---
**Author:** ![MitzeKatze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ad7895/32.png) [@MitzeKatze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MitzeKatze)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-flat-feet-and-the-military/527877/20 "2010-02-06T20:12:57Z")
I kind of wish the criteria were a little stricter when it comes to flat feet. My son who is on his way to Basic Training in a couple months has flat feet, but not so bad that he uses orthotics, and I was _counting_ on that keeping him out. I didn’t want him to join (not anything against the military but he is my _baby_!) and figured the idea would run its course as soon as he had the physical…but no such luck. I guess feet must be pretty flat (and painfully so) before it is a rejectable condition. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-flat-feet-and-the-military/527877.md?page=2)