Has anyone successfully gotten an RE3 waiver with a relatively uncomplicated situation? How long did it take?

2025-03-04T18:17:15-05:00

I joined the Army when I was 17. I was medboarded out with and RE 3. I've since got a doctorate and working on going back in. Currently in a holding pattern waiting for the RE waiver to go through before I can go to commissioning boards. My medical waiver and the rest of my packet are complete. Has anyone successfully gotten an RE3 waiver with a relatively uncomplicated situation? How long did it take?

Response by COL Randall C. made Mar 4 at 2025 7:09 PM

2025-03-04T19:09:57-05:00

The definitive answer to questions about an RE-3 waiver will always be, "check with your recruiter".

There are many RE-3 waivers that breeze through and are approved without a hitch and there are RE-3 waivers that never go anywhere. It is completely dependent on the waiver circumstances and the environment at the time it is submitted.

For direct commissions, the CG, USAREC will have to grant the waiver request unless there is specific requirements based on the branch you're assessing into (AR 40-501*, para 1-6).

NOTE: There is a difference between the standards of medical fitness to get into the military and the standards of medical fitness for retention in the military. There are many things that will prevent you from joining without a waiver, but won't require you to be separated if it manifests after you are in the military. The medical waiver are for those things or to determine if items listed will meet the medical retention standards (See AR 40-501, chapter 3).

As you were previously medically separated, if the underlying condition has not improved and/or if the retention standards no longer included it as a have not changed regarding it since you were separated, you will not get a waiver for it (or rather, a medical waiver will only be requested under extraordinary circumstances and must be approved by the Army's Office of The Surgeon General).
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* AR 40-501 - https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN37720-AR_40-501-002-WEB-4.pdf

ARN37720-AR_40-501-002-WEB-4.pdf