@usna2025
I have no doubt it is a punch in the gut to realize this may be the end of the road. The waiver authority has said no, after taking the time to obtain AMI and re-reviewing the case. Mull over why DQs are given, and waivers not granted. It’s not personal, though I am sure it feels that way. The military accession medical bar is set very high, because military people often live and work in remote, harsh, industrial environments far from specialty medical care. The physical readiness of the unit is paramount. The military aims to bring in people with the least amount of unfixable problems and potential risk. They waive many things, and some they don’t.
Clearly you have worked very hard to earn your scholarship, with huge potential and past accomplishments. This may be the roughest bump in your life road you have encountered to date. It doesn’t feel fair at all - to you - to be at the start of your life and be told there is something physically that is just not going to allow you to do what you want.
If this door does indeed close in your face, you may experience some of the stages of grief at a lost opportunity. That would be normal.
A DQ is a DQ, but waiver policies differ by Service - different missions, different gear, different equipment. I don’t know whether you have researched any other Service.
You have more practical challenges ahead. If this is the end of your NROTC path before it begins, are you able to afford college you had planned to attend.
Finally, for you to think about down the road, I’ll copy and paste a post that I have often used for those whose dream of military service has ended, whether SA or ROTC.
Let us know how it goes. Remember when you were younger and all you wanted to do was be grown-up, run your own life, make your own decisions, drive, get out of the house? This is what life looks like sometimes. Smacked in the face, deep breath, adjust, press on.
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(my old post)
Health is paramount. Always.
Not knowing the details of the DQ condition - and not asking for them - the Services do have different waiver policies. The Services’ policies differ because missions, gear and operating environments differ. Mr. Mullen is in the best position to give insights into other Service possibilities. Or it could be one of those DQs that is seldom or never waived.
Every year, we have applicants who realize their pursuit of military service must end for medical DQ reasons. There are still ways to serve the country.
Federal agencies and departments, particularly the “ABC” ones, are eager to hire college grads who wish to serve the country in the area of national security. If you can’t be a “door-kicker” or operational field agent, you can have their backs as analysts and specialists in cyber and intelligence, in forensics, communications, logistics, operations planning and other critical fields. Federal civil service is a way to serve.
Below I’ve pasted some info I have used here over the years, in the hope of shining a light toward other open doors.
View attachment 9843
Students
Explore hiring programs for students.
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www.dhs.gov
Students | FBIJOBS
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www.fbijobs.gov
NSA | Students | Intelligence Careers
STEM Scholarships | DoD STEM
DoD STEM scholarships are available to exceptional STEM education students excelling in one of 15 supported STEM disciplines of interest to the DoD.
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dodstem.us
You can find similar student internships, scholarships, and other programs for CIA and other major agencies. There are HS, college undergraduate and post-grad programs.
Federal service offers excellent benefits and education opportunities, plus the ability to move around in search of promotions or between agencies and departments. One of our USNA sponsor daughters had a younger sister who was a math whiz, varsity athlete, all-around scholar who would have been very competitive for SA or ROTC scholarship, but her Crohn’s DQ’ed her. She majored in Applied Mathematics at a very good school, took advantage of one of the programs above and did paid work for them in the summer, and she was hired 4 days after she graduated college. She is now doing highly classified work for that agency, and starting a fully paid for Master’s at a prestigious university.
If the USAFA door is firmly closed, look around for doors and windows in other shapes and sizes which also lead to service.
