Waiver for AROTC vs. West Point

J

JC349

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Jan 5, 2018
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Yesterday my son was notified that he was a winner of an Army ROTC scholarship. Also yesterday (2o minutes later!) he was notified that his medical waiver for West Point was denied. One of his legs is longer than the other and he wears orthotics to correct. He still has a waiver request pending for Annapolis. Does anyone have thoughts if this medical issue will also knock him out for ROTC and USNA? This all seems crazy to me as the medical issue is so minor and so easily correctable.

Thanks to all who participate on these forums; they are very helpful. Happy Easter and Passover to all.
 
Congrats on the AROTC Scholarship. Your DS must have a good record.

You probably know that USMA and AROTC are 2 different medical waiver authorities so it is possible AROTC may grant the waiver, but our experience has been that there is a common interpretation most of the time within a particular service. (USAFA and AFROTC seem to decide in a common manner on medical issues.).

I am not a doctor, but what I have observed is the Army seems to be very concerned with physical issues and their potential impact on a soldier's ability to carry his load of equipment over distances. I hope Army Cadet Command will give your DS a full look into his particular situation. Your DS might consider writing a letter (and submitting to DoDMERB) describing his condition and how it does or does not impact his life and his ability to "carry his load."

Here is the link to the reg DoDMERB uses to determine whether medically qualified or "DQ". Page 32 section 19 seems applicable: http://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/613003p.pdf

I have no experience relative to the Navy.

Sincere best wishes to you and your DS and sincere thanks to his willingness to serve.
 
Thanks Falcon; that is helpful. I'll have my son write that letter ASAP. The orthopedist wrote a letter that said this was minor and easily correctable with orthodics. He did just fine on his physical fitness test.
 
JC349 said:
Thanks Falcon; that is helpful. I'll have my son write that letter ASAP. The orthopedist wrote a letter that said this was minor and easily correctable with orthodics. He did just fine on his physical fitness test.
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Help him with tone ... letter should be respectful ... the reader is an officer and a doctor ... letter should stress PFT, sports if any, hiking, running, etc. ... also his preparation and desire to serve as an officer.
 
GoCubbies said:
Does your DS have a limp without the orthotics?
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No, no limp at all. To my eye his gait is completely normal. A running coach however observed he had an unusual running gait and suggested we have it looked at. So we took him to an doctor who diagnosed and prescribed orthotics as a preventative measure to prevent unusual wear on his hips over time. He ran a 6 1/2 minute mile for his physical fitness test.
 
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