Current National Guard but failed MEPS

[wall6966]

We are trying to get my husband into Navy OCS. He has been a combat engineer for five years. We had to jump through all the hoops to get a conditional release. By some miracle we got it. Then came MEPS. My husband is medically disqualified because he has a disease called Scheuermann’s disease. It causes a curvature of the spine. It's supposed to cause pain and loss of flexibility. It is a juvenile disease. My husband was shocked when he was told. He has never had pain or even been told this could be an issue. He has done long ruck marches and was a firefighter. He was also a state track star and a football player. This has not affected his life or his military career thus far. However, now he is not qualified to join the navy or any other branch. We are currently in the waiver process but from the research, I have done he is disqualified from avaiation. That was the packet he had going. Does anyone know what the odds are of getting a waiver approved for SWO? He has a curvature of 65 degrees and the standard for the military is 55. He has worked so hard. He works full time, goes to school full time and we have one kid and one more on the way. I'll just be devastated if this is how his military career ends.

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

Words

No one will know until the N3M letter and doctor determine and get the infamous N3M letter back. What did his OR say? Did he/you check out the MANMED? Hint: search "curv". I know you're a "concerned spouse", but there are a lot of resources you can find that will better help finding the answer.

He works full time, goes to school full time and we have one kid and one more on the way. I'll just be devastated if this is how his military career ends.

No offense, planning a second child during a potential major career/life change was probably not the best time..

^ I will probably get roasted on this page for saying this.

 

[wall6966]

You are always so helpful!!!!! Again our OR never answers his phone. We are pretty much flying blind. Thank you for your amazing helpful comment on our family planning. I would love to control the way life works but sometimes you just get pregnant. I would rather not explain the workings of my reproductive organs to you or how accidents happen. I assume you wouldn't understand how babies are made considering you are always so cynical and heartless. Thank you for the help or lack thereof.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

We are trying to get my husband into Navy OCS. He has been a combat engineer for five years. We had to jump through all the hoops to get a conditional release. By some miracle we got it. Then came MEPS. My husband is medically disqualified because he has a disease called Scheuermann’s disease. It causes a curvature of the spine. It's supposed to cause pain and loss of flexibility. It is a juvenile disease. My husband was shocked when he was told. He has never had pain or even been told this could be an issue. He has done long ruck marches and was a firefighter. He was also a state track star and a football player. This has not affected his life or his military career thus far. However, now he is not qualified to join the navy or any other branch. We are currently in the waiver process but from the research, I have done he is disqualified from avaiation. That was the packet he had going. Does anyone know what the odds are of getting a waiver approved for SWO? He has a curvature of 65 degrees and the standard for the military is 55. He has worked so hard. He works full time, goes to school full time and we have one kid and one more on the way. I'll just be devastated if this is how his military career ends.

I never would have sent a person currently in Nat'l guard or reserves to a MEPS, I would send them to a MTF, WTH was your husbands OR thinking!!!

 

[exNavyOffRec]

You are always so helpful!!!!! Again our OR never answers his phone. We are pretty much flying blind. Thank you for your amazing helpful comment on our family planning. I would love to control the way life works but sometimes you just get pregnant. I would rather not explain the workings of my reproductive organs to you or how accidents happen. I assume you wouldn't understand how babies are made considering you are always so cynical and heartless. Thank you for the help or lack thereof.

The stork, it is the stork that delivers them, you just need to keep the windows on the house shut and you are golden!!

You may be one of the exceptions on the unexpected pregnancy but I have seen candidates and their wives, as well as sailors and their wives do some dumbass things when it comes to family planning, like having a baby a month before a cross country PCS, getting pregnant when husband is about to leave for NROTC scholarship, etc..... what RUFIO is saying probably comes from seeing stuff like that while at sea.

I do get that sometimes the unexpected happen, a woman I know ended up pregnant and found out she has jacked up ovaries, she actually ovulated twice a month instead of once a month, needless to say if you know how birth control pills work you know that it was just a matter of time until she became pregnant.

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

I never would have sent a person currently in Nat'l guard or reserves to a MEPS, I would send them to a MTF, WTH was your husbands OR thinking!!!

It depends on the Guard unit and simple "luck". Many MTFs out there won't even talk to National Guard folks for getting a commissioning physical.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

It depends on the Guard unit and simple "luck". Many MTFs out there won't even talk to National Guard folks for getting a commissioning physical.

I guess it is all about location, location, location

 

[GlassBanger]

Does anyone know what the odds are of getting a waiver approved for SWO? He has a curvature of 65 degrees and the standard for the military is 55.

Wall,

Even if he got a waiver approved for his condition, it sounds like it will be for RLO (Restricted Line Officer) positions, SWO is a Line Officer position, so he would not be qualified to apply. I got a waiver for "dyspepsia" (heartburn) and I was restricted to RLO positions only. Don't let his recruiter be my recruiter and submit his packet twice while not even qualifying for the position to begin with and being PROREC-N twice before a SWO CAPT friend took a look at my kit and discovered why. *facepalm*

I strongly recommend him seeing a specialist and getting a letter that essentially says he either doesn't have it, or it is a non-issue. My waiver was initially denied until I saw a gastroenterologist who lost her mind when I told her what happened. She was furious lol. She wrote out a long letter negating every single thing the MEPS "doctor" said I had and was intense in her assertion that if there was a problem she would love to speak with them about it. (Dyspepsia is actually a symptom, a normal symptom most of the population has. Who doesn't take a Tums once in a blue moon?). Anyway, I appealed my waiver denial with that specialist letter and it was approved for RLO.

IF he gets a waiver, he should be prepared to apply to Supply, Intel, PAO. Jobs like that. RLO jobs.

commissioning physical.

Edited to reply to this. I started in Norfolk and they did a commissioning physical. I don't have a lot of confidence in that process. I spent $2k out of pocket without dental insurance because the Navy dentist on base said I had cavities that needed to be filled before he'd pass me on my first half of the commissioning physical. That recruiting office couldn't get it together to complete my second half before I moved, so it was a complete waste because I moved across the country and went to MEPS anyway where they never even looked at my teeth.

Is it typical of them to do that? I thought dental care was taken care of at OCS late in Candio phase?

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

I strongly recommend him seeing a specialist and getting a letter that essentially says he either doesn't have it, or it is a non-issue. My waiver was initially denied until I saw a gastroenterologist who lost her mind when I told her what happened. She was furious lol. She wrote out a long letter negating every single thing the MEPS "doctor" said I had and was intense in her assertion that if there was a problem she would love to speak with them about it. (Dyspepsia is actually a symptom, a normal symptom most of the population has. Who doesn't take a Tums once in a blue moon?). Anyway, I appealed my waiver denial with that specialist letter and it was approved for RLO.

You got a waiver with the old N3M doc, this one is not as “lenient” as her predecessor.

The “see a specialist” advice right away has the right intentions, but not the best right now. The recruiter should submit the meps documents to N3M and wait to see if he’s qualified, qualified with a waiver, or straight up no. If it’s the latter, the recruiter (not the applicant or the applicants spouse) contact N3M directly to see what can be done if anything. I have seen applicants wasting money getting consults when N3M straight up said no.

Edited to reply to this. I started in Norfolk and they did a commissioning physical. I don't have a lot of confidence in that process. I spent $2k out of pocket without dental insurance because the Navy dentist on base said I had cavities that needed to be filled before he'd pass me on my first half of the commissioning physical. That recruiting office couldn't get it together to complete my second half before I moved, so it was a complete waste because I moved across the country and went to MEPS anyway where they never even looked at my teeth.

Is it typical of them to do that? I thought dental care was taken care of at OCS late in Candio phase?

It depends on the dentist completing the exam. A meps physical they don’t really have an in-depth dental exam while MTFs do. I have sent applicants to an MTF only to be told they must have cavities removed or even wisdom teeth taken out before they could qualify.

 

[GlassBanger]

You got a waiver with the old N3M doc, this one is not as “lenient” as her predecessor.

The “see a specialist” advice right away has the right intentions, but not the best right now. The recruiter should submit the meps documents to N3M and wait to see if he’s qualified, qualified with a waiver, or straight up no. If it’s the latter, the recruiter (not the applicant or the applicants spouse) contact N3M directly to see what can be done if anything. I have seen applicants wasting money getting consults when N3M straight up said no.



It depends on the dentist completing the exam. A meps physical they don’t really have an in-depth dental exam while MTFs do. I have sent applicants to an MTF only to be told they must have cavities removed or even wisdom teeth taken out before they could qualify.

I see.

Oh, that explains it. It wouldn't bother me as much if they hadn't forgotten about me so much that I missed step 2 before leaving Virginia so I had to start anew anyway. I understand now, though it is still weird to me to have different standards from MEPS in that way.