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Back in June, I applied to the United States Border Patrol. I just got the job offer this morning.

I'll be going to the Academy in November, through whenever it is they end, and then reporting to the station in Deming, NM.

This is something I couldn't and wouldn't have done without the Lord's help. Not only did He give me a "boot to the rear" in getting me to apply, he also smoothed things out with my physical (color vision issues), my interviews, my tests, and finally a massive paperwork screw-up on the part of my doctor (which I thought would disqualify me for sure, as they got the paperwork to me TWO WEEKS late, well after MY deadline to send it in!).

The only downside I see is that I'll be leaving Texas. I fully intend to keep an out-of-state CHL here, though, as well as getting my NM CHL ASAP.

This is something I've wanted to do, but was hesitant to even apply. Praises and thanks to the Lord, for kicking me in the rear and smoothing the way!

Congratulations and good luck.

- Jim

Great to hear! Congrats!

Congratulations!
How in the world did you get around the color vision issues? My red/green issues have kept me out of jobs for a lot of years.

lrb111 wrote:Congratulations!
How in the world did you get around the color vision issues? My red/green issues have kept me out of jobs for a lot of years.

Thanks.

They had me go to an independent optometrist, who conducted a Farnsworth color vision test, which I passed. (In the Farnsworth, you arrange a kaleidescope of pastel dots in order of the rainbow, and many of the pastels are barely a shade apart from each other. You need a perfect score in both eyes to pass.)

See, the color vision test the Patrol administers is the old "read the number in the circle of colored dots" test, which I simply cannot do. I can see every color, name them, but I can see no numbers. I CAN see color, but I apparently perceive it differently from "normal." For instance, while I can see a clear distinction between red and green, they look very similar to me. Dark, deep reds and greens I might have to study for a second or two in order to name the color, but I can see the difference.

Congratulations and Praise the Lord for His goodness.

Thane wrote:

lrb111 wrote:Congratulations!
How in the world did you get around the color vision issues? My red/green issues have kept me out of jobs for a lot of years.

Thanks.

They had me go to an independent optometrist, who conducted a Farnsworth color vision test, which I passed. (In the Farnsworth, you arrange a kaleidescope of pastel dots in order of the rainbow, and many of the pastels are barely a shade apart from each other. You need a perfect score in both eyes to pass.)

See, the color vision test the Patrol administers is the old "read the number in the circle of colored dots" test, which I simply cannot do. I can see every color, name them, but I can see no numbers. I CAN see color, but I apparently perceive it differently from "normal." For instance, while I can see a clear distinction between red and green, they look very similar to me. Dark, deep reds and greens I might have to study for a second or two in order to name the color, but I can see the difference.

Very cool indeed. So, your's must be a marginal situation. Great results!

congrats!