February 4, 2010
Hearing loss and getting into ROTC. Is it possible?
Christopher asked:
Hello, last December, I was sent home from basic training at Ft. Benning, Ga for hearing loss in one ear. I would very much like to, and very passionately want to serve for my country as those have done before me. My question has to do with the ROTC program and whether I can even enroll in ROTC so that I may live my life how I want to as a soldier and guardian of peace and freedom for the citizens of the United States. Any help on the matter would be very appreciated.
Eliseo
Hello, last December, I was sent home from basic training at Ft. Benning, Ga for hearing loss in one ear. I would very much like to, and very passionately want to serve for my country as those have done before me. My question has to do with the ROTC program and whether I can even enroll in ROTC so that I may live my life how I want to as a soldier and guardian of peace and freedom for the citizens of the United States. Any help on the matter would be very appreciated.
Eliseo
Comments on Hearing loss and getting into ROTC. Is it possible?
Harrison
if it a permanent hearing loss?
if, so, afraid you have a PDQ!
Lamar
It all depends on the amount of hearing loss. You need to look at AR 40-501, Standards of Medical Fitness as it outlines the requirements for hearing to join the military. I have outlined it and linked it below.
However, I can pretty much guarantee you that if the regular army disqualified you, that the ROTC DODMERB exam will too.
Many people seem to feel that ROTC is a haven for those who cannot join the regular Army. In fact, ROTC standards for commissioning are the exact same as the regular army and if you could not get in one, odds are you cannot get in the other.
Chapter 2
Physical Standards for Enlistment, Appointment, and Induction
2–7. Hearing
a. Audiometers, calibrated to standards of the International Standards Organization (ISO 8253:1 1989) (reference (c)) or the American National Standards Institute (ANSI 1996), will be used to test the hearing of all applicants.
b. All audiometric tracings or audiometric readings recorded on reports of medical examination or other medical records will be clearly identified.
c. Current hearing threshold level in either ear greater than that described below is disqualifying:
(1) Pure tone at 500, 1000, and 2000 cycles per second for each ear of not more than 30 decibels (dB) on the average, with no individual level greater than 35 dB at those frequencies.
(2) Pure tone level not more than 45 dB at 3000 cycles per second or 55 dB at 4000 cycles per second for each ear.
(3) There is no standard for 6000 cycles per second.
d. Current or history of hearing aid use (V53.2) is disqualifying.