There’s A Wealth Of Information Out There
We’ve tried to give you a sense of what the service-academy admissions process is like and some tips to help you successfully maneuver through it. Frankly, however, we just scratched the surface. There’s so much more to learn before you begin the process and when you’re in it. Fortunately, there’s plenty of good information out there.
You can start your research online. In fact, the first thing a prospective applicant should do is go through each page on the admissions office website for the service academy he or she wants to attend. “I was on the Naval Academy website every day,” Kayla Malone tells us. That’s where you’re going to find the most authoritative information about the application process. Click on the following links to get started:
There are also online forums, where you can get answers to specific questions you may have. You shouldn’t have any problem finding YouTube videos on service-academy admissions, either.
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Medical Conditions Affecting Military Service
Are there any conditions or illnesses that automatically disqualify you from service? What about a condition that may make it more difficult to enlist yet does not immediately disqualify a person?
Here are the answers to some of the most common physical or mental conditions that the U.S. Military takes into consideration
Pass A Background Check
The recruitment process for the Coast Guard is very thorough, and you will have to go through police background check whereby felony convictions will lead to your disqualification. Also, you will go through a credit check to disclose your financial security. A security clearance check will be run since you will be dealing with matters of national security.
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Condition #5 Eyesight Issues
According to the standards of physical fitness provided by Armed Forces, there are some eyesight issues that are disqualifying.
Armed Force members are required to maintain certain visual standards with or without visual correction devices such as spectacle lenses. The regulations for eyesight without a visual aid are:
- Soldiers must be able to see at least 20/40 in one eye, and 20/70 in the other eye.
- Or 20/30 in one eye and at least 20/100 in the other eye.
If a spectacle aid for eyesight is required the standards are:
- 20/20 in one eye and 20/400 in the other eye.
Entrance into US Military Academy or ROTC has additional requirements. The distant visual acuity must correct to 20/20 in one eye and 20/40 in the other. Vision below those standards is disqualifying.
Officer Candidate School OCS has standards of 20/20 and 20/100.
There is no standard set for color vision, which is a common concern. Though it will get tested for certain branches of the military , it is not a requirement to qualify.
However, it may restrict you from joining certain specialties of the U.S. Military.
For example, if you wanted to become a Navy SEAL, you must meet specific eyesight requirements.
They include 20/40 vision in your best eye, 20/70 vision in your worst eye, and it must be correctable to 20/25 with no color blindness.
There are several rare types of eyesight issues such as blepharitis, conjunctiva, cornea dystrophy, and iridocyclitis that are disqualifying diseases.
Coast Guard Job Opportunities
The Coast Guard has 20 enlisted jobs divided into four categories:
- : Maritime Enforcement Specialists , Boatswain’s Mate , Gunners Mate , Operations Specialist , and Intelligence Specialist
- Hull and Engineering: Damage Controlman , Electricians Mate , Electronics Technician , Information System Technician , and Machinery Technician
- Aviation: Avionics Electrical Technician , Aviation Maintenance Technician , and Aviation Survival Technician
- Administrative and Scientific: Food Service Specialist , Health Services Technician , Marine Science Technician , Musician , Public Affairs Specialist , Storekeeper , and Yeoman
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There Is No Appeal Process If Your Waiver Is Denied
You either get a medical waiver or you dont. You cant appeal. The Surgeon Generals office is the appeal. If they deny you the opportunity to serve, then that is the final answer. Writing to your member of Congress or senator wont enhance your chances of joining the service. It just wont happen.
Depending on your medical condition, there may be other options you can try. Each branch of the military including the Guard and Reserves has a different Surgeon Generals Office. If you have a borderline case, you may consider joining another branch of service. You might even consider a career in the Guard or Reserves instead of joining on active duty.
But be careful not to waste everyones time. If your condition is not waiverable, dont go through the application process again. The only time it is worth going through this process again is if you have medical conditions that are waiverable, but for one reason or another, the branch you applied to decided not to accept you at this time.
There are reasons this can happen. For example, if some branches of the military arent having trouble meeting their quotas, they may not need to take someone with a history of health conditions. All things being equal, they will take the person who doesnt require waivers. .
Some Medical Conditions Arent Eligible For Waivers
I wish I could tell you that all you had to do to get a waiver approved was fill out a form, tell the military you are a hard worker and get a couple character references. Unfortunately, that isnt the case.
The military has some very firm standards for which types of medical waivers they will and will not approve. The decision is completely out of your hands, and in many cases, you cannot appeal the decision.
I wont try to list all the medical conditions for which you cannot receive a waiver, because it is extensive. Some common maladies include having a history of asthma, ADD , diabetes, drug dependency, severe nut allergies , problems with certain organs, certain skin conditions and more. The best thing to do is download a copy of the DODI mentioned above, and research your medical conditions.
Again: There are some conditions for which there are no waivers.
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Condition #6 Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety is an issue that affects every single human. However, some individuals have a harder time appropriately dealing with it than others. In certain cases, they may even get diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.
The military realizes that some anxiety is normal. However, since anxiety is considered a mental health issue it will check your medical background for any perceived risks.
The biggest mental health factor the military assesses is a history of suicidal behavior. Though that is more connected to depression than anxiety, it will also consider previous or current issues.
Some disqualifying conditions include:
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Likewise, specific phobias such as a fear of specific animals like spiders, snakes, or dogs , fear of specific environments like heights or thunderstorms , and situational fears like bridges or driving can all be grounds for military disqualification.
Of course, this all depends on the extent of your phobia, and whether or not youve been treated for it in the recent past.
A Medical Condition Can Keep You Out
There’s an unfortunate scenario that plays out all too frequently: A young man or woman works hard for years to become a scholar, leader and athlete worthy of a service-academy appointment, but is denied admission because of a disqualifying medical condition. There’s a pages-long list of disqualifying conditions that can trip up a service-academy candidate. They include dental problems, poor vision, teenage asthma, broken bones that didn’t heal properly, joint issues, skin disorders, hearing problems, food allergies and more. You can even be disqualified for failing to meet military height and weight requirements. The medical standards are in place to ensure that each person entering military service is physically able to handle the “rigors and stressors of military training and missions.”
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Service academy candidates who have completed certain parts of their application are contacted by the Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board and asked to schedule a medical exam. After the exam is completed, DoDMERB might ask you to provide additional information or medical records, or even want you to schedule additional medical appointments. Once all the necessary information is collected, DoDMERB reviews your medical record and determines if you’re medically qualified or disqualified.
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Can You Be In The Military With A Nut Allergy
Submenu for I am a Individuals with a history of food-allergy anaphylaxis or a systemic reaction to food do not meet military accession or retention standards and require a waiver in order to serve in the military. First-line treatment for anaphylaxis includes rapid administration of epinephrine.
Can you get a waiver for food allergies in the military?
An individual excluded from the Armed Services on the basis of food allergy history can request a waiver, which may be granted depending on the results of an appointment with an allergist.
Is a peanut allergy considered a disability under the ADA?
Food allergies are usually considered disabilities under the ADA. Under the ADA, students who have food allergy are considered to have a disability which restricts their diet.
Pass A Personal Evaluation Test
This is where you meet with your recruiter. They will be evaluating your personal attributes and skills. Consider this as a job interview. Based on your answers, a recruiter will fill out different forms to validate that you are eligible for the service. They normally test professionalism, attitude, respect, honesty, physical abilities, work ethic, and language proficiency.
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Joining The Military With Food Allergies
The Armed Forces are allowed to bar people with allergies because they are exempt from disability discrimination legislation.
Even if the military wasn’t exempt from this legislation, the ability to eat any food is considered an occupational requirement for serving personnel, so this discrimination would likely still be allowed. A history of food allergies is a disqualifying medical condition for individuals seeking to join the military.
People with venom allergies may be eligible if they have been desensitized with immunotherapy and no longer need to carry an EpiPen.
Although having allergies may lead to your disqualification from military service, do not lie about your allergies when applying. It is essential to be completely honest and forthright in your disclosure of these medical conditions to the military, as a failure to disclose a condition will automatically disqualify you.
If you are excluded from the military due to a history of food allergies, you can request a waiver and make an appointment with a military-approved allergist, who will require that you complete and pass an oral food challenge. Prospective recruits with oral allergy syndrome may also qualify for a waiver.
Coast Guard Basic Training
As in all branches of the military, physical demands can be intense, and so new Coast Guard recruits are rigorously trained and tested at boot camp. The Coast Guard only has one location for enlisted basic training: Coast Guard Training Center Cape May in Cape May, New Jersey.
In addition to strength an endurance requirements , all Coast Guard personnel must be able to demonstrate decent swimming skills at boot camp you can expect to jump off a 5-foot platform into a pool, swim 100 meters, and tread water for five minutes.
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General And Miscellaneous Conditions And Defects
The following conditions may disqualify you for military service:
a. Allergic manifestations. A reliable history of anaphylaxis to stinging insects. Reliable history of a moderate to severe reaction to common foods, spices or food additives.
b. Any acute pathological condition, including acute communicable diseases, until recovery has occurred without sequelae.
c. Chronic metallic poisoning with lead, arsenic or silver, or beryllium or manganese.
d. Cold injury, residuals of, such as: frostbite, chilblain, immersion foot, trench foot, deep-seated ache, paresthesia, hyperhidrosis, easily traumatized skin, cyanosis, amputation of any digit or ankylosis.
e. Cold urticaria and angioedema, hereditary angioedema.
f. Filariasis, trypanosomiasis, schistosomiasis, uncinariasis or other parasitic conditions, if symptomatic or carrier states.
g. Heat pyrexia, heatstroke or sunstroke. Documented evidence of a predisposition , recurrent episodes requiring medical attention or residual injury malignant hyperthermia.
h. Industrial solvent and other chemical intoxication.
i. Motion sickness. An authenticated history of frequent incapacitating motion sickness after the 12th birthday.
j. Mycotic infection of internal organs.
k. Organ transplant recipient.
l. Presence of human immunodeficiency virus or antibody. Presence is confirmed by repeatedly reactive enzyme-linked immunoassay serological test and positive immunoelectrophoresis test, or other DOD-approved confirmatory test.
History Of The Coast Guard
The Coast Guard was originally part of the Department of Transportation, but soon after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, President George W. Bush established the Department of Homeland Security , and the Coast Guard was transferred from civilian leadership to military leadership as part of DHS. Coast Guard roles were upgraded to encompass anti-terrorism and port protection, as well as other lifesaving, shipping security, and drug interdiction duties.
As one of the nation’s five armed services, the Coast Guard has been involved in every war from 1790 to Iraq and Afghanistan. It was officially established as the Revenue Marine by the Continental Congress at the request of Alexander Hamilton. Its first purpose was to collect customs duties in the nation’s seaports.
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You Need A Nomination
The nomination requirement is perhaps the most unique part of the service-academy admissions process. To be considered for an appointment to a service academy , you must have a nomination from an authorized nominating source. There are several nominating sources, and “you should apply to all sources for which you qualify,” according to Alex Hooker. That will increase your chances of getting at least one nomination for the academy you want to attend, which is all you need. Getting an additional nomination, Andres Santiago says, “increases your chances dramatically” because “it puts your name in a different pool” from which you can be chosen for an appointment.
Members of CongressU.S. senators and representativesare the most common sources of service-academy nominations. They account for about 75% of all appointments. Each U.S. senator and representative can have as many as five cadets or midshipmen nominated by them at each service academy at any one time. If they have fewer than five at an academy, they can nominate up to 10 applicants to that academy for every open slot. For example, if the Naval Academy currently has three midshipmen who were nominated by a particular U.S. senator, that senator can nominate up to 20 Naval Academy applicants for the incoming class .
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Other nominations are available for:
The Merchant Marine Academy only accepts congressional nominations.
To Qualify For Swcc You Must Score At Least One Of The Following On The Asvab:
Some high schools administer the ASVAB test, but you can get a practice test and study guide online. Active duty candidates can find ASVAB resources at the local Navy College office. Waivers are granted on a case-by-case basis. Your PST scores and the strength of your overall application will be used to make a determination of eligibility. If you’re already in the Navy, submit your conversion package. Your package will be evaluated by the SEAL Enlisted Community Manager.
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Applying For A Medical Waiver To Join The Military
Once you get your 2807-2 back from MEPS and you look through the TDQ or PDQ they gave you, you will need to prepare your case for a medical waiver. Basically, you will need to get a doctor or medical specialist to review each item for which you received a TDQ or PDQ. The doctor will need to write a note on his or her letterhead with the date, your medical history for that condition, your current condition and whether or not you are physically capable of serving in the military, based on his or her assessment.
You will need to pay for the medical examinations out of your pocket. The military will not cover this expense.
Once you have these letters, you will need to submit them and a new 2807-2 to your recruiter. Your recruiter will then start the waiver process by sending the forms and supplemental information to the Surgeon Generals Office for your branch of service. The Surgeon Generals Bureau may or may not request additional information.
Spine And Other Musculoskeletal
- Any deviation or curvature of the spine likely to impair normal function or wearing of proper military uniform or gear or causes physical symptoms. Lumbar or thoracic scoliosis greater than 30 degrees.
- Herniated disc or history of surgical correction of this condition
- History of chronic or recurrent low back pain
- Surgical or congenital fusion of any part of the spine
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Coast Guard Enlistment Incentives
The Coast Guard offers a small variety of enlistment incentives to entice qualified applicants to join. These are subject to change, so it is recommend to discuss current incentives with a recruiting officer.
Under the Coast Guard College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative , qualifying applicants are promised two years of enlisted pay, commission, and two years of college scholarship in exchange for three years of active duty service.
The Coast Guard participates in the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which provides up to 36 months of education benefits for 15 years after your release from active duty.
Like the other military branches, the Coast Guard offers accelerated pay grades for advanced enlistment rank up to E-3 for such things as college credits or JROTC.
Minority Appointments Are On The Rise
There are no racial or ethnic admissions quotas at the military service academies. However, they are reaching out to qualified minorities and encouraging them to apply. For example, the Coast Guard Academy’s Genesis Invitational outreach program brings prospective minority applicants to the academy for overnight visits where they can tour the campus and shadow a cadet. For Lea Walker, the experience was a “pretty valuable” part of her decision to apply to the academy. It allowed her to see the “academic side” of academy life and gain a more “well-rounded” understanding of what it’s like to be a cadet.
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