AFROTC Medical Disqualification/Scholarship/Waiver Questions

Sab245

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Sep 12, 2015
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Hello all,

I have been perusing these forums for a long time and never thought I would need to ask a question myself, but alas that day has come.

So I am a Sophomore/AS200 at Yale University and am (was?) a member of the AFROTC det here. One week before school started, I had some routine blood work done by my doctor to look for minor stuff, Vitamin deficiencies, any hint of pre-diabetes, any cholesterol problems, etc and etc.
I am very healthy, and nothing serious was found. However, one problem that did come up was I had indicators (both in the blood and genetically) that I have Factor V Leiden, heterozygously from my father. This is a blood clotting disorder for those unaware.

As I was supposed to, I forwarded the information to my detachment. I returned to school and prepared for class and ROTC, as I expected a All-clear or at the most extreme case Disqualification with a chance for waiver. Our commander called a few days before classes began and informed me of medical disqualification without the chance of a waiver. With school starting immediately, I went home (Mississippi) out of fear of being hit with a tremendous bill from my University due to a lack of aid.

I returned to school after promises from the financial aid office of support, and have started school. No longer being on scholarship for AFROTC, I switched from Chemistry to History of science. Then, I started the medical rebuttal process, and submitted more information from my doctor regarding this relatively common disorder (my father was career Navy with the exact same issue) and I think there is at least a small chance of me becoming medically cleared. Now I am required to attend LLAB, but barred from PT. :/ ?

Whew. So that's the backstory. My questions are: 1. If I am cleared, will I automatically be reinstated, or will I have to formally request to re-enroll? 2. If I return, since I have already switched majors, will I be non-scholarship for the remainder of my time here? 3. As a history major expecting a low GPA for competition for an EA (around a 3.25 or so), will I even make Field Training if I am allowed to return in the first place?

Lots of information I know, but I would love some feedback, especially from PIMA, and I am definitely willing to provide any clarifications or more details if you need any.

Thanks guys.
 
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Some more clarification, as I expect it will be needed:

1. Yes, I was on a Type 1 Scholarship, Technical, for Chemistry.
2. Regarding Field Training selection, my Commander has gotten to know me much more through this ordeal and will likely rank me highly despite some blips on my record; my PFA scores are around 96, probably were going to be higher this semester; I want to go rated (if medically cleared of course for that, which, right now, is a very large IF); and, finally, will likely score very highly on the AFOQT (I made a 34 on the ACT and had already started to prepare over the summer for the AFOQT).
3. This blood clotting disorder is not serious, but increases the chances of having a stroke much later on in life, but even then only if I start to have sedentary lifestyle.
 
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To answer some of your questions, yes you will lose the scholarship because of non tech. It is possible to pick up a new one for non tech but not likely. You also could get a det/campus scholarship. Your gpa is average, nobody can tell you if you will or won't make it except looking at past years which again you are middish which is fine, excel in other areas. If they continue the trend going non tech rated EA will help over just non tech. Good luck with the waiver.
 
Thanks for the reply! Do you think I will actually receive like a reprimand of some sort (i.e. conditional) for switching 'without permission'? I switched after out processing and turning in my uniform items, so I wasn't really a cadet. Would I just jump back in the program as a normal non-contract?
 
The only folks who can really answer these questions are the cadre. I would imagine you would just jump back in as a non-scholarship cadet, but that's just surmise. That being said, and for the benefit of lurkers, your problem as you describe it was medical/financial not academic. Personally I don't understand why you would have changed your major. You solved your financial problem but now have an academic one. If you had left the major along you might have gone back on scholarship. Not trying to beat up on you, just want to point somer stuff out for the benefit of others. If you were only doing the chemistry for the purpose of the scholarship but were really interested in history as a major in any case, then IMO you did the right thing.
 
Thanks kinnem. I gotcha, yeah, my Cadre are really helpful but I just wanted to read your thoughts on it before asking them the same things.

Chemistry was in my top 5 majors, but History was always number 1, so once I thought I was out of ROTC for good I decided to go ahead and switch over.
 
How can they reprimand you if they dis-enrolled you?

Pull out that congrats letter for the scholarship. Did it specifically state TECH? Sometimes it just says you have been awarded type X scholarship. Sometimes it says you have been awarded type X as a tech or non-tech major.

I would suspect like Zero stated that the scholarship will not be intact. My reason is different. You were dis-enrolled. You are now off the books for FY16.
~ Chances of going tech to non-tech is rare, but you are at Yale, we are not talking transferring a type 7 for a cadet at Timbucktoo University. A 3.25 at Yale as a freshmen in Chemistry is nothing to sneeze at. My DS is a bio chem major and not at an Ivy, but a flagship State university and anyone in Chemistry knows Orgo is a killer class. It is a make or break for that major.

As a STEM aka TECH major at an Ivy, you were well above the average cgpa. The avg for tech is 3.0/3.1/ Non-tech is 3.3/3.4. If they allow you back in and you hit out of the ball park (3.8-4.0) as a non-tech AND they let you back in, than you are right in the range.

Now for the dropping the bomb.
1. As stated non-tech/non-rated selection for SFT is low.
2. If you say rated, and somehow you get an AF waiver, you are not in the clear.
~ Selected for rated you will go to Wright Pat for the Flight physical. This is not only to the standards of the AF, but also the FAA.
~~ I am not sure you will clear the FAA standards. This exam is not DoDMERB, it is 3 days of everything from EKGs to bend over and cough.
3. DQs are really not just about you. It is about the following:
~ A. Can you be deployed to an area like the Green Zone with limited medical care?
~ B. How does your medical condition impact the AF compared to taking someone over you?
~ C. Accepting the condition and offering a waiver is a health care cost issue. Let's assume you do 20 years, and they gave you that waiver at 19. At 44, 2 years after retirement, this becomes their cost until the day you die if you choose to use the VA.

~~ It is not personal, it is business! People forget that our military in some ways are a business. They have a budget. They have to look at the overall picture for their long term goals. They have limited job openings, and know where they are projecting job opportunity growth.


FWIW, my DS was scholarship (type 2). He was a Govt major and got SFT during a year where it was 58% (2010), his cgpa (not an Ivy) was 3.43. His PFA was 97-98. He had no medical issues. He is now a pilot in the C130J. Just saying if you can't do the PT portion during this, but can do LLAB, while fighting it, work out!
~~ Your CoC will submit their packages in late Jan/early Feb. You could be back in the program before they submit. You want them to see you maxxed everything and you didn't quit when you had 2 strikes against you.

Finally,
I would not give up hope just yet.. I would ask the folks if you can go to a specialist for this condition. You went to a family doc if I am correct. My last story, I swear!
~ Bullet had a rated slot. He went through that final DoDMERB/FAA exam and was DQd. The doc said he had a 23 degree curve (scoliosis), 21 was allowable. His sister was 1 of the 1st people ever operated on for scoliosis, metal rod implanted in her back. Cedars hospital did the surgery. The doc was covered in People magazine. His folks knew this was wrong. They took him to that same doctor. Paid out of pocket. The doctor submitted his evaluation, he was at 17 or 19 degree. The AF waived it. Pretty hard to fight a recognized specialist that is nationally known if they state, that their process for the exam is not the process specialist use for their diagnosis.

People know I will not blow up smoke up anyone's arse. I am not saying this will be easy, nor that you will get a waiver, but I am saying that unless you go to a specialist regarding this disease, as far as I read your post, you only have a chance of the getting the disease. A specialist can for all we know can tell the AF that only 5% with the indicator do get it at 70 years old. That as a non-rated cadet, you are clear to go to fly a desk.

You need to decide how badly you want to serve in the AF. If the worse case happens, but still want to serve our country, here is my advice. Look into the diplomatic corps, Homeland or serving as a GS in the AF.
~ My cousins DH got DQ for the Army (Georgetown cadet). He was hired straight out of college by Homeland as a GS for the Army sector of Homeland. They lived in Peru for 3 years, and now are back in VA.

Best thoughts, wishes and hopes are with you. Please remember even if the door closes it does not mean the window did too!
 
Ah thanks PIMA. That's why I specifically asked for your help, you are always so thorough.
Yes, definitely going to work out during this mess. Makes you feel better if nothing else!
Yes, my scholarship specified me as technical, not a general type 1.

Good idea of going to a specialist. Already gone to a Cardiologist who has pretty good credentials on the effects of this disorder and asked him to write the rebuttal to the MEB.

So one more question, although I should know this; I am just blanking on it right now: If I had to (i.e. to improve my odds of receiving an EA) I could switch back to Chemistry, or at least promise to resume majoring in that after the end of the semester. However, a B.S. would be quite difficult while a B.A. would be much more reasonable to complete in 2.5 years. In the eyes of the Air Force and AFROTC, a B.A. isn't the same as a B.S., right? It's basically just the same as a non-tech degree, correct?

Again I should know that, but I am just not recalling it right now.
 
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Your school will tell you what counts as tech or non tech. Depends on the university. Example: There are management degrees counted as tech.
 
Just an update.

Found out today that my medical rebuttal was denied. So, that's the end of the story I guess for now.
But, anyways, thanks for the help everyone.
 
2nd update.

I contacted my state's senior senator, who is also on the Armed Services Committee, and we put together a package of information that is being looked at by the AF Surgeon General in hopes of a waiver to supersede the AETC disqualification decision.
Anybody have any experiences with that?
 
I would contact hornetguy here via a pm.

His medical DQ was different, but he lived through the fight, all the way up the chain. He may be able to give you some insight on the process you are now trying.

I believe you need 10 posts to pm, but you can try at least to post on his profile page and he will get an alert that you posted there until you get to that magic number for pms.
 
Really? You just couldn't do that on a separate thread?
 
I don't know. Is it a problem. I looked to see if there were any threads I could reasonably contribute to and didn't find any that I had interesting feedback, comments, or advice for, so I don't see what the problem is.
If it's against forum rules go ahead and delete them; you are a moderator after all.
 
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kinnem,

I just wanted to apologize for the tone of that last message, I didn't mean for it to come across as blunt as it did; this process has just been quite frustrating and few people are willing to really help.

You were right, triple posting was stupid. Sorry to be an annoying noob around here!
 
Well, I was more interested in pointing it out. Plenty of people do it but if possible a new thread all it's own would be a better idea.
 
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