New Medical Exam at 2/C year

F4EF15

Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2020
Messages
33
My DS is going to be 2/C this fall. I remember that there will be a new medical exam/review in the 3rd year at a service academy.
My DS had wheezing history at the age of 7. It was only a few events during wildfire season (e.g., very bad air quality problem) but he included the info when he submitted the DoDMERB form. After a remedial letter requesting a medical record, it was cleared after reviewing the medical record without any problem.

Now, he is going to be 2/C this fall. Does he need to resubmit the medical form all over again? This is the reason I ask a question. The medical insurance he used to have doesn't provide medical records older than 10 years. If DoDMERB has kept the medical record submitted for his SA application, there should be no problem.

Any opinion or info would be highly appreciated.
 
He won't do the whole DoDMERB process over again. Medical history for this exam will be based off military medical records. Information from DoDMERB is what starts your military medical record (my DoDMERB stuff is still in there). He might have to answer questions/transcribe information from DoDMERB records, but they should have everything they need.

The purpose of this physical is for pre-commissioning. In other words, they are making sure the cadet/mid has not developed any new conditions nor have had prior conditions deteriorate to a point where they are incompatible for military service. So, if your DS is the exact same he was on R-Day/I-Day (isn't A-Day one too?), then they will be qualified to commission. A very select few will be found unqualified for unrestricted military service or military service as a whole. Those cadets/mids are either restricted to only certain occupations or usually graduate, but not commission, respectively.

I will caveat DoDMERB and say that while it is the standard for commissioning, certain communities have their own requirements. For Naval Aviation, I had to get a waiver for asthma (any prior asthma history is DQ) and the equivalent of a remedial for seasonal allergies (aka allergic rhinitis). The waiver was taking a methacholine challenge test and the remedial was getting a sinus x-ray where they "found something" and then a morning with the ENT getting a camera shoved up both nostrils. Optometry also found out I couldn't see well (I guess me wearing glasses gave it away) and they also started the laser eye-surgery process (pretty much where it starts for every hard of seeing person).

Happy to answer any other questions. This was my experience at USNA, so YMMV for other SAs.
 
He won't do the whole DoDMERB process over again. Medical history for this exam will be based off military medical records. Information from DoDMERB is what starts your military medical record (my DoDMERB stuff is still in there). He might have to answer questions/transcribe information from DoDMERB records, but they should have everything they need.

The purpose of this physical is for pre-commissioning. In other words, they are making sure the cadet/mid has not developed any new conditions nor have had prior conditions deteriorate to a point where they are incompatible for military service. So, if your DS is the exact same he was on R-Day/I-Day (isn't A-Day one too?), then they will be qualified to commission. A very select few will be found unqualified for unrestricted military service or military service as a whole. Those cadets/mids are either restricted to only certain occupations or usually graduate, but not commission, respectively.

I will caveat DoDMERB and say that while it is the standard for commissioning, certain communities have their own requirements. For Naval Aviation, I had to get a waiver for asthma (any prior asthma history is DQ) and the equivalent of a remedial for seasonal allergies (aka allergic rhinitis). The waiver was taking a methacholine challenge test and the remedial was getting a sinus x-ray where they "found something" and then a morning with the ENT getting a camera shoved up both nostrils. Optometry also found out I couldn't see well (I guess me wearing glasses gave it away) and they also started the laser eye-surgery process (pretty much where it starts for every hard of seeing person).

Happy to answer any other questions. This was my experience at USNA, so YMMV for other SAs.
Doesn’t everyone who stays in Bancroft have ‘sinus issues’ 😂 ‘Kinda kidding, ‘kinda not…I seems like everyone does that lives there.

Serious question though. So it’s through this process that laser eye surgery begins. Is this only for communities that require it? Ie pilot? Which also means the mid would need to have an idea of their desired community?
 
Doesn’t everyone who stays in Bancroft have ‘sinus issues’ 😂 ‘Kinda kidding, ‘kinda not…I seems like everyone does that lives there.

Serious question though. So it’s through this process that laser eye surgery begins. Is this only for communities that require it? Ie pilot? Which also means the mid would need to have an idea of their desired community?
Haha, I'd reckon most do. I think it's on my record since the asthma waiver worksheet asks if you have rhinitis. Plus, I read the standards before (good move before you tell medical anything) and I knew it wasn't DQ. They just gather a bunch of information (hence the sinus x-ray and follow-ons).

On laser eye surgery, it is not restricted by community. Knew plenty of people who got it even though they had no aviation aspirations or people who were undecided but didn't want to close the door to pilot. They ask what your top three choices are on the intake form for laser eye surgery, but I think it is just for demographic purposes (i.e. This % of patients are getting laser eye surgery to go pilot for example). The only requirement is that you meet the medical requirements to do the procedure. Nothing too big. They just do some pre-op testing to make sure it is safe to do it. Some higher risk people get LASIK (normal is PRK) and very few get rejected since it'd be too risky.

Honestly, laser eye surgery is a great deal regardless. WRNMMC is the flagship hospital of the military so you get great care by great docs with great technology. And the best part is that it is all free!
 
Great info. Cannot believe my youngest is already to this point!! Boy, it sure goes fast 💨
 
He won't do the whole DoDMERB process over again. Medical history for this exam will be based off military medical records. Information from DoDMERB is what starts your military medical record (my DoDMERB stuff is still in there). He might have to answer questions/transcribe information from DoDMERB records, but they should have everything they need.

The purpose of this physical is for pre-commissioning. In other words, they are making sure the cadet/mid has not developed any new conditions nor have had prior conditions deteriorate to a point where they are incompatible for military service. So, if your DS is the exact same he was on R-Day/I-Day (isn't A-Day one too?), then they will be qualified to commission. A very select few will be found unqualified for unrestricted military service or military service as a whole. Those cadets/mids are either restricted to only certain occupations or usually graduate, but not commission, respectively.

I will caveat DoDMERB and say that while it is the standard for commissioning, certain communities have their own requirements. For Naval Aviation, I had to get a waiver for asthma (any prior asthma history is DQ) and the equivalent of a remedial for seasonal allergies (aka allergic rhinitis). The waiver was taking a methacholine challenge test and the remedial was getting a sinus x-ray where they "found something" and then a morning with the ENT getting a camera shoved up both nostrils. Optometry also found out I couldn't see well (I guess me wearing glasses gave it away) and they also started the laser eye-surgery process (pretty much where it starts for every hard of seeing person).

Happy to answer any other questions. This was my experience at USNA, so YMMV for other SAs.
Thank you so much for the invaluable information. It's very helpful. What a great leadership to help your followers!
 
On the Navy side, there was also one other great medical obstacle to overcome -- NAMI (I think it stands for Naval Aviation Medical Institute). Everybody reporting to Pensacola had to pass the NAMI flight physical, and it was notorious for being even more stringent than the pre-Comm physical, particular on eyes. Perhaps some of the pressure has gone down with allowing Lasik, but alot of prospective Aviators were washed out of flight training before they even started. This was know as the NAMI WHAMMY .
 
This was know as the NAMI WHAMMY .
Good news is that USNA has started doing a full on flight physical during 2/c before PFP/Aviation cruise. This serves as a commissioning physical AND allows waivers to be submitted before service selection. Ideally this leads to fewer Whammies in Pensacola and fewer mids getting reassigned firstie year.
 
My DS just scheduled his eye surgery for early fall. Cannot believe it has gone so fast. 2/C came in the blink of an eye.
 
Back
Top