Disqualified, Waived, Qualified after RMI ... Will DS be Disqualified Again?

S_Austin

5-Year Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2018
Messages
64
So my DS went thru the DoDMERB process where he was initially DQ's. While he was DQ's, West Point granted him a waiver. DoDMERB then reversed the DQ's to Qualified for the other SA's after my request to review the file with supplemental information. He now blessed appointments and also very generous scholarship that includes all tuition, expense, stipend, summer interns, and guaranteed job after graduation. He has a very strong desire to serve but at the same time concerned that he may be discharged for the same condition that went thru the process of DQ's, Waived, Review, Qualified. I know anything can happen. Question is can he be kicked out for a condition that he initially DQed's, and Waived, and Qualified during his initial application for the appointment? If yes, maybe the right thing to do is accept the private scholarship.
 
My understanding is if they "waive" one or more issues that is the end. They cannot come back and say "oops, we made a mistake" and send your DS home. BUT, and a REALLY BIG BUT is that if they waived an issue and it re-surfaces during training, or for that matter later after Commissioning, they can medically discharge him. But that is true for even those people without waivers or corrections, the military can and will medically discharge a cadet or Officer at any time they cannot meet the physical qualifications or perform their duties. But as far as the waiver being reversed...nope, can't happen, he is good to go as long as that or another issue does not torpedo him.

Having said that, I would not be too concerned, unless there is something that was fixed and may fail again, or a condition that is controlled now but may later come back.
 
@Impulsive I appreciate your post.
My DS, who also received a waiver, may have to make a decision between a SA and an Ivy ROTC program. I told him if his medical issue ever resurfaces at an SA he may be medically discharged. However, if the same issue where to occur with ROTC he would at least still be enrolled in the university.
 
So my DS went thru the DoDMERB process where he was initially DQ's. While he was DQ's, West Point granted him a waiver. DoDMERB then reversed the DQ's to Qualified for the other SA's after my request to review the file with supplemental information. He now blessed appointments and also very generous scholarship that includes all tuition, expense, stipend, summer interns, and guaranteed job after graduation. He has a very strong desire to serve but at the same time concerned that he may be discharged for the same condition that went thru the process of DQ's, Waived, Review, Qualified. I know anything can happen. Question is can he be kicked out for a condition that he initially DQed's, and Waived, and Qualified during his initial application for the appointment? If yes, maybe the right thing to do is accept the private scholarship.

Once a condition is waived, then you can be kicked out for the same condition only if it worsens and prevents you from doing your military job safely and satisfactorily.

Also, once you’ve been waived for accessions standards, then you will be judged on retention standards in the future which are easier to meet.
 
Overwhelmed....tough choice. Ivy League is comparable to a SA in terms of prestige, but the SA has to advantage of networking with other grads where ROTC may not have those same connections. I would say it depends on whether or not your son wants to do the 24/7/365 thing for four years or wants to basically be a college student with the ability to come and go and do things other than military and have friends and classmates that aren't military.

And GoCubbies make a good point....once you get in the retention standards are quite a bit lower than admission standards.
 
Thanks @Impulsive and @GoCubbies. I wasn't aware of the different standards. He has a couple of visits scheduled at the university including a sleepover with the ROTC battalion. I told him if he is planning a career in the military he should go SA otherwise I believe he may have more options going ROTC.
I can't believe 17 year olds have to make decisions like this!
 
There is absolutely NO reason he cannot or will not have a "career" in the military with ROTC. I am assuming he is a good student, and the top 10% at a minimum that graduate ROTC get RA Commissions and ALL ROTC grads can have a great full career. You do not have to attend a SA to have a successful career in the Military!
 
With May 1 will be here in no time, DS will have to make the toughest decision of his life. To live a dream that can end anytime because of his DNA or take a path without being judged annually on physical/medical condition. I remembered when we visited the doctor to get additional information for DoDMERB, the doctor shook DS's hand and said "Good Luck and Thank you for your impending service." He then followed with, "Remember there are many other ways to serve this great country."
 
Here is another factor to consider. While at the SA, he will be on a 'cadillac plan' insurance plan. Any medical care will be covered at 100%. At the Ivy uni, he will be on your insurance. At least, that is my understanding. My son also had to choose between a SA and a 4 year ROTC scholarship at a great school.

My cadet chose WP and he needed surgery for an injury (they train very hard and injuries are somewhat common - I don't say this to worry you but to simply note that athletes/army training cadets do tend to get hurt more than most). The care he got at Keller Hosp was much better than the care he would have gotten at our local hosp and the surgeon was absolutely superior to the dr who would have cared for him back home. He then had many months of PT. All of this was covered by his insurance and we didn't pay even a dime. No co-pays. Nothing. Had my son gone the ROTC route, he was likely to have experienced the same injury but cost would have been a factor since he'd have been on our insurance.
 
So what would of happened if the injury was more serious and permanent? Would he have been medically discharged from WP?
That's what I am concerned about.
 
When we attended the overnight tour at WP, I remember asking what happened to the 15-20% that separated ... AO stated that the top three are medical, academic and disciplines.
 
That makes sense. The graduation rate at USNA is 87 percent.
It's just something to consider.
 
I only know that my cadet was told that if he did not have the surgery, he would have been medically separated. Now in his case, he really did need the surgery no matter what as the damage was extensive enough to interfere with daily life. And he really did want to stay at WP, so not having the surgery really wasn't an option on the table.

That said, I can't answer your specific question. If the medical issue crops up near graduation, then the SA may allow the cadet to remain and graduate but not commission. There is precedent for this.

I will add this: if the issue rears it's head while at the Ivy, he'd likely have to separate from ROTC. So,he'd be attending the Ivy without the benefit of the ROTC scholarship. If this happens while at a SA, he would simply apply to another school. The likelihood of being able to transfer to an Ivy is quite good (based on the fact that he always was accepted at one so he clearly has what they are looking for). The Ivies are happy to accept SA applicants who separate from a SA with good grades. They know that these students will do well.
 
The choice is something your son needs to decide for himself. As parents we can not and should not unduly influence our young adults choice. Either way it HAS to be HIS choice, and not yours. Many people leave the SA's for different reasons, some medical, some family, and some just decide a SA is not for them. None of that means he or she cannot return to civilian life and be extremely successful! If his IVY League School wants him now, they will likely want him next year or even entering his junior year. Students leave schools, both military and civilian for a variety of reasons and as long as their academic performance remains high there usually isn't a problem getting into on of your top schools as long as it isn't past the beginning of the junior year.

Bottom line, discuss stuff he wants to discuss, guide him through questions you can answer, but don't pressure him one way or the other. Remember, wherever he decides to go you aren't going with him and he has to learn to make difficult decisions himself for the rest of his life.
 
Well said for these candidates, we done good to guide them to this fork in the road. I am sure mine will make the right decision knowing the risks and benefits balanced with dreams and motivation. Whichever it is, they can all count on our support.
 
I agree.
It's my child's decision not mine.
However, I do believe that it is my parental responsibility to point out every pro and con to a 17 year old and make sure he has no unanswered questions.
Just today I learned the differences between admission and retention standards.
 
Once they admit a candidate, the SA are not looking for ways to "kick them out". The SA will do everything possible to work with the cadet and give them time to heal. There are cadets every year that sustain serious injuries that require months to recover. These cadets are often "turn-ed back" (basically sent home for a semester to recover) and are brought back the next semester/year to rejoin the corp.

Injuries are always possible and the risk is probably greater at the SA due to all of the required training.
 
Thanks for all the great advice.
It's difficult to thread the parental needle between laissez-faire and helicopter.
 
Here is another factor to consider. While at the SA, he will be on a 'cadillac plan' insurance plan. Any medical care will be covered at 100%. At the Ivy uni, he will be on your insurance. At least, that is my understanding. My son also had to choose between a SA and a 4 year ROTC scholarship at a great school.

My cadet chose WP and he needed surgery for an injury (they train very hard and injuries are somewhat common - I don't say this to worry you but to simply note that athletes/army training cadets do tend to get hurt more than most). The care he got at Keller Hosp was much better than the care he would have gotten at our local hosp and the surgeon was absolutely superior to the dr who would have cared for him back home. He then had many months of PT. All of this was covered by his insurance and we didn't pay even a dime. No co-pays. Nothing. Had my son gone the ROTC route, he was likely to have experienced the same injury but cost would have been a factor since he'd have been on our insurance.
I am curious by your statement regarding the hospital and doctor. I dont know where you live, but the hospitals and Doctors in my city are some of the finest in the country if not the world. I am sure you received great treamennt but unless you have experienced bad quality hospitals and doctors in your area, I dont know how you can say you recevied better or worse treatment. The one great advantage is that the students at the academy get free insurance which is great in itself, but then again my kids also have free insurance because I pay for it. Unless you have a policy that is restrictive in some way, the quality of care by a doctor or the hospital isnt restricted by what insurance company you have. That is not to say that Insurance companies dont limit tests and procedures, but 100 provided by Aetna is the same 100 provided by Blue Cross and every insurance company. The difference is what they are willing to pay for.
 
@Humey - Well, the civilian dr who would have done my son's surgery is a well-known dr in my area. We have been seeing drs in his practice (which is connected to the hosp) for a few years now. My daughter works at the hosp as a nurse where my son would have had the surgery, so we have some inside knowledge about this hosp. We have also seen the care that our parents have received while receiving care there. (Our parents are at 'that' stage, so we have spent quite a lot of time in our area hospitals.) So, I feel that I have some frame of reference for comparison. The level of care my son received at Keller (not just from the surgeon but also from the nurses) was hands down better than he would have gotten at our local hosp. The surgeon spent quite a long time with us explaining everything that happened during the surgery and what to expect during recovery. He later spent one on one time with our cadet, explaining things to him. The dr back home would have given us 15 min. Maybe your doctor is able to offer a longer consultation, but that's not how it is in my area. I am in the NY metro area.

Regarding cost - our insurance has multiple levels of co-pays. The cost to us in PT visits alone (3 times a week for 6 months) would have been a tidy sum. Hosp procedures/surgeries generally are at 80% coverage. My son had 2 surgeries. Our out of pocket costs would have been considerable. My husband is self employed, so we are forced to purchase medical insurance through the gov options. And the options aren't wonderful.

My point in responding to the OP was to point out that there may be a cost consideration. It is a factor for some but not all.
 
Back
Top