My cousin is in ROTC, and found out he is medically disqualified for self-reporting anxiety. Are medical waivers possible for anxiety?

That great that he is showing honesty/integrity, a core value. However, anxiety is subjective. Nearly everyone experiences it some time. Hardly anyone can say they NEVER had it. Get evaluation by another doctor who can state that anxiety is within normal paramaters, or that it would not interfere with being in the military.. Also DODMERB is for scholarship and academy application. Try signing up for ROTC classes without scholarship; First 2 non-scholarship years normally doesn't require a physical exam. when it time to contract, take the physical from MEPS which is normally less stringent than DODMERB.

After the original DQ is rendered by DODMERB, applicant can seek waiver thru the particular service's waiver authority. Hard to say the inclination without knowing the facts, but a service's status in terms of drawing down or growing will impact the decision. If he's on any medication for this anxiety, however, it'll be a no-go. Currently in AFROTC, if he's off meds for at least 2 years, can reapply for waiver.

Sir, It is a tough one. I had a buddy recently go through this over the summer of 2015. He petitioned and the CG of Cadet Command signed off on him to stay. So it is possible, but tricky. He lucked out and happened to be near the CG at the time. If its starting at the Battalion level, it will just take some layers working up through the chain of command.