Question
I have a patient who is a rising senior in high school. He is very interested in pursuing a career in the military. However, he has bilateral high frequency hearing loss. This prompts my question: What criteria are used by the military to determine eligibility for service? I have always understood that a candidate must pass a military physical and that normal hearing acuity is required. Are their exceptions? I would like to have someone answer and address these questions.
Answer
The Dept. of Defense has minimal fitness standards that must be met in order to enter military service. Waivers for hearing loss are not granted by USAF, although hearing loss may be waived by other services on very rare occasion. Consideration for waiver of hearing loss depends on the nature of the loss, severity of loss, and the military job that is being sought by the applicant (e.g., someone with hearing loss could not be a pilot, or work in jobs requiring acute hearing). Typically, hearing loss is waived for difficult-to-fill professional positions such as physician, nurse, lawyer, etc.
The standards for induction are ''Audiometric average threshold for each ear of not more than 25 dB at 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz, with no individual level greater than 30 dB. And, hearing threshold cannot exceed 45 dB at 4000 Hz for either ear.''
David W. Chandler, Ph.D., is a Colonel in the US Army, and has been an Army audiologist for 26 years. Currently, he is Director of the Army Audiology & Speech Center (AASC) at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The AASC, established in 1947, is the Department of Defense's largest and most diverse center for evaluation, rehabilitation and research in disorders of speech-language, hearing and balance. The center provides a wide range of clinical diagnostic and rehabilitative services for more than 20,000 patients a year with communication and balance disorders. The AASC also has a Research Section of 12 scientists and support personnel, maintaining an average of 24 ongoing research protocols in the field of communication disorders.
Additionally, Dr. Chandler serves as Consultant to The Army Surgeon General for Audiology and Hearing Conservation, holds a PhD in Hearing Science from Vanderbilt University, board certification from the American Board of Audiology and the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology.