Will a concussion disqualify me from Army service or from OCS? Should I report it on the medical questionnaire and can it be waived?

SSgt Derek Newman — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 18:27:44 -0500

Hello Rallypoint Community,

Long-time lurker, first time post-er.

I have 6 years AD with the Air Force plus almost 2 years in the Air Force Reserves. I'm in talks with the Army National Guard to get commissioned. They can have me in BCT soon and enrolled in OCS by June. However I have a question about the medical questionnaire...

I suffered a concussion during a bicycle accident two years ago. It was minor. I had memory loss and fatigue for about the first hour post-accident. Less than 24 hours later, I passed physical, neurological, memory, cognitive, and auditory tests by the doctor. I was 100% recovered a few weeks later. CAT scans and MRI 6 months later showed no abnormalities and I have not suffered any symptoms since.

I read the regs from AR 40-501 regarding head injuries and my symptoms should not disqualify me, however what I want to know is...

Is this something I need to report in the medical questionnaire?
If so, will I have to obtain a waiver for it before going to BCT?
Can an injury like this disqualify me from Army service or from OCS?

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 8 at 2021 6:43 PM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 18:43:45 -0500

SSgt Derek Newman If the question asks if you have ever suffered a concussion, the answer is yes. Answer all questions to the best of your ability.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 8 at 2021 6:53 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 18:53:17 -0500

I though for OCS pre-existing head trauma was a pre-req.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 8 at 2021 7:05 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 19:05:02 -0500

Lots of people in the Army have had concussions. After all the blast injuries and TBIs in Iraq and Afghanistan, the DOD has been attempting to track brain injuries over Soldiers service. You read the regulation and so you've already answered your own question

Response by CPL Earl Kochis made Feb 8 at 2021 7:55 PM

CPL Earl Kochis — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 19:55:18 -0500

Always answer questions truthfully or they can come back to bite you later.

Response by MAJ Byron Oyler made Feb 8 at 2021 9:42 PM

MAJ Byron Oyler — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 21:42:14 -0500

This is a public website and you have just declared a head injury and gross details about it. You have to annotate it now.

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Feb 9 at 2021 6:13 AM

CSM Darieus ZaGara — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 06:13:34 -0500

Everything should be reported, from the sound of it you should have no problem.

Response by SGT Lorenzo Nieto made Feb 10 at 2021 6:04 AM

SGT Lorenzo Nieto — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 06:04:01 -0500

Be truthful if not it will come back to bite you in the butt.

Response by SPC Richard Zacke made Feb 10 at 2021 9:51 PM

SPC Richard Zacke — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 21:51:36 -0500

I don't think you will have a problem with it unless you Omit it on your med questioner. There are several different concussion grades and your sounds like a level one, minor. But to be sure to dot all your I's and cross all your t's bring the medical evidence with you. Go to the facility that did the Cat and the MRI and ask them to burn you a copy along with the medical report. Good luck to ya.

Response by Javi Gonzales made Mar 22 at 2023 6:14 PM

Javi Gonzales — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 18:14:56 -0400

Sorry for bumping into an old conversation. When filling out military medical questionnaires, I know it's essential to be honest, and upfront about any medical conditions or injuries.
In your case, the concussion you experienced was relatively minor and has not caused any ongoing symptoms or issues. According to the regulations you mentioned, your symptoms should not disqualify you from Army service or OCS. However, it would be better if you confirmed it at the sport medicine clinic. I hope that helps, you can also check https://www.liveactivesportmed.com/.

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