Farnsworth Lantern Remedial

MomofFutureLeader

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Dodmerb has requested a remedial Farnsworth Lantern test for my DS. The letter states that it must be administered at a Military Treatment Facility. The closest to us here in central Iowa is Offutt in Nebraska and they have said that they no longer administer this test. So......... that means that we will have to go to one of the three other facilities that the Dodmerb person listed off when we called. Any one of the three is between 6 1/2 and 7 hours away. A 13 - 14 hour trip and nearly 700 miles round trip is in store for us to eliminate this remedial. At this point it looks like we will be heading to Fort Leonard Wood, MO on Friday as that is the one of the three that avoids the most congested traffilc areas and all are approximately equal distance. We are certainly hoping that after all of this he eventually gets an appointment.
 
The Falant test is the definitive test and it is a military test. (The FAA also uses it sporatically but not nearly to the extent that the military does) Not only is the necessary calibrated equipment required, but also the training necessary for those who administer it. This narrows the field considerably for those qualified to give a definitive response. Personally, since the test will be administered again correctly on I-Day, I would not trust anyone else to administer it. I would say offhand that a day's trip is inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.
 
Try calling the hospital at Offut again and ask to speak to the Aviation Medicine department if you haven't already. The hospital itself may not have the test, but I think that Air Force Aviation Medicine may, just may still use it. I'm not sure at all on that, but it may save you a trip.
 
Color Deficiency - What's Next???

Dodmerb has requested a remedial Farnsworth Lantern test for my DS. The letter states that it must be administered at a Military Treatment Facility. The closest to us here in central Iowa is Offutt in Nebraska and they have said that they no longer administer this test. So......... that means that we will have to go to one of the three other facilities that the Dodmerb person listed off when we called. Any one of the three is between 6 1/2 and 7 hours away. A 13 - 14 hour trip and nearly 700 miles round trip is in store for us to eliminate this remedial. At this point it looks like we will be heading to Fort Leonard Wood, MO on Friday as that is the one of the three that avoids the most congested traffilc areas and all are approximately equal distance. We are certainly hoping that after all of this he eventually gets an appointment.

So, DS had Falent Lantern test performed at Camp Dodge MEPS station in Des Moines, IA on 8/5. He missed five, so he did not pass. Now his DODMERB status for US Naval Academy reads:

Agency: US Naval Academy
Cycle Year:2011
Current Medical Status: Disqualified

Code Description
D156.10 Color vision deficiency

Will he automatically be considered by Naval Academy for a waiver? How do we know if he is being considered or when that determination would be made? I know not many are given but have heard that there is a slim hope. Flying is not the anticipated career path anyway. He plans to study Political Science and possibly history or economics.

He is medically qualifed for both US Air Force Academy and US Military Academy.
 
He will be automatically considered for a waiver. However,as you state, the odds are very very slim. Color deficiency would not only preclude aviation, but also surface, submarines, and special forces. Since the mission of the Academy is to prepare midshipmen for these warfare careers, it is probably best that he refocus and pursue WP and AFA more strongly. Perhaps you should ask the question on those forums as to how those who have failed both tests are viewed.
 
Mongo is correct. I also believe (based on what I recall from BGO training) that those with color vision issues are asked/required to sign a statement on I-Day agreeing that they will enter the USMC. So, if your son is not interested in the USMC, he may want to do as Mongo said and look into other services.
 
Mongo is correct. I also believe (based on what I recall from BGO training) that those with color vision issues are asked/required to sign a statement on I-Day agreeing that they will enter the USMC. So, if your son is not interested in the USMC, he may want to do as Mongo said and look into other services.

USNA1985, has this changed? When my roommate (woman, was color-deficient) earned one of the tiny number of waivers, the statement she had to sign was that she understood she'd be required to enter restricted line or USMC.
 
Just an update on DS. DQd on 8/11 for color vision deficiency with waiver pending review all this time. This week the DODMERB site updated to read Waiver Denied - UNSA. I guess that is final then after over four months for them to make that decision. We had already anticipated that was most likely coming. USNA was 2nd choice. DS has USMA appointment already now and was MOC primary for USAFA so that should be coming in March, with AF ROTC 4 year type 7 scholarship notification arriving in the mail this week. So, he is not by any means devastated by this determination as he has other offers to be weighed and considered. Just thought that I would update on this and wish others waiting for waiver considerations the best of luck and better news.
 
Just an update on DS. DQd on 8/11 for color vision deficiency with waiver pending review all this time. This week the DODMERB site updated to read Waiver Denied - UNSA. I guess that is final then after over four months for them to make that decision. We had already anticipated that was most likely coming. USNA was 2nd choice. DS has USMA appointment already now and was MOC primary for USAFA so that should be coming in March, with AF ROTC 4 year type 7 scholarship notification arriving in the mail this week. So, he is not by any means devastated by this determination as he has other offers to be weighed and considered. Just thought that I would update on this and wish others waiting for waiver considerations the best of luck and better news.

Sounds like your DS has many wonderful options - congrats. I only add as an aside that while this might be ancient history, in the 1980s when my now husband was seeking an ROTC scholarship, he was unable to pass the Farnsworth (or the Ishihara) tests. He did receive an AFROTC scholarship but thought his dream of flying had ended. He continued to push to see if there were some way around it. Ultimately he was able to pass the AF color threshold test and became an F16 fighter pilot (and is now a captain with a major airline). While what is allowed/not allowed has probably changed over the years, the moral of the story hasn't -- keep pushing the envelope if you want something enough!
 
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