I've searched the forums, but haven't found anything related to what jobs are out there in the AF that will "accept" color blind or deficient (whatever you want to call it) people, besides the 15 or so that just don't require normal color vision. My career field is set to just disappear in the next year or so, and cross training will be offered to individuals like myself. I did the research and have accepted the fact that I will never be an Aerial Gunner, or an Imagery Analyst, but are there any jobs out there that will waive the normal color vision requirement if I p*** one of those SODA tests, or whatever they're called? I run into people everyday that tell me they're color blind and I wonder how they go about getting their job, but never get any good solid info. I want to stay in, and don't mind taking another job off the limited list for color blind people, but if there are other options, I'd like to look into those as well.

I'm "color blind." Horribly incorrect description, but that's how it works in a world of "color normal" people. I have an indefinite waiver for color vision attached to my initial Cl*** III Flight Physical. I had to endure several color vision tests...5 or so. Then I met with the Flight Doc who held up something and asked me what color it was. I answered "red" and he said that was just a l***y guess because I'm red/green color blind. :facepalm:

Try for a waiver. I even know of a 4N0 that has a color vision waiver. We all know how critical color vision is when we line up the BP cuff on the arm and hit the "Start" ****on the machine...

Edit: I found the whole thing comical when I was on NVGs during combat ops. Everything is green! Even snow! They're working on fielding the full color spectrum NVGs, but FFS! This was 1996! LOL

AK49,

If you go to about.com and search for AF enlisted jobs, you will find a big list of the jobs with descriptions. In that mess, you will find a sub link for qualifications, it should be blue and clickable. There it will tell you what the physical profile and what special requirements are needed. So if you open a Crew Chief job and it says you need H-1 hearing under the PULHES and you only have a H-2, its a no go for the most part.

If you look around you may see CV-1, this means you must have color vision, if no CV is listed, this means its ok to be color blind for that job.

Also, your MPF will have a careers section and they should have the regulation that shows the jobs and restrcitions. I know it stinks to have to go there and sit and read, but it is what it is.

Hope that helped.

quote:

Originally posted by Yukondogg:
AK49,

If you go to about.com and search for AF enlisted jobs, you will find a big list of the jobs with descriptions. In that mess, you will find a sub link for qualifications, it should be blue and clickable. There it will tell you what the physical profile and what special requirements are needed. So if you open a Crew Chief job and it says you need H-1 hearing under the PULHES and you only have a H-2, its a no go for the most part.

If you look around you may see CV-1, this means you must have color vision, if no CV is listed, this means its ok to be color blind for that job.

Also, your MPF will have a careers section and they should have the regulation that shows the jobs and restrcitions. I know it stinks to have to go there and sit and read, but it is what it is.

Hope that helped.

Thanks, I knew most of that info, but I've meant Loadmasters that were color "blind" and navigators as well, and I know those career profiles require color vision. So I guess what I'm really asking is, if I request to retrain into something like ABMS, or AMS, would the waiver process start after applying (after my flight physical when they "discover" once again that I am a genetic anomaly), or do I need to look into getting a waiver before I apply?

quote:

Originally posted by Frank_F_Dizzo:
I'm "color blind." Horribly incorrect description, but that's how it works in a world of "color normal" people. I have an indefinite waiver for color vision attached to my initial Cl*** III Flight Physical. I had to endure several color vision tests...5 or so. Then I met with the Flight Doc who held up something and asked me what color it was. I answered "red" and he said that was just a l***y guess because I'm red/green color blind. :facepalm:

How were you able to get that waiver? I had looked at the reg they linked to at about.com and I got the impression that waivers were only for officers, flying on certain types of aircraft. But I've never been real good at reading legalese.

Me, I have trouble distinguishing some greens from some browns and that makes me fail any color blindness test. I can tell red and green apart just fine. But I can't tell if "olive drab" is green or brown.

quote:

Originally posted by AirmanBasher:
How were you able to get that waiver?

I asked about a waiver. The flight doc said "this means you can never be in control of the aircraft." I just replied that if I were in control of the aircraft, my color vision is the least of our worries. He wrote up the waiver, sent it up the chain and it was approved.

All you can do is try. If you don't ask, I can tell you what the non-verbal answer will be.

I'm sure it varies base to base and Flight Surgeon to Flight Surgeon, but when I was attempting to retrain into both Loadmaster and SERE (between 2003-2006), I was told that if you have an issue with your eyes, you are NOT getting a waiver for the IFCIII for ANY job that requires one (including SERE... guess they were afraid I'd run into a tree in the forest). Just wasn't going to happen. I have depth perception issues, which I've obviously gotten along fine with in life and my military career doing pretty much the same ground job that loadmasters do.

That's an argument for a different time, though. However, up until about 5 years ago you could pretty much get a permanent waiver for anything. Now, not so much. So, those who were waivered in the past, and those seeking waivers presently aren't even in the same textbook of life.

quote:

Originally posted by TwoTangoTwo:
guess they were afraid I'd run into a tree in the forest). Just wasn't going to happen. I have depth perception issues, which I've obviously gotten along fine with in life and my military career doing pretty much the same ground job that loadmasters do.

In a world of UAVs, it seems to me that you would be a perfect UAV pilot or sensor operator candidate. Last I checked those displays weren't 3D.

Something I always wondered about with pilots...how is it that they don't crash when flying on NVGs? I mean that takes away their color vision AND their depth perception.

Disclaimer: I don't really wonder that. It was sarcasm.

That is one of the things that REALLY got my goat about the whole DQ thing from loadmaster. When I asked the FS what the depth perception was such an issue for, I was told that it was because I would have to be marshaling in the MHE both with and without NVG's.

First, I had probably brought in more K-loaders than any loadmaster on the flightline at the time. Haven't run one into an airplane. Ever. More than I can say for the students here at Ye 'Ol Rock.

Second, NVG's take away your depth perception, anyway!

Third, at the time I WAS A FRIKKIN' NVG INSTRUCTOR. I've probably got close to 100 or so ERO's under NVG conditions. Haven't run one into an airplane yet.

I've known quite a few loadmasters, both young and old, and my old OIC was a prior-E loadmaster for 13 years. I've talked about this a lot, and pretty much everyone that has done the job (my OIC came in when loadmasters actually had to qualify as 605's befor they even got on an aircraft) rolled their eyes at the whole DQ thing. "What? Why?" was pretty much the standard response.

I'm sure there's more to being a loadmaster where having a depth perception deficiency could put the entire aircraft and aircrew in danger, but I was just ****ed off and looking for a fight at the time because "I Was Right". You know how it is...

Being a recruiter, I have heard about waivers for guys that were in , color blind and valued. To me, it didn't seem so much a waiver, but more they are looking the other way. If it is a waiver process, I have zero clue where it begins.

quote:

Originally posted by Yukondogg:
Being a recruiter, I have heard about waivers for guys that were in , color blind and valued. To me, it didn't seem so much a waiver, but more they are looking the other way. If it is a waiver process, I have zero clue where it begins.

Flight surgeon's office initiates.

Well at least I know I have a shot right! My wife is life support and is pretty tight with her flight surgeon, maybe she can put in a good word for me!

quote:

Originally posted by AK49:
Well at least I know I have a shot right! My wife is life support and is pretty tight with her flight surgeon, maybe she can put in a good word for me!

Must...resist... OMG

buahahaha

quote:

Originally posted by Frank_F_Dizzo:

quote:

Originally posted by AK49:
Well at least I know I have a shot right! My wife is life support and is pretty tight with her flight surgeon, maybe she can put in a good word for me!

Must...resist... OMG

buahahaha

What's wrong with that man? I know it's kinda lame that she gets seen by a flight doc, there's a crazy small clinic here though. Hopefully if I go through the process here, and get seen by a flight doc here, I'd think it would work to my advantage if it just happened to be the same doc.

quote:

Originally posted by AK49:

quote:

Originally posted by Frank_F_Dizzo:

quote:

Originally posted by AK49:
Well at least I know I have a shot right! My wife is life support and is pretty tight with her flight surgeon, maybe she can put in a good word for me!

Must...resist... OMG

buahahaha

What's wrong with that man? I know it's kinda lame that she gets seen by a flight doc, there's a crazy small clinic here though. Hopefully if I go through the process here, and get seen by a flight doc here, I'd think it would work to my advantage if it just happened to be the same doc.

I was just messing with you because how "close" your wife is with the doc.

quote:

Originally posted by Frank_F_Dizzo:

quote:

Originally posted by AK49:

quote:

Originally posted by Frank_F_Dizzo:

quote:

Originally posted by AK49:
Well at least I know I have a shot right! My wife is life support and is pretty tight with her flight surgeon, maybe she can put in a good word for me!

Must...resist... OMG

buahahaha

What's wrong with that man? I know it's kinda lame that she gets seen by a flight doc, there's a crazy small clinic here though. Hopefully if I go through the process here, and get seen by a flight doc here, I'd think it would work to my advantage if it just happened to be the same doc.

I was just messing with you because how "close" your wife is with the doc.

It's a chick...and frankly, I wouldn't argue with it...I'd demand to be present, though.

quote:

Originally posted by AK49:
It's a chick...and frankly, I wouldn't argue with it...I'd demand to be present, though.

You better film and share it.

SG doesn't initiate any waivers, they are the approval authority. I would think this has to start at retraining.

SG doesn't. But the Flight Surgeon can recommend approval. They are talking FS, not SG.

quote:

Originally posted by Yukondogg:
Being a recruiter, I have heard about waivers for guys that were in , color blind and valued. To me, it didn't seem so much a waiver, but more they are looking the other way. If it is a waiver process, I have zero clue where it begins.

GETTING on flying status and STAYING on flying status are two entirely different animals, so I've found out (and been told many times).