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Lattice Degeneration

bric

Registered User
I am in the process of applying for a Navy SNA position and I was wondering if anyone has experience with applying for a waiver for retinal Lattice Degeneration. The Aeromedical Waiver Guide mentions the condition is waiverable for new applicants, but I've also found posts by those who didn't have much luck there. Has anyone been through the waiver process or know of somebody that was successful?
 
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exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
I am in the process of applying for a Navy SNA position and I was wondering if anyone has experience with applying for a waiver for retinal Lattice Degeneration. The Aeromedical Waiver Guide mentions the condition is waiverable for new applicants, but I've also found posts by those who didn't have much luck there. Has anyone been through the waiver process or know of somebody that was successful?

In my years of recruiting experience conditions that include the word "degeneration" tend to not be compatible with trying to get into the USN.

also the NAMI guide comes into play AFTER you get past N3M which uses the Navy Medical Manual and they have this little blurb "(c) Current or history of degenerative changes of any part of the retina (362) is disqualifying."
 

BigLuvin

Active Member
pilot
None
I am in the process of applying for a Navy SNA position and I was wondering if anyone has experience with applying for a waiver for retinal Lattice Degeneration. The Aeromedical Waiver Guide mentions the condition is waiverable for new applicants, but I've also found posts by those who didn't have much luck there. Has anyone been through the waiver process or know of somebody that was successful?
So a few months ago I found out that I had it also. Went to opthalmology 2 months ago to get it checked out. The doc that I seen said there shouldn't be any issues with me getting a waiver. Granted I'm Active Duty Aircrew, so I'm not sure if this factors into their decision. I have my flight physical on Wednesday and I'll check and see if my waiver has came back. I'm hoping it gets approved because I submitted my SNA and SNFO package last Friday. I'll let you know something as soon as I found out.
 

bric

Registered User
So a few months ago I found out that I had it also. Went to opthalmology 2 months ago to get it checked out. The doc that I seen said there shouldn't be any issues with me getting a waiver. Granted I'm Active Duty Aircrew, so I'm not sure if this factors into their decision. I have my flight physical on Wednesday and I'll check and see if my waiver has came back. I'm hoping it gets approved because I submitted my SNA and SNFO package last Friday. I'll let you know something as soon as I found out.

Awesome, thanks.
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
So a few months ago I found out that I had it also. Went to opthalmology 2 months ago to get it checked out. The doc that I seen said there shouldn't be any issues with me getting a waiver. Granted I'm Active Duty Aircrew, so I'm not sure if this factors into their decision. I have my flight physical on Wednesday and I'll check and see if my waiver has came back. I'm hoping it gets approved because I submitted my SNA and SNFO package last Friday. I'll let you know something as soon as I found out.

The rules are different for those on AD and those that are civilians, seen AD get waivers for things that civilians are turned down for in a heartbeat.

I have also seen several AD get told they could continue as enlisted but were found NPQ for officer programs, one was a person I knew who was in OCS when declared NPQ, then sent back to continue their enlisted service.
 

TimeBomb

Noise, vibration and harshness
NavyOffRec is correct in that enlisted applicants for officer programs are treated exactly like new accessions for the purposes of medical waivers. I have seen many cases where an enlisted member could have met reenlistment standards with a medical waiver , but do not meet standards for commissioning. A waiver for lattice degeneration for an enlisted aircrewman (aircrewperson?) would not have any bearing on obtaining a waiver for commissioning and for flight status. The two processes are independent.
R/
 

TheYeti

Active Member
I had to go to a civilian optometrist just prior to commissioning (can't remember why, I think maybe it was just an annual check). He is the first person to mention Lattice Degeneration to me, even after being flight phys complete at NAMI the year prior. He said, "you have it, it could be an issue when you get older." Then he told me he was sure I'd be fine but he'd have to write it down. Naturally I freaked the fuck out. Then didn't hear anything else about it until getting to Pcola post TBS for the flight physical before API. The notes where still there along with a Navy doc's waiver. No one told me anything about getting a waiver but I guess since it wasn't DQ worthy they didn't need to. Just keep doing what you have to do to get into OCS.
 

BigLuvin

Active Member
pilot
None
Awesome, thanks.
So yesterday after talking to my flight surgeon, I found out that my Corpsman didn't submit my SNA flight physical to AERO from MARCH which means the doc didn't type up the waiver request for NAMI. After a simulator and dealing with the madness of a training command, the Corpsman submitted my paperwork and the doc said that he was typing up both my waivers as we spoke. Like NavyOffRec said, it could either get approved or denied. I was reading a post on here a few days ago where someone was scared shitless because they were diagnosed with it too, but ended up making it. Long story short, keep pushing and don't give up. Oh and stop touching yourself because bad shit happens when you do that.
 
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BigLuvin

Active Member
pilot
None
The rules are different for those on AD and those that are civilians, seen AD get waivers for things that civilians are turned down for in a heartbeat.

I have also seen several AD get told they could continue as enlisted but were found NPQ for officer programs, one was a person I knew who was in OCS when declared NPQ, then sent back to continue their enlisted service.
I would be highly pissed if I basically got kicked out of OCS and had to go back and finish my enlistment. Granted, I love my job and what I do, but getting that far and reaching a milestone, only to get a kick in the junk would be horrible! All I can do is sit back, and wait for these next few months to pass while I collect some more per diehm and pray that the OCS Gods have pity on me.
 

BigLuvin

Active Member
pilot
None
Awesome, thanks.
Last week I received a letter from the processor that said I was medically disqualified due to the lattice degeneration and hole in my retina and a waiver was DISAPPROVED. I put too much damn effort and time into this to take that as a response. I decided to submit a copy of my Dilated Fundus Exam from Ophthalmology that I needed for my waiver since I'm already flying. Today they said I was STILL DQ but requested additional paperwork because I had PRK back in 2011. Long story short, one of the processors called me and said my waiver had been approved! My advice to you that so many others have passed on to me, is never take no as an answer and keep pushing.

~BL
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
Last week I received a letter from the processor that said I was medically disqualified due to the lattice degeneration and hole in my retina and a waiver was DISAPPROVED. I put too much damn effort and time into this to take that as a response. I decided to submit a copy of my Dilated Fundus Exam from Ophthalmology that I needed for my waiver since I'm already flying. Today they said I was STILL DQ but requested additional paperwork because I had PRK back in 2011. Long story short, one of the processors called me and said my waiver had been approved! My advice to you that so many others have passed on to me, is never take no as an answer and keep pushing.

~BL

You are AD so rules are different and how they look at you is different, seen AD guys get the OK on things that civilians never were.
 
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