<p>Mom to an 8th grader whose dream for a few years is to go to a service academy. STEM driven, accelerated in math and robotics enthusiast---BUT he has asthma. Not bad asthma, but he needs an inhaler if he gets a respiratory infection during allergy season or sometimes just b/c it's allergy season. I have found several forums that indicate your a medical DQ if you have an inhaler after age 13. I just want to verify this fact so I can spend the next few years taking him to some really cool colleges and getting him focused on something else. I just don't want to invest the time in ROTC or other classes (which he wants to sign up for next year as a 9th grader)----if there is an issue in the end. Thx for any insight.</p>
<p>Yes, that most likely will be a DQ and a nonwaiverable one. but I have heard of some instances where some get waivers. If it’s something he wants to pursue, it wouldn’t hurt for him to apply because you never know, but definitely get him to start getting him focused on something else too. He could still do JROTC, I know a lot of kids who take it even if they aren’t going into the military, if he’s interested in the class.</p>
<p>Everything CE527M said. Asthma (if they use ANY medication particularly) is usually not waiverable. With budget cuts and reduced class sizes, West Point at least is giving out very, very few waivers these days. I had a candidate who did not have asthma but used an inhaler with the flu and reported it to Dodmerb during his physical and was DQ’d, and even with a principal nomination and good record, WP would/could not get a waiver for him. There will be some variance among the different agencies (different academies or ROTC programs) but asthma is pretty much usually a straight DQ. You can check out a list of DQ’s here:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/613003p.pdf[/url]”>http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/613003p.pdf</a> </p>
<p>I agree though that you never know what could happen and if he’s interested, JROTC can be a great leadership experience even if he never goes into the “real” military.</p>
<p>I don’t want to waste the academic time in high school on ROTC if there is no goal at the end. He needs to focus on getting admitted to a top flight private college. Does this mean he could never serve in the military at all? Very glad I figured this out early. Thanks everyone.</p>
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<p>Is JROTC something he wants to do anyhow? If he wants to, don’t stop him…it’s not a waste of time, it’s a pretty good elective. I’m not sure exactly what you mean, but your post comes off as someone who wants their kid to get into Harvard or the equivalent…is this what he wants? If I were you, I’d let him take whatever classes he wants to, whether it has an effect on if he can join the military or not. There are plenty of kids who take JROTC with no intent on going into the military.</p>
<p>I am sure JROTC would be a fine elective. But, our school has a really good set of engineering electives that all build on each other year over year. ROTC seems to do the same thing. I think he will have to make a choice. But, you are right, if he wants to take ROTC, I won’t stop him. I don’t think he’ll go to Harvard, but I am going to try and organize his curriculum to qualify him for a very good regional school.</p>