[Shuggerz]

Gentlemen of SC,

I have for a very long time wanted ot serve in the military some day as a Special Forces 18 Bravo. I was about to enlist for the Infantry my senior year of high school and aspire to slowly inch my way towards an A-team, but found out that I had a condition that stopped the show for me, I was diagnosed at my eye doctors with Red/Green color blindness. Now its not a very serious thing for me as I can see vivid reds and greens but a few offshades goof me a little bit sometimes. I had no idea what to do, and I still kind of don't. I am currently sudying criminal justice in college and found out that I don't qualify for being a police officer for the same reason. I wonder if I have made the wrong choice. It's not that I lack the motivation or the drive, but it seemed as if alot of doors had been shut. Its not something I wish to do for my pride or a "cool" factor, people wishing to do these kinds of jobs for those types of reasons are ignorant at best. Special Forces has always appealed to me because the operatives are of the most sincere, and professional group of men you can ever met. More to it then kicking ass, the cultural intuition, laguage skills, cross training, and esprit de corps has always kept me interested. Had the honor and privelage of meeting and knowning one of these individuals.

I know this is a forum that focuses mostly towards shooting which has been a 10 year passion for me. What do you all think?
The floor is al your gentlemen, I will not be offended by anything said as I can take constructive criticism. Thanks for the responses gentlemen. And I give my most sincere respect and admiration to those who pound the ground in the field whether it be desert, jungle, or forest.


Respectfully,
Tyler Consugar

 

[muzzleblast]

Tyler,

I'm not nor was I ever military, so I can't really advise you much on what to do. What I would like to tell you though, is that you should always remember the doors that were closed to you are not your fault...Beyond your control. Don't give up, or let this knock you down at all...Keep going, keep looking for challenges and bettering yourself...The best opportunities come up totally unexpected, and you never know what else life might throw your way.

Drive on!

 

[muzzleblast]

Not to reply to my own post but I happened to delete Tyler's double-tap just as John posted...so this post here is from EKAPHOTO...

How bad is the colorblindness? If it isn't bad you can still get some police jobs. I know the California Highway Patrol and other agiencies have a secondary test for that and if you pass you can be hired. As for the SF, go to the recruter, don't tell them,and after you have your physical(they will catch it there) you talk to the guy that actually signs you up. Tell them you want 18x or you don't sign up. They will probably sign you up if your color vision isn't to bad. If you don't get the job you want, you don't have to sign up. Just walk out. BTW I have the same thing, but very mild. I was not supposed to sign up to certin MOS's but the MD check that I could see most colors and give me a pass.
_________________
John

 

[Shuggerz]

If I would't get on an A-team in the military, they wouldnt get my enlistment. AT ALL!! Special Forces personnell are spread V E R Y thin these days and the groups DESPERATELY need to have boots filled. I dont expect a guaranteed slot in anything in my life, all I want is a guaranteed shot, after that I will take care of the rest.

Respectfully,
Tyler Consugar

 

[Shuggerz]

Well EKA,
I can see vivd reds and greens JUST fine. If I couldnt there is NO WAY I could have gotten my drivers license. Really weird offshades of red and green gimme a little bit of trouble. I was handed some bullshit about reading a map at night with a red light. I thought they use generation 3 PVS goggles to do that anymore??

Respectfully,
Tyler Consugar

 

[ekaphoto]

Well EKA,
I can see vivd reds and greens JUST fine. If I couldnt there is NO WAY I could have gotten my drivers license. Really weird offshades of red and green gimme a little bit of trouble. I was handed some bullshit about reading a map at night with a red light. I thought they use generation 3 PVS goggles to do that anymore??

Respectfully,
Tyler Consugar

While I can read maps, it can be very difficult under a red light for me, so it is a ligit concern. But, they need to do something besideds the ishra test. If you are colorblind you see one number. If you have normal color vision you see a diffrent number. I can see one plate easy, two others I see parts of both, but can get them, the rest look like a bunch of dots.

 

[Shuggerz]

I agree. I was also told by a recruiter online I wouldnt be able to go to jump school because I wouldnt be able to see the red and green light. I mean...duh...red on top and green on the bottom on a static line in a C-17 or a C-130. Red and green horizontally on the rear for a HALO jump.

Respectfully,
Tyler Consugar

By the way ekaphto, what is your military experience?

 

[Shuggerz]

argh the posting twice again.

 

[ekaphoto]

By the way ekaphto, what is your military experience?

US Army Infantry, Combat Engineer (reserve) Civil Affairs(reserve) Airborne School.

Also used to work as a correctional Officer, first in a super max prison in Kansas, then a county jail in CA. Before that I was a Medic for several years full time. Now I am a rent a cop at a power plant, but it pays better than any of the others. In fact all of us ar exmilitary and/or LE.

 

[Shuggerz]

Were you the one who was wearing the black tac gear in the photo with the M4??

Respectfully,
Tyler Consugar

 

[ekaphoto]

Were you the one who was wearing the black tac gear in the photo with the M4??

Respectfully,
Tyler Consugar

Yes

 

[Shuggerz]

I thought so, at first glance I thought you were SWAT, eer think about tier 2 for blackwater?

 

[ekaphoto]

I thought so, at first glance I thought you were SWAT, eer think about tier 2 for blackwater?

Actually I guard "special nuclear material" ie fuel rods at a nuke plant.

 

[Shuggerz]

Lol, does it ever make you feel uneasy being around all that ****?

 

[ekaphoto]

Lol, does it ever make you feel uneasy being around all that stuff?

No, our place is pretty clean, and they moniter it constantly. When in the radilogical area we wear an electronic device that tells you if you are getting hit with to much, not to mention another device that they check every quater to see how much you got. There are also other warning systems built in the place.We get scanned everytime we leave the radiation area etc. We are a non operating plant, so things are stable for the most part, and we have a good crew that does nothing but moniter the radiation. You probably get more radiation from your microwave (diffrent type) than I have gotten the entire time I am there.

 

[jc71corvette]

I remember reading the qualifications for enlistment. Isn't a qualification to be 0300 (USMC) or 11x, 18x to have good color discrepency? Do other MOS's allow this? Because if this is so, get another MOS. As much as it sucks not being where you want, being a soldier is better than the way you are now.

 

[dead_I_5_0]

i'm gunna agree with him on this one..i'd take any soldiering as a blessing...but that's just me...good luck getting your MOS of choice...let me know how it turns out! Later.

-Brian Shields

 

[jc71corvette]

Yes, me on the other hand is the Marine way. Im gunning for 0300 and hoping I get 0311, rifleman. Regardless, just earning the title of United States Marine is a mile stone in life and being a Marine is by far better than living in a small town in upstate NY.

 

[dead_I_5_0]

is 0300 recon?? Good luck with that corvette! let us know how it turns out.

-Brian Shields

 

[Shuggerz]

I understand having a serious form of color vision defficiency is a showstopper. It's not as if I cannot tell between red and greens I can have someone ask me the difference of red and green and I can clearly tell ther difference. Its really weird offshades I can have a little difficulty with. I believe that having the title soldier is something to be proud of, yes. I mean there are some things I am closed off too, but the colors the military uses I can see quite clearly. Its not only these fields that are closed to people such as myself, but firefighter, police officer, forestry, biologist, doctor, and many others. After some point it begins to borderline rediculous. I have no difficulties in doing most tasks people with severe color blindness are unable to do. I am not bitching nor complaining either gentlemen, only trying to get an opinion from ya'll

Respectfully,
Tyler Consugar