AROTC Color Vision Deficiency

GoNavy44

5-Year Member
Joined
May 5, 2013
Messages
36
I received my medical disqualification notification from DoDMERB today (as expected) because I completely failed the PIP Test, going 0/14. For what it's worth I went 14/14 with a red lens. I know AROTC programs grant waivers for red/green deficiencies, but does anyone know how often they are granted and in what capacity? Does my program have a specific timetable as to when they must notify me of a possible waiver or is it different for everyone? Finally, can my program grant me a waiver without requiring of me the FALANT Test or the Vivid Red/Green Test? I have searched far and wide online for answers but none of them directly answer my questions. Thank you for your responses.
 
I understand one needs to discern plain red and green colors to be considered for a waiver... for instance the colors on traffic signs, or the colors on traffic signals. In essence that is the vivid red/green test. I believe the red/green vivid test is the least onerous test one can be given. The waivers are considered and acted upon by the ROTC HQ medical folks, not the ROTC people at your unit. The staff at the college unit may be able to get you a definitive answer from HQ more quickly, so you know what you need to know regards college decisions.
In the mean time, be working on plans B and C, and best wishes.
 
It's been years, but when I failed the color test, the eye doctor handed me a small bottle of eye drops and asked "What color is that lid?". I replied "red". He then asked me if I saw a bottle with a green lid anywhere in his office. I pointed at a bottle on the counter. He said "You got it". He passed me right there in the initial eye exam.

You'll get the waiver... provided you can see the vivid colors. If you can tell the difference between the color of Kermit the Frog and a stop sign, you'll pass. You won't branch Aviation... but you'll commission.
 
It is hard to answer your question because your headline implies army but your name implies navy.

During your dodmerb exam Question #22 is the PIP 14 plate test. If less than 9 are passed the eye doctor must then administer item #25 which is the vivid red/green test. This is a simple pass/fail. In other words you should have been given the vivid red/green test in the same sitting as the PIP. If you passed the vivid red/green test and you are applying to army you would not have been disqualified (assuming no mistake on dodmerb's part)

If it is army (or airforce) than 0/14 on dodmerb PIP is NOT a disqualifer at all as long as you pass the vivid red/green. (DS got a 0/14 on dodmerb PIP and no waiver was required for army rotc as he was never disqualified. ) Failing the PIP, however, may impact your MOS.

For Navy (and I assume coast guard) you can NOT be colorblind. The waivers for naval academy are for kids who can only go marines. Not navy.
 
It is hard to answer your question because your headline implies army but your name implies navy.

During your dodmerb exam Question #22 is the PIP 14 plate test. If less than 9 are passed the eye doctor must then administer item #25 which is the vivid red/green test. This is a simple pass/fail. In other words you should have been given the vivid red/green test in the same sitting as the PIP. If you passed the vivid red/green test and you are applying to army you would not have been disqualified (assuming no mistake on dodmerb's part)

If it is army (or airforce) than 0/14 on dodmerb PIP is NOT a disqualifer at all as long as you pass the vivid red/green. (DS got a 0/14 on dodmerb PIP and no waiver was required for army rotc as he was never disqualified. ) Failing the PIP, however, may impact your MOS.

For Navy (and I assume coast guard) you can NOT be colorblind. The waivers for naval academy are for kids who can only go marines. Not navy.

My username is such because my father graduated from USNA in '86 and was #44 on the football team. HUGE Navy Midshipmen fan here. But, I digress. My optometrist didn't administer a vivid red/green test after I failed the PIP test. Will AROTC request that I take the vivid red/green since I haven't done it already? Or is that something I have to do on my own accord?
 
My username is such because my father graduated from USNA in '86 and was #44 on the football team. HUGE Navy Midshipmen fan here. But, I digress. My optometrist didn't administer a vivid red/green test after I failed the PIP test. Will AROTC request that I take the vivid red/green since I haven't done it already? Or is that something I have to do on my own accord?

If you find some of my previous posts under Dodmerb you can find a detailed explanation. However, the short answer is the optometrist that Dodmerb sent my son to messed up in administering his eye exam. Luckily I researched this prior and noticed his multiple errors. We IMMEDIATELY downloaded a new optometry form, went to our private eye doc and he re-administered the exam. We sent the new optometry form plus a cover letter with an explanation to Dodmerb. It was accepted and processed and he was deemed qualified one wk later. You can send whatever you want. They may or may not accept it.

I am surprised you weren't given the vivid red/green test. It is literally holding up and object (paper, ball of yarn, whatever) and the eye doc asking yoy what color it is.

Do you know if you would pass that?
 
I am surprised you weren't given the vivid red/green test. It is literally holding up and object (paper, ball of yarn, whatever) and the eye doc asking yoy what color it is.

Do you know if you would pass that?

I never knew they could've administered the vivid red/green test immediately after the PIP! This is news to me.

I am fully confident in my ability to pass the vivid test. My color vision deficiency does not affect my driving or any other everyday task.
 
I am fully confident in my ability to pass the vivid test. My color vision deficiency does not affect my driving or any other everyday task.

I'm sorry but that is totally irrelevant.
If someone gave you a box of crayons and asked you to hand them the green one and then asked you to hand them the red one, and you could easily do this task, that is relevant.
 
I'm sorry but that is totally irrelevant.
If someone gave you a box of crayons and asked you to hand them the green one and then asked you to hand them the red one, and you could easily do this task, that is relevant.

I could easily do that. What I was getting at with the whole driving this is that I can clearly tell when the traffic light is green and when it is red. Sorry, it's late and my posts may lack sense
 
I could easily do that. What I was getting at with the whole driving this is that I can clearly tell when the traffic light is green and when it is red. Sorry, it's late and my posts may lack sense

Lights are standard positional so you have no need to see the color


Just download the dodmerb form
Tomorrow take it to your eye dr
Have him redo
Fax to Dodmerb
Easy as pie.
 
Lights are standard positional so you have no need to see the color


Just download the dodmerb form
Tomorrow take it to your eye dr
Have him redo
Fax to Dodmerb
Easy as pie.

Will do. Thanks for your help and info, Vista.
 
If you can pass the Farnsworth Lantern (also known as the FALANT) as the moment it is considered passing for some Naval Career fields. It's much easier than the PIP. Think of a red, green, or white LED showing 2 at a time and you having to say which one is what color (i.e. green over red). It's like the 'vivid colors' test but with lights instead of objects.

IDK if the army considers this a valid test, but it may be worth looking into.
 
If you can pass the Farnsworth Lantern (also known as the FALANT) as the moment it is considered passing for some Naval Career fields. It's much easier than the PIP. Think of a red, green, or white LED showing 2 at a time and you having to say which one is what color (i.e. green over red). It's like the 'vivid colors' test but with lights instead of objects.

IDK if the army considers this a valid test, but it may be worth looking into.

Army currently authorizes both the old FALANT and updated OPTEC-900 version of it. They prefer the OPTEC-900 though.
 
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