Asthma Waiver

MGUSNA2023

New Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2018
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3
Hello,

I was wondering if anyone has received a waiver for class of ‘23 or has experience with the waiver timeline/process. I took exams back in August and was told I was disqualified due to asthma (I use an inhaler, but have never been hospitalized or had a serious asthma attack). I am currently waiting on a waiver, but haven’t heard anything from dodmerb or USNA in a few months. I have an LOA and nomination, so a medical qualification would be the final step.

Thanks for any feedback.
 
Hey! I'm actually in the exact same position. I'm a recruited athlete who met the standards given to me by the athlete's admissions officers, but I'm having issues with my asthma. I still use a steroid inhaler to keep my asthma under control. I would suggest you do this as well, it has kept me from relying on my emergency inhaler. I was DQ about 2 weeks ago and I'm just starting the waiver process now. Do you need additional testing?
 
As always stated DoDMERB DQ's the commissioning source will determine if they will waive.

The thing you need to realize is their goal when they waive the DQ. It is not to see them just commission, it is for that branch to meet their military mission. Many kids do get waivers, but it depends on the severity of their medical condition. If you need to use an inhaler daily, the question becomes not only the career field position, but if they can deploy you to remote locations.
~ If you can't deploy due to limited medical facilities, than someone else will have to take that spot for you. You are basically tieing their hands.
~ Not everyone wants to be a pilot in the AF, but even when people call the AF, the Chair Force, they still need pilots. USAF knows that all of their pilots must not only meet the AF medical requirements, but they must meet the FAA flight physical too to become a pilot. I highly doubt that the FAA allows a steroid inhaler for asthma for the FC1 physical. In essence, the AF has to think about their manpower needs to complete their mission.

When they waive you, they are accepting the fact that you have a pre-existing condition and will cover all medical costs for that condition. If you serve 20 yrs and retire, they are going to cover it until the day you die, and that also means if the condition worsens during your lifetime. That could be 70+ yrs.

Asthma is waiverable, but it becomes more difficult when you are reliant on an inhaler, regardless if you play sports. There are many candidates that due to an overly concerned doc prescribe an inhaler, and the folks continue to fill it, but the child never used it over the course of multiple yrs.

Get your medical records in order as in yesterday. If you can afford it, have them take the higher level testing, and preferably with a specialist that understands the military medical requirements.

Off topic, but on topic, many candidates will get waived, and also the TWE. An SA may deny the waiver, but ROTC may approve. This is also true regarding SAs. USAFA may deny, but USMA and USNA may waive, again, it comes down to their personnel needs and their mission.

Finally, if you get the TWE and go plan B (ROTC) at a university, I hope you heed my advice. Contact all of your docs (primary and specialists) Give them a thumb drive/CD Rom and ask them to download the records. We did this with all of our children. 1 child had an emergency at college while she was living in her sorority house where she was taken to the ER. She told her friends to go in her desk and get her CD Rom. The docs in the ER were able to view quickly her medical history. The ER staff said to them that never in their life did they see this, and for them it was amazing. She graduated yrs ago, but now at her sorority house, if you want to live in it, you must bring a thumb drive with your medical history for your own medical protection in the what if case.
 
As always stated DoDMERB DQ's the commissioning source will determine if they will waive.

The thing you need to realize is their goal when they waive the DQ. It is not to see them just commission, it is for that branch to meet their military mission. Many kids do get waivers, but it depends on the severity of their medical condition. If you need to use an inhaler daily, the question becomes not only the career field position, but if they can deploy you to remote locations.
~ If you can't deploy due to limited medical facilities, than someone else will have to take that spot for you. You are basically tieing their hands.
~ Not everyone wants to be a pilot in the AF, but even when people call the AF, the Chair Force, they still need pilots. USAF knows that all of their pilots must not only meet the AF medical requirements, but they must meet the FAA flight physical too to become a pilot. I highly doubt that the FAA allows a steroid inhaler for asthma for the FC1 physical. In essence, the AF has to think about their manpower needs to complete their mission.

When they waive you, they are accepting the fact that you have a pre-existing condition and will cover all medical costs for that condition. If you serve 20 yrs and retire, they are going to cover it until the day you die, and that also means if the condition worsens during your lifetime. That could be 70+ yrs.

Asthma is waiverable, but it becomes more difficult when you are reliant on an inhaler, regardless if you play sports. There are many candidates that due to an overly concerned doc prescribe an inhaler, and the folks continue to fill it, but the child never used it over the course of multiple yrs.

Get your medical records in order as in yesterday. If you can afford it, have them take the higher level testing, and preferably with a specialist that understands the military medical requirements.

Off topic, but on topic, many candidates will get waived, and also the TWE. An SA may deny the waiver, but ROTC may approve. This is also true regarding SAs. USAFA may deny, but USMA and USNA may waive, again, it comes down to their personnel needs and their mission.

Finally, if you get the TWE and go plan B (ROTC) at a university, I hope you heed my advice. Contact all of your docs (primary and specialists) Give them a thumb drive/CD Rom and ask them to download the records. We did this with all of our children. 1 child had an emergency at college while she was living in her sorority house where she was taken to the ER. She told her friends to go in her desk and get her CD Rom. The docs in the ER were able to view quickly her medical history. The ER staff said to them that never in their life did they see this, and for them it was amazing. She graduated yrs ago, but now at her sorority house, if you want to live in it, you must bring a thumb drive with your medical history for your own medical protection in the what if case.
I understand what you mean when you say it becomes an issue when someone is reliant on an inhaler, but I have still heard that there are people at SA's and ROTC who use inhalers and other medicine. Do you know if they try to refrain from having candidates who are extremely reliant on medication or what? The process is very confusing and I understand that it varies from person to person.
 
Hey! I'm actually in the exact same position. I'm a recruited athlete who met the standards given to me by the athlete's admissions officers, but I'm having issues with my asthma. I still use a steroid inhaler to keep my asthma under control. I would suggest you do this as well, it has kept me from relying on my emergency inhaler. I was DQ about 2 weeks ago and I'm just starting the waiver process now. Do you need additional testing?
I was wondering if you were able to get waiver
 
Hey! I'm actually in the exact same position. I'm a recruited athlete who met the standards given to me by the athlete's admissions officers, but I'm having issues with my asthma. I still use a steroid inhaler to keep my asthma under control. I would suggest you do this as well, it has kept me from relying on my emergency inhaler. I was DQ about 2 weeks ago and I'm just starting the waiver process now. Do you need additional testing?
I was wondering if you were able to get waiver
I got a waiver for USAFA for DQ of asthma and eczema. Asthma cleared by MCT and eczema waived just because. Waiver denied for AFROTC though so that's ironic.
 
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