USMMA to Active Duty Navy

I cannot find an answer to my question and am hoping someone here knows or can direct me. DD has accepted an appointment to the Merchant Marine Academy. She had a DQ for vision not correctable to 20/20, and received a waiver by USMMA. She also had an appointment to NAPS, but Navy would not give her a waiver. My question is if she wants to go active duty Navy after graduation from USMMA is that still a possibility or does her Navy DQ at this time carry over and preclude her from serving active duty Navy later? Any information would be appreciated.

I don't see where anybody answered your questions...and unfortunately I do not have an answer either. The only thing I can add is that if your daughter received a waiver by USMMA, then she meets the medical standards for the Navy Reserves Strategic Sealift Officer Program.

"Plebe Candidates must meet the medical requirements prescribed by the Department of the Navy for appointment as Midshipman, United States Navy Reserves Strategic Sealift Officer Program (USNRSSO), and those prescribed by the United States Coast Guard for original licensing as a Third Mate and Third Assistant Engineer."

What I don't know is if those Navy Reserve vision standards are different than Active Duty Navy vision standards or if the requirement is only for admission into a commissioning program...which are often two different standards. The only thing I found about this subject is below:

http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/613003p.pdf

Current distant visual acuity of any degree that does not correct with spectacle lenses to at least one of the following (367):

(1) 20/40 in one eye and 20/70 in the other eye (369.75)
(2) 20/30 in one eye and 20/100 in the other eye (369.75)
(3) 20/20 in one eye and 20/400 in the other eye (369.73)

I believe that for entrance into the US Naval Academy, distant visual acuity that does not correct to 20/20 in each eye is disqualifying. This would apply to NAPS since that also leads to an appointment to USNA. Once in a commissioning program, I suspect the general standards then apply.

If things follow like they would for a USNA or NROTC Mid she would have a pre-commissioning physical at some point. For USNA and NROTC Mids this happens junior year. It is the determining factor in what they are medically qualified for, not dodmerb. Not sure how it works for USMMA, but assuming there is something similar. Can't compete for a spot like a pilot unless they are medically qualified.

kpmom2013 said:

I cannot find an answer to my question and am hoping someone here knows or can direct me. DD has accepted an appointment to the Merchant Marine Academy. She had a DQ for vision not correctable to 20/20, and received a waiver by USMMA. She also had an appointment to NAPS, but Navy would not give her a waiver. My question is if she wants to go active duty Navy after graduation from USMMA is that still a possibility or does her Navy DQ at this time carry over and preclude her from serving active duty Navy later? Any information would be appreciated.

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USMMA produces restricted line officers, so they gave her a waiver because that issue doesn't preclude a commission in the SSO program. She could be active duty Navy in a restricted line, maybe like intel or something. But probably not in unrestricted line like aviation, SWO, etc.

Jmoney457 said:

USMMA produces restricted line officers, so they gave her a waiver because that issue doesn't preclude a commission in the SSO program. She could be active duty Navy in a restricted line, maybe like intel or something. But probably not in unrestricted line like aviation, SWO, etc.

Click to expand...

Thank you all for your answers. It sounds like active duty is at least a possibility. Right now she is thinking either sailing on her license or Intel field. She is young and time will tell.

Jmoney457 said:

USMMA produces restricted line officers, so they gave her a waiver because that issue doesn't preclude a commission in the SSO program. She could be active duty Navy in a restricted line, maybe like intel or something. But probably not in unrestricted line like aviation, SWO, etc.

Click to expand...

No clear cut answer, but I do not think Restricted versus Unrestricted (excluding special duty fields) have different standards. I could be wrong though...

This is from the Manual of the Medical Department U.S Navy dated 3 Feb 2017. There are other items listed, but I believe visual acuity is what is being discussed. You see that for commission into the Navy Unrestricted and Restricted lines, they have the same requirement. It is Entry into a Program leading to a Commission in the Navy Unrestricted Line that is different. The difference is the use of the words "OR" and "AND".

15-36 - Vision-Commission and Programs Leading to a Commission
"The standards for enlistment, commission, and entry into a program leading to a commission are different; refer to the appropriate section."

For commission in the Navy Unrestricted Line and/or commission of officers with intended designators of 611x, 612x, 616x, 621x, 622x, 626x, 648x, 711x, 712x, 717x, 721x, 722x, 727x, 748x:
(a) Current distant or near visual acuity of any degree that does not correct with spectacle lenses to 20/20 in each eye is disqualifying.
...
For Entry into a Program Leading to a Commission in the Navy Unrestricted Line
(a) Current distant and near visual acuity of any degree that does not correct with spectacle lenses to 20/20 in each eye is disqualifying.
...
For Commission in the Navy Restricted Line, Staff Corps, and designators not included above.
(a) Current distant or near visual acuity of any degree that does not correct with spectacle lenses to 20/20 in each eye is disqualifying.
...

Using AND / OR logic...

Unrestricted & Restricted Lines
distant visual acuity = 20/20 (0 in this example) OR near visual acuity = 20/20 (1 in this example) = 1 qualifying

For Entry into a Program Leading to a Commission
distant visual acuity = 20/20 (0 in this example) AND near visual acuity = 20/20 (1 in this example) = 0 disqualifying