Failed Color Vision...

[shotcalla10]

So I've been worrying about this for the past month and figures I go into MEPS today, get through everything else with no problem and I failed the color vision portion... I first failed the Ishihara Plates... and then he administered the FALANT test and I failed that as well. He left the lights off in the room so it was dark and he rushed me through the whole test. I thought that the Red/Green were very distinguishable (since I got all the red/green combinations correct) but the white looked more like a yellow to me and during the test, I didn't realize that it was white so instead, out of panic, I guessed either it was green or red when I should have just said white.

Anyway... I scheduled for an appointment with a civilian doctor at UC Berkeley Optometry School (they're the only place in california that has the FALANT test besides MEPS). Today has to be the worse day of my life...

 

[Gatordev]

If you search here, you'll see a thread w/ a similar theme. I had the same problem for the first light set when they asked until I finally saw what red actually looked like.. All is not lost, keep pressing.

 

[WishICouldFly]

shotcalla, I'm kind of working on the same thing, too, right now. My recruiter doesn't seem to think it's possible to get a civilian doctor's report, but I'm going to try to find a FALANT somewhere. I went to the local airport and had a light gun signal test, and passed it just fine, so there's still hope.
You're lucky that there's place that has a FALANT other than MEPS, though. It's a b!tch searching for one.

 

[skim]

That sucks. I hope it works out for you.

 

[shotcalla10]

Yea I'm not giving up until they give me an absolute NO. I've gotten this far, I can wait another two weeks to take the test again. Man now that I look back, I know I can pass that test... I think all the worrying and stressing didn't do ANY help because it's gotten me alot more doubtful of my ability to see colors. Instead of believing in what I'm seeing, I just started to second guess myself...

I just can't shake off this feeling that I was born to fly. It just doesn't make sense that I'm 99% qualified and that 1% is color vision... in anycase, thanks for your encouragements guys. I'll keep you guys updated.

P.S. Do all Naval Officers have to pass color vision? worst comes to worse, which designations don't require color vision? Oh man, I just can't imagine wearing Navy Whites without Wings of Gold pinned on... This has to work out. Thanks guys.

 

[skim]

Would NFO require it? At least you would be in the air with wings pinned on your whites...

 

[FLYTPAY]

Would NFO require it? At least you would be in the air with wings pinned on your whites...

NFO requires it. The good news is that you are figuring this stuff out before you have a uniform on. I got the NAMI Whammy for distant vision being 20/40 in my left eye back in 2000. This was 6 months before they made the requirement 20/40. I went through flight school as an NFO, went and flew S-3's, had a blast and am back in pilot training in the T-45. Moral of the story is to be persistent. Remember, you will have to pass the color test every year during your flight physical so know what colors look like.

 

[shotcalla10]

Pilot/NFO both require color vision... I'll trade someone my 20/15 eyes for their perfectly normal color vision. Atleast with bad eyes, you can get a PRK... I would like to thank my mom for passing the retarded X chromosome to me instead of giving me the other normal X chromosome (both my Mom and Dad can see all the numbers in the ishihara plates, which means that my mom's the carrier and since females have XX chromosome, she has one X that is a carrier and one X that is not, which means... 50% chance that I got it...). But anyway, I'll keep my head up... as long as there is a chance.

 

[BACONATOR]

Good luck shotcalla. Don't give up. I failed the ishihara plates at MEPS, failed the first round of FALANT much like gatordev, and then figured it out and passed on the second round. Luckily that got me through MEPS. Here at P-cola, with a much more patient corpsman, I managed to pass the ishihara plates and now I'm PQ for pilot. Your vision is really fickle and varies day to day. MEPS scared me so much I thought I might be colorblind, but I'm not, and you most likely aren't either. Go get the civvy test, and tell them to be patient with you. With your mind at ease, I'm sure you'll pass just fine. You aren't the first person this has happened to. Again, best of luck.

 

[shotcalla10]

Yea... seems like they put together a group of the most BITTER human beings in the world and put them at Los Angeles MEPS to do all the testing/ ruining careers. Bunch of civilian contractors either tired of their work or power tripping.

 

[WishICouldFly]

I don't know, Portland MEPS could give it a run for its money. Or it maybe an institutional standard/requirement.

 

[Gatordev]

Atleast with bad eyes, you can get a PRK...

Not exactly true. There are conditions where the effects are minimal. Last I heard, I may have one of those conditions. Never really researched it anymore.

 

[skim]

I don't know, Portland MEPS could give it a run for its money. Or it maybe an institutional standard/requirement.

And San Diego Meps...

 

[bunk22]

I think some of you guys just worry to damn much about it. Get all hyped up and you fail something, a something that's really simple. If red and green look red and green, then yellow is probably the only other color on it, white. Relax next time, it isn't over just yet.

 

[shotcalla10]

I think some of you guys just worry to damn much about it. Get all hyped up and you fail something, a something that's really simple. If red and green look red and green, then yellow is probably the only other color on it, white. Relax next time, it isn't over just yet.

aye aye sir, I will work on it sir. (no sarcasm intended)