Expert: Howard Lorenz - 11/22/2007

Question
Hello sir. I hope you can help me. I just returned from MEPS today and besides being in great physical health and scoring high in all lines on the ASVAB i went from being qualified to every job in the AF to 10. All lame jobs I have no interest in doing. And all because I failed the color pallete test. I went on to pass the Red Green Faliant test. But the fact that I passed the Falant test seemed to have no bearing on anything! My question is, did they make a mistake when they input the information to find out the jobs I qualify for? Would having passed the Falant test qualified me for more jobs. I can see red and green perfectly. Just not certain shades I guess. I need to make my case as soon as possible thank you for a speedy responce.

Answer
Victor,

In the past what I have found out is that you can go to your optometrist and have the test done there. The problem is that you will have to take the same test at the meps again...So what if you fail it again? Are you going to cut your nose off to stite your face? Vic, there are lots of folks that are in the Air Force(I am asuming that you went Air Force) that are color dificiant. The one single thing that yo0u have to remember is that EVERY job in the Air Force....Pays the same and carries the same benifits.

I am not certain of what job you  wanted, but you really have to look at the reason you came into the service. What was that bottom line reason you came into the service? Ii didnt get what I wanted either, BUT I wanted the career and I bent a little and got into a job. It didnt sound like something I wanted to do , but I found that I loved it and have been doing it for the past 19 years. Now I will retire and then I have the education paid for by the military to go and do what I want to. I thought that it was an even swap....My time for my financial independance....Think about it....Because if you turn down this opprotunity, you will kick youself in the ass for the rest of your life...I hear it all the time from guys that I know that didnt go in...Oh I should a because they are having to pay out the nse for thier education. I have a buddy that didnt go in , he went to school to be a lawyer, that was over twenty years ago and he is STILL paying for his education loans!!!! I have 2 degrees and mine are PAID and I can retire next year!! WHO got the better deal?

Victor, You are on the right track, you just need to step back and look at the broader spectrum of why you came into the military ,....thats all.

HW