AFROTC Waiver Denied - AETC HQ

ZstamandUSAFA

New Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2016
Messages
6
Hey all, I am a cadet at Florida State University. Currently an AS250 and getting ready for field training this summer. I just got word from Cadre and DODMERB that my Waiver for my
D225.00 History of any dislocation, subluxation, or instability of the shoulder, was denied. It is very confusing to me that I was a hard DQ, considering I received a waiver from USAFA - CQ last year while I was applying for the same remedial. I do realize it is a different surgeon, but I am 2.5 years Post-OP and my Ortho Surgeon back home wrote up a full recover report for me and stated that I was absolutely okay. How can I do my best to appeal this and prove I was once waived. Cadre told me that it is almost all out of their hands, but that I should try to get the waiver document I received from USAFA and do my best with that. Can anyone help me where I should go from here, I am not giving up here and will continue to plead my case. I just recently scored a 98.9 on my FA and became a member of Arnold Air Society. (Sorry for the lengthy post.)
 
Walk over to AROTC.
I am trying my best to avoid that honestly

In all seriousness, this might be one of your better options. I’m an active duty AF officer and I can tell you from personal experience that the AF is one of the strictest branches in terms of medical qualifications for commissioning and flying (I assume from your profile pic you have some desire to fly for the AF). I fought my own battle with the AETC medical system to convince them I was fit to fly, and lost. Take it from me, the AF doesn’t care what your personal doctors think. In fact you could have the most highly rated doc in the country write a letter saying that you are medically fit, and the AF still wouldn’t give a damn. I say that not to discourage or belittle you, I just want to tell it like it is. And speaking of telling it like it is, I’ll also say that the AF has some of the dumbest, most bureaucratic doctors and medical officers working for them. They really don’t care about people’s individual situations, they just care about numbers on a page. I know at this point you may just want to go to FT and have a chance to commission. If that’s truly the case and you have no desire to fly, then by all means see if you can find the waiver that USAFA extended to you and provide it to your detachment cadre. But I’ll be honest with you, unless you have a real stand-up commanding officer working at your det, they probably won’t be willing to help you that much. So for all these reasons, maybe you should give some consideration to the other branches. The Army, Navy, CG and Marines have some great opportunities, and in some respects they have missions that may be even more interesting than the AF. Believe me, just being in the AF isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Don’t get me wrong, I’m honored to serve my country as an officer, but I can also think of ways of serving that are far more interesting than sitting at a computer screen for 8 hour shifts every day. Perhaps another branch of service can be your new beginning? Anyway feel free to PM me if you need anymore advice.
 
I'm not in the AF medical field so take this advice with a grain of salt. I had a scenario where I was almost DQed from a pilot slot when I was a senior. Long story short, the AF docs disagreed with each other so they had me get a civilian referral/opinion. I saw a few civilian docs about my issue and they agreed there was no issue. They wrote letters on my behalf and I was cleared to fly. There could be a case here since your original waiver (I assume) was granted by an AF flight doc. No one cares about your success more than you do. Don't assume your cadre will have the time to fully push this forward. Best of luck dude!
 
Air Force ROTC is CONSTANTLY messing with medical stuff.

Lots of people I've known got pilot slots, only to have them taken at the last moment during the flight physical. Continue pursuing the AF route if you'd be absolutely happy serving as a non-flying officer, but otherwise, pursue other options.

I'm a senior in AFROTC going into Cyberspace Ops next year. It was my top choice, but please be aware of the flight physical stuff.

Army ROTC is an awesome program too- the one at FSU is very active and does some cool stuff...and Army aviators get to do incredible work with special operations etc. Marine Corps has a great aviation program too.

I'm glad I'm doing the Air Force thing, but it is absolutely not the end all be all.
 
I appreciate all these responses. I do truly want to serve in any aspect and I have the drive to do so, I have a passion for flying hence why I am pushing so bad just to get cleared for entry. I was only so boggled by the waiver from USAFA and then not by AETC. I am gonna continue to fight this but It does not happen then I will definitely pursue other branches.
 
I also do have a really solid and pushing Cadre and I hope it helps me. We have a pretty solid wing with 3 seniors about to commission and head to ENJJPT. They as well are helping me with stuff and told me once I got my DODMERB cleats that I would be fine for a flight physical in regards to my shoulder. ( I have 2020 and no color blindness) just going to give keep pressing from here
 
I know this is an old post but I’m wondering what the outcome was. After many months of battling AETC and DoDMERB we are throwing in the towel. The AETC waiver process is questionable and is ran by non-medical people.
 
I know this is an old post but I’m wondering what the outcome was. After many months of battling AETC and DoDMERB we are throwing in the towel.

Take the advice given-- you or your kid (not sure if you are talking about yourself, given the use of "we") should go find another way to get a commission. A commission is a commission, it is not uncommon or difficult to switch between branches, especially going from Army to USAF as long as it is a compatible career field. There is no DODMERB involved post-commission.

The AETC waiver process is questionable and is ran by non-medical people.
You sound frustrated, but come on-- that's not a fair statement. :)

Good luck!
 
‘We’ because it’s a team effort - parents and candidates. It typically starts well before the age of majority and if there are complications it requires considerable investment for all. It’s rarely just a matter between DoDMERB/AETC and the candidate alone.

Yes - frustrated. I realize The statement may draw fire but there are good and verifiable reasons for the comment.

Anyway. Thanks for the insight on commissioning. We are engaging in other options.
 
As stated multiple times on multiple threads. DoDMERB disqualifies, but has nothing to do with waivers. All they do is determine if the cadet/candidate meet the standards set forth by AFROTC. Waivers come from the commissioning source, in your case HQ AFROTC. It will go through AF docs, but yes in the end the paperwork will come down from AETC based on the decision of the AF docs.

I know it hurts, but remember that it is more than just him. It is about the mission. It is about long term healthcare too. If they waive than they accept the fact that if the condition deteriorates while in service they will cover all and every medical aspect associated with the condition.
IE eczema is usually a hard waiver. It seems silly, afterall it is just dry skin patches, right? Wrong. Medically there is evidence that people with eczema have adverse reactions to certain vaccinations. The AF has to follow immunizations just like you and me if we went to certain countries. If because of eczema you can't get those inoculations, than the AF has to deploy someone else in their place. The mission still has to be done.
 
IE eczema is usually a hard waiver. It seems silly, afterall it is just dry skin patches, right? Wrong. Medically there is evidence that people with eczema have adverse reactions to certain vaccinations. The AF has to follow immunizations just like you and me if we went to certain countries. If because of eczema you can't get those inoculations, than the AF has to deploy someone else in their place. The mission still has to be done.

I brought this up with my dermatologist. Small pox is the inoculation that is typically an issue. Interestingly enough, it only poses a (Slight!) threat if eczema is ACTIVE at the time of inoculation.
 
I have eczema and so does my DD. Right now I am out of remission. I have patches in the web of my fingers and my elbow. It showed up out of nowhere. I went to sleep one night and woke up with it in the morning.

Point being is you don't know when eczema will occur. It is tricky. Nobody can predict when you will have an ACTIVE outbreak, but the AF will set up an appointment in advance for that inoculation from a deployment issue. If they can't do it due to medical risks, and AF regs than someone must go in your stead. Someone that maybe married or engaged and never saw it coming on their radar. They got to learn real quickly the term service before self because the AF waived eczema for someone else.

Not trying to be mean. Just saying as absurd as some of these denials may seem, for them it is really a much bigger picture...it is called the mission and man power needs to complete that mission

OBTW I know that from experience as an AF spouse. Hubby got deployed for 6 mos with a 2 week notice to the sandbox. While there an officer under his command was sent home within days of arriving. Why? Because she found out she was pregnant. Some poor guy back in the states had no idea he was on the AF hitlist. But there he was 1 week later in Iraq to replace that officer.
 
Last edited:
Yep, eczema is a pain in the behind. Its unfortunate that its creates so many issues. It is what it is.
 
Back
Top