DoDMERB 6130 Regulations - Volume 1 vs. Volume 2?

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flying2024

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When the DoDMERB does their medical qualification determination, we know they use DoDMERB Regulations 6130.1 Volume 1 (Appointment). From there it is my understanding that you go directly to the waiver authorities (if requested) to receive waivers for appointment. My question is whether they use 6130.2 Volume 2 (Retention) for any purpose in determining initial qualification? It seems to me that if you meet the ongoing retention standards (Volume 2), there would be no need for the initial disqualification and save a ton of time (and anxiety) in getting a waiver. If DoDMERB disqualified you, but you meet the standards in Volume 2, was the disqualification just a misunderstanding and you should try to correct with the DoDMERB before it even goes to the waiver authority?

This might be a question for my DoDMERB technician, but I thought someone here might know this answer.
 
Think Big Picture manpower policy.

DoDMERB retention standards are for those already serving and are somewhat less stringent. That recognizes that military people acquire more medical history along the way that would be a DQ with initial DoDMERB accession standards. The military sets the initial medical accession bar very high, because it knows a military life - deployments, field operations, combat, high stress, industrial environments, and many other factors contribute to more wear and tear, physical and mental. The military also balances the investment in years of experience and expertise with tolerable health issues, for already serving personnel. It is is much riskier to lower the accession bar at the start of service.

The military often uses a utilitarian approach to policies, looking at the good of the service and the good of the unit over the wants of the individual. The safety of the operating unit in the field with people the least likely to be vulnerable to existing health issues, is paramount. Therefore, starting with the healthiest possible incoming population gives the military the best odds of achieving its organizational goals, knowing that workforce will eventually decrease in health.

Waivers are all about what the service thinks it can live with, as a whole, and what constitutes acceptable risk, not just for that individual, but for those they will serve with. The good of the many outweighs the good of the one.
 
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flying2024 said:
When the DoDMERB does their medical qualification determination, we know they use DoDMERB Regulations 6130.1 Volume 1 (Appointment). From there it is my understanding that you go directly to the waiver authorities (if requested) to receive waivers for appointment. My question is whether they use 6130.2 Volume 2 (Retention) for any purpose in determining initial qualification? It seems to me that if you meet the ongoing retention standards (Volume 2), there would be no need for the initial disqualification and save a ton of time (and anxiety) in getting a waiver. If DoDMERB disqualified you, but you meet the standards in Volume 2, was the disqualification just a misunderstanding and you should try to correct with the DoDMERB before it even goes to the waiver authority?

This might be a question for my DoDMERB technician, but I thought someone here might know this answer.
Click to expand...

DoDMERB does not use volume 2 for initial medical qualification. As you noted, only volume 1 is used for initial medical qualification.

What I know happens is IF YOU DO NOT MEET the retention standards (eg pulmonary embolism that requires blood thinners for more than 12 months), then the chances of a waiver are pretty much 0.

The converse isn't true. Just because you meet the retention standards (as an initial accession), it doesn't mean you will get a waiver.

You have to realize that the military has put a lot of resources and time into an individual, so it's going to be more liberal in terms of letting him/her stay with that condition. You've got a well-trained officer with lots of experience who now develops diabetes requiring oral medication. It is easily justified to keep that officer on board, compared to bringing in a new accessions who already has diabetes requiring oral medication.

Think of it this way. Let's use my DD (USMA '23) as an example. When a guy is interested in her, I want to make sure the guy is spectacularly pristine. I want him to be the best boyfriend for my DD. He has to be almost perfect to be part of our "team." Ok, so now let's say they get married and life is good for both of them. After 7-8 years and maybe a child, they start to have problems. The marriage isn't going well. Do I tell my daughter to dump and divorce him right away? Well, depending on the situation (eg physical abuse, etc...), of course not! I'd tell her to work it out. She has put some much emotion, time, etc... into the relationship that it would be crazy to divorce him without trying to work it out.

Same with the military. If the military has put so much time and effort into an officer (or NCO) to train, educate, etc... and then develops a bad health condition, they don't kick him/her out right away. They try to work something out to save the "marriage." Going back to the example of my daughter, it's much better/easier to dump the guy when they're dating, or maybe let's say it's much easier not to accept the guy as a boyfriend if she finds significant flaws in him. Likewise, if there's certain health conditions in an applicant, it's much easier for the military to not accept them in the first place.

Like @Capt MJ said, the bar has to be necessarily higher upon accessions because military life isn't easy on the body with deployments, industrial settings, etc...
 
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