PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

§ 710.52 Introduction. (a) All candidates for the Naval Academy must meet the physical standards established by the Secretary of the Navy. These standards are outlined in detail in § 710.53 under the heading "Physical Standards and Disqualifying Defects."

(b) Physical examinations are divided into three categories: (1) Preliminary physical examination; (2) formal physical examination; and (3) physical reexamination. Each of these is discussed herein under the appropriate heading.

§ 710.53 Physical standards and disqualifying defects-(a) General. Candidates are required to meet the physical standards outlined in the following paragraphs. Physical standards are established to secure uniformity in conducting physical examinations and in interpreting physical fitness of candidates for, and persons in, the naval service. The object is to procure and retain personnel who are physically fit and temperamentally adaptable to the conditions of military life. This is intended to preclude from acceptance, those individuals who present contagious or infectious disease which would be likely to endanger the health of other personnel, those who are likely to require repeated admissions to the sick list, prolonged hospitalization, or invaliding from service, and those who present any condition which would be likely to form the basis of a claim for physical retirement benefits. In order to eliminate preferential treatment to any individual or group of individuals, defects which are listed as disqualifying will not be waived and requests or recommendations that physical defects be waived shall not be submitted.

(1) Candidates will save valuable time and money (see § 710.54 on preliminary examinations) for themselves and the Government by procuring careful complete physical and dental examinations prior to reporting for their formal physical examinations in order that disqualifying defects such as cavities in teeth (cause for 90 percent of temporary rejection), hernia, etc., can be repaired.

(2) The candidate should insist that his medical and dental examiner fully inform him of all his physical defects and whether or not such defects are considered disqualifying for entrance to the U. S. Naval Academy.

(3) Since a history of having had certain illnesses which are recurrent and/ or progressive in nature is disqualifying for entrance to the U. S. Naval Academy it is of paramount importance that the candidate inform the medical and dental examiner in detail of his past medical record. The candidate who fails to inform his examiner of his past medical record in order to gain entrance into the U. S. Naval Academy has not accomplished his goal if he must be discharged because of a recurrent or progressive disease subsequent to his entrance there. A number of examples of diseases which fall into the category under discussion are (i) allergies (asthma, severe hay fever, food allergy, contact allergy, urticaria, angioneurotic edema, bacterial allergy), (ii) abnormal sensitivity to physical agents (heat, cold, light), (iii) tuberculosis, (iv) diabetes, (v) dental diseases (advanced gingival diseases, rampant dental caries, marked malocclusion), (vi) psychic disturbances (psychoneuroses, psychoses, personality or behavior disorders), (vii) disease, derangement, or injury to major or weightbearing bones or joints or their actuating and supportive musculature and its innervation, (viii) cardiovascular disorders (rheumatic fever or sequelae, hypertensive vascular disease, organic heart disease), (ix) chronic disease or absence of a thoracic or abdominal viscus, (x) carcinoma, (xi) motion sickness (automobile, train, airplane, ship, etc.), et cetera.

(b) Medical history. In order to assist the examiner in conducting the physical examination, it is required that a careful history be obtained. An applicant for entry into the U. S. Naval Academy, upon reporting for examination, shall first be required to complete Standard Form 89 (Report of Medical History). The use of this form is not required in case of a candidate appearing before his own family physician and dentist. When used, the data on the completed form shall be reviewed, and elaborated upon by the examiner whenever it is necessary to present a more complete picture of the individual's medical history.

(c) Psychiatric disorders. The following conditions are causes for rejections:

(1) Psychotic disorders:
(i) Schizophrenic reactions.
(ii) Affective reactions.

(iii) Paranoid reactions.

(2) Psychiatric disorders with demonstrable physical etiology or associated structural changes in the brain:

(i) Psychotic disorders with demonstrable physical etiology or associated structural changes in the brain.

(ii) Nonpsychotic mental disorders with demonstrable physical etiology or associated structural changes in the brain.

(3) Psychoneurotic disorders:
(i) Anxiety reaction.

(ii) Dissociative reaction.

(iii) Conversion reaction.
(iv) Phobic reaction.

(v) Obsessive-compulsive reaction.
(vi) Neurotic-depressive reaction.
(vii) Somatization reaction.

(viii) Hypochondriacal reaction.

(4) Character and behavior disorders:
(i) Pathological personality types:
(a) Schizoid personality.

(b) Paranoid personality.
(c) Cyclothymic personality.
(d) Inadequate personality.
(e) Antisocial personality.
(f) Asocial (amoral) personality.
(g) Sexual deviate.

(ii) Immaturity reactions:
(a) Emotional-instability reaction.
(b) Passive-dependency reaction.
(c) Passive-aggression reaction.
(d) Aggressive reaction.

(e) Immaturity with symptomatic habit reaction.

(5) Disorders of intelligence:

(i) Mental deficiency, primary.
(ii) Mental deficiency, secondary.
(iii) Specific learning defect.

(d) Weight, height, and miscellaneous considerations. (1) The applicant's weight should be well distributed and in proportion to age, height, and skeletal structure. The following table shall be used as a general guide.

stipation, and "drop" heart, with its peculiar attenuation and weak and easily fatigued musculature.

(iv) All acute communicable diseases. (v) All diseases and conditions which are not easily remediable or that tend physically to incapacitate the individual, such as: chronic malaria or malarial cachexia; tuberculosis; leprosy; actinomycosis; recurrent attacks of rheumatic fever, chronic articular rheumatism, or chronic arthritis; cellulitis; osteomyelitis; malignant diseases of all kinds in any location; hemophilia; purpura; leukemia of all types; pernicious anemia; splenic anemia; trypanosomiasis; filariasis which has produced permanent disability or deformity, history of an acute attack of filariasis within 6 months of date of examination, or the finding of microfilaria in the blood stream; chronic metallic poisoning; any of the allergic manifestations such as hay fever, asthma, allergic conjunctivitis, allergic dermatoses, allergic rhinitis, or a history

thereof when, in the opinion of the medical officer, the condition is of present or future clinical significance.

(e) The endocrine glands and metabolism. The following conditions are causes for rejection:

(1) Toxic goiter; thyroid adenoma with pressure symptoms or of such size as to interfere with wearing a uniform.

(2) Cretinism; hypothyroidism; myxedema, spontaneous or postoperative (with clinical manifestations and diagnosis not based solely on low basal metabolic rate).

(3) Gigantism or acromegaly; diabetes insipidus; Simmonds's disease; Cushing's syndrome; other diseases because of a disorder of the pituitary gland.

(4) Frohlich's syndrome, if severe. (5) Hyperparathyroidism and hypoparathyroidism when the diagnosis is supported by adequate laboratory studies. (6) Addison's disease.

(7) Glycosuria if persisting; diabetes mellitus. If sugar is found in the urine, further specimens, voided in the presence of the physician or authorized assistant, should be examined. In doubtful cases the fasting blood sugar and glucose tolerance tests should be obtained.

(8) Nutritional deficiency diseases (including sprue, beriberi, pellagra, and scurvy) which are severe or not readily remediable or in which permanent pathological changes have been established.

(9) Gout.

(10) Hyperinsulinism when established by adequate investigation and if regarded by the examiners as of sufficient degree to disqualify for military service.

(f) The eyes. (1) For the enrollment in the U. S. Naval Academy a minimum visual acuity of 20/20 each eye is required. No squinting or visual aids are allowed and the test letters should be read correctly and promptly. Refraction is not required for entrance into any component of the naval service unless medically indicated or, for candidates for flight training, etc.

(2) Defective vision due to disease of the eye grounds shall be cause for rejection at any time.

(3) Both eyes must be free from any disfiguring or incapacitating abnormality and from acute or chronic disease.

(4) Any student in the U. S. Naval Academy whose vision in either eye during his period of service falls below

20/40 (10/20) may be recommended for discharge, except those specifically designated for staff corps. Where the student's vision has dropped below 20/100 (4/20), he shall be recommended for discharge.

(5) These requirements as given above are considered necessary in order to graduate midshipmen with vision sufficiently serviceable to enable them to carry out their duties at sea in inclement weather, without the aid of glasses or when the wearing of glasses would prove a handicap. During late adolescence it is quite common for developmental myopia to become manifest to such an extent that the resulting myopic visual defect is sufficient to disqualify the student. It is therefore imperative that a careful examination for visual acuity be performed. Visual performance resulting from "corrective eye exercises" is misleading in that the apparent improvement in vision is not maintained. Following such corrective eye exercises the candidate may be able to pass successfully the 20/20 visual requirements, but when the candidate is required to study for considerable periods of time the true visual acuity becomes evident. Through inability of the student to pass the required visual test subsequent to entrance, it may become necessary to recommend him for discharge. For this reason, "corrective eye exercises" prior to entrance physical examinations are not recommended.

(6) The following causes for rejection:

(i) Trachoma.

conditions are

(ii) Chronic conjunctivitis, or xerophthalmia.

(iii) Pterygium encroaching upon the cornea.

(iv) Complete or extensive destruction of the eyelids, disfiguring cicatrices, adhesions of the lids to each other or to the eyeball.

(v) Inversion or eversion of the eyelids, or lagophthalmus.

(vi) Trichiasis, ptosis, blepharospasm, or chronic blepharitis.

(vii) Epiphora, chronic dacryocystitis, or lachrymal fistula.

(viii) Chronic keratitis, ulcers of the cornea, staphyloma, or corneal opacities encroaching on the pupillary area and reducing the acuity of vision below the standard.

(ix) Irregularities in the form of the iris, or anterior or posterior synechiae sufficient to reduce the visual acuity below the standard.

(x) Opacities of the lens or its capsule sufficient to reduce the acuity of vision below the standard, or progressive cataract of any degree.

(xi) Extensive coloboma of the choroid or iris, absence of pigment (albino), glaucoma, iritis, or extensive or progressive choroiditis of any degree.

(xii) Retinitis, detachment of the retina, neuroretinitis, optic neuritis, or atrophy of the optic nerve.

(xiii) Loss or disorganization of either eye, or pronounced exophthalmos.

(xiv) Pronounced nystagmus or wellmarked strabismus.

(xv) Diplopia, or night blindness. (xvi) Abnormal condition of the eye due to disease of the brain.

(xvii) Malignant tumors of lids or eyeballs.

(xviii) Asthenopia accompanying any ocular defect.

(xix) Any organic disease of either eye.

(g) Color perception. It is essential that all candidates for the Naval Academy have normal color perception. The numerals on the plates must be read promptly and the candidate not allowed to trace them. Candidates shall be required to read correctly any 17 of the 20 plates of the revised first edition, AOC Chart Book 1940 (demonstration plates excluded).

(h) The ears. The following conditions are causes for rejection:

(1) The total loss of an external ear, marked hypertrophy or atrophy, or disfiguring deformity of the organ.

(2) Atresia of the external auditory canal, or tumors of this part.

(3) Acute or chronic suppurative otitis media, or chronic catarrhal otitis media.

(4) Mastoiditis, acute or chronic. (5) Existing perforation of either membrana tympani.

(6) Deafness of one or both ears.

(7) Any diminution of auditory acuity in either ear below 15/15 by whispered voice, 40/40 by standard clock, or 20/20 by acoumeter or coin click.

(8) Any acute or chronic disease of the external, middle, or internal ear.

(i) The skin. The following conditions are causes for rejection:

(1) Eczema of long standing or which is resistant to treatment; allergic dermatosis, if severe.

(2) Chronic impetigo; sycosis; carbuncle; acne upon face or neck which is so pronounced as to amount to positive deformity.

(3) Actinomycosis; dermatitis herpetiformis; mycosis fungoides.

(4) Extensive psoriasis ichthyosis; chronic lichen planus.

(5) Elephantiasis.

(6) Scabies; pediculosis (if indicative of unhygienic habits).

(7) Ulcerations of the skin not amenable to treatment, or those of long standing or of considerable extent, or of syphilitic or malignant origin.

(8) Extensive, deep, or adherent scars that interfere with muscular movements, or that show a tendency to break down and ulcerate.

(9) Naevi and other erectile tumors if extensive, disfiguring, or exposed to constant pressure.

(10) Obscene, offensive, or indecent tattooing.

(11) Pilonidal cyst or sinus if evidenced by presence of readily palpable tumor mass or of a sinus with sufficient serous discharge to soil clothing, or if there is a history of inflammation or of purulent discharge.

(12) Lupus vulgaris; other tuberculous skin lesions.

(13) Lupus erythematosus; scleroderma.

(14) Epidermolysis bullosa; pemphigus. (15) Plantar warts on weight-bearing

areas.

(j) The head and face. The following conditions are causes for rejection: (1) Tinea in any form.

(2) All benign tumors which are of sufficient size to interfere with the wearing of military headgear, or subject to chronic irritation.

(3) Imperfect ossification of the cranial bones or persistence of the anterior fontanelle.

(4) Extensive cicatrices, especially such adherent scars as show a tendency to break down and ulcerate.

(5) Depressed fractures or other depressions, or loss of bony substance of the skull, unless the examiner is certain the defect is slight and will cause no future trouble.

(6) Monstrosity of the head, or hydrocephalus.

(7) Hernia of the brain.

(8) Deformities of the skull of any degree associated with evidence of disease of the brain, spinal cord, or peripheral nerves.

(9) Extreme ugliness.

(10) Unsightly deformities, such as large birthmarks, large hairy moles, extensive cicatrices, mutilations due to injuries or surgical operations, tumors, ulcerations, fistulae, atrophy of a part of the face, or lack of symmetrical development.

(11) Persistent neuralgia, tic douloureux, or paralyses of central nervous origin.

(12) Ununited fractures of the maxillary bones, deformities of either maxillary bones interfering with mastication or speech, extensive exostosis, necrosis, or osseous cysts

(13) Chronic arthritis of the temporomandibular articulation, badly reduced or recurrent dislocations of this joint, or ankylosis, complete or partial.

(k) The mouth, nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, and esophagus. The following conditions are causes for rejection:

(1) Harelip, unless adequately repaired, loss of the whole or a large part of either lip, unsightly mutilations of the lips from wounds, burns, or disease.

(2) Malformation, partial loss, atrophy, or hypertrophy of the tongue, split or bifid tongue, or adhesions of the tongue to the sides of the mouth, provided these conditions interfere with mastication, speech, or swallowing, or appear to be progressive.

(3) Malignant tumors of the tongue, or benign tumors that interfere with its functions.

(4) Marked stomatitis, or ulcerations, or severe leukoplakia.

(5) Ranula if at all extensive, or salivary fistula.

(6) Perforation or extensive loss of substance or ulceration of the hard or soft palate, extensive adhesions of the soft palate to the pharynx, or paralysis of the soft palate.

(7) Loss of the nose, malformation, or deformities thereof that interfere with speech or breathing, or extensive ulcerations.

(8) Perforated nasal septum if considered causative of symptoms or local pathology, or likely to do so.

(9) Nasal obstruction due to septal deviation, hypertrophic rhinitis, or other causes, and particularly if sufficient to produce mouth breathing.

(10) Acute or chronic inflammation of the accessory sinuses of the nose, hay fever, or allergic rhinitis.

(11) Chronic atrophic rhinitis.

(12) Malformations or deformities of the pharynx of sufficient degree to interfere with function.

(13) Postnasal adenoids interfering with respiration or associated with middle-ear disease.

(14) Marked enlargement of the tonsils or markedly diseased tonsils.

(15) Laryngitis from any cause. (16) Paralysis of the vocal cords, or aphonia.

(1) The neck. The following conditions are causes for rejection:

(1) Cervical adenitis of other than benign origin, including cancer, Hodgkin's disease, leukemia, tuberculosis, syphilis, etc.

(2) Adherent or disfiguring scars from disease, injuries or burns.

(3) Thyroid adenoma interfering with breathing or with the wearing of clothing; exophthalmic goiter or thyroid enlargement from any cause associated with toxic symptoms or which is disfiguring.

(4) Benign tumors or cysts which are so large as to interfere with the wearing of a uniform or military equipment.

(5) Torticollis.

(6) Tracheal openings, thyroglossal or cervical fistulae.

(7) Restricted motility sufficient to limit the normal range of motion.

(m) The spine. The following conditions are causes for rejection;

(1) Lateral deviation of the spine from the normal midline of such degree that it impairs normal function or is likely to do so.

(2) Curvature of the spine of such degree that function is interfered with or is likely to be interfered with, or in which