Expert: MARK A. HOWELL - 4/4/2009

Question
QUESTION:       Good day. My name is Rashamen Green and my dream is to serve my
family, future, and country by joining the USMC. During my physical exam it
was discovered that I have a condition called Kerataconous. Now i do wear
glasses but passed the eye exam. I understand the nature of the disease but
have seen two eye and corneal specialist that state the my condition is a mild
case. Is there any way that I may continue to do the proudest and most
amazing thing possible by becoming a marine. It very hard to accept that a
just having a disease is enough to keep me back

ANSWER: Rashamen,
As you know, Keratoconus is a condition of the eye which literally means "conical or cone-shaped cornea", the major focussing surface of the eye.  It is a rare condition affecting only about 1 in 10,000.  It usually affects both eyes, although one eye is normally affected before the other.  In keratoconus, the cornea becomes stretched and thin near its center, and the thinned part of the cornea bulges making the vision more shortsighted and irregular.  As a result your vision becomes distorted.

Do you mean it was discovered by the doctors at a Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS)?  If so, the doctors at MEPS, apparently felt that the condition would interfere with the proper performance of your military training or duties and disqualified you.

The enlistment regulations specifically state that "Any condition that, in the opinion of the examining medical officer, will significantly interfere with the successful performance of military duty or training may be a cause for rejection, enlistment, and induction."

When MEPS medically disqualifies you, the doctor also makes a recommendation, in writing, as to whether he/she thinks a medical waiver should be considered. After that, it's up to the Marine Corps Recruiter to submit a medical waiver for your medical condition for consideration by the Surgeon General.  The waiver process is basically you "begging" the military to make an exception in your particular case.  Each and every waiver is evaluated individually, using several criteria.

Remember, if you are denied a waiver, that means you are disqualified for ALL military Services.

Best of luck, and thanks for wanting to serve your country.
Colonel H

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION:          Thank you Colonel for your prompt and honest answer. I understand through visiting experts and more research the nature of my disease. I also understand the medical waiver process through more research. My follow up question is: has there ever been a medical waiver issued for kerataconous in any branch of the military ever. I hope to use this case study to perpetuate my situation in a positive manner. I have built a strong side with three corneal experts including the chairmen of Bascom Palmer Eye institute in Florida. I respect all my superiors and everyone involved in the process of becoming enlisted. I only wish to accomplish my dream of serving in the USMC and will do all possible in fulfilling that dream. I believe as a strong trait to becoming a Marine that not giving up easily through any form of adversity is a quality I possess and will behoove me in the future endeavors of that life choice. I hope and pray that the answer you give is a positive one to help and are simply able to find it. I anxiously await your response in respect to whatever the answer is. God bless us all in this world. Thank you R.Green

Answer
Rashamen,
I inquired at the Surgeon General's office.  They said they do not keep statistics on a particular type of waiver because each case is reviewed individually, therefore "precedence" doesn't matter because one person's waiver may be because of a "less severe problem" than another.  I asked what were the chances of getting a weaiver with Keratoconus and they refused to answer, again saying, "every case is different."  The local Marine Corps recruiter I spoke with said, "Try it and see, it couldn't hurt.  The worst they can do is say, no."

If you are denied a waiver, and knowing your eagerness to serve, have you considered Federal Civil Service?  You could work for the Marine Corps, side-by-side with them, the only difference is you won't be wearing a uniform.  I know that's a let-down, but it still keeps you actively involved with the Marines and you'll be treated as "one of the guys" in every instance.  Because Civil Service workers don't attend boot camp, they do not have to pass any sort of a physical exam.

Civil Service workers are in all the Services working right alongside military folks, even overseas.  My wife is Civil Service and when I was stationed at the Pentagon she worked for the Marine Corps.  Her office developed the new amphibious assault vehicle.  She got to spend a few days aboard a ship, and drove the new amphibious assault vehicle ashore from 30 miles out to sea, dropped of a load of Marines, and even fired the 20mm cannon to lay down covering fire while the Marines staged a mock beachhead assault.  Not bad for a civilian, huh?

Then when I was reassigned to Colorado she transferred to a job working for the Air Force (still within Civil Service.)  Next I was reassigned to Nebraska and she transferred to a job with the Army.  So as you can see, as a Civil Service Worker you can work for any, or all, of the Services.  A good friend of mine just retired from Civil Service after working 20 years with the Marines, all in the same job at the same location.  So the opportunities are endless.  You can move locations if you wish, you can stay at the same location and switch jobs if you desire, or you can work the same job at the same place.  My brother-in-law is Civil Service and has worked at the Joint Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida for 25 years, yet worked for the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines, just because every few years he wants to do something different.  So he's worked in every Service and has never left MacDill AFB.  He's going to retire next year, and will get a government pension for the rest of his life, same as if he was an active duty soldier.

Let's hope your waiver is approved, but in case it isn't, it may be worth your while to go Civil Service.  You can check into it at:  http://federaljobs.net/

Best of luck in whatever you choose, and thanks for wanting to serve your country.  Our country could use more patriotic men like you!
Colonel H