CHANGES TO AVIATION SPECIAL DUTY WAIVER PROCESSING

[Tony]

CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED//
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R 251931Z MAR 25 MID120001818030U
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC
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NAVADMIN 062/25
 
PASS TO OFFICE CODES:
FM CNO WASHINTON DC//N093//
INFO CNO WASHINTON DC//N093//
MSGID/NAVADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N093/MAR//

SUBJ/CHANGES TO AVIATION SPECIAL DUTY WAIVER PROCESSING//

REF/A/NAVADMIN 013/25 CORRECTED COPY CHANGES TO SPECIAL DUTY WAIVER//

RMKS/1.  The Chief of Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) has directed 
both immediate and long-term improvements to Special Duty Waiver (SDW) 
processes to eliminate the backlog of medical holds at Recruit Training 
Command and all other accession points.  Guidance for SDW processes for 
undersea medicine was previously released in ref (A).  This memo addresses 
SDW processes for the aviation community.

2. This guidance implements a process change to improve timeliness and 
maximize resources in support of the aviation SDW process.  It applies to the 
performance of all initial flight physicals and directs the Naval Aerospace 
Medical Institute (NAMI) to maintain a list in the Aeromedical Reference and 
Waiver Guide (ARWG) of disqualifying conditions for which no waiver will be 
recommended (WNR).

3. For the rapid disposition of initial flight physicals when a WNR condition 
is found:
a.  An appropriately credentialed and privileged clinician (Aerospace 
Medicine physician, Flight Surgeon, Aerospace Medicine Physician Assistant, 
or Aviation Medicine Examiner) will perform all aeromedical examinations.  
These clinicians are collectively referred to as Aerospace Medical Clinicians 
(AMCs).
b.  Individuals who receive a general duty waiver also require a waiver for 
aviation special duty.  The WNR pre-existing conditions listed in the ARWG 
will not be considered for an aeromedical waiver, with the rare exception of 
some Class V flight physicals for which a waiver request may be submitted on 
a case -by-case basis at the discretion of the AMC.  If submitted, 
consideration will be based on assigned platform, flight environment, 
occupational duties, physical requirements, and mental and physical 
stressors.  Class I or Class II aeromedical clearances have additional 
disqualifying conditions in addition to those listed for all classes.
c.  Individuals found to have a WNR preexisting condition do not require any 
further evaluation for aviation special duty assignment, including lab 
testing, imaging, or specialist consultation.  An individual with a 
disqualifying condition for a more restrictive class may still be submitted 
for a less restrictive class (e.g., Class II instead of Class I).  AMCs 
should complete an abbreviated disqualification package with a brief 
aeromedical summary which references this message and submit via AERO as 
Disqualified, Waiver Not Recommended.  NAMI shall forward this to the 
appropriate Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS) code for final determination 
without any further adjudication required, unless NAMI or BUPERS determines a 
formal NAMI review is indicated.

4.  NAMI shall maintain a current list of WNR conditions in the ARWG, 
reviewed and updated as needed based on medical evidence, aeromedical best-
practices, and any superseding medical guidance. Updates to this list, in 
addition to any other ARWG updates, shall be reviewed and approved quarterly 
by the Aerospace Medicine Corporate Board and subsequently reported to Chief, 
BUMED via the BUMED Branch Head, Aerospace Medicine.

5.  The ARWG is accessible at: [https://www.med.navy.mil/Navy-Medicine-
Operational-Training-Command/Naval-Aerospace-Medical-Institute/Aeromedical-
Reference-and-Waiver-Guide/

6.  Tracking.  The current SDW backlog must be tracked to understand the 
effectiveness of the mitigation strategy being implemented.
a.  All accession points with enlisted personnel or officer candidates who 
have graduated but remain in a medical hold status while awaiting their 
aviation medical waiver shall report monthly to BUMED Assessments and 
Analytics (N58) the total number of personnel in that status and the total 
number of flight physicals performed that month.  Numbers for each category 
(e.g.: mental health, cardiology, etc.) should be included if possible.
b.  This report should be provided to BUMED N58 upon receipt of this 
guidance, and monthly thereafter via email at 
usn.ncr.bumedfchva.mbx.n58@health.mil.

7.  BUMED primary point of contact is Branch Head, Aerospace Medicine (N10F1) 
via email at AVMED@health.mil or phone at (703) 681-9323.

8.  Released by Rear Admiral Darin K. Via, N093, Surgeon General of the 
Navy.//

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