What kind of urinalysis does the military use

If you are an active service member, you are not able to retake a failed drug test. Only applicants looking to join the military can retake a failed drug test.

At the discretion of the branch of service, new recruits who test positive on a drug screening are able to reapply. They may do so only after 90 days have passed since the last test. Applicants who fail a drug test twice are automatically and permanently disqualified from serving in any branch of the military. After a service member takes a drug test, it will get sent to the lab. Once the sample arrives, it will undergo an immunoassay screening.

This will indicate the presence of drugs as either negative or positive. Those that come back positive undergo the same screening process to prove accuracy. If the test appears positive after both tests, the sample will go through a much more specific type of screening.

However, not every sample will always test for these all at once. Instead, each sample will test for marijuana, cocaine, and amphetamines. Tests for other types of drugs occur at random and on varying schedules for each lab.

The test must reach a certain level to be positive. If the test does reach that level and is positive, this signifies that the service member failed the drug test. Failing a military drug test will most likely result in administrative or disciplinary action against the individual.

It may even result in court-martial charges. Airmen or other lower-ranking members who test positive for marijuana often face Nonjudicial punishment in accordance to Article 15 and discharge.

Army and Coast Guard members of any ranking generally face Nonjudicial punishment in accordance to Article 15 and an administrative discharge. There is never a definite answer for how long military drug test results take.

Generally though, if the drug test results are negative, it will often take somewhere between 1 to 3 days to come back. If the results are positive, it may take a bit longer, often days from the time the sample arrived at the lab. At Wilkie Law Firm, we provide aggressive criminal defense for military service members of all branches.

Here are the basics of its drug prevention program:. Learn what to watch for and how to support yourself during the pandemic. Drug testing is required for all military personnel. In addition to the random urinalysis program, there are other types of testing:. A service member who tests positive for illicit drug or alcohol use may be offered treatment and intervention services.

After the initial assessment by a trained professional, a possible recommendation could be an inpatient detox treatment. An applicant who tests positive for any of the drugs twice is permanently disqualified from military service in any branch of the armed forces.

Under the current policy, there are different standards for reapplication depending on the type of drug found in the applicants system.

The updated policy allows for one opportunity to reapply, regardless of which drug or drugs the applicant tests positive for. Military Times. By Christopher Diamond. Mar 9, Medical Urine Specimen Jar.