Turned Down on I Day

[Gnarlygoat27]

Dang! 😳 After some fast googling … that was the summer before DH arrived. I can’t imagine those poor other plebes listening to her and thinking ummmm… My favorite part @Capt MJ - “they broke up” 😆

 

[justdoit19]

Police records don’t disclose witness interviews that don’t lead to charges do they?

From the article I read, he was cleared because he passed his lie detector test and was credible when crying.

Ya I was joking. Edited it out bc maybe was in poor taste. Very tragic.

 

[Small Team Bacsi]

Police records don’t disclose witness interviews that don’t lead to charges do they?

From the article I read, he was cleared because he passed his lie detector test and was credible when crying.

What you need to know about the teenage love triangle that sent the Texas 'Cadet Killers' to prison 20 years ago

A former North Texas midshipman who killed a Mansfield teen with her boyfriend after he confessed to an affair has lost an appeal to...

www.dallasnews.com

He was convicted and is still inside

2036 he can at least try to get out.

 

[A1Janitor]

What you need to know about the teenage love triangle that sent the Texas 'Cadet Killers' to prison 20 years ago

A former North Texas midshipman who killed a Mansfield teen with her boyfriend after he confessed to an affair has lost an appeal to...

www.dallasnews.com

He was convicted and is still inside

2036 he can at least try to get out.

I know. The article I read said initially he was ruled out as a suspect after lie detector test and interview before he went to USAFA.

3 families destroyed.

 

[NeverSayNever]

They broke up…now back to normal I-Day chat

Apologies for derailing the thread. Safe to say though that most people that are holding appointments will not be turned away unless something happened between receiving the appointment and arriving on iDay.

Lesson learned - highlighting this case was supposed to be an extreme example of what is a legit concern to the OP. There probably are candidates walking on eggshells or parents sticking their kids in bubble wrap on this issue. My advice - stay healthy - make responsible choices - live with integrity - avoid a contact sport but live your life.

 

[Small Team Bacsi]

I know. The article I read said initially he was ruled out as a suspect after lie detector test and interview before he went to USAFA.

3 families destroyed.

Thanks

How on earth would anyone put two super stars , in every way, on their way to SAs , at the top of a suspect list unless they had hard evidence. These were top of the 1% without a previous criminal record teenage super stars.

Unless dna years down the road tripped them up I would guess it’s quite likely they could have stayed un-arrested if they could have resisted the urge or need to talk.

 

[Memphis9489]

One of my sons (twins), when applying, was told that he had a "slight hernia" during his DoDMERB exam. Yet, it showed that he passed the exam. I was skeptical about him "passing." I thought, "There is no way they're going to admit a new plebe with a diagnosed hernia." I thought it was probably a medical, documentation error that would rear its ugly head later, when it would be too late to rectify. I could very well see the Navy, many months later saying, "Oops! We're sorry. We did not properly document your hernia and mistakenly passed you during your DoDMERB exam. You cannot be admitted with a hernia." Since it indicated that he had passed, we decided to simply go with that.

So, preemptively, we decided that we would have the minor surgery that it took to correct it. It was a simple, out-patient procedure. We also were aware that no surgeries can take place 6 months prior to I-Day. We were outside that window. I also read, somewhere, that all surgeries after the DoDMERB exam must be reported. Since we were well outside the 6-month window, we decided that there would be nothing to gain by reporting it since it would probably accomplish nothing more than trigger a needless, medical, bureaucratic hell hole. If the surgery was discovered on I-Day, my son could just tell them, honestly, exactly what procedure he had done. And, since it was done outside the 6-month window, he should be fine. If they ask, "Why didn't you report it?" He could just say, "Oops!" They never noticed. They never said a thing. He made it through I-Day without a hitch.

However, years later, when he was taking his pre-commissioning medical exam, it was noticed that he had a small scar on his abdomen. "What's this?" they asked. My son told them. They shrugged their shoulders and moved on. Now he's a Navy doctor. His twin brother is also a Navy doctor who did a tour at the Naval Academy, working for the Brigade Medical Unit, where one of his primary responsibilities was performing pre-commissioning medical exams. How's *that* for the "circle of life?"

Yeah, yeah. I'm standing by for somebody to tell me, "You didn't follow the proper procedures!" To that person, I say, "You obviously have no experience with the irrational bureaucracy that can be triggered by being too forthcoming - thinking you're helping, but only making things worse."

 

[A1Janitor]

I was just doing something medical related online and they asked my history of surgeries.
I reported the two hernias I had - one at birth and one when I was 6. My twin brother had two at birth.

IIRC - hernias are common in twins.

 

[an654]

Recent surgical scar or other changes to medical history not reported to DoDMERB.

Pregnant.
Drunk.
Clearly sick and running a fever.

Just curious on this one. If a plebe shows up on I-Day and is sick with a fever, they could send him home, and he or she loses the appointment?

 

[Gnarlygoat27]

We also were aware that no surgeries can take place 6 months prior to I-Day.

Totally agree with you about bureaucracy and I personally have a love-hate relationship with Tricare. My son had surgery two days before Christmas sneaking it into that ‘outside the 6 month window’ but the surgeon said his bones were healed and it was ok to do a smidge early. After the fact an admission counselor told us it was 6 months prior to his DoDMERB exam which was to be 8 weeks post surgery. But that could have changed since your son went through, could be the type of surgery, or who knows. We’re just hoping someone, somewhere in the process looks into his specifics enough and this doesn’t become a bureaucracy how it was coded in the computer type nightmare 🫣. I’m all for following rules but there’s a reason some things need to be case by case.

 

[Memphis9489]

I was just doing something medical related online and they asked my history of surgeries.
I reported the two hernias I had - one at birth and one when I was 6. My twin brother had two at birth.

IIRC - hernias are common in twins.

Funny you say that because, the son with the "slight hernia" discovered during his DoDMERB exam - his identical twin brother had a hernia operation as a baby. I think he was just a few months old at the time. I don't know if we reported that to the DoDMERB. I think we did. But, obviously, that would not be a big issue.

However! Both my twins were wearing braces on their teeth at the time of their DoDMERB interviews. We knew that they could not be admitted with braces on their teeth. They both had a letter from their orthodontist saying that the treatment is effective and that the braces were to be removed prior to July - before I-Day. What happened? One son got disqualified for having braces whereas the other did not. The one with the "slight hernia" was medically qualified even though he had braces. The one who was not diagnosed with a hernia, was disqualified for wearing braces. That took a few phone calls. See what I mean about the arbitrariness of the military medical bureaucracy?

 

[usna1985]

The main reason plebes go home on I-Day is because they want to. Almost every year, at least a few want to leave and anywhere from 0 to a handful actually do. Must confess I've never understood it and understand it a lot less in these days of so much information available to incoming plebes.

I think some come to USNA for someone else (i.e., to make their parents happy) and feel "hey, I showed up; now I'm done." Some failed to gather much information and are shocked that they're actually in the military (you mean people are actually yelling at me?). Others . . . who knows?

Attrition is around 10% and the majority of that is personal choice. I-Day is really no different than every other day at USNA. Stay healthy. Pass your academics. Don't do something stupid. You'll graduate.

 

[NavyHoops]

They won’t send you home for a fever. Not sure if they Covid test on I Day, but they won’t send you home. It’s identifying the sick and putting precautions in place; masking, isolation, etc.

 

[Memphis9489]

The main reason plebes go home on I-Day is because they want to. Almost every year, at least a few want to leave and anywhere from 0 to a handful actually do. Must confess I've never understood it and understand it a lot less in these days of so much information available to incoming plebes.

I think some come to USNA for someone else (i.e., to make their parents happy) and feel "hey, I showed up; now I'm done." Some failed to gather much information and are shocked that they're actually in the military (you mean people are actually yelling at me?). Others . . . who knows?

Attrition is around 10% and the majority of that is personal choice. I-Day is really no different than every other day at USNA. Stay healthy. Pass your academics. Don't do something stupid. You'll graduate.

I think this is why all BGOs, during the mandatory interview, should always have this conversation:
"I don't want you think that what I'm about to ask you has anything to do with anything we've already discussed. I ask this of every candidate, so don't read anything into it. Do you really want to go to the Naval Academy? Because, if you don't, because you feel pressured by somebody else - maybe a family member - you can tell me now and it will never go any further than this. Nobody will know that we had this conversation other than me and the Naval Academy. I can make sure that you will not receive an appointment and be put in an uncomfortable situation with your family."

 

[Gnarlygoat27]

I think this is why all BGOs, during the mandatory interview, should always have this conversation:

Totally agree! You can look at my signature and see why my DS would feel outside pressure. Even though DH and I have asked him until we are blue in the face if he's sure and not to do this if it's not what HE wants, I would for sure want someone like his BGO to give him an out long before we all arrived at I-Day. The emotions of that day, coupled with feeling like you're going to be miserable or disappoint everyone you know... yikes.

 

[MidCakePa]

Do you really want to go to the Naval Academy?

Exactly the question the BGO asked DD and DS — after he asked Mom and Dad to leave the room. It was an opportunity to come clean about motivations — and pressures, if applicable. Seems very apt, given the stories we hear about those who bail out early.

 

[gordt]

One of my sons (twins), when applying, was told that he had a "slight hernia" during his DoDMERB exam. Yet, it showed that he passed the exam. I was skeptical about him "passing." I thought, "There is no way they're going to admit a new plebe with a diagnosed hernia." I thought it was probably a medical, documentation error that would rear its ugly head later, when it would be too late to rectify. I could very well see the Navy, many months later saying, "Oops! We're sorry. We did not properly document your hernia and mistakenly passed you during your DoDMERB exam. You cannot be admitted with a hernia." Since it indicated that he had passed, we decided to simply go with that.

So, preemptively, we decided that we would have the minor surgery that it took to correct it. It was a simple, out-patient procedure. We also were aware that no surgeries can take place 6 months prior to I-Day. We were outside that window. I also read, somewhere, that all surgeries after the DoDMERB exam must be reported. Since we were well outside the 6-month window, we decided that there would be nothing to gain by reporting it since it would probably accomplish nothing more than trigger a needless, medical, bureaucratic hell hole. If the surgery was discovered on I-Day, my son could just tell them, honestly, exactly what procedure he had done. And, since it was done outside the 6-month window, he should be fine. If they ask, "Why didn't you report it?" He could just say, "Oops!" They never noticed. They never said a thing. He made it through I-Day without a hitch.

However, years later, when he was taking his pre-commissioning medical exam, it was noticed that he had a small scar on his abdomen. "What's this?" they asked. My son told them. They shrugged their shoulders and moved on. Now he's a Navy doctor. His twin brother is also a Navy doctor who did a tour at the Naval Academy, working for the Brigade Medical Unit, where one of his primary responsibilities was performing pre-commissioning medical exams. How's *that* for the "circle of life?"

Yeah, yeah. I'm standing by for somebody to tell me, "You didn't follow the proper procedures!" To that person, I say, "You obviously have no experience with the irrational bureaucracy that can be triggered by being too forthcoming - thinking you're helping, but only making things worse."

Hi, I wanted to ask where does it say that 6 months prior to iday no surgeries? I am an applicant for this year and I had a minor ganglion cyst surgery removed from last month from my wrist. I reported it to dodmerb but will this be a problem? I have my exam this Wednesday.

 

[gordt]

Hi, I wanted to ask where does it say that 6 months prior to iday no surgeries? I am an applicant for this year and I had a minor ganglion cyst surgery removed from last month from my wrist. I reported it to dodmerb but will this be a problem? I have my exam this Wednesday.

My wrist is 100% recovered and i am resuming physical fitness this week.

 

[Capt MJ]

Recent surgical scar or other changes to medical history not reported to DoDMERB.

Pregnant.
Drunk.
Clearly sick and running a fever.

Just a note on the last - I’m envisioning someone who should really be at urgent care or ER because they are running a high fever and barely-capable-of-staying-upright sick and are worsening, not a garden variety cold or cough. The medical team is right there to assess.

 

[an654]

Just a note on the last - I’m envisioning someone who should really be at urgent care or ER because they are running a high fever and barely-capable-of-staying-upright sick and are worsening, not a garden variety cold or cough. The medical team is right there to assess.

Thanks. Was just curious.