Hello, From the Army

[Alderez]

I have been interested in what i later found out was called deaf culture in primary school. Two of my classmates were deaf and had an interpreter that sat in with them. I was intensely curious about what life was like for them but as a child I freely admit they were "different" and my courage to get to know them was not greater than my fear of the "different" kids. Except once by chance the female of the male female pair was in gym class with me and she turned to me and signed; in response i nodded and tried to will what she was signing to make sense but couldn't. She was so excited about something and I felt like a giant worthless mound of ignorance. That limited interaction with the deaf hoh world stuck with me. In many a quiet time id ponder where life took those two.

The deaf hoh issues became more relevant after joining the US Army. I began to encounter hoh people on a near daily basis. This isn't a jab at no one in the military listening but more a consequence of a unique mixture of poor hearing conservation techniques, the unpredictability of war and machismo. I too fell victim to that disastrous combination, after over one thousand flight hours I began to notice incessant noise as I tried to sleep, then people trying to get my attention and failing and followed by beginning to hear things even during day to day activities.

I just wanted to provide a little about me. In conclusion im 27 years old and on Active duty.

 

[Reba]

Thank you for your service to our country.

 

[Bottesini]

Welcome.

 

[mortimer mouse]

welcome! and interesting! but you say that in the military deaf people can work? that I know of to the deaf, and I speak of people born deaf since birth, can apply in USARMY? I apologize if these questions, but do not know well the internal rules of the armed forces because I'm not U.S. citizen....

 

[ChicagoBlue2]

welcome! and interesting! but you say that in the military deaf people can work? that I know of to the deaf, and I speak of people born deaf since birth, can apply in USARMY? I apologize if these questions, but do not know well the internal rules of the armed forces because I'm not U.S. citizen....

They cannot be in combat. However, they CAN still work on a military base, either in food service or as a janitor, OR as a private contracter in construction. Otherwise, not much in terms of being active duty for the deaf/HoH. I myself used to work on a Naval Base, and a deaf person would need security clearance to be able to work there. They do issue military ID's so they can get in. There may be other options, but I'm not aware of what they are, but those three I listed above are ones I'm aware of.

 

[mortimer mouse]

understood! thanks!

ChicagoBlue2, you think, in Italy it is strictly forbidden to deaf people to be , enlisted in the armed forces. There are certainly civil disabilities who work in the structures (especially administrative centers) that belong to the army, marine and aviation, but NOT depend directly by the military commands. I believe that the situation is also very similar from you in the USA....

 

[ChicagoBlue2]

understood! thanks!

ChicagoBlue2, you think, in Italy it is strictly forbidden to deaf people to be , enlisted in the armed forces. There are certainly civil disabilities who work in the structures (especially administrative centers) that belong to the army, marine and aviation, but NOT depend directly by the military commands. I believe that the situation is also very similar from you in the USA....

Well, working on a military base, it's a tough environment, and if a galley closes for renovation or other reasons, that galley would send workers elsewhere. They can send them nearby or a long way from where they're used to working. One example is working at 535, which is on the other side of the base, and not easy to get to.

 

[mortimer mouse]

Well, working on a military base, it's a tough environment, and if a galley closes for renovation or other reasons, that galley would send workers elsewhere. They can send them nearby or a long way from where they're used to working. One example is working at 535, which is on the other side of the base, and not easy to get to.

sure! inside military bases there is a whole different mentality from that civil .... here are US bases shared with the Italian soldiers, as aviano, the NAVY 6th Fleet in Naples, and not even carrying a lantern could you find a civilian disabled

 

[ChicagoBlue2]

sure! inside military bases there is a whole different mentality from that civil .... inside military bases there is a whole different mentality from that civil .... here are US bases shared with the Italian soldiers, as aviano, the NAVY 6th Fleet in Naples, and not even carrying a lantern could you find a civilian disabled

Where I worked, more often than not I would see the Naval officers yell at recruits, and boy, could they yell. Their faces would get as red as a tomato in some cases, and lemme tell you-- you don't forget that for a while. You are correct in saying that military mentality is quite different than civilian life. I had a rough time adjusting when I started, but the most cruel part was the winter-- it was brutal up there.

 

[Reba]

Where I worked, more often than not I would see the Naval officers yell at recruits, and boy, could they yell. Their faces would get as red as a tomato in some cases, and lemme tell you-- you don't forget that for a while.

Those wouldn't be officers; those would be Company Commanders, who are senior petty officers. They are enlisted sailors, not commissioned officers. During recruit training recruits have almost no interaction with commissioned officers.

 

[ChicagoBlue2]

Those wouldn't be officers; those would be Company Commanders, who are senior petty officers. They are enlisted sailors, not commissioned officers. During recruit training recruits have almost no interaction with commissioned officers.

Whoops. My mistake. Thanks for correcting me on that. I'll make a note of that if I ever refer to my time there in the future.

 

[aweet_princess198925]

I am in the army and now with profound hearing loss in my right ear and sever loss in my left I am not able to do my job in the army. I am not inactive reserve and I do not drill no longer with my unit. I became HoH in the military from working on the flight line with combination of working with weapons daily. You have to pass a hearing test to join the military just like a vision test to a certain degree. I know a few people who were not able to join for not passing their hearing test.

So no a deaf person can not join the military. I was told its a safety risk since at all times on base or deployment you have to be alert with eyes and ears open. If you are in my position and something is going on and you can not hear then your life and others are at risk if you can not follow the directions given. You won't have an interpreter with you during and emergency situation.

 

[mortimer mouse]

I am in the army and now with profound hearing loss in my right ear and sever loss in my left I am not able to do my job in the army. I am not inactive reserve and I do not drill no longer with my unit. I became HoH in the military from working on the flight line with combination of working with weapons daily. You have to pass a hearing test to join the military just like a vision test to a certain degree. I know a few people who were not able to join for not passing their hearing test.

So no a deaf person can not join the military. I was told its a safety risk since at all times on base or deployment you have to be alert with eyes and ears open. If you are in my position and something is going on and you can not hear then your life and others are at risk if you can not follow the directions given. You won't have an interpreter with you during and emergency situation.

Also your experience is interesting! BTW my idea is that there are very few deaf (no HOH, but deaf from birth) who have a certain level of military attitudes, although in limited conditions (eg driver of military vehicles) with prosthesis and without interpreters. This on the one hand it makes me think that there is a potential to work in the armed forces, but on the other side I do not think which the State undertakes to certainly very few people with these disabilities .... it is a pity!

 

[Angel1989]

Sadly a lot of members of the military do return home with various levels of hearing loss.

 

[Miaou]

I have been interested in what i later found out was called deaf culture in primary school. Two of my classmates were deaf and had an interpreter that sat in with them. I was intensely curious about what life was like for them but as a child I freely admit they were "different" and my courage to get to know them was not greater than my fear of the "different" kids. Except once by chance the female of the male female pair was in gym class with me and she turned to me and signed; in response i nodded and tried to will what she was signing to make sense but couldn't. She was so excited about something and I felt like a giant worthless mound of ignorance. That limited interaction with the deaf hoh world stuck with me. In many a quiet time id ponder where life took those two.

The deaf hoh issues became more relevant after joining the US Army. I began to encounter hoh people on a near daily basis. This isn't a jab at no one in the military listening but more a consequence of a unique mixture of poor hearing conservation techniques, the unpredictability of war and machismo. I too fell victim to that disastrous combination, after over one thousand flight hours I began to notice incessant noise as I tried to sleep, then people trying to get my attention and failing and followed by beginning to hear things even during day to day activities.

I just wanted to provide a little about me. In conclusion im 27 years old and on Active duty.

Welcome!

I'm a former Army spouse. I have my ENT appointments on an AFB still & hope I don't have to change to civ ENT for awhile.. I have finally found the best surgeon and doctor I've had in all my 36 years of life, thanks to the military!

 

[Alderez]

welcome! and interesting! but you say that in the military deaf people can work? that I know of to the deaf, and I speak of people born deaf since birth, can apply in USARMY? I apologize if these questions, but do not know well the internal rules of the armed forces because I'm not U.S. citizen....

I apologize made a post before turkey day and then didnt check in. I am not a recruiter so i don't know the fine details of Deaf hoh joining the US Military however as I understand it if you are very mildly HOH you can join many MOS (jobs) in at least the US Army. However unless you are a civilian contractor working for the US Govt or working for the US Army a definitionally deaf person cannot enlist.

However please dont quote me I am only in the Army not someone charged with determining who can and cant join.

 

[Alderez]

But I want to ensure clarity, my encounters with HOH persons day to day is how many Soldiers have had their hearing irrevocably damaged in combat, at firing ranges, or some other injury or negligence that caused otherwise hearing persons to lose some or all of that ability.

Final Caveat my HOH is minor in comparison to many many others. One of the maintainers for my aircraft has two army issued hearing aids due to hearing loss.

 

[Alderez]

Thank you for your service to our country.

No thank you for taking time out of your otherwise busy life and display unrequired gratitude.

In turn thank you for being involved in a community that otherwise would be lesser without you and your fellows.

 

[mortimer mouse]

I apologize made a post before turkey day and then didnt check in. I am not a recruiter so i don't know the fine details of Deaf hoh joining the US Military however as I understand it if you are very mildly HOH you can join many MOS (jobs) in at least the US Army. However unless you are a civilian contractor working for the US Govt or working for the US Army a definitionally deaf person cannot enlist.

However please dont quote me I am only in the Army not someone charged with determining who can and cant join.

I understand very well what she wrote

can you please contact me in PM? (which does not mean "Military Police" )

 

[Reba]

No thank you for taking time out of your otherwise busy life and display unrequired gratitude.

In turn thank you for being involved in a community that otherwise would be lesser without you and your fellows.

My life isn't so busy anymore--I'm retired (for real) now.

Hubby (AllDeaf member "TCS") and I are retired from the Navy. Of course, military retirement isn't real retirement--it's a transition to a civilian career. However, now that I'm 63 years old and have Parkinson's Disease, I'm retired from the working world completely. TCS is still working. He's a member of the Patriot Guard Riders, and participates in military veterans' funerals. So, we have a real heart for the military.

We also use the VA for our medical care, so we can empathize with our military brothers and sisters who are dealing with issues related to those services.

I'm hearing but when I was working I was a sign language interpreter for the Deaf community.

We appreciate service members who have volunteered for the military during a time of war, and face multiple deployments.

I hope that you're taking better care of your hearing now.