Spokane, Washington — Hannah Cvancara is motivated, physically fit and patriotic, everything the U.S. military desires. Except for a condition the military considers disqualifying: an amputated left foot, which occurred when she was just 10 months old, the result of a rare birth defect.
“I’ve never counted it as part of my identity,” Cvancara told CBS News. “I’m just Hannah, who happens to be missing a leg.”
However, she hasn’t slowed down since. She rock climbs, snowboards, surfs and hikes, and took part in swim team, track and volleyball in school.
But while her amputation hasn’t stopped her at all, the military has, rejecting her from the Navy.
“The subject applicant does not meet established physical standards,” the Navy’s rejection letter to Cvancara in March 2022 read.
Active-duty troops who lose limbs are still eligible to serve. But for those seeking to enlist, the “current absence of a foot” is automatically disqualifying, according to the Defense Department’s Medical Standards for Military Service