AudiologyOnline Phone: 800-753-2160


Neuromod Devices - Your Partner for Tinnitus - September 2021

Hearing Requirements for Military Service

David Chandler, PhD

February 28, 2005

Share:

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.


David Chandler, PhD

Colonel in the US Army


Related Courses

Assessing Auditory Functional Performance: Goals and Intervention Considerations for Individuals with Hearing Loss
Presented by Susan G. Allen, MED, CED, MEd, CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVEd
Recorded Webinar
AudiologyOnline

Presenter

Susan G. Allen, MED, CED, MEd, CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVEd
Course: #33024Level: Intermediate1 Hour
  'The video demonstrations were helpful'   Read Reviews
Functional auditory assessment and continuing assessment is critical in order to determine the current level of function, develop appropriate goals for intervention, and achieve maximum outcomes. Learning to listen drives everything else: speech intelligibility, language competence, reading, academics, and life-long learning. This course offers a detailed look at functional auditory assessment and intervention, to provide audiologists with a better understanding of hearing loss in children in terms of the broader speech, language, learning and academic contexts. Additional videos to demonstrate key points will be included.

View this Course for FREE.
Need CEUs? Become a AudiologyOnline member to get unlimited CEUs.

Only $129/yr

Learn More

20Q: Changes to Auditory Processing and Cognition During Normal Aging – Should it Affect Hearing Aid Programming? Part 2 – Programming Hearing Aids for Older Adults
Presented by Richard Windle, PhD, MSc, CS
Text/Transcript
AudiologyOnline

Presenter

Richard Windle, PhD, MSc, CS
Course: #39168Level: Advanced2.5 Hours
  'The course material was presented in an easy-to-understand manner'   Read Reviews
Part 1 discussed how a decline in some elements of cognition and auditory processing alters speech perception during normal aging. This course considers how hearing aids may help or hinder speech perception for older adults. The author discusses how different hearing aid settings can affect the speech signal and consider practical ways we can use this in the clinic to offer the optimum fitting for an individual, in particular how we should set up hearing aid compression.

View this Course for FREE.
Need CEUs? Become a AudiologyOnline member to get unlimited CEUs.

Only $129/yr

Learn More

Implementation of Cochlear Implants: Enhanced Candidacy Criteria and Technology Advances
Presented by J. Thomas Roland, MD Jr.
Recorded Webinar
AudiologyOnline

Presenter

J. Thomas Roland, MD Jr.
Course: #37377Level: Intermediate1 Hour
  'Although we do not do ABI at our clinic, this was extremely interesting to learn about'   Read Reviews
The participant in this course will understand the extended candidacy criteria with cochlear implantation and expectations. The course will cover implanting under age one, hybrid hearing with cochlear implantation, CI under local anesthesia, single-sided deafness, cochlear implantation, and auditory brainstem implantation.

View this Course for FREE.
Need CEUs? Become a AudiologyOnline member to get unlimited CEUs.

Only $129/yr

Learn More

The Patient Perspective: What Your Clients Need from You
Presented by Shari Eberts, Gael Hannan
Recorded Webinar
AudiologyOnline

Presenters

Shari EbertsGael Hannan
Course: #39939Level: Introductory1 Hour
  'The women get 100%'   Read Reviews
To live well with hearing loss clients must employ non-technical dynamics that are often underrepresented or overlooked in standard clinical practice, such as the reframing of attitudes towards hearing loss, and embracing a range of non-technical behavioral game-changers. This course introduces client-centered concepts to help them become stronger self-advocates, better builders of relationships and equipped to improve almost any listening situation.

View this Course for FREE.
Need CEUs? Become a AudiologyOnline member to get unlimited CEUs.

Only $129/yr

Learn More

Conductive/Mixed Hearing Loss: Otosclerosis and Other Causes
Presented by Daniel Zeitler, MD, FACS
Recorded Webinar
AudiologyOnline

Presenter

Daniel Zeitler, MD, FACS
Course: #34564Level: Intermediate1 Hour
  'I liked the subject matter and the instructor was engaging'   Read Reviews
This course will review middle ear mechanics and conductive hearing loss. A highlight of differences and similarities between conditions will be discussed. A review of audiological and otological work-up will be covered and as well as a brief introduction to surgical and non-surgical treatments.

View this Course for FREE.
Need CEUs? Become a AudiologyOnline member to get unlimited CEUs.

Only $129/yr

Learn More

Our site uses cookies to improve your experience. By using our site, you agree to our Privacy Policy.