<p>not comfortable on military academy forum...saw a parent get a Reprimand or something or get "points" taken away.....</p>
<p>DoDMERB is driving us nuts. DD has worked so hard and these people are unreal. I do not need help. I just need to point out my frustration without being jumped on by one of the military folks.<br>
Is there such a forum?</p>
<p>Service Academy Forum or USAFA Community Forum? Which one is the Military Academy Forum?
I’ve been around for over 5 years…never heard of that one.</p>
<p>You can rant here. 
Most of us have felt your pain. DoDMERB asked for more info about our son’s fish allergy. I sent back a note that just explained that at 2 he had an allergic reaction after eating fish. I didn’t feed him fish anymore and there were no more incidents. It was literally 2 sentences long. That was evidently okay. </p>
<p>They do what they do for a reason, but it can be really frustrating. If your daughter does get an appointment, that will only be the beginning of the odd, inexplicable things that she will undergo throughout her academy experience. Good luck!</p>
<p>what I meant. It is the service academy forum. I am just amazed the DodMerb can come up with some DQ based on something DD does not have, and even after MD’s write letters to say there is nothing to support the DQ, they just leave the DQ.<br>
I think working with Mr Mullen is a joke. I think they direct you away from the forum quickly, so that people will not hear how crazy Dod Merb is. Just really angry that they can come up with something “in their mind.” Just nuts.</p>
<p>They will not own up to them. DD doctor is as mad as we are. But once they stamp you DQ, they won’t budge, even when there is a error on the record. Anyone ever sue DodMerb?</p>
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<p>Not true.</p>
<p>I know of many candidates that have had a (mistakenly given) DQ reversed. Other candidates with actual DQ conditions have also received waivers. </p>
<p>Your case is your only experience with DODMERB, but such blanket statements about the process are unfair to everyone who is reading.</p>
<p>Where DODMERB won’t budge is where they believe, based on the evidence they have, that a disqualifying condition did/does exist and the “new” accompanying documentation/remedial information does not rebut/refute the original diagnosis in the original records.</p>
<p>The process, while far from perfect, is necessary to ensure chosen candidates are healthy enough to complete not only 4 years of the academy, but 20 years of active duty, without risking their own health or the long-term care expenses that their condition may bring.</p>
<p>USAFAmom15 - Sorry to hear about your experience. My s got a last minute waiver very close to graduation (he had already made plans to attend a different university) and is now a 2nd year cadet. We appealed with a letter from pediatrician and it was approved in a medical board meeting in May. You may have already had your appeal heard so you may not have that option. Perhaps the reduced size of the 2015 class at USAFA is a factor. I would check out ROTC and see if a waiver there is possible. Good luck!</p>
<p>DoDMERB standards are the same for the Academy as ROTC. They have to be.</p>
<p>My son’s applied to both the USAFA and the USCGA… has slight history of migraines, all explained and backed by medical records… full disclosure, no problems with entry to either, per the DODMERB letter. Go back three years prior, daughter applied to USAFA, had two surgeries (one on wrist, another (ACL) replacement in her knee)… .same deal: full disclosure and detailed medical records… no problem with acceptance, no hassle from DoDMERB. </p>
<p>USAFA15Mom… What’s the issue at hand anyhow… short of letting everyone know your kids condition/issue, what’s he/she being DQ’d for? Incidently: if your child has an appointment already (or perhaps even not yet…), might I suggest getting their admissions counselor involved in this? They might have some input, or at least a suggestion of how you can proceed past this point… an alternate telephone number to contact the medical folks perhaps. It might be a good starting point for you if you’ve not considered this… ?? </p>
<p>In general terms for any parent out there, I suggest any candidate child not fill this stuff out by themselves (you should, that is, the parent, with him/her probably next to you), and possibly have someone knowledgeable in medical terminology to help you through the form (this isn’t necessary, but sometimes if a couple of medical phrases are thrown in here and there, and your “i”'s dotted / "t"s crossed… you might not get the hassle you otherwise would have gotten had you not). It would make sense that certain medical conditions, or certain things said on a health questionaire,might trigger a certain conclusion from the DoDMERB, so I believe that it is almost nearly as important “how” something is said, as well as “what” is said. </p>
<p>Also, perhaps a valid consideration voiced by path1: perhaps the medical boards are looking that the reduced class requirement of 15’ and admissions standards have been made a bit more stringent? </p>
<p>Having said this, and on a side-note: try dealing with what’s called a medical-turn back, now THAT’S headache time…</p>
<p>It is possible that because the pipeline has to be throttled back somewhat - I recall hearing about a 500 reduction in AFA in the next years - that DoDMERB is under direction to be very strict with waivers. Who knows?</p>
<p>But my experience was nothing but possitive. DD’s junior year concussion and broken ankle were addressed, reviewed and cleared. We met Mr. Mullen at a MoC candidate’s forum and he pulled up her records right then and gave her the good news. A silly wasp allergy (that really wasn’t one) held her up in medical on I-day but that too was handled. </p>
<p>So rant away. It can be very frustrating.</p>
<p>It the DQ is for asthma they have become quite intractable on that medical issue. Even years ago getting a waiver for asthma was ‘nearly’ impossible. We happen to have a Grad that got one and consider him very lucky.</p>