The Navy cast a cloud over Randy's bright future when it wrongly disqualified Conant from the ROTC program and revoked his scholarship citing a medical condition ---- a condition for which Randy was cured during his junior year of high school. The loss of his scholarship forced Randy to leave RPI and obliged him and his family to reimburse the school for the fall semester tuition or $13,000.
What a frustrating and disappointing turn of events for this RPI freshman who had completed his first semester with a GPA of 3.8 and a "good high" rating in the Navy ROTC's Physical Readiness Test Standards.
This disheartening turn of events never should have happened. The Navy cancelled Randy's scholarship because in its words Randy was "not physically qualified" to participate in ROTC due to a medical problem he experienced his junior year of high school called gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), which causes acid reflux. Once his condition was diagnosed, Randy underwent laproscopic surgery – a procedure that required only a small incision — to correct it. His doctors deemed the operation a success and assured the Navy in writing that "Randy is in excellent health" and is cured of the condition. If a doctor's certification weren't proof enough of Randy's excellent health, his daily activities surely were. Two weeks after Randy's surgery, he spent the summer installing swimming pools six days a week anywhere from eight to 12 hours a day, a fact he documented for the Navy. The following school year, he played varsity ice hockey and soccer. Enrolled in the Navy's ROTC program since August, Randy met all the physical requirements the program demanded.
I knew I had to intervene when I received a letter from Randy outlining his difficulty in securing the Navy medical waiver that would allow him to participate in the Navy ROTC, and thus receive his scholarship to attend RPI. After a letter and several phone calls to the Commander of Navy Education and Training, I was able to bring to light the hollow logic that led to the Navy's denial of Randy's waiver. As a result, the Navy reconsidered its position, and notified me recently that it had granted Randy Conant a medical waiver that will allow him to return to school. Furthermore, he will be reimbursed for the tuition he was required to pay for the fall 2001 semester and reinstated as a midshipman in good standing.
Although this unfortunate mishandling of his status by the Navy will delay Randy's graduation by a semester, he will return to RPI next fall to continue his education. I am delighted that I was able to help Randy, a fine student and athlete, secure the waiver he needed in order to continue to participate in the Navy ROTC program, and thus receive his Navy scholarship to attend college. One of the most satisfying parts of my job is being able to intervene on behalf of my constituents to correct inequities and oversights that should not happen in the first place.