AMI R251.12 & R251.13

Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
26
My son received this letter (below) today, should we be concerned?

R251.12 --- DOES NOT REQUIRE A PHYSICIAN'S APPOINTMENT: Please provide additional information regarding patella dislocation , on the ATHLETICS/RECREATIONAL PARTICIPATION QUESTIONNAIRE at this link: https://dodmerb.tricare.osd.mil/Docs/Athletics.pdf

ECREATIONALPARTICIPATIONQUESTIONNAIRE.pdf.
You may answer these questions yourself. You do not need to see your physician or return to the examining facility. The form cannot be electronically signed. Please complete, sign in pen, and return the form via mail, email, or fax.

R251.13 --- DOES NOT REQUIRE A PHYSICIAN'S APPOINTMENT: Please provide copy(ies) of
pathology report(s) REGARDING pilonidal cyst .
It’s your responsibility to ensure all requested AMI is completed. We are unable to
continue processing your physical until these are completed and received at DoDMERB.
The requested AMI(s) is/are classified as: "Administrative", you can generally
complete Administrative AMIs on your own, without seeing a physician.
1. After completing the Administrative AMI email the results to your assigned technician, listed at the bottom of this letter.

2. Ensure your name and the last four digits of your social security number are on the front page.
 
Concerning the patella injury I don’t think you should be concerned unless it is still an ongoing issue. I had to provide similar documents for a sprained ankle I suffered just a couple of weeks before my physical. All is good now. However, I have zero experience with the pathology report.
 
DoDMERB sends out remedials on conditions that may affect your health when exerting yourself physically in a military environment. They are just double checking to make sure everything is all right before making a final decision on your medical qualification. Even if it is a foot injury you obtained in middle school, they want to make sure your body is in good shape for the ardous tasks at the various service academies. Many candidates are asked to complete remedials (I completed four myself and got medically qualified for USNA and potential pilot qualified for USAFA), so just fill them out to the best of your ability and send them back to your technician. Worrying about it will not change anything, just tell your DS to work on the factors he can control (GPA, SAT, etc) and submit the best application to give the admissions board a good reason to accept him.
 
You should be concerned and be very careful what you documentation you send back. A patellar dislocation that has occurred more than once is a disqualifier as is a single instance of a subluxation of patella. A pilonidal cyst is also a DQ in certain cases.

The standards for each condition are documented in DOD 6130.03. Anything you send in will be measured against those standards. It's common that a remedial sent in for one condition can sometimes include some information that triggers an additional DQ (ask me how I know...)

To be very clear, you must honestly provide the info requested, and if it triggers a DQ so be it. You can get a waiver for almost anything. However, plenty of people unnecessarily create new DQs by sending in info that wasn't requested.

Best of Luck

This is the source doc:
https://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmotc/nami/arwg/Documents/WaiverGuide/DODI_6130.03_JUL12.pdf

These are the relevant sections. The bold text is often associated with a patellar dislocation:
5.19. MISCELLANEOUS CONDITIONS OF THE EXTREMITIES. a. History of chondromalacia, including but not limited to chronic patello-femoral pain syndrome and retro-patellar pain syndrome, osteoarthritis, or traumatic arthritis. b. Dislocation of patella if two or more episodes, or any occurring within the last 12 months. c. History of any dislocation, subluxation, or instability of the hip, knee, ankle, subtalar joint, foot, shoulder, wrist, elbow except for “nursemaid’s elbow” or dislocated finger. d Acromioclavicular separation within the last 12 months or if symptomatic. e. History of osteoarthritis or traumatic arthritis of isolated joints that has interfered with a physically active lifestyle, or that may reasonably be expected to prevent satisfactorily performing military duty.

f. Cysts, if: (1) The current cyst (other than pilonidal cyst) is of such a size or location as to reasonably be expected to interfere with properly wearing military equipment. (2) The current pilonidal cyst is associated with a tumor mass or discharging sinus, or is a surgically resected pilonidal cyst that is symptomatic, unhealed, or less than 6 months postoperative. A pilonidal cyst that has been simply incised and drained does not meet the military accession medical entrance standard.
 
You need to approach DoDMERB requests at a level higher than they request. My advice is to see your physician anyway and if truthful and they are willing, have them write a letter stating that your DD is recovered and fully fit for duty. The pathology reports or coded entry for examination can sometimes raise a red flag. We had an MRI done for a birthmark to make sure that it’s vascular nature was noninvasive. What was a totally cosmetic condition was coded is such a way that it created a lot a problems when we tried to resolve it without a physician. The letter was what they really needed to get the waiver completed.
 
Back
Top