THmom
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2019
- Messages
- 687
This message is for anyone who might need this information in the future and for any of my buddies here on the Forum who would like an update on DS's saga. As some of you may know, DS was DQ'd last August for history of thoracic surgery and spinal fusion (congenital or acquired). However, he did not have spinal fusion, but rather a new kind of scoliosis surgery called Vertebral Body Tethering, or VBT (also known as ASC). Unfortunately, there isn't a code for this surgery, so it had to be coded as having fusion. He applied to USAFA (3 noms!), USCGA, and USMA, and none of them sought a waiver on his behalf. He also applied to AROTC and was elated to win a 4yr during the 2nd Board to his first- choice school! His DoDMERB file was tapped three weeks later and, of course, was DQ'd straight away. Fortunately, winning an ROTC scholarship automatically triggers a waiver, and further remedials were requested and fulfilled, to include the 242 pages inpatient hospital records.
We got the most amazing, unbelievable news today that the waiver was granted. I still cannot believe it, I really can't.
We chose VBT and had the surgery done clear across the country, knowing that VBT stood a better chance than rods, if my son had any hope of serving, a dream he's had since he was 10. Now, he's healthy, strong, has a straight and flexible back, and a 4-year AROTC scholarship. Just wow. I'd like to give a BIG shout out to Mr. Mullen who obliged my nervous Osprey mom neurosis over two years ago when I reached out to pick his brain. He is the one who made it clear that decisions were made on a case-by-case basis, which helped us to have hope, and stated, no rods are better than rods. I still cannot believe it.
For lurkers, it has been said that 97% of AROTC pass DoDMERB/get a waiver (Mr. Mullen, perhaps that data point has changed?? I believe you said it about 10 years ago.), and that for waivers, AROTC is the most lenient, AFROTC most difficult and the SAs fall somewhere in between (again, please clarify if that's no longer true).
This forum has been wonderful, and I wish all those still waiting the magical words "Waiver Granted" to arrive in your portal soon!!
We got the most amazing, unbelievable news today that the waiver was granted. I still cannot believe it, I really can't.
We chose VBT and had the surgery done clear across the country, knowing that VBT stood a better chance than rods, if my son had any hope of serving, a dream he's had since he was 10. Now, he's healthy, strong, has a straight and flexible back, and a 4-year AROTC scholarship. Just wow. I'd like to give a BIG shout out to Mr. Mullen who obliged my nervous Osprey mom neurosis over two years ago when I reached out to pick his brain. He is the one who made it clear that decisions were made on a case-by-case basis, which helped us to have hope, and stated, no rods are better than rods. I still cannot believe it.
For lurkers, it has been said that 97% of AROTC pass DoDMERB/get a waiver (Mr. Mullen, perhaps that data point has changed?? I believe you said it about 10 years ago.), and that for waivers, AROTC is the most lenient, AFROTC most difficult and the SAs fall somewhere in between (again, please clarify if that's no longer true).
This forum has been wonderful, and I wish all those still waiting the magical words "Waiver Granted" to arrive in your portal soon!!