DODMERB Waiver Denial-Need Help!

PantherPride

Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2017
Messages
27
Hello, I am the father of a College Freshman who more than anything wants to serve in the United States Marine Corps. He received the 4 year Scholarship, was then Medically Disqualified, went through the Waiver Process and then just had that denied 2 weeks before his final two tests that would have proven if he could have qualified for the waiver. This has been a frustrating process for both him and his parents as we have seen some very serious issues with the process. However, We need help! What can be done now? We are going to appeal the denial of his waiver but not sure why the Dept of Navy would have denied this prior to his actual tests being done. Before we give up we want to make sure we have done everything in our control and make sure that those in the ROTC unit at the school are advocating for him. Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated. Right now more than anything my Son's goal is to serve in the Military so if he cannot re-apply for the Scholarship or do anything else, can he still enlist? Do letters of Recommendation from ROTC unit Matter in this case?
 
My DS is in a very similar situation, so I can commiserate with what you are going through. Hopefully, someone will have good advice for both of us. Good luck to your family!
 
Did they ask for the tests or were you doing them on your own? Did you miss a deadline or something? If they didn't ask for them then how wold they have known to wait?
 
So Concorde set up the tests that were required, we just picked a
My DS is in a very similar situation, so I can commiserate with what you are going through. Hopefully, someone will have good advice for both of us. Good luck to your family!

Thank you and Good Luck to you and your family as well!
 
Did they ask for the tests or were you doing them on your own? Did you miss a deadline or something? If they didn't ask for them then how wold they have known to wait?[/QUOTE

DODMERB requested the tests and unfortunately, it was right before my Son went to school. However, no dates were listed by when the tests had to be completed. My Son followed up and scheduled the tests with Concorde for the first available time when he could complete them without missing classes or ROTC PT or events. It was two weeks prior to these test dates when we received the letter from the Department of the Navy stating his Waiver was denied.
 
I understand and respect the fact that the Department of Defense and all branches of the Military want to make sure that the Candidates are Qualified and that they can fulfill their obligation to the Military, however, this is a nameless, faceless process that does not allow for Candidates to actually sit down with anyone and talk through both the process and the medical history. My Son was cleared by all of his doctors for all of his medical conditions and we have sent those to DODMERB but the Dept of the Navy still denied the Waiver based on those conditions. He is willing to perform any test the Navy will require, he just wants a chance!
 
Well, it sounds like it may have been a deadline thing, I sure can't tell from here. It might be worth a call to see if it can be extended if that's the case. If it's something else you might be able to find out why and take some action. Ask those at DoDMERB who know the score... in general you'l get better results than asking anonymous strangers on the internet for something this important. Someone here who is really familiar with DoDMERB might be able to answer in general, but only the folks directly involved really know your [articular situation and why it happened. Who knows? Maybe it's something that happened inadvertently.

It might be worthwhile for your son to pursue this through the unit, unless you're already pursed that route. Can't tell from here.
 
Well, it sounds like it may have been a deadline thing, I sure can't tell from here. It might be worth a call to see if it can be extended if that's the case. If it's something else you might be able to find out why and take some action. Ask those at DoDMERB who know the score... in general you'l get better results than asking anonymous strangers on the internet for something this important. Someone here who is really familiar with DoDMERB might be able to answer in general, but only the folks directly involved really know your [articular situation and why it happened. Who knows? Maybe it's something that happened inadvertently.

It might be worthwhile for your son to pursue this through the unit, unless you're already pursed that route. Can't tell from here.

Thank you for your reply, I only reached out here because there seems to be a lot of people going through the same thing and was looking for something I may have missed. We are pursuing through DODMERB and BUMED. I will definitely have my Son call both DODMERB and BUMED again. We are meeting with a CO of his unit this weekend to see what our options are for him. In the meantime, he continues to be part of the Unit (PT, Classes, etc) until someone says he can't!
 
Well, it sounds like it may have been a deadline thing, I sure can't tell from here. It might be worth a call to see if it can be extended if that's the case. If it's something else you might be able to find out why and take some action. Ask those at DoDMERB who know the score... in general you'l get better results than asking anonymous strangers on the internet for something this important. Someone here who is really familiar with DoDMERB might be able to answer in general, but only the folks directly involved really know your [articular situation and why it happened. Who knows? Maybe it's something that happened inadvertently.

It might be worthwhile for your son to pursue this through the unit, unless you're already pursed that route. Can't tell from here.

Forgot to say, tell your 1stLt, thank you for their service to our country!
 
Forgot to say, tell your 1stLt, thank you for their service to our country!
Thanks. I actually leave for Okinawa in a couple hours to see him for the first time in a year.

Hope all works out for your son and everything turns out to be a glitch in the system. Keep checking back here because someone may know far more than I. I just think its best to pursue things in parallel with folks you know can correct it, if its correctable. Hopefully it is.
 
Forgot to say, tell your 1stLt, thank you for their service to our country!
Thanks. I actually leave for Okinawa in a couple hours to see him for the first time in a year.

Hope all works out for your son and everything turns out to be a glitch in the system. Keep checking back here because someone may know far more than I. I just think its best to pursue things in parallel with folks you know can correct it, if its correctable. Hopefully it is.[

Thanks Again. Safe Travels.
 
I understand and respect the fact that the Department of Defense and all branches of the Military want to make sure that the Candidates are Qualified and that they can fulfill their obligation to the Military, however, this is a nameless, faceless process that does not allow for Candidates to actually sit down with anyone and talk through both the process and the medical history. My Son was cleared by all of his doctors for all of his medical conditions and we have sent those to DODMERB but the Dept of the Navy still denied the Waiver based on those conditions.

Welcome to the bureaucracy that is the United States Government. I've been in a situation similar to your son's and its frustrating as hell. The fact of the matter is the various services don't care that it is a nameless faceless process as you described it. And as far as getting his ROTC cadre's help, best of luck with that. Most commanders aren't willing to stick their neck out, and at the end of the day they usually only care about their own career and not about the cadets they are supposed to train and take care of.
 
I understand and respect the fact that the Department of Defense and all branches of the Military want to make sure that the Candidates are Qualified and that they can fulfill their obligation to the Military, however, this is a nameless, faceless process that does not allow for Candidates to actually sit down with anyone and talk through both the process and the medical history. My Son was cleared by all of his doctors for all of his medical conditions and we have sent those to DODMERB but the Dept of the Navy still denied the Waiver based on those conditions.

Welcome to the bureaucracy that is the United States Government. I've been in a situation similar to your son's and its frustrating as hell. The fact of the matter is the various services don't care that it is a nameless faceless process as you described it. And as far as getting his ROTC cadre's help, best of luck with that. Most commanders aren't willing to stick their neck out, and at the end of the day they usually only care about their own career and not about the cadets they are supposed to train and take care of.

Actually, what I am finding is that each branch has their own standards for Medical qualifications and how strict they are on the waiver process. Marines being the strictest. I actually had a conversation with the Capt of the ROTC Unit and he was very helpful including laying out a plan for my Son of what he would do. He appreciated my call and even said that he has met my Son on several occasions and wants to help him as much as he can, even if the Marine/Navy Scholarship didn't go through. Trying to stay positive for my Son!
 
My DS is in a very similar situation, so I can commiserate with what you are going through. Hopefully, someone will have good advice for both of us. Good luck to your family!

Talk to Dr. Merchant from DoDMERB Consultants. He has been very helpful thus far and may help you.
 
My DS is in a very similar situation, so I can commiserate with what you are going through. Hopefully, someone will have good advice for both of us. Good luck to your family!

Talk to Dr. Merchant from DoDMERB Consultants. He has been very helpful thus far and may help you.
Thanks for the advice! We have have talked with Dr. Merchant and are going to work with him. Hopefully we will both have good news!
 
That's right, Tex should be getting his feet wet as a Space Officer by now.
 
So as an update, My Son has passed his MCCT and Physical Therapy test and we are on our way to an Appeal. We ended up paying these out of pocket (not easy with college Tuition) but well worth the money to get the results. Would suggest this path for any parent IF they can afford it. We are fighting hard for the NROTC Scholarship with Marine Corps option and hoping for the best with the Appeal.
 
Back
Top