Color Blind?

[unkown1961]

I tried searching for a summary but couldn't find it right off. Is being a color-blind an exclusion for any of the ROTCs? Thanks. I'm asking for a friend of my son.

 

[kinnem]

I believe it's a DQ for Navy (Navy option only) and AF. Different colored lights are used for navigation in both services, so color vision is important. It depends on the colors that cannot be perceived though. Also for AF it might only be an exclusion from being a pilot, but I'm not sure about that. Perhaps someone with more AF knowledge than I will chime in.

EDIT: Army and Navy Marine Option should be ok.

 

[MullenLE]

Classic!! “Unknown1961“..., “asking a question for a friend of my son”...on a public forum

Color vision deficiency is DQ for NROTC; inability to distinguish vivid red-green is DQ for AROTC.

 

[kinnem]

Classic!! “Unknown1961“..., “asking a question for a friend of my son”...on a public forum

Color vision deficiency is DQ for NROTC; inability to distinguish vivid red-green is DQ for AROTC.

Just to make clear to myself, if no one else, did you mean to say AFROTC, or AROTC as you did?

 

[MullenLE]

I stated it correctly

There are no color vision requirements to enter AFROTC and Marine Corps option (NROTC)

AROTC must see vivid red-green.

 

[kinnem]

@MullenLE Thanks!

 

[unkown1961]

Classic!! “Unknown1961“..., “asking a question for a friend of my son”...on a public forum

Color vision deficiency is DQ for NROTC; inability to distinguish vivid red-green is DQ for AROTC.

Seriously. My son has his scholarships and passed DODMERB already. It really is for a classmate of my son.
So no color blind limitations to enter AF but what about to be a pilot? Just curious the kid wants to be a doctor.

 

[AROTC-dad]

So no color blind limitations to enter AF but what about to be a pilot?

Aviation on almost all branches has a MUCH tougher vision standard.
Here are the AF pilot vision requirements: (from the USAFA website, and I believe AFROTC is the same standard)

All candidates admitted to the Air Force Academy must meet the vision requirements for basic commissioning in the United States Air Force. However, vision requirements for candidates for pilot, other aviation-related specialties and special operational duty career fields are stricter and will not be fully assessed until a complete Air Force vision exam is accomplished during your second (sophomore) year as a cadet.

Most cadets with visual acuity outside the medical standards may become medically qualified for aviation if vision is successfully corrected by corneal refractive surgery (i.e., PRK or LASIK), which will be available to you as a cadet if you meet preoperative qualification criteria. Applicants should NOT pursue refractive surgery PRIOR to entry to USAFA as this is disqualifying if accomplished within 180 days of the DoDMERB examination and strict preoperative requirements must be met that are often not adhered to by civilian ophthalmologists

Note that color-vision testing accomplished during the DoDMERB medical examination is NOT the same as, and may not correlate well with, the more advanced color-vision testing employed for aviation and special operational duty clearance. The bottom line is the DoDMERB medical examination is not the official flying class examination used for occupational clearance for aviation and special operational duty career fields. The required flying class examination will be performed during the third academic year (junior year) at the Air Force Academy and will encompass more in-depth testing than was used during the DoDMERB physical exam.

Source:

Standards | Medical Requirements | U.S. Air Force Academy

All candidates admitted to the U.S. Air Force Academy must meet the medical standards, including height, weight, vision, hearing, dental, and others.

www.academyadmissions.com

 

[TexasAggie204]

Seriously. My son has his scholarships and passed DODMERB already. It really is for a classmate of my son.
So no color blind limitations to enter AF but what about to be a pilot? Just curious the kid wants to be a doctor.

Correct - I could serve in the USAF, but could not be a pilot, backseat, or many of the other "cool" jobs. Hey, the AF needs comms...

 

[MullenLE]

Unknown1961 = I wasn’t doubting you in the least. I was clearly highlighting someone wanting to become a leader...thru ROTC...and HE is not asking the question about HIS future... HE is doing it thru a friend of his father.... That is either bizarre @ best....OR...one or two fathers missing the opportunity to have a Teaching Moment....

Now, the questions and the answers:

1. I answered the question that was asked correctly.
2. Then, when politely challenged, I restated my correct response.
3. Then, you add a new ingredient of “What about to be a pilot?” (Yes, there are color vision requirements to be a pilot)
4. Then you tell me that he wants to be a doctor, but not a pilot.... No, the AF doesn’t have a color vision requirement as per my original answer.
5. To answer others questions of “Do I ever sleep?” Rarely and now you know why?

 

[unkown1961]

Unknown1961 = I wasn’t doubting you in the least. I was clearly highlighting someone wanting to become a leader...thru ROTC...and HE is not asking the question about HIS future... HE is doing it thru a friend of his father.... That is either bizarre @ best....OR...one or two fathers missing the opportunity to have a Teaching Moment....

Now, the questions and the answers:

1. I answered the question that was asked correctly.
2. Then, when politely challenged, I restated my correct response.
3. Then, you add a new ingredient of “What about to be a pilot?” (Yes, there are color vision requirements to be a pilot)
4. Then you tell me that he wants to be a doctor, but not a pilot.... No, the AF doesn’t have a color vision requirement as per my original answer.
5. To answer others questions of “Do I ever sleep?” Rarely and now you know why?

Larry, I appreciate your board participation and providing info to the many parents and kids posting here. I do want to reply to a couple of things though:

1. Thank you for that.
2. Kinnem's reply doesn't seem a challenge but a question of clarification that a typo wasn't inadvertently made. Seems fair since these do occur on these boards as people type AROTC and AFROTC.
3. Well, this popped in my head as a matter of curiosity. Thanks to TexasAggie204 for clarifying.
4. This board is a casual dialogue. I mention the doctor issue not as a question but as a casual comment.

Finally, this was a favor to a family who has never been associated with the military and has no knowledge of what ROTC is about. Here is the context:
A dad reached out to me with a concern about paying for college/grad school now that his son has said he wants to go to med school. He asked if I knew of scholarships. I passed along fastweb.com and also brought up ROTC.
He told me the son was color blind and wouldn't qualify. I had no idea if this was true since my kids are not color blind.
Also, this is a family with no connection to the military and no knowledge of info boards out there. And the dad has not been involved with his kid's college search up until now. There are some other issues at play but not appropriate for posting here.
In response, my Jesuit education spurred me to do them a favor and post the question here since I knew I'd get a quick answer. I've passed it along to the dad. If they decide to pursue ROTC in the kid's sophomore year, then I'll lead them to this site.
In closing, thank you for your replies and your continued help on the board. Your replies are helpful to many, as has been expressed many times by many people.

 

[MullenLE]

Good

 

[MullenLE]

I was wrong on this one and apologize, but I get another 25 per day, 7 days per week, that are amazing to say the least. I also get several at work from parents...I respond to the applicant, cc the parent, and the applicant apologizes to me for their parents unauthorized intrusion

 

[MullenLE]

In the Army, we used to use a phrase during PT when demonstrating how to execute an exercise, “Demonstrator Post!”

As I finished writing the above... a Dad emailed me yesterday about his son for West Point and the USNA...moments ago, USNA Admissions confirmed, the DS had NO application submitted for USNA

So “jaded” sometimes comes with the territory

 

[unkown1961]

I was wrong on this one and apologize, but I get another 25 per day, 7 days per week, that are amazing to say the least. I also get several at work from parents...I respond to the applicant, cc the parent, and the applicant apologizes to me for their parents unauthorized intrusion

Understood. Just wanted to clarify the context. Again, your input and time are appreciated. Now about that friend of my third cousin's brother in law's application...

 

[justme]

... I also get several at work from parents...I respond to the applicant, cc the parent, and the applicant apologizes to me for their parents unauthorized intrusion

As a parent, i cant tell you how many times i wanted to cause my son that same problem ...

I'm sure you get way more than your share.

 

[unkown1961]

As closure, the dad replied that he checked out the AF program and that it's a no go due to asthma. Too bad for the kid.

 

[MullenLE]

Interesting—- in my post from 10:47 AM this morning, My memory was faulty... It was USAFA, not Wes Point. USAFA just notified me, the kid didn’t complete a USAFA application either....

And to make it even funnier, I just received an email from your friend’s third cousin’s brother in law....the originating question was from their neighbor’s...neighbor

 

[Capt MJ]

Mr. Mullen, you are due for some crew rest!

 

[MullenLE]

Maybe tonight???