sea service and vision

I am applying to USCGA, USNA and USMMA this upcoming year and recently took my DoDMERB for USNA and USMMA LOA. I was DQ'ed because my vision was not correctable to 20/20 in each eye. My specific case is, however, my left eye is perfect 20/20 (actually more like 20/15!) and my right eye corrects to perfect 20/20, but I miss one or two letters on the 20/20 line. While this is still considered disqualifying, what are my chances of getting a waiver? Everything 100% checks out and I am perfectly healthy except for this little flaw. Any opinions? Thanks!

-Maggie

oceanlover said:

I am applying to USCGA, USNA and USMMA this upcoming year and recently took my DoDMERB for USNA and USMMA LOA. I was DQ'ed because my vision was not correctable to 20/20 in each eye. My specific case is, however, my left eye is perfect 20/20 (actually more like 20/15!) and my right eye corrects to perfect 20/20, but I miss one or two letters on the 20/20 line. While this is still considered disqualifying, what are my chances of getting a waiver? Everything 100% checks out and I am perfectly healthy except for this little flaw. Any opinions? Thanks!

-Maggie

Click to expand...

I haven't seen too many waivers for "not correctable to 20/20" but my experience is pretty limited, so take that with a grain of salt.

Also, just so you know missing a few letters on the 20/20 line is not the same thing as 20/20 vision. In order to be 20/20 you need to get all of the letters correct.

So if it is that impossible to get a waiver for this reason,...is there a point in even trying? Or should I just try for NROTC (I think their standards are a little less strict)

IF USNA will not give you a waiver, NROTC won't either because they are DQing you for AD service in the Navy, not DQing you from attending USNA specifically. Honestly, I have never seen anyone get a waiver for ROTC when the SA already denied them.

Every branch gets to select what is waiverable. DoDMERB doesn't make the decision, they just say what is deemed DQ. AF may waive the issue while the Navy doesn't or vise a verse.

As KP has stated the only guarantee anyone can give you is that you have 0% chance of getting a waiver if you don't try. You need to ask yourself if want to try.

Good luck.

It's my understanding from what Larry Mullen posted in the past that, in some cases, medical standards might well be different for a SA and its ROTC "counterpart" -- i.e., USNA and NROTC. I doubt that there are differences for everything, and don't know whether vision waivers would be different, but I would confirm that the standards are the same before assuming they are.