Does NAMI honor MEPS Waivers?

[bpr2006]

Hi all - just passed my MEPS exam. It was actually a physical performed by civilian doctors and sent to TN for review. I thought some things were going to require a waiver but to my surprise (and delight) my med history form did not trigger a single request for documentation (completely accepted as is). My candid concern is that the folks down at NAMI are going to require waivers that I haven't been granted and I incur a risk of getting a commission, and then losing my slot in flight school. I don't think I should have any problem obtaining said waivers, but I am aware that there is a backlog of pilots for flight school and accordingly that the Navy has an incentive to find ways to reduce the backlog.

My recruiter assures me that anything addressed in the initial history form is not fair game to be brought up at NAMI. I have no reason to doubt him, he's been very honest and straightforward with me so far. I'm just crossing my i's and dotting my t's so to speak. Does anyone else have experience that would support or negate my recruiter's sentiments? Anyone been to NAMI and had them challenge the work/waivers that MEPS did?

Thanks guys!

 

[SynixMan]

What specific issue are you worried about? Did you look at the NAMI waiver guide? I knew guys who had MEPS waivers that NAMI didn't care about, and other guys who MEPS didn't give a second glance and then got the whammy here in PCola.

 

[Tom]

If you are in aviation, NAMI is above MEPS. I went through MEPS just fine and later got NPQ'ed at NAMI while at OCS. Seeing as I just winged it worked out for me in the end. I knew many guys who went through MEPS just fine to show up, be NPQ'ed for vision and either refused to redesignate or chose something else that was available.

As for information not being fair game at your first flight physical I believe your recruiter to be wrong. If you thought the medical paperwork and examinations were thorough at MEPS, you are going to be surprised at how long it will take to get your first up chit. This will be your first time with a flight doc and they are the authority on who is qualified. You need to bring up everything that is important because you can't really hide anything. You want the flight doc on your side and it's a little hard to do that when they see through deception. Now be careful with what you say, but still tell the truth.

So when it comes to "challenging" MEPS, it really isn't a challenge at all. NAMI is right, regardless of what occurred at MEPS. To answer your questions overall, maybe and it depends.

 

[bpr2006]

Can you elaborate more on the guys who got the whammy? Were they booted out of the Navy or just disallowed to fly?

 

[SynixMan]

Most OCS guys were get their initial flight physical in Newport. I saw some get whammied there for breathing issues stemming from childhood asthma. Others did the breathing tests and passed fine. Here in PCola, I only had to do the short form physical. Eye test, talk with the doc, *boom* upchit. My friend just got the NAMI Whammy for having an inner ear issue.

 

[bpr2006]

Oh interesting, so the flight physical is actually done before OCS graduation?

 

[bpr2006]

Let me ask a different question. Is there any way to know you're flight qualified before you go to OCS? Just for the record, I think it's an honor to get a commission; notwithstanding, I absolutely want to know what I'm walking into and whether or not I'm going to get to fly if I hold up my end of the bargain so to speak....

 

[SynixMan]

I can only speak to my experience and what I saw there. Flight physicals are on days 1-2. Pain in the ass. Like I said, it would help if you clarify what you're worried about. Broken arm as a kid? Probably not a big deal. History of motion sickness due to inner ear problem? Yeah, big deal.

 

[Makk85]

There is no way to know for sure. MEPS and your flight physical are two seperate things. At MEPS you are being looked over to be accepted as a naval officer. Your flight physical is a whole new level in order to make sure you meet the standards to become an aviator. Different standards and different waivers are involved. It sucks that they do it this way, but that's how the navy works. Worst case, you get DQ'd at your flight physical, DOR and go back to doing whatever you were doing before.

 

[SynixMan]

I'll add that, if you get the NAMI Whammy at OCS, you have the chance to redes there before you commission. We had an NFO in my class that got the whammy and picked up SWO (he wanted command at sea and couldn't get Nuke).

 

[bpr2006]

There is no way to know for sure. MEPS and your flight physical are two seperate things. At MEPS you are being looked over to be accepted as a naval officer. Your flight physical is a whole new level in order to make sure you meet the standards to become an aviator. Different standards and different waivers are involved. It sucks that they do it this way, but that's how the navy works. Worst case, you get DQ'd at your flight physical, DOR and go back to doing whatever you were doing before.

Yeah this is the same calculation I've basically done. From what you and Synix were saying, this is viable so long as the physical happens at OCS. Where it gets potentially dicey is if the physical happens in Pcola. Can't I just get reassigned at that point with no ability to "go back to doing whatever I was doing before?"

 

[feddoc]

Maybe if you posted more specifics, you would get better answers. Or you can PM me.