Military Law Forum

[idkwhat2puthere]

for those of y'all graduating this month what are the plans before going in?

I'm waiting on a waiver decision right now and already passed the bar but with no idea of the timeline or when I would approximately get started with OTS I'm kind of at a loss of what to do in the meantime.

[Bp06]

Hi, everyone!
Selected for DA AF JAG, I also have a pending application (fall portal that just closed 10/10) for Navy direct appointment. Should I notify Navy I’ve been selected by AF if I’m genuinely interested in both? Or, just let it ride without notifying them and see what happens?

Hey! I am now in the same boat and am curious what you decided to do. Did you notify the Navy that you were also selected by AF?
Also having trouble deciding which to choose.

When the accessions officer called to tell me I was selected for the Navy I let her know then that I was also selected by the AF. Since I have already been to MEPS for the AF I wanted to see if I had to go again, and thought it best to be up front from the get go. I haven’t been given any hard deadlines yet for either branch, so I am going through processing for both.

[wet_tissue_paper22]

Hi everyone, I'm currently a candidate in accessions for Army Reserve direct commission. I need two medical waivers. I know I'm supposed to submit a waiver request memo to JARO, but I'm unclear as to what, if any, additional medical documentation I'm supposed to submit. Should I submit additional medical documentation (like new doctors evaluations, letters of rec, etc.) unprompted along with my request or should I just submit my request and wait to hear if they need or want additional documentation? I want to submit the best case I can, so any guidance you all can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Hey, was just in the same boat as you with Army RJAG and recently submitted a waiver package. If I were you, I'd submit the new documents unprompted to your DODMERB case manager. I got zero guidance from anyone as to what types of documents were necessary, but I did find this online document that I used as a reference: https://www.mepcom.army.mil/Portals/112 ... 5UCQ%3d%3d

My understanding is the above publication is intended for recruiters working with MEPS applicants to help them tell their recruits what they need to get. I used this (plus some Reddit anecdata) to figure out what I needed to submit for my condition and ended up submitting pharmacy records, a new doctor evaluation, and letters of recommendation.

My DODMERB case manager could only tell me that they could see my waiver was under review and that nothing further had been requested yet, but I didn't want to take a chance with having the waiver authority render a decision solely on the basis of DODMERB initial exam alone (since it's cursory and really only states that a DQing condition exists). I have no idea if my strategy will work, but it makes sense to me.

Looks like we're going to have to buckle down for a pretty long wait with the waivers barring a miracle. I submitted my documents to DODMERB three weeks ago and it doesn't look like they've made it into the DODMERB portal yet.

[LOAClunatic]

Hello, first time poster, long time lurker.

I'm a recent grad and am going into a district court federal clerkship. The judge said that at his discretion, I can stay up to 4 years as a clerk. I'm really interested in International law, National Security law, and Operational law. So I have a few questions regarding JAG:

1) Does the length of the clerkship positively/negatively impact me? (Even with the 4 years, I won't be running against any age limit for branches.)

2) I want to go into Navy JAG and am aware that the first tour does not include much, if any, of international law. How much sway will I have into pursuing this area in the 2nd tour, or will the needs of the Navy override? (I'm aware that I'd probably end up on a ship for a bit, but honestly... I'm somewhat excited about this.)

3) How competitive should I expect Direct Accessions to be? I was on the Moot Court Board and was on Law Review during law school. Average grades. I did apply as a rising 3L through the student program and was not professionally recommended, so IDK if that hurts my chances or helps because it shows I'm interested.

4) What else can I do in the meantime to strengthen an application? For example, judge said there's a chance I get to work on Admiralty, so would experiences like that help me?

5) I know that Army has SAUSAs, but does Navy have them? There's a Navy base relatively close by, so I'm wondering if I may get to see any of their cases.

Thanks!!

[anonymous19921992]

Hi everyone, I'm currently a candidate in accessions for Army Reserve direct commission. I need two medical waivers. I know I'm supposed to submit a waiver request memo to JARO, but I'm unclear as to what, if any, additional medical documentation I'm supposed to submit. Should I submit additional medical documentation (like new doctors evaluations, letters of rec, etc.) unprompted along with my request or should I just submit my request and wait to hear if they need or want additional documentation? I want to submit the best case I can, so any guidance you all can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Hey, was just in the same boat as you with Army RJAG and recently submitted a waiver package. If I were you, I'd submit the new documents unprompted to your DODMERB case manager. I got zero guidance from anyone as to what types of documents were necessary, but I did find this online document that I used as a reference: https://www.mepcom.army.mil/Portals/112 ... 5UCQ%3d%3d

My understanding is the above publication is intended for recruiters working with MEPS applicants to help them tell their recruits what they need to get. I used this (plus some Reddit anecdata) to figure out what I needed to submit for my condition and ended up submitting pharmacy records, a new doctor evaluation, and letters of recommendation.

My DODMERB case manager could only tell me that they could see my waiver was under review and that nothing further had been requested yet, but I didn't want to take a chance with having the waiver authority render a decision solely on the basis of DODMERB initial exam alone (since it's cursory and really only states that a DQing condition exists). I have no idea if my strategy will work, but it makes sense to me.

Looks like we're going to have to buckle down for a pretty long wait with the waivers barring a miracle. I submitted my documents to DODMERB three weeks ago and it doesn't look like they've made it into the DODMERB portal yet.

That's all great advice. Thank you! Best of luck to you!

[anonymous19921992]

Hi everyone,

Following-up from a previous post. I'm in accessions for Army Reserve JAG and was medically DQ'd for a prior ADD diagnosis. I was in the process of putting together a waiver packet, when I received a request for additional medical information(AMI) from DODMERB. They requested all my doctor's notes and prescription records related to ADD. For background, I was diagnosed in August 2015, prescribed adderall between August 2015 and January 2023. I haven't taken the medication since July 2022 (no medication in past 22 months), was officially de-prescribed in January 2023, and last month received a new ADD assessment from a psychologist saying that my symptoms have resolved and I was previously misdiagnosed.

A few questions:

1) Is this AMI good news, bad news, or routine?

2) After I submit the AMI will I receive a new decision from DODMERB? And should I therefore wait to submit my waiver packet?

3) Can anyone share their thoughts or recent experiences on my chances of being accepted / waived? And any additional advice on submitting the best waiver memo and packet I can? Any other thoughts or advice?

Thank you all for this great resource and previous answers.

[Bop]

Hi everyone,

Following-up from a previous post. I'm in accessions for Army Reserve JAG and was medically DQ'd for a prior ADD diagnosis. I was in the process of putting together a waiver packet, when I received a request for additional medical information(AMI) from DODMERB. They requested all my doctor's notes and prescription records related to ADD. For background, I was diagnosed in August 2015, prescribed adderall between August 2015 and January 2023. I haven't taken the medication since July 2022 (no medication in past 22 months), was officially de-prescribed in January 2023, and last month received a new ADD assessment from a psychologist saying that my symptoms have resolved and I was previously misdiagnosed.

A few questions:

1) Is this AMI good news, bad news, or routine?

2) After I submit the AMI will I receive a new decision from DODMERB? And should I therefore wait to submit my waiver packet?

3) Can anyone share their thoughts or recent experiences on my chances of being accepted / waived? And any additional advice on submitting the best waiver memo and packet I can? Any other thoughts or advice?

Thank you all for this great resource and previous answers.

1) Routine. The majority of DQs need additional info for a decision to be made.

2) No, it is unlikely that DoDMERB itself will make a new decision. Instead, they are now acting as the middleman to collect paperwork for the waiver approval authority to make a decision. Personally, I sent in my waiver request before my optometrist had sent in my follow-up appointment results; I simply included language in the body of the email that included my waiver request that the optometrist's opinion was forthcoming.

3) Always hard to answer this one. The 22 month gap, the psychologist's opinion on a misdiagnosis, and the official de-prescription will go a long way though. I suggest getting a solid note from the psychologist outlining why they think it was a misdiagnosis. If the de-prescription came from someone different than the psychologist, I'd suggest getting a note from them explaining why they chose to take you off the medication.

In your waiver request memo, generally you want to bring up that you have no difficulties or significant obstacles performing legal or Soldier duties. You may want to discuss what lead to the 2015 diagnosis and what medically and/or personally has changed in the past 9 years. On the other hand, you may want to avoid that topic if there was a significant underlying event in 2015; make sure you don't bring up topics that will raise additional eyebrows (e.g., talking about depression).

[ubersaurusrex]

Hello, first time poster, long time lurker.

I'm a recent grad and am going into a district court federal clerkship. The judge said that at his discretion, I can stay up to 4 years as a clerk. I'm really interested in International law, National Security law, and Operational law. So I have a few questions regarding JAG:

1) Does the length of the clerkship positively/negatively impact me? (Even with the 4 years, I won't be running against any age limit for branches.)

2) I want to go into Navy JAG and am aware that the first tour does not include much, if any, of international law. How much sway will I have into pursuing this area in the 2nd tour, or will the needs of the Navy override? (I'm aware that I'd probably end up on a ship for a bit, but honestly... I'm somewhat excited about this.)

3) How competitive should I expect Direct Accessions to be? I was on the Moot Court Board and was on Law Review during law school. Average grades. I did apply as a rising 3L through the student program and was not professionally recommended, so IDK if that hurts my chances or helps because it shows I'm interested.

4) What else can I do in the meantime to strengthen an application? For example, judge said there's a chance I get to work on Admiralty, so would experiences like that help me?

5) I know that Army has SAUSAs, but does Navy have them? There's a Navy base relatively close by, so I'm wondering if I may get to see any of their cases.

Thanks!!

1. No, the clerkship should generally make you more attractive as your getting federal experience.

2. Needs of the service are always going to win, but they might align with your interests. It's just hard to predict. A sea tour likely won't happen until you're much more senior.

3. Direct Accessions is more competitive for the Navy than their student program since they hire the majority of their JAGs as students. The previous application won't hurt, but if you weren't selected as a 3L I don't know that you have a better shot now (other than the additional experience from the clerkship).

4. Probably more litigation experience. That's what the majority of your first assignments will be.

5. SAUSAs basically try traffic tickets in front of magistrate judges. Not the most exciting proceedings, but potentially a good way to network.

[Anonymous User]

Hi everyone,

Following-up from a previous post. I'm in accessions for Army Reserve JAG and was medically DQ'd for a prior ADD diagnosis. I was in the process of putting together a waiver packet, when I received a request for additional medical information(AMI) from DODMERB. They requested all my doctor's notes and prescription records related to ADD. For background, I was diagnosed in August 2015, prescribed adderall between August 2015 and January 2023. I haven't taken the medication since July 2022 (no medication in past 22 months), was officially de-prescribed in January 2023, and last month received a new ADD assessment from a psychologist saying that my symptoms have resolved and I was previously misdiagnosed.

A few questions:

1) Is this AMI good news, bad news, or routine?

2) After I submit the AMI will I receive a new decision from DODMERB? And should I therefore wait to submit my waiver packet?

3) Can anyone share their thoughts or recent experiences on my chances of being accepted / waived? And any additional advice on submitting the best waiver memo and packet I can? Any other thoughts or advice?

Thank you all for this great resource and previous answers.

Take this with as much salt as you want, but I am actually in a similar boat as you for this year's RJAG class (sounds like they made AMI requests in waves for all the folks with ADD/ADHD). Obviously every case is different, but for my AMI, they noted in particular that they needed to see 12-months of medication-free performance in addition to all relevant records (I only had eight at the time I went through my initial exam).

Again, I know everyone is different, but if you're concerned about the length of time, it looks like they haven't rejected my waiver yet and are only looking for 12 months - I'd imagine 22 is an even better spot to be in. Best of luck!

[wet_tissue_paper22]

Has anyone in the Army RJAG process had any movement on waivers?

[Anonymous User]

also jumping on the waiver train - has anyone for Air Force heard anything about waivers? Submitted in May and still haven't heard anything. Going slightly stir crazy over here

[Bp06]

also jumping on the waiver train - has anyone for Air Force heard anything about waivers? Submitted in May and still haven't heard anything. Going slightly stir crazy over here

I went to MEPS in Feb., submitted the extra documentation in April. Still waiting, unfortunately.

[ckndnr]

also jumping on the waiver train - has anyone for Air Force heard anything about waivers? Submitted in May and still haven't heard anything. Going slightly stir crazy over here

I went to MEPS in Feb., submitted the extra documentation in April. Still waiting, unfortunately.

good to know i'm not the only one Did they tell you it should be about 2 weeks to hear back too?

[jam472]

Applying for reserve JAG in the Army. I don't have LORs lined up, but everything else is competitive as I understand it. I know LORs are optional, but I understand they're typically an important part of the package. Has anyone heard of someone getting accepted for reserve without LORs?

[wet_tissue_paper22]

Applying for reserve JAG in the Army. I don't have LORs lined up, but everything else is competitive as I understand it. I know LORs are optional, but I understand they're typically an important part of the package. Has anyone heard of someone getting accepted for reserve without LORs?

Not quite the same, but I was offered an RJAG commission with only one LOR from a law school professor who was also a retired military officer. Even if you don't have a supervisor or professor who can write one, maybe you know a military officer or veteran who would be able to write one more broadly about your capacity for leadership, military bearing, etc.

If you can't find one at all, I say shoot your shot anyway. You can always reapply and try again if you need to.

[Patrick Bateman]

Applying for reserve JAG in the Army. I don't have LORs lined up, but everything else is competitive as I understand it. I know LORs are optional, but I understand they're typically an important part of the package. Has anyone heard of someone getting accepted for reserve without LORs?

My two cents from the USAF perspective: boards love clear, binary, ways to differentiate folks. Do you have a Masters, or not? Completed Air War College, or not?

Evaluating a ton of packages on a board is hard - it is easy however to start sorting all of the “not” folks into a rejection pile.

So you may be able to get away without the recommendations. But you may also just be making your package an easy one to flag compared to the folks that did have recommendations.

[Bop]

Applying for reserve JAG in the Army. I don't have LORs lined up, but everything else is competitive as I understand it. I know LORs are optional, but I understand they're typically an important part of the package. Has anyone heard of someone getting accepted for reserve without LORs?

Patrick Bateman's analysis also applies to the Army. I'm sure it's not impossible, but you're setting yourself apart (negatively). I'd try to at least get one LOR if you can swing it. That said, I see no reason not to try anyways. If your lack of LORs hurts you this time around, it'll look good that you've remedied the issue for the next board.

[Anonymous User]

AF August board decisions starting to go out, got the call last night. Expecting a decision from the Army Early Decision Board sometime this week. Big thank you to everyone that has ever posted in this behemoth of a thread, especially Patrick Bateman. Made this entire process significantly easier.

[Patrick Bateman]

AF August board decisions starting to go out, got the call last night. Expecting a decision from the Army Early Decision Board sometime this week. Big thank you to everyone that has ever posted in this behemoth of a thread, especially Patrick Bateman. Made this entire process significantly easier.

Anon - congrats on your selection. Good luck on the Army side!

Always awesome to see folks still getting a benefit out of this thread after all these years.

[wet_tissue_paper22]

Are there any Army folks who have gone through the remedial appointment process? I just got notified that I am going to need an in-person remedial evaluation for allergies and that DODMETS can take "up to 30 days" to find a provider. Has anyone gone through this process that can clarify whether I should expect that to take the full 30 days?

Currently slated for Jan 2025 training but trying to figure out if I should start mentally preparing to be delayed until April (and trying to figure out how often I should refresh the DODMETS page, for my own sanity).

[Bop]

Are there any Army folks who have gone through the remedial appointment process? I just got notified that I am going to need an in-person remedial evaluation for allergies and that DODMETS can take "up to 30 days" to find a provider. Has anyone gone through this process that can clarify whether I should expect that to take the full 30 days?

Currently slated for Jan 2025 training but trying to figure out if I should start mentally preparing to be delayed until April (and trying to figure out how often I should refresh the DODMETS page, for my own sanity).

Glad to hear they're giving you a remedial appointment! I was in this boat when joining the Army a few years ago, I had to do a remedial optometry appointment for the Army to decide on my eye waiver. I don't recall if it took 30 days, but they had to send me to a different optometrist in a different city. The remedial optometrist was inexperienced with DODMERB, so I had to be a bit proactive with coaching them through what documents I needed.

Similar to you, I was temporarily slotted for a class while awaiting results. I can't speak for your processing time, but I ended up in the class that I was slotted for so don't lose hope on that January ship date until JARO tells you so. That said, for me it became very chaotic and uncertain as it got close to my ship date. My waiver was not granted until a few weeks before DCC, and I did not get a hard confirmation for my class date until about a week before my start date. I recommend moving quickly on appointments and documents. Also, listen to JARO, they were great at setting expectations when I was going through the process.

[wet_tissue_paper22]

Are there any Army folks who have gone through the remedial appointment process? I just got notified that I am going to need an in-person remedial evaluation for allergies and that DODMETS can take "up to 30 days" to find a provider. Has anyone gone through this process that can clarify whether I should expect that to take the full 30 days?

Currently slated for Jan 2025 training but trying to figure out if I should start mentally preparing to be delayed until April (and trying to figure out how often I should refresh the DODMETS page, for my own sanity).

Glad to hear they're giving you a remedial appointment! I was in this boat when joining the Army a few years ago, I had to do a remedial optometry appointment for the Army to decide on my eye waiver. I don't recall if it took 30 days, but they had to send me to a different optometrist in a different city. The remedial optometrist was inexperienced with DODMERB, so I had to be a bit proactive with coaching them through what documents I needed.

Similar to you, I was temporarily slotted for a class while awaiting results. I can't speak for your processing time, but I ended up in the class that I was slotted for so don't lose hope on that January ship date until JARO tells you so. That said, for me it became very chaotic and uncertain as it got close to my ship date. My waiver was not granted until a few weeks before DCC, and I did not get a hard confirmation for my class date until about a week before my start date. I recommend moving quickly on appointments and documents. Also, listen to JARO, they were great at setting expectations when I was going through the process.

Thanks so much for sharing your experience - I think you've helpfully answered a few of my waiver questions in this thread, so thanks for the guidance you've given along the way!

I'm definitely doing what I can to keep the ball rolling. I refresh DODMETS an unhealthy amount to see if it's updated yet (it's only been about a week so we'll see how long it ends up taking). I'm hopeful that this will end with a favorable waiver result and would be surprised if it didn't end that way (considering this is over a cat allergy lol), but my real outstanding concern about timing after this step is the security clearance process.

Anyway, thanks again. I'm surprised (in a good way) to hear that you were able to turn around so quick and get to DCC - that must have been a nightmare! Hoping to find myself coming back to this thread in a couple of months to share a similar story.

[Anonymous User]

Hi everyone, currently in accessions for Army Reserve JAG and recently got this in an email from JARO:

"There has been a recent change regarding bonuses as well. USAR is no longer offering commissioning bonuses/ student loan repayment for any MOS for the foreseeable future."

Anyone have any insights on this (why the change? how long no bonuses for? any way to negotiate this?) or experiences dealing with a similar situation? I sure would like that bonus.

[Anonymous User]

Hi everyone, currently in accessions for Army Reserve JAG and recently got this in an email from JARO:

"There has been a recent change regarding bonuses as well. USAR is no longer offering commissioning bonuses/ student loan repayment for any MOS for the foreseeable future."

Anyone have any insights on this (why the change? how long no bonuses for? any way to negotiate this?) or experiences dealing with a similar situation? I sure would like that bonus.

Wow - that really sucks (also an Army RJAG select, although I'm still in medical so I didn't receive that email). I have to imagine it's due to the fact that Congress passed a continuing resolution for government funding versus passing the NDAA. Some reporting indicated that this would directly impact accessions bonuses (https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-bud ... ba30f4b898). The gist is that the Armed Forces still need to fund increased servicemember pay, but without the NDAA, has to use the existing budget to fund those increases versus receiving new appropriations. Thus, they cut accessions bonuses to fund the pay increase.

I'd be curious if they could offer retention bonuses down the line instead of accessions bonuses now, but my understanding is that if there's no funding, we're pretty much SOL.

[ShortTimeLurker]

Headed to the Air Force. How about something a bit off topic - I wanted to buy myself an (inexpensive) wrist watch to celebrate passing the bar. What is considered kosher for a new JAG to wear with OCP's? I already have the GShock and the dressier stuff covered.

But should I be looking at black pvd stuff? Stainless steel? Nato straps? Does a daily office watch need to handle unscheduled PT sessions, or can I go ahead and get the solid rose gold A. Lange & Sohne?