2023-05-27 04:00:00
For a long time, Matt has been hoping to join the army and join the para-commando unit. But this teenager from Seraing will not be able to realize his dream, because of celiac disease. He cannot eat gluten and, for the Defense, this is an exclusion criterion. Why does the army refuse to recruit him as a soldier? What are the risks ?
“My son will soon be 17. He dreams more than anything of returning to Defense and becoming a para-commando after his studies”, says Marjorie via the orange Alert us button. “It’s a life he wants to revolve around the army”, she explains.
But this project of life is shaken. During an open day organized at the military camp in Marche-en-Famenne, Marjorie and Matt learn very bad news. “My son is in very good physical condition, he has a perfect mind but he has celiac disease. And, because of that, the army told us that he could not return to become a soldier”laments Marjorie.
“I am told that unfortunately there will be no medical combat ration”
Due to this autoimmune disease, the 17-year-old cannot consume gluten, at the risk of damaging his intestine. This illness therefore excludes him from the selection criteria to become a para-commando. Information confirmed through a virtual message.
“In a long email, I am told that unfortunately there will be no medical combat ration because they consider it medical rations”, relays the mother. This response from the Defense does not convince her. “Being celiac, when you remove the gluten, it doesn’t take away a person’s physical abilities. It’s not like a diabetic who needs to be monitored and treated. So, if someone gives me the argument to say that if he is isolated in Nicaragua, then we deliver a container of combat rations. We only have to say that there are celiacs in the lot”says the mother.
For his part, Matt feels discriminated against. “I was also revolted because in the end we adapt to choices but not to an obligation of life. And then, there are soldiers who say yes to me, others no. It is unfair. I will do everything to get back”laments the teenager.
In the field, the kitchen is not able to provide x different meals
So why does the army not accept this type of profile? According to the Defence, this is an exclusion criterion for reasons of personal safety and the obligation of a certain standardization of meals in a sometimes precarious context.
“A soldier, during his training or after, is sent either in operation or in exercises. In the field, you can imagine that the kitchen which will have to deliver the meals is not capable of planning X different meals. Some for the lactose, the others for food allergies and for gluten”, pin Lionel Fameree, lieutenant-colonel doctor and head of the medical center of expertise.
Food allergies are therefore also excluded from the criteria, but there are suitable rations for vegetarians. “If we look in terms of the number of people who are vegetarians, it is much more important than for people who are gluten intolerant”, emphasizes the military doctor.
Only possibility: to join the army as a civilian
In Europe, celiac disease affects only 1% of the population. Currently, there is no drug treatment. However, scientific research gives hope for improving gluten tolerance. “We are rather talking about drugs that would destroy gluten in the stomach before being digested or possibly that would act on the intestinal mucosa to avoid the inflammatory reaction and the consequences of accidental or voluntary ingestion of gluten.says Pierre Deprez, gastroenterologist at the Cliniques Universitaires St-Luc in Brussels.
For the moment, these are still only experimental studies. In the meantime, the army specifies that Matt could join the army as a civilian.
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