Color Vision Deficient

BruceRTalbot

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Apr 19, 2009
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Three of the 5 service academies (Navy, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine) have strict color vision standards. As an Academy Admission Partner I have had several applicants to USCGA fail the color vision test but were unaware they were color deficient prior to the test. I myself was unaware of my own green color deficiency until I was washed-out of pilot selection testing in college AFROTC. About 15 percent of males (some estimates say 1 out of 12 males) have some degree of color perception deficiency and I suspect, like me, most are unaware of their deficiency.

Each year it seems we have cadets report to the Academy for Swab Summer only to loose a couple to failed Academy color testing (Obje might have some actual numbers on this). If you are applying to USCGA I would recommend you take a couple of the on-line color perception tests to see if this might be an issue for you:

http://www.opticien-lentilles.com/daltonien_beta/new_test_daltonien.php

And a new style test at:

http://www.xrite.com/custom_page.aspx?PageID=77

My understanding is that West Point and Air Force do not have as strict a color perception vision requirement.
 
Good advice! DS just learned of a color deficiency. It was a medical DQ out of left field for us. Never noted by our eye Dr. Knowing earlier (a couple of years ago) would have tempered our expectations or altered our plans.
We are hoping for an opportunity to take the FALANT or some other alternate test, but in the case of the USMMA application, DS has reached the end of the road. As it was explained to him, USMMA does not accept/consider the FALANT or other alternate tests.
Can anyone here confirm that the CGA will consider alternate color tests?
 
Can anyone here confirm that the CGA will consider alternate color tests?

Candidates who fail the American Optical Company PIP test shall be considered qualified if they pass the FALANT test.
 
Thanks very much, Luigi59. I am encouraged that the door has not slammed shut for this old coastie's son...old... I mean "back when the ships were made of wood and the men made of"...well that is another story.
Thanks again.
 
The son of a friend passed the FALANT test at home, but failed during his swab summer exam at CGA and was sent home. Very sad -- they had to scramble to get his Plan B in place while trying to see if there were any other testing options - there weren't. Lesson learned is that if this is an issue, be very very sure before showing up at CGA because retesting will be done.
 
old... I mean "back when the ships were made of wood and the men made of"...well that is another story.
Thanks again.

Haha, well, there would be some likely overlap from that time period and the Coast Guard of today.

Loved pulling into Charleston, SC and passing a museum ship that my EO was a fireman on. The EO certainly heard from the wardroom.

My ship should have been a museum a decade ago. Instead, there's no plan to replace it.
 
My ship should have been a museum a decade ago. Instead, there's no plan to replace it.

At commencement this year, Admiral Papp made note that the billet (one of the aging 378's) of a new 2012 Ensign was also the cutter served on by the new Ensign's father, as well as the new Ensign's grandfather.

Won't see that too often in any other military branch, perhaps maybe only a B52 crewmember or someone on the Carrier Enterprise could say the same thing? (3 generations serving on the same ship/aircraft platform).
 
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