The most expeditious manner for a constituent to be considered for enlistment is through his/her local Recruiter. Recruiters will have the greatest knowledge of any constituent enlistment request and be able to answer questions regarding the status of their request.
Denial of Waiver by Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) Chief Medical Officer (CMO)
Every applicant that applies for enlistment must be found physically qualified regardless of prior service status. Physical standards for the Armed Forces are established according to Department of Defense directives and the needs of the service. The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) has the responsibility of determining if an applicant meets these standards. Unless certified by the CMO to be physically qualified or a waiver of the physical standards is recommended and ultimately granted, the applicant cannot be accepted for enlistment.
As a matter of information, the MEPS come under the direct supervision of:
Commander
Military Entrance Processing Command
2500 Green Bay Road
North Chicago, Illinois 60064
If your constituent would like a more detailed explanation of his/her medical disqualification, he may correspond directly with that agency. Their telephone number is (847) 688-3680 extension 7186.
Denial of Waiver by BUMED
Every applicant that applies for enlistment must be found physically qualified regardless of prior service status. Physical standards for the Armed Forces are established according to Department of Defense (DoD) directives and the needs of the service. The Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED), Department of the Navy, reviews requests for waivers of the enlistment standards for all applicants seeking entry into the Marine Corps.
If your constituent would like to communicate with BUMED concerning his/her disqualification, he may write to the Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, 2300 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20372-5300. That agency can provide him/her with the basis for their recommendation.
Delayed Entry Program (DEP)
The Delayed Entry Program (DEP) is the Marine Corps' version of a college "early action" program. This allows applicants to sign a contract prior to departing for recruit training. If an individual requests a release from the DEP, he/she must communicate this desire with their Recruiter and must attend an interview with representatives from the Recruiting Station so that all of the applicant's concerns can be addressed. If after this interview the applicant still desires release from the program, the officers of the Recruiting Station will arrange for his/her release. It is important to note that once the applicant is released from the DEP, they will not receive a formal discharge certificate, as there was no service associated with their previous commitment.
Age Waivers
By law, the maximum age for enlistment is 35. This is not waiverable. If an individual has prior service time, this time will be subtracted from his/her age in order to determine if their age is compatible with the maximum age limit. For example, if a 37-year-old Marine with 10 years of service desires to reenlist in the Marine Corps, his/her age will be 27 for enlistment purposes. Although the maximum age for enlistment is 35, any individual older than 28 is required to request an age waiver.