New to all this and trying to help

MikePF

5-Year Member
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Dec 2, 2010
Messages
3
Sorry. New to this forum. My son just got a Congressional nomination. He blew his ACL out the summer before his senior year and is nearing the end of his rehab. He has not taken the CFA or the medical exam (Dombre?). The doc says he is progressing so fast, they may let him wrestle before February (he was actually a potential State qualifier before the injury and one of the better soccer players in SW Ohio). We weren't blowing his chances up too big for Academy nomination (so as not to disappoint him - he already has faced huge disappointment this year with tremendous resilience). He is exclusively interested in Air Force Academy. He has done EVERYTHING himself without any assistance from me or his mom. His guidance counselor has not been all that helpful to be honest. My question is, what should he be doing now? I told him I would get ahold of the ALO assigned to this area. The doctors have told him he probably should be able to start "cutting" in the next couple of weeks. Had he taken the CFA this summer, no doubt in my mind he would have Max scores on everything (he ran under 6:00 miles as an eighth grader and his upper body strength as a top wrestler is amazing). He should be able to take the CFA by January and get good scores. By February, he will have great scores. Can he wait to take it or take it as soon as possible? The other issue is the last thing we want to see is him reinjure his ACL. He was fortunate in that there is no joint damage, it was a "clean" ACL tear.
 
I believe his completed application, including CFA, must be submitted before 31 January. He will need to be interviewed by his ALO as well.

The torn ACL could be an obstacle in obtaining DODMERB medical qualification. I wouldn't hesitate to get that scheduled ASAP, as obtaining the waiver (if he is disqualified) may take a lot longer than you think.
 
Luigi is basically correct. The deadline for the pre-candidate questionnaire online (Which starts the application process) is January 31st. And technically, you have until March 1st to have any and all documentation submitted. Unfortunately, trying to complete an entire application process in less than 30 days; to include ALO interviews, DODMRB physical, as well as all other requirements is a daunting task.

But we can assume that your son has started the application process. Obviously, he had enough initiative to apply for a MOC nomination. If he's already started the application process, then that's good. He should be in contact with his ALO. If he hasn't started the application process and hasn't been in contact with his ALO, then that's the 1st thing that needs to be done. TODAY!!! The pre-candidate questionnaire which leads to the application is started online. He can do that today. Then, get in contact with the ALO. Then, do as much of the application as possible. TODAY!!! He's got some simple essay portions that can all be completed in a matter of a couple days. It's all online. But he's going to need certain teachers to be contacted by email, and have them do an online evaluation of him. (This can also be done on hard copy also). He needs to have his ACT/SAT, HS Transcripts, school profile, etc... submitted.

This all takes time. So while technically, March 1st is when all paperwork and documents need to be completed in the application, and technically the pre-candidate questionnaire can be submitted by January 31st; it's practically impossible to complete it all in 30 days. The fastest I've seen a complete application get done; from day 1 of the process, to the application and ALL documents being 100% complete, was about 35-40 days.

So, I guess the question is: What part and how much of the application process has your son done so far? If you've done everything except the CFA and the DODMRB, then simply have your son contact his ALO and figure out the best time to get the CFA and DODMRB done. If he hasn't done anything, then you really need to get in gear today. Your post is a little confusing. You have a good understanding of the CFA, DODMRB, etc..., but you mentioned that you would be getting hold of the ALO assigned to your area. That implies that your son has never met the ALO. So, I'm not sure if ANY of the application process has even been started. If it had been, a local ALO should have been in contact with your son by now. Best of luck. Mike.....
 
I'm not sure if he met with the ALO or not (he might have). I know he did fill out precandidate questions but I'm not sure about rest and I asked him if he knew how to check on status of app and he did not. He might have even done the application already for all I know. Those are good points. I will find out where he is at in application process and then have him contact his ALO right away and if he has not completed his application except the medical and the fitness test, have him do that right away. I think the issue is he wasn't sure how to check the status of the application online. Thanks for your quick responses. As far as the DODMERB medical qualification, my understanding is that as long as their vision is good AND they will be 100% with no residual issues, they should be OK. His knee doctor said he will be back to 100% before he would go for the summer. His physical therapist seems to think he can wrestle in January. He is already running and lifting, just no cutting till later this month. Typical ACL rehab is six months (and he is ahead of schedule) so should be good before January. He had his surgery mid August.
 
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As far as the DODMERB medical qualification, my understanding is that as long as their vision is good AND they will be 100% with no residual issues, they should be OK.

Well, it's a little more in depth than that, as there are over 400 conditions that can result in a medical disqualification.

You can learn more here: DODMERB DISQUALIFICATION CODES
 
Again, luigi is correct. It doesn't matter if he'll be 100% in June when he goes to BCT. He HAS TO BE 100% at his DODMRB physical. If he's not, he fails. Then, he has to apply for a waiver. They will determine if a waiver is warranted. I have to tell you that legs, knees, ankles, and feet are the military's pet-peeve. You do a LOT of standing, marching, running, crawling, etc... They can handle a broken hand more than they can a weak knee.

But this is getting too far advanced. Get you son in contact with his 1)ALO 2)Academy Counselor 3)Scheduled for the CFA and DODMRB at the earliest possible time. Talk to the first 2 about these things. Best of luck to you. Mike....
 
Deadlines

My son's application says:

Candidate admission files must be completed by February 15th to be considered for regular selections in March. The majority of the remaining appointments will be offered at this time.

He broke his hand in September and is still gaining strength. He has a low CFA due to the injury. He is working on getting his scores up before submitting them. He still has a remedial outstanding with DoDMERB which won't be cleared until later this month. Contact Larry Mullen on the DoDMERB site with medical questions. He'll back to you FAST.:thumb:
 
Finally we found where you can check on status of application online. That helps significantly. Also, he is calling his ALO today as well. That should get him back on track. Also have emailed the one in charge of the medical exam (Larry Mullen) so as to find out more on time tables and what he needs to do moving forward.

Thanks for the help, much appreciated.
 
MikePF, sounds like your son is motivated and his recovery sounds encouraging. Just a reminder from a mom: NEVER take the DODMERB, or any other part of the application process for granted. Especially when there is a waiver involved.

Good luck to your son!
 
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