Nystagmus Medical Waiver

[Always_Strive]

Good day to all,

I am attempting to reenlist in the United States Army as either an Army Ranger (11X Option 40) or a Special Forces Candidate (18X). I previously enlisted in the United States Army Reserve in 2008 and received an Entry Level Discharge due to not having the correct medical waiver. I received an RE-3 upon my discharge and was told I would be able to reenlist if I obtained the correct medical waiver. I have also confirmed this with research.

When I enlisted in 2008, I received a medical waiver for my 20/60 correctable vision. I found out in Basic Training that I had a condition called Nystagmus, which is a minor involuntary movement in my eyes. Since I did not get a medical waiver for this, I was discharged.

I recently underwent LASIK surgery back in May 2015 and have improved my vision to about 20/30 - 20/40. It has been six months, which is the required wait time, and I have started the paperwork to begin my journey into reenlistment.

According to research that I have done, if I am granted a medical waiver for my Nystagmus condition, I would need an exception to policy letter from the School of Infantry at Fort Benning to enlist and go to Infantry OSUT and Airborne School. I would also need another exception to policy letter from the Ranger Regiment to go RASP or JFKSWCS to go to SFAS.

I have down extensive research and have not seen anything regarding nystagmus and the military. Has anybody heard of anyone successfully obtaining a medical waiver for nystagmus? I was able to qualify on my M16A2 during BRM while I was at Basic Training and continue to recreationally shoot semiautomatic rifles and pistols as a hobby without any difficulty. I feel that this condition does not limit my physical abilities in any way and I am otherwise physically fit, smart, fully capable and dedicated to anything that I do.

Thank you in advance to everyone.

[Always_Strive]

There have been about 250 views and no responses yet . I am assuming no one has heard of this situation.

[CAARNG 68W]

INVALID ADVICE!! Let the QPs handle this!! Return to your LANE!!!

(Ambush Master)

[miclo18d]

I think what the OP is looking for is PULHES. For SF training you need a 111221 (I know this because I was/am a 111211) Nystagmus is not mentioned in the profile but check this out (not official but is an extract from recruiting standards) http://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/disqualifiers-medical-conditions.html where nystagmus is a disqualifier for service

"P" Position - Physical capacity (First number in the profile series) - Organic defects, strength, stamina, agility, energy, muscular coordination, function, and similar factors.
1 - Good muscular development with ability to perform maximum effort for indefinite periods.
2 - Able to perform maximum effort over long periods.
3 - Unable to perform full effort except for brief or moderate periods.
4 - Functional level below the standards of "3."

"U" Position - Upper extremities (2nd number in the profile series) - Strength, range of motion, and general efficiency of upper arm, shoulder girdle, and upper back, including cervical and thoracic vertebrae.
1 - No loss of digits or limitation of motion; no demonstrable abnormality; able to do hand to hand fighting.
2 - Slightly limited mobility of joints, muscular weakness, or other musculo-skeletal defects that do not prevent hand–to–hand fighting and do not disqualify for prolonged effort.
3 - Defects or impairments that require significant restriction of use.
4 - Functional level below the standards of "3."

"L" Position - Lower extremities (3rd number in the profile series) - Strength, range of movement, and efficiency of feet, legs, lower back and pelvic girdle.
1 - No loss of digits or limitation of motion; no demonstrable abnormality; able to perform long marches, stand over long periods, run.
2 - Slightly limited mobility of joints, muscular weakness, or other musculo-skeletal defects that do not prevent moderate marching, climbing, timed walking, or prolonged effort.
3 - Defects or impairments that require significant restriction of use.
4 - Functional level below the standards of "3."

"H" Position - Hearing–ears (4th number in the profile series) - Auditory sensitivity and organic disease of the ears.
1 - Audiometer average level for each ear not more than 25 dB at 500, 1000, 2000 Hz with no individual level greater then 30 dB. Not over 45 dB at 4000 Hz.
2 - Audiometer average level for each ear at 500, 1000, 2000 Hz, or not more than 30 dB, with no individual level greater than 35 dB at these frequencies, and level not more than 55 dB at 4000 Hz; or audiometer level 30 dB at 500 Hz, 25 dB at 1000 and 2000 Hz, and 35 dB at 4000 Hz in better ear. (Poorer ear may be deaf.)
3 - Speech reception threshold in best ear not greater than 30 dB HL, measured with or without hearing aid; or acute or chronic ear disease.
4 - Functional level below the standards of "3."

"E" Position - Vision–eyes (5th number in the profile series) - Visual acuity, and organic disease of the eyes and lids.
1 - Uncorrected visual acuity 20/200 correctable to 20/ 20, in each eye.
2 - Distant visual acuity correctable to not worse than 20/40 and 20/70, or 20/30 and 20/100, or 20/20 and 20/ 400.
3 - Uncorrected distant visual acuity of any degree that is correctable not less than 20/40 in the better eye.
4 - Visual acuity below the standards of "3."

"S" Position - Type severity, and duration of the psychiatric symptoms or disorder existing at the time the profile is determined. Amount of external precipitating stress. Predisposition as determined by the basic personality makeup, intelligence, performance, and history of past psychiatric disorder impairment of functional capacity.
1 - No psychiatric pathology. May have history of a transient personality disorder.
2 - May have history of recovery from an acute psychotic reaction due to external or toxic causes unrelated to alcohol or drug addiction.
3 - Satisfactory remission from an acute psychotic or neurotic episode that permits utilization under specific conditions (assignment when outpatient psychiatric treatment is available or certain duties can be avoided).
4 - Does not meet standards of "3" above.

[miclo18d]

CAVEAT EMPTOR

I was never a recruiter so I don't know what kinds of waivers are or are not available. Chances are slim that anyone on PS.com knows for sure as the standards are constantly updated/changed. Your best bet is a current knowledgeable recruiter.

Good luck with that as many are not much more than used car salesmen, malingerers, or good guys that got screwed by HQDA. You figure the odds on one of those trying to dig into your problem when they aren't meeting their quotas and them running down a waiver for a downsized military and are being hyper selective.

You'd be better off becoming a tranny and joining that way. If they say something about your nystagmus, you can say they are discriminating against your transgenderness.

[miclo18d]

There have been about 250 views and no responses yet . I am assuming no one has heard of this situation.
And don't get cocky.

I found this info in about 2 minutes on 2 different google searches. We aren't here to do your research for you. And since you were also looking for an option 40 contract how many answers did you get on the Ranger sites? None.

[Always_Strive]

CAARNG 68W:

I apologize, I will return to my lane.

miclo18d:

I did not mean to come off as rude or cocky. If I did, I do apologize. I am aware of the PULHES system, and I believe my profile would be a 111121, which would qualify me. My only concern is my Nystagmus condition. I will follow your advice and bring up my concerns with my recruiter. I plan on contacting him again to follow up on the med read and medical waiver status.