How badly does being semi-colorblind affect my chances?

1288830

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Oct 11, 2014
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I'm semi colorblind and it bothers me that I can't get a straight answer from ANYONE. I attended an Academy Day presentation and none of the military representatives from the academies really knew. Please help me with this so I won't have false hopes and ambitions.


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I am not an expert but I do know that the sea academies are more strict about color blindness. Found this on the uscga site and I know usna follows the same protocol:

Color Vision: Color perception deficiency, either complete or partial. Candidates who fail the American Optical Company PIP test shall be considered qualified if they pass the FALANT test.
 
Don't know what you mean by "semi colorblind". That is likely why you haven't been able to get a straight answer.

Can you pass the ishihara color plates?

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It may hurt your chances but it doesn't destroy them. I know that there have been colorblind midshipmen, one who comes to mind is Brendan Looney (a person worth looking up anyways).
 
I was just going to mention Brendan. Don't give up hope. Press on and do as much as you can do and hope for the best! There is no straight answer. DODMERB will most likely disqualify you for any colorblindness, but if USNA really wants you, they have some authority to grant a waiver.
 
there are a few mids (read ~3, not 3%, but 3) admitted recently each year to usna with color blindness (but you better have a major hook) you will not be able to branch navy however. Say Semper Fi


Brendan Looney was restricted line, though did end up being the first official color-blind SEAL in the Navy's history. (he was also Honorman) Look him up or read the book about him, great book.

He was admitted in 1999, unfortunately honestly they are stricter now with color vision.


honestly, my opinion (worth less than nothing) is to stick with airforce or army.

Vista123
genetic carrier of the dreaded colorblind gene.
 
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The color blind waivers exist for USNA, and as mentioned, are rare. The decisions on who will receive them are typically not made until on or after Apr 15 so that the admissions office knows exactly what candidates they have to choose between. My DS had an LOA dated Feb 7 for a direct admit to USNA contingent upon a medical waiver. He waited patiently and received a waiver dated Apr 17 for NAPS. Just be aware that you will need to be patient as you won't know until the very end of the admission process and you should have an acceptable back up plan in place. We had trouble finding info about the color deficiency waivers on these forums so I try to watch for related questions and pass on what we experienced. Feel free to PM if you have more questions.
 
@activedutymom -I would say that your son had a major hook though. (more power to him but he was one of the very few prior active duty marines to usna-there is typically just a handful)

Im not trying to be negative. Just being pragmatic. I would just say that if you want to serve and you want to go to a service academy you should consider usafa or usma and pursue those aggressively while keeping the fires burning for USNA.
 
I'm semi colorblind and it bothers me that I can't get a straight answer from ANYONE. I attended an Academy Day presentation and none of the military representatives from the academies really knew. Please help me with this so I won't have false hopes and ambitions.


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This post may help you some too. My DS navigated this issue and moved past the hurdle. Ultimately got a TWE, but color vision issues were not the reason. Push hard and good luck.
http://www.serviceacademyforums.com/showthread.php?t=36255
 
If you are determined to have red/green colorblindness, you'll need a waiver. The Supe can waive up to 2% of each incoming class (~23) for colorblindness. However, in practice, the number is much, much smaller -- probably closer to the "3" mentioned above. Also, commissioning opportunities are limited -- generally USMC ground or restricted/staff corps.

There is no reason you shouldn't try for USNA. However, you need to be realistic in that the odds are very much not in your favor and thus consider alternatives, such as the other SAs where colorblindness is not an issue (or not as significant an issue) and civilian schools.
 
Just lurking, but I have to say listen to kp2001.

When you said I am semi color blind and have problems getting answer. My immediate thought was that is like saying I am little bit pregnant! Either you are color deficient, or you are not. Granted the levels vary, just like a pregnancy. Yet,either you are or you aren't.

I would not even go down the rabbit hole of waivers yet. For all you know this may not be the only DQ that causes problems with DoDMERB. Allergies, asthma, concussions can cause DQs just as quickly.
~ IOWs fighting more than one waiver.

Jmpo, if your folks have vision health insurance go to an optometrist now and take the Ishirra test. Why? Because if you fail it, than you can start looking into the next level of exams that can assist in getting a waiver. You will be prepared for that DQ and ready to fight for a waiver with other test results from private docs.

Part of being in the military is being proactive. If you were my child I would be proactive regarding this issue, not only from an eye exam perspective, but discussing the fact that your career options may be restricted. Are you willing to serve 5 years AD just to attend USNA?
~ Do not read anything into that question. I am just saying, 5 years 365/24/7 is a long time wherever they assign you to, in whatever job the Navy decides compared to 4 years with Thanksgiving, Christmas, spring and part of summer at a school you made the final decision to attend.
 
@Vista 123...you are right. My DS had what I think was an exceptionally good hook and was one of 7 USMC to be admitted in 2014 (1 direct and 6 to NAPS).

Follow the advice provided by these knowledgeable folks. Be proactive, try other academies, and have your USNA back up plan in place. My DS was stationed in Okinawa and didn't have access to his personal optometrist so he wasn't able to do anything but wait (and I confess I did some praying!). The color deficiency waivers are so rare that you need to be realistic and try not to get your hopes up.
 
@Vista 123...you are right. My DS had what I think was an exceptionally good hook and was one of 7 USMC to be admitted in 2014 (1 direct and 6 to NAPS)..

You dont know it yet activedutymom but next year, come plebe summer, some mamas are going to say a prayer of thankfulness for your son!

I know I said a prayer of thankfulness for my then plebe's plebe-summer roommate who was a a prior. My son wouldn't have made it though plebe summer without him. One major great hook for everyone that your son will be there!

Thanks in advance for all the help he will bestow on his roomies next summer!


Vista123
 
@Vista 123...Glad to hear your son and the other plebes got the support they needed. My DS wouldn't have it any other way...No man alone! We just happily adopted a lone Napster last weekend for parent weekend. My DS is definitely looking forward to sharing his military knowledge and experience next year and I'm sure he'll gain knowledge from the directs as well. It's a two way street.

I'm digressing from the topic of this thread, but will share hoping that this will make you chuckle. A particularly appreciative Napster offered to shine my prior DS' shoes as a thank you for encouraging him through Indoc. Needless to say, my DS accepted. At parent weekend he received a compliment on the shine from a visiting Marine Colonel. He had no time to explain the circumstances behind that shine and had to settle for a quick thank you.:redface:He called it "taking one for the team".:wink:
 
Here's my story with color blindness. When I did my DoDMERB exam, the optometrist told me I might be partially colorblind because I failed the PIP test (the one with the dots where you have to identify the numbers. So they put down color deficiency and I had to have a follow up at a military medical facility in order to take the FALANT (red/green/white lights).

After I passed the FALANT, my status for USNA was medically qualified. When I reported I took and failed the PIP again, so they had me take the FALANT. Again, all was fine.

In September we had optometry exams for our precommissioning physicals and the same thing happened again. As of this past week I'm medically qualified for any service selection.

So long story short, if you can see red/green fine and pass the FALANT, you won't have any issues. If you can't see red/green you can ONLY go restricted line or Marine Corps Ground so you'll have to get a waiver which, as mentioned before, is not very easy.
 
Here's my story with color blindness. When I did my DoDMERB exam, the optometrist told me I might be partially colorblind because I failed the PIP test (the one with the dots where you have to identify the numbers. So they put down color deficiency and I had to have a follow up at a military medical facility in order to take the FALANT (red/green/white lights).

After I passed the FALANT, my status for USNA was medically qualified. When I reported I took and failed the PIP again, so they had me take the FALANT. Again, all was fine.

In September we had optometry exams for our precommissioning physicals and the same thing happened again. As of this past week I'm medically qualified for any service selection.

So long story short, if you can see red/green fine and pass the FALANT, you won't have any issues. If you can't see red/green you can ONLY go restricted line or Marine Corps Ground so you'll have to get a waiver which, as mentioned before, is not very easy.


Pleber16's post plus pima's post add up to great information. If you fail PIP go now and take the Falant now (I now it may be heard to find, but look for a school of optometry instead of an eye dr. that may help).
 
Pleber16's post plus pima's post add up to great information. If you fail PIP go now and take the Falant now (I now it may be heard to find, but look for a school of optometry instead of an eye dr. that may help).

If you go seeking to take the FALANT test please be very specific in that you need to take the Farnsworth Lantern test.

There are other tests for color vision that go by the FALANT name as well (eg FALANT 100) which are a huge time waste and aren't what you need.
 
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