For the last seventeen years, Kerner Syndrome children, known colloquially as humantaurs (as in the image below, having a fully functional second abdomen and second pair of legs, plus a horse-like tail complete with hair similar to scalp hair) have been born at a rate of 1 in 100,000 births. It is not yet known what causes them to be born, but they are born healthy as often as normal children despite their radically altered anatomy, and as Kerner children have matured, it has been found that they have significant advantages in athletic endeavors that involve running. Their mental capacity has not been found to be statistically different to that of children with normal anatomy. Humantaurs are genetically human and some have demonstrated the capacity to father or mother both normal and humantaur children.
In my previous question, How would California Child Protective Services deal with a feral humantaur child?, I mentioned a humantaur boy whose father is a US Army Ranger non-commissioned officer, and whose grandfather also served in the US Army during the Vietnam war. In this question, the boy has decided that he wants to apply to West Point and become an officer in the US military.
Looking at the West Point admissions requirements, the boy would meet the age, citizenship and relationship eligibility requirements (isn't married, doesn't have kids), can obtain both congressional and service-connected nominations, being the child of an active-duty serviceman with well over the required 8 years of service.
He would be able to meet all the physical fitness requirements, even when allowing the least lenient interpretation of them considering his unusual body form, including being able to do the required pull-ups with his entire body including lifting his extended abdomen and rear legs, 40m shuttle-run crossing the line with two feet and one hand on one side of the body in about 6 s, and push-ups supported by his rear feet with his front legs crossed over his rear legs so as to not touch the ground. He can run a mile in 2 minutes.
He would pass an interpretation of the DoDMERB medical examination (PDF) that being:
“1.2 4c. Ensure that individuals under consideration for appointment, enlistment, or induction into the Military Services are:
(1) Free of contagious diseases that probably will endanger the health of other personnel
(2) Free of medical conditions or physical defects that may require excessive time lost from duty for necessary treatment or hospitalization or probably will result in separation from the Service for medical unfitness.
(3) Medically capable of satisfactorily completing required training.
(4) Medically adaptable to the military environment without the necessity of geographical area limitations.
(5) Medically capable of performing duties without aggravation of existing physical defects or medical conditions.”
... with the exceptions that his body form would cause limitations that were not geographical in nature (they would occur anywhere in the world). He would obviously not be able to perform all duties using standard equipment, since he would require modified uniforms, would not fit some vehicles (such as the pilot seat of an aircraft) particularly well but performing the duties that he is capable of performing will not aggravate any pre-existing condition.
The boy also has the confidence, intelligence and education necessary to perform well on the required college entrance exams.
He is socially adept, has had sporting leadership positions in school, is competent at wilderness survival for extended periods and has excellent marksmanship skills with firearms and bows.
However, my research shows that:
The United States Military Academy will ensure equal opportunity and fair treatment for all cadets, soldiers, and family members, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex (gender identity), or sexual orientation
This boy's potential reason for not being accepted is a medical issue, which is not covered in the statement above, quite simply that he would not fit into standard uniforms and would not fit into some vehicles and may take more room in the vehicles into which he does fit. Additionally, the fact that 'body form' is not mentioned in the equal opportunity statement is simply because he will be the first humantaur applicant to West Point or the US Military, and the language in the statement above has not previously been challenged by humantaurs.
Given this background, my question is: Would it be possible for this individual to be accepted to West Point and/or have a career in the US Military?
Please base any answers on the policies of the organizations in question. If acceptance would come down to a matter of individual choice of the admissions personnel, please state that, but do not attempt to predict what such an individual choice may be. This is not a question based on the choices of any individual other than the subject of this question's decision to apply.
If Couple One has 16 humantaur offspring which all impossibly mature at the same time, and so on… Numbers remain prolly insignificant outside freak shows in G3; 5,000-odd members after 50 years. G4 might have 70,000 members; perhaps socially noticeable, and giving 70 years for the military to prepare.
– Robbie Goodwin Jan 31 '23 at 15:02