ROTC Medical Waiver Process

[Cody__]

Hello,
I am going to be attending Indiana University South Bend this fall. I want to join either the AFROTC or AROTC (I'd be happy with either, but prefer Army). It would be without a scholarship/contract. The only setback is that I only have one kidney. Will I need a medical waiver for this even though I will not be on scholarship? If so, I know that a one kidney waiver is not given often, but I've read of a couple people who have gotten it before, so I have to try for it. What is the process for getting a waiver without having a scholarship? When should I start this process and how do I do so? Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Falcon A]

Cody -- one of the ROOs that frequent this forum can tell you better than I, but I believe you have to first join ROTC at your college and then compete for a scholarship there. If you are selected for a scholarship by the cadre at your school, then they put you forward to DoDMERB for the medical assessment. I believe it is only after you get the DQ from DoDMERB that they will they put you forward for the medical waiver. For Air Force ROTC the medical waiver authority is the Air Education Training Command (AETC) Surgeon General. For Army ROTC the medical waiver authority is the Commander US Army Cadet Command (USACC) [as advised by the Command Surgeon]. I would assume your performance as a ROTC cadet would be a major factor in the justification the PMS would put forward on your behalf for the medical waiver. Here is a link to a memo I found on the web for Army ROTC: http://www.jmu.edu/rotc/prospective-cadets/Non-waiverable medical conditions.pdf The good news is I did not see your condition on this list; however, that is not a guarantee that a medical waiver will be given.

You should probably contact the AF ROTC and AROTC detachments at Indiana University South Bend and tell them your story. Best to find out now what support may or may not be available to you.

Best of luck to you and thank you for wanting to serve.

 

[Cody__]

So once I get onto campus, I'll start participating in the Army ROTC program. If in the future they decide to offer me a scholarship, that is when all of my medical information will become important? That would be good because, as you mentioned, they would be able to justify a waiver. However, I don't want to go through all of that to not get a waiver in the end. But that chance isn't enough to keep me out from the beginning. I'll try to get in contact with the detachments (they are actually out of Notre Dame, and IUSB is just a crosstown campus) to get more information.

Thank you for your help!

 

[Pima]

For AFROTC as a sophomore you will compete for SFT (summer field training) if you have not gone for the DoDMERB exam by that point, you will than because in AFROTC upon graduating from SFT you will be a POC and eligible to commission 2 years later. I would contact the AFROTC unit and ask them directly.

DoDMERB DQs, branches waive. It is possible that AFROTC would not waive and AROTC would, or vise a verse. Iows don't assume that both will waive. Waivers in part are about you mission ability....can you deploy without any restrictions? If deployed to somewhere without a hospital, what risks are there for you? Also the impact of others....if you can't deploy than someone else has to take up the spot. If you deploy and become ill how does that impact the mission?