Military enlistment question - medical records

[Pheedno]

Maybe one of you guys might have some experience with this.
My 20yr old daughter enlisted with the Army. Her recruiter told her to freeze her social, which she neglected to do before her medical eval and interview at MEPS. She has a couple of diagnosis that were questionable and was required to submit medical records, which she did. One diagnosis was scoliosis and the other is an asymptomatic chromosomal mutation. The scoliosis is 4 degrees. She has taken and passed the ASVAB. It was in the mid 30s. We now have her with a ASVAB tutor to get her score up.
Her recruiter told her that the process after submitting the records would be long enough that she should find a job and they'd be in contact down the road. Should she expect a call back?

 

[slesh]

Apologies for changing direction here - but I just wanna say it’s so ridiculous the hoops they make you jump through to serve your country. I feel like we’re at an all time low with teens/young adults who want to enlist so I don’t understand why you would make it so difficult for someone who wants to join…

 

[b-boy]

Apologies for changing direction here - but I just wanna say it’s so ridiculous the hoops they make you jump through to serve your country. I feel like we’re at an all time low with teens/young adults who want to enlist so I don’t understand why you would make it so difficult for someone who wants to join…

Well anything concerning the back is automatically looked at seriously because on of the main reasons for medical discharge is back related injuries and one of the main reason for disability benefits payments is back injury after military service. A lot of payout money due to back related stuff.

 

[Pheedno]

Well anything concerning the back is automatically looked at seriously because on of the main reasons for medical discharge is back related injuries and one of the main reason for disability benefits payments is back injury after military service. A lot of payout money due to back related stuff.

Understandable. Don't know the accuracy completely but some online searches are stating that anything over 20 degrees of scoliosis is a disqualification but a waiver can be granted up to 30 degrees. I would think at 4 degrees, it would be a non issue.
I also thought, maybe because her ASVAB score was low, there is less consideration to someone who has anything at all on the medical record.

 

[control]

Maybe one of you guys might have some experience with this.
My 20yr old daughter enlisted with the Army. Her recruiter told her to freeze her social, which she neglected to do before her medical eval and interview at MEPS. She has a couple of diagnosis that were questionable and was required to submit medical records, which she did. One diagnosis was scoliosis and the other is an asymptomatic chromosomal mutation. The scoliosis is 4 degrees. She has taken and passed the ASVAB. It was in the mid 30s. We now have her with a ASVAB tutor to get her score up.
Her recruiter told her that the process after submitting the records would be long enough that she should find a job and they'd be in contact down the road. Should she expect a call back?

Can she join the Air Force?

 

[carnivor]

I wouldn’t expect a call. If she really wants to join I recommend getting her score above 50, which puts her in a different (more desirable) category. Did she graduate HS?

 

[Pheedno]

I wouldn’t expect a call. If she really wants to join I recommend getting her score above 50, which puts her in a different (more desirable) category. Did she graduate HS?

Thank you. Yes, she did graduate HS. Her planned path, according to the recruiter, was going to a "FAST course" that tutors for 3wks before basic so she can retake the ASVAB to get the score up and open up options on the MOS. Then this medical record issue came up.
Since this happened, I found an ASVAB tutor so she can study to take a better score. I'm just wondering if we should get the tutoring done so she can enlist in a different branch, retake and then be in a better position going forward.
She's pretty disappointed in the process. We just dont know and we're not getting many answers from the recruiter at this point.

 

[Pheedno]

I'll add. She's two years out of HS and pretty much zero academic practice since then. She also has ADD so test taking is high anxiety for her. I know she can get that score up. Just needs to be "back in the classroom" so to speak.

 

[carnivor]

I was a recruiter for a couple of years, but it’s been 20 years and things change. I don’t know how her specific medical records are viewed. What I’m sure hasn’t changed is that the more they (military in general but recruiting station specifically) need her the harder they’ll work to make it happen. A HS grad with a score above 50 is the most desirable category, and will get the most effort.
Army and Navy are the largest branches so they get the most waivers. Air Force is smaller and has better public perception, so they usually just move on to the next applicant, but there’s no reason not to speak with them or any other branch. I actually just read that the Coast Guard is struggling to find people.
I would raise the score 1st though.
Lastly, good on her for wanting to something, particularly serving the country. I hope she’s able to make it happen.

 

[Pheedno]

carnivor, thank you. I have her set up with an ASVAB tutor now. We were looking at the possibility of her trying to enlist with Coast Guard but got mixed recommendations on attempting to enlist to more than one branch at a time. I also understand the ASVAB score for CG is 40 vs Army and Marines at 32.
I'm grateful for your experience, sir. We'll keep pushing. She's motivated

 

[fisther69]

I would not expect the call. The low test scores aren’t really an issue because there are a lot of jobs in the military that doesn’t require a high score..the back issues though?

I had a synthetic disc put in my back when I was 13 due to a surfing accident. That fake disc was the only thing that saved me..the path that I wanted wouldn’t have been available with a fusion or birth type spine disorder.

 

[AllOkJumpmaster]

any update to this? I was not expecting her to be qualified, but #s are bad right now, they may try to push a waiver.

 

[MR. BMJ]

Maybe one of you guys might have some experience with this.
My 20yr old daughter enlisted with the Army. Her recruiter told her to freeze her social, which she neglected to do before her medical eval and interview at MEPS. She has a couple of diagnosis that were questionable and was required to submit medical records, which she did. One diagnosis was scoliosis and the other is an asymptomatic chromosomal mutation. The scoliosis is 4 degrees. She has taken and passed the ASVAB. It was in the mid 30s. We now have her with a ASVAB tutor to get her score up.
Her recruiter told her that the process after submitting the records would be long enough that she should find a job and they'd be in contact down the road. Should she expect a call back?

I'd post this question over at TID too and maybe GeneticFreak will see it....tag his name. He will know all this for sure. Not saying others here are wrong or their info is incorrect either.

 

[MrWhisper]

Maybe one of you guys might have some experience with this.
My 20yr old daughter enlisted with the Army. Her recruiter told her to freeze her social, which she neglected to do before her medical eval and interview at MEPS. She has a couple of diagnosis that were questionable and was required to submit medical records, which she did. One diagnosis was scoliosis and the other is an asymptomatic chromosomal mutation. The scoliosis is 4 degrees. She has taken and passed the ASVAB. It was in the mid 30s. We now have her with a ASVAB tutor to get her score up.
Her recruiter told her that the process after submitting the records would be long enough that she should find a job and they'd be in contact down the road. Should she expect a call back?

@Pheedno… Sent you a PM bro

 

[MrWhisper]

I wouldn’t expect a call. If she really wants to join I recommend getting her score above 50, which puts her in a different (more desirable) category. Did she graduate HS?

The Army has a program out right now (09M) which allows normal enlistment for some scoring 17-30 on the asvab. No cap like there are when you get waves of CAT4s. This has helped the Army insanely lately.

The score would be the least of my concern. Yes an Alpha is desirable but honestly take anything they can get rn.

 

[MrWhisper]

Understandable. Don't know the accuracy completely but some online searches are stating that anything over 20 degrees of scoliosis is a disqualification but a waiver can be granted up to 30 degrees. I would think at 4 degrees, it would be a non issue.
I also thought, maybe because her ASVAB score was low, there is less consideration to someone who has anything at all on the medical record.

Score will have no bearing on the medical waiver for a condition like scoliosis. Now were a test score is more considered in process of a medical waiver is in those with documented learning disabilities…IEP classes is high school, ADD, ADHD, although ADD and ADHD are so over diagnosed that the Army hardly blinks now with it as long as no meds for over 1yr. Just document it and go-no waiver required.

 

[MrWhisper]

carnivor, thank you. I have her set up with an ASVAB tutor now. We were looking at the possibility of her trying to enlist with Coast Guard but got mixed recommendations on attempting to enlist to more than one branch at a time. I also understand the ASVAB score for CG is 40 vs Army and Marines at 32.
I'm grateful for your experience, sir. We'll keep pushing. She's motivated

You will be setting her up for a long road of medical by switching branches. Basically each branch has to review everything by their dr and then waiver is also thru that branch. Honestly, I’d stick it out with the current branch…Army. Army make the most favorable considerations to waivers as it is.

Navy just accepts fatter people but the Army is now accepting applicants that are up to 6% over accession BF.

Coast Guard is so small it’s more competitive to get a seat even if they are falling short. I’d give this branch the least consideration at the moment.

 

[Pheedno]

THank you, everyone for checking back in. She literally just got the call back from the recruiter last week. They are working on the waivers. She had a meeting at the recruiters office on Friday but I've been out of the country and haven't spoken with her yet on how that went. I'll update the thread when I hear something.
The good of the wait is she's been steady in Jiu Jitsu for 2 months at this point, been working with former army ranger on PT and got her 2 mile run time improved from 32 minutes to 21. Some good will come from this no matter the outcome.

 

[Pheedno]

@Pheedno… Sent you a PM bro

back at you

 

[NeveReveN]

Maybe one of you guys might have some experience with this.
My 20yr old daughter enlisted with the Army. Her recruiter told her to freeze her social, which she neglected to do before her medical eval and interview at MEPS. She has a couple of diagnosis that were questionable and was required to submit medical records, which she did. One diagnosis was scoliosis and the other is an asymptomatic chromosomal mutation. The scoliosis is 4 degrees. She has taken and passed the ASVAB. It was in the mid 30s. We now have her with a ASVAB tutor to get her score up.
Her recruiter told her that the process after submitting the records would be long enough that she should find a job and they'd be in contact down the road. Should she expect a call back?

With the scoliosis I would think she wouldn’t make it through MEPS. The military isn’t even taking people with childhood asthma any more. My kid had to have 5 years totally clear, no doc visits for asthma, no prescriptions for breathing treatments, inhalers, nothing to get in. They’re not taking anyone with health issues anymore. The budget for the Veterans Administration is huge because they pay for your medical care for life once you’ve been in. So they’re weeding out.