Everyone keeps telling me that I'm going to be disqualified for having only one kidney...so when does this disqualification come?
So....when does this so-called "automatic disqualification" show up, because I ain't seeing it. I took the ASVAB, scored high on it, and now I'm being considered for MEPS. And what happens when my recruiter says I'm in the clear for MEPS? What happens when I pass the physical and MEPS lets me swear in? What happens when they notice that my one kidney doesn't impede me in any way? Chances are you all will still be saying "You're never gonna get in! You're disqualified!"
I honestly just typed this up because I like that I'm proving you guys wrong so far. I've made it farther than any of you have anticipated and I'm just the type of guy who likes to rub things in.
On a lighter note, I'd like to pass the story of how I joined the Army. It was way back in 1964 and I was a 18-year old kid who wanted badly to join. Unfortunately, I also had acne (pimples = zits) very badly. In those days, the draft was in full operation and the Army could be choosy about who got in and who didn't. After going back for my fifth follow-up physical and getting rejected, my mother got fed up with the situation and took matters into her own hands. My recruiter was a 2nd generation Irish-American named SSG Ryan. My mother promised him a bottle of the whiskey of his choice if I passed my next follow-up physical. A month later, I passed the physical and Ryan got his bottle !!
A true story.
I know this because I was trying to help another vet file a clame for something similar a few years ago, they joined with a known medical problem with a waiver and after their service became sick from complications from those known medical problems. The VA decided that it was NOT service connected and denied the claim, based on the fact that it was a known problem previous to service and had not been an issue during service. They went to around 20 different civilian doctors as well as numerous VA doctors to no avail.
I've just been disqualified from the Air Force. Is this really the end of my military career? |...
I was called into the recruiting office by my recruiter and he told me that MEPS has kicked back my medical papers with a PDQ. There was a handwritten note from one of the doctors. It basically said that my one kidney is a condition that they'll never give a waiver for and that my disqualification is across all branches, not just the Air Force. Is this really the end of my military career? I read online that you could possibly contact your...
So I spent a year literally trying to get into the Air Force due to meps wanting to make sure I didn’t have asthma (I was falsely diagnosed with it as a child).
Anyways so I can relate to getting through meps and all that however the health getting doesn’t just stop at meps. We had a person get disqualified even after arriving to basic because meps doesn’t always get it 100% due to how many people they deal with. Another guy had significant hearing damage that was not caught at meps.
Point is just because you make it through meps and things are cool with your recruiter, doesn’t mean you are in the clear. If only having 1 kidney is a 100% written disqualification, tread carefully. I’m not saying things can’t work out because I spent a whole year pressing away so my wife and I could start on a new journey; but know that if you do get in with your dream job, it can be taken because of your health condition.
Hope this helps and I hope everything works out well for you!
I've just been disqualified from the Air Force. Is this really the end of my military career? |...
I was called into the recruiting office by my recruiter and he told me that MEPS has kicked back my medical papers with a PDQ. There was a handwritten note from one of the doctors. It basically said that my one kidney is a condition that they'll never give a waiver for and that my disqualification is across all branches, not just the Air Force. Is this really the end of my military career? I read online that you could possibly contact your...
Prior to retiring, I was an Army Healthcare Recruiter in Newburgh, NY for four years and a Station Commander in Akron, OH for three. I actually ran across this issue once in Akron and unfortunately it didn't work out well for the applicant. Unfortunately, according to 40-501, having only one kidney does not meet the standard. What your recruiter likely did was push your paperwork forward to MEPS for a "med read". The doctors will no doubt disapprove the med read, but that's not necessarily where in ends. The paperwork can then be sent to the command surgeon where he can grant an exception to physical. That will at least get you in the door at MEPS. After that, the recruiter has to request a med waiver (501) to the same doctor that approved you to physical. One of two things will happen. Either he will approve the waiver and you will be good to go or if he disapproves it, that's it. It's a wrap. Now, not to get your hopes up, but one thing I learned especially from the guy who specialized in this at my station is that anything can happen and no one situation fits "neatly" into the way it's looked at by higher. No one can truly disapprove you except for the command surgeon. As recruiters, we are simply paperwork facilitators and cannot truly approve or disapprove anyone for military service. That decision comes from much higher than us. I hope that you found this helpful and wish you success in your future endeavors.
Be honest, the military is not for everyone and does not bend its rules for anyone who can not measure up. This is not a social event, its literally a matter of life and death.