Posted on Mar 9, 2020
Is it possible to get a waiver for hearing loss to join the USMC? Any ideas or suggestions?
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My son was recently denied a hearing waiver for a moderate hearing loss. Prior to his MEPS visit I took him to an ear doctor and they performed several exams on him and his right ear has the loss. The specialist said there should be no reason he could not serve at any capacity and even wrote a letter of recommendation. In speaking with recruiter they did not even send the test results and letter down to MEPS. You would never know he has a hearing loss but he cannot pick up the high frequency on the hearing tests. He is a 3.4 goa student and physical specimen but we cannot get him in. Any ideas or suggestions. Thanks!
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 6
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Ma'am it is not our nor your opinion that counts, but what MEPS says. He would be starting in already handicapped if they agreed. Can you fathom the sheer number of folks that suffer hearing loss after serving? It could totally wipe out his ear. And I agree with Bob Pryor- it is hard enough in combat with the noise, not being able to hear over it will get him or someone else killed!
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Heath Harper
I am his father not a woman.
I guess that is your opinion but like I stated several active duty people who know him have said it is ridiculous. He is no where near deaf. I guess then why does MEPS offer waivers for any out of standard condition. One doctor at MEPS told me he would qualify for a waiver???
There is so much more to this and the cluster that is this particular MEPS location.
I guess that is your opinion but like I stated several active duty people who know him have said it is ridiculous. He is no where near deaf. I guess then why does MEPS offer waivers for any out of standard condition. One doctor at MEPS told me he would qualify for a waiver???
There is so much more to this and the cluster that is this particular MEPS location.
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Maj John Bell
Heath Harper - From Department of Defense Instruction 1630.03
The following hearing conditions may disqualify you for military service:
a. Hearing loss with the severity of:
(1) Pure tone at 500, 1000, and 2000 cycles per second of not more than 30 decibels (dB) on the average (each ear), with no individual level greater than 35dB at these frequencies.
(2) Pure tone level not more than 45 dB at 3000 cycles per second each ear, and 55 dB at 4000 cycles per second each ear.
In special cases, The Secretary of the Branch of service may request a waiver, under the following conditions:
_The Branch Secretary must submit a request for a branch wide exemption with justification that the exemption granted for any member serving in any military occupational specialty will not in any significant way diminish operational readiness. Or
_The individual for whom an exemption is sought is in possession of such a highly specialized set of skills that it is not reasonable to recruit such an individual otherwise.
The following hearing conditions may disqualify you for military service:
a. Hearing loss with the severity of:
(1) Pure tone at 500, 1000, and 2000 cycles per second of not more than 30 decibels (dB) on the average (each ear), with no individual level greater than 35dB at these frequencies.
(2) Pure tone level not more than 45 dB at 3000 cycles per second each ear, and 55 dB at 4000 cycles per second each ear.
In special cases, The Secretary of the Branch of service may request a waiver, under the following conditions:
_The Branch Secretary must submit a request for a branch wide exemption with justification that the exemption granted for any member serving in any military occupational specialty will not in any significant way diminish operational readiness. Or
_The individual for whom an exemption is sought is in possession of such a highly specialized set of skills that it is not reasonable to recruit such an individual otherwise.
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I would not want someone with unequal hearing to be in combat because they can't accurately detect the location of a sound source. That could be quite costly, make that deadly, in a combat situation. Your son should reassess his goals.
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Heath Harper
I appreciate your feedback but that does not describe his loss. We have talked with multiple people both active and retired and they all agree it is ridiculous he cannot serve.
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SGT Robert Pryor
Heath Harper - You may be right. But keep in mind that in the USMC he is more likely than not to wind up in combat arms, where he needs to be able to hear a gnat fart at fifty paces in order to increase his chances of survival. I still say he needs to find a different goal, one with greater odds that his hearing loss will not interfere with his likelihood of living to be an old man, giving you lots of grand-babies.
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Maj John Bell
Heath Harper - I am unsure why admin removed my comment under this thread. I believe it was well within RP community guidelines. If it is objectionable, can the person who removed it please contact me back channel and explain why? I repeat...
The opinion of active duty and retired service members on your sons fitness for duty is immaterial. Having served does not make one a subject matter expert on hearing loss and its effects. Nor does your hearing specialist's opinion matter unless he or she is aware of the realities of a combat environment.
As an infantry officer I would be very concerned about your son's hearing loss in a combat environment. High frequency hearing loss directly impacts on his ability to understand vowel sounds and the sounds of the letters s, h, and f. Particularly when there is a high level of background noise or loud low frequency sounds (like in a firefight). Your hearing specialist may be thinking of precautions and accommodations that can be made in an occupational civilian setting. Those same precautions and accommodations may not be practical or safe in combat.
In addition, combat or not, military service is hard on the ears. A hearing loss that has little or no effect on his life today, may be aggravated into a serious disability later.
The opinion of active duty and retired service members on your sons fitness for duty is immaterial. Having served does not make one a subject matter expert on hearing loss and its effects. Nor does your hearing specialist's opinion matter unless he or she is aware of the realities of a combat environment.
As an infantry officer I would be very concerned about your son's hearing loss in a combat environment. High frequency hearing loss directly impacts on his ability to understand vowel sounds and the sounds of the letters s, h, and f. Particularly when there is a high level of background noise or loud low frequency sounds (like in a firefight). Your hearing specialist may be thinking of precautions and accommodations that can be made in an occupational civilian setting. Those same precautions and accommodations may not be practical or safe in combat.
In addition, combat or not, military service is hard on the ears. A hearing loss that has little or no effect on his life today, may be aggravated into a serious disability later.
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The Dept of Defense does not establish disqualifying standards for health conditions for arbitrary or capricious reasons. People with high-frequency hearing loss have greater difficulty in distinguishing vowel sounds, and the sounds of the letters s, h, and f. This can make it more difficult for them to understand speech, particularly if they are in an environment with a great deal of background noise or high volume low-frequency sounds like in a fire fight.
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