Food Allergy DQ

Juan1111

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Joined
Dec 14, 2017
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I am in AFROTC in Florida and this semester I have been in the process of completing my DODMERB. A week ago I received the results to my DODMERB and it says I was DQ because of an allergy to shellfish. I asked my cadre to submit a waiver for it and this is the result.

Agency: US Air Force CSB
Cycle Year:2017
Current Medical Status:Medical waiver denied

L102: Single Disqualification

Agency: US Air Force CSB
Cycle Year:2017
Code Description
D260.71 Waiver Denied - AFROTC - CSP
D271.40 History of systemic allergic reaction to food or additives

I have been able to perform what I have need to do in class and at PT without any issue, and I have received awards and recognition within my wing . I have only a slight allergy to shellfish, meaning I can be in the present of shellfish without having an issue, I can touch it, I can even eat shellfish in small quantities without any issue. I was given an Epi-pen by my doctor that I have never used. Most of the time I avoid eating shellfish out of personal preference.

I'am planning on visiting my cadre this morning to let them know of the results and I am hoping that this is not in fact the end of my military journey and that there is some alternative option available to me in order to have my waiver approved.
 
I'am planning on visiting my cadre this morning to let them know of the results and I am hoping that this is not in fact the end of my military journey and that there is some alternative option available to me in order to have my waiver approved.

And herein lies my biggest issue with the military's medical system, particularly that of the Air Force's. There are so many young men such as yourself who would love nothing more than to serve the country as an officer, yet the AF refuses to consider waivers for even benign cases such as yours. Meanwhile, we have congressional bureaucrats and military leaders who are more concerned with turning the military into a social experiment and getting special treatment for people who can't even figure out if they have male or female parts. And people wonder why our retention rates have gone to sh*t.
 
Juan1111 - You may be able to get a medical waiver from the Army. They seem to be the most reasonable when it comes to food allergies. (You should also check with the Navy and Marines -- I don't think they give the medical waiver either, but doesn't hurt to check.) Our experience with the AF medical system regarding food allergies is the same as Tex232.

Best wishes. Thank you for your willingness to serve.
 
I was given an Epi-pen by my doctor that I have never used.

One of the disturbing CYA habits of physicians nowadays is they hand out Epi-pen prescriptions like the old docs handed out lollipops. I've seen a kid that got a welt from a bee sting get one, because mom was making a fuss, not because it was warranted; and to the ER doctor, it seemed harmless to send them home with the scrip. No advice, just venting. Good luck, Juan.
 
What as the result of your efforts? My daughter was prescribed an epipen she never wanted, never used and never carried with her. She has a tree nut allergy and is hoping for a waiver so she can use her ROTC scholarship.
 
All three and she has a nomination to the Air Force academy. Looking to do everything we can to help her receive the allergy waiver. She has a tree nut allergy.
 
ML -- I have shared our DS' story on this topic in several other threads.

Our experience is USAFA docs (and AFROTC) will deny the waiver. You can appeal, and they will most likely allow you to do a supervised nut challenge with an allergist at your own expense. If your DD has no reaction (hives or rash counts as a reaction) they will likely grant the waiver. They basically required us to prove our DS either out grew or never really had the allergy.

AROTC was much more reasonable. They (and USMA) grant waivers, or at least have granted waivers in the past, for this condition on a case by case basis.

We have no experience with USNA or Naval ROTC on this issue.

I hope the AF view on this has changed since we went through it in 2015.

Sincere best wishes to you and your DS on this.

Happy to discuss further with you by Private Message (PM) on this Forum. You can send a PM I think after you send either 5 or 10 posts on the forum.
 
All three and she has a nomination to the Air Force academy. Looking to do everything we can to help her receive the allergy waiver. She has a tree nut allergy.
Our DD received a waiver from NROTC for peanut allergy only after she had a supervised nut challenge with no reaction.

The process from DQ to waiver was approximately 1 year.
 
^^ My DS has a nom to USAFA and a mild tree nut allergy (he had hives that immediately receded with benadryl ). He was tested by DODMERB and tested positive. As a result, he was DQ'd and no waiver has been initiated. Based upon my read of this page and the fact that no waiver has been initiated, my son has moved on emotionally and practically to Plans B, C and D. It's truly a shame. He is not affected by his allergy beyond hives, which are easily and quickly treated by zyrtec or benadryl. We understand that such a reaction would be waived by USMA, but he was not nominated to USMA.
 
All three and she has a nomination to the Air Force academy. Looking to do everything we can to help her receive the allergy waiver. She has a tree nut allergy.
Our DD received a waiver from NROTC for peanut allergy only after she had a supervised nut challenge with no reaction.

The process from DQ to waiver was approximately 1 year.
All three and she has a nomination to the Air Force academy. Looking to do everything we can to help her receive the allergy waiver. She has a tree nut allergy.
Our DD received a waiver from NROTC for peanut allergy only after she had a supervised nut challenge with no reaction.

The process from DQ to waiver was approximately 1 year.

She can accept the four year scholarship and enter college while going through the waiver process and still have the first year tuition paid, correct?

The one year time frame could mean that she chooses a college that we cannot afford without the DoDMERB waiver/scholarship, then possibly find out she does not get the waiver during her freshman year and she then has to transfer. Hopefully, she receives a positive answer on the waiver soon.
 
All three and she has a nomination to the Air Force academy. Looking to do everything we can to help her receive the allergy waiver. She has a tree nut allergy.
Our DD received a waiver from NROTC for peanut allergy only after she had a supervised nut challenge with no reaction.

The process from DQ to waiver was approximately 1 year.
All three and she has a nomination to the Air Force academy. Looking to do everything we can to help her receive the allergy waiver. She has a tree nut allergy.
Our DD received a waiver from NROTC for peanut allergy only after she had a supervised nut challenge with no reaction.

The process from DQ to waiver was approximately 1 year.

She can accept the four year scholarship and enter college while going through the waiver process and still have the first year tuition paid, correct?

The one year time frame could mean that she chooses a college that we cannot afford without the DoDMERB waiver/scholarship, then possibly find out she does not get the waiver during her freshman year and she then has to transfer. Hopefully, she receives a positive answer on the waiver soon.
Again...I will agree with AROTC-dad :)

No scholarship funds are dispersed until DoDMERB is passed; in this case, until the waiver is received.

My DD was not the only member of her unit that was awaiting a response on a waiver. Inevitably, some are not granted.

Be prepared to cover the tuition until such time as the waiver is cleared.

Best of luck.
 
I understand the issue with allergies especially peanuts or any nuts as they are everywhere. Shellfish seems to be more exotic (for a better word). Outside of specifically eating shellfish, is it found in other foods as an ingrediant? Its like being DQd because you are allergic to snake meat. How often is that going to come up outside of surivial training. I am asking because for all I know shellfish maybe everywhere and I just dont know it
 
So I guess I better give an update to what happened to me since I last posted.

My journey with the Air Force officially came to end in December, not gonna lie, I was very upset over the results and I had to talk with my cadre over what happened, I asked the Lt Col over what could be done, which came down nothing could be done and to try another branch. Which made me extra salty over that.

But I got over my embarrassment after a couple days and paid a visit to the Army ROTC recruiter and was frank with him about my situation. And he straight up starting laughing and was surprised the Air Force Dq'ed me over something like that. So he explained to me the difference between the waiver system in the Air Force and Army, which is Air Force has AETC where all waivers need to go through and it was more than likely never gonna get approved., Army has a completely different system which less of a hurdle.

So he welcomed me to Army ROTC and moved over my paperwork to Army and had me go visit an allergy doctor to get additional information proving it would not be an issue. I got all that done and had my paperwork submitted and then approved (took forever to get a response).

Then I decided to be a non-smp cadet through the guard to catch up to the other cadets. MEPs cleared me as well, so this summer I will be going to OSUT

Today I am proud to say that I am officially a Pfc in the NG, and that while my journey with the Air Force came to end, my career with the Army has just begun.
 
Good for your for being persistent, flexible, and open to other possibilities - on this forum, I often read from other posters who seem to have a one-track mind when it comes to getting their college education and becoming an officer in the military - but as you can see, there are many paths! Best Wishes!
 
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All three and she has a nomination to the Air Force academy. Looking to do everything we can to help her receive the allergy waiver. She has a tree nut allergy.
Our DD received a waiver from NROTC for peanut allergy only after she had a supervised nut challenge with no reaction.

The process from DQ to waiver was approximately 1 year.
All three and she has a nomination to the Air Force academy. Looking to do everything we can to help her receive the allergy waiver. She has a tree nut allergy.
Our DD received a waiver from NROTC for peanut allergy only after she had a supervised nut challenge with no reaction.

The process from DQ to waiver was approximately 1 year.

She can accept the four year scholarship and enter college while going through the waiver process and still have the first year tuition paid, correct?

The one year time frame could mean that she chooses a college that we cannot afford without the DoDMERB waiver/scholarship, then possibly find out she does not get the waiver during her freshman year and she then has to transfer. Hopefully, she receives a positive answer on the waiver soon.
My DD was also awaiting a waiver. We met with financial aid, who were so helpful. Her school offered free room and board to scholarship winner; they said she could still receive this while awaiting waiver results. In addition, they reinstated the university merit scholarships offered her at admission, which were substantial. this allowed us to feel comfortable enough to send her to this expensive private school - nice ending is that she received her waiver 2 weeks before school started!
 
For Army ROTC, no AROTC scholarship funds are disbursed until DoDMERB is passed.

DS deliberately chose an affordable school and declined acceptance to an expensive college just in case a scholarship did not come to fruition.
Wise course of action if one knows they may be medically DQd and may not be waived. DD did the same, though would have dearly loved to go to Yale.
 
She had a tree nut allergy but tested her for peanuts? Curious because my son has a sensitivity to two types of tree nuts but loves peanuts. I know peanuts are a legume, but curious why they did peanut challenge.
 
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