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vision requirement for SNA confirmed

DWright23

New Member
Hello. I want to make sure I've got this right.
If my vision is worse than 20/40 both eyes, I can have PRK surgery before entering the military to correct them to 20/20+, and not be DQed?
Lasik has not been approved and is an auto DQ unless your participating in the study, correct?
I've been researching this for a few days, but I have seen contradicting answers throughout the places I've checked (including navy.com).

Thanks in advance!
 

shutout39

Member
pilot
Hi, great gouge in this thread. Answered most of my questions. I am currently planning on putting my package up to the April 2011 SNA board, but my eyes are 20/60 so I would need to get the PRK done FIRST on my dime, wait 6 months, then submit a package for OCS? The timing is all new to me since my recruiter hasn't said anything other than as long as my eyes are correctable to 20/20 (they are) we are good to go. Based on what I have read, if I were to submit to this April board, regardless of anything I do before now and then, that package will be declined?

Thanks in advance.
 

BigJeffray

Sans Remorse
pilot
Hi, great gouge in this thread. Answered most of my questions. I am currently planning on putting my package up to the April 2011 SNA board, but my eyes are 20/60 so I would need to get the PRK done FIRST on my dime, wait 6 months, then submit a package for OCS? The timing is all new to me since my recruiter hasn't said anything other than as long as my eyes are correctable to 20/20 (they are) we are good to go. Based on what I have read, if I were to submit to this April board, regardless of anything I do before now and then, that package will be declined?

Thanks in advance.

Your package that is sent to the board should not be declined because of your vision (unless something has changed within the last 9 or so months, which is possible). Applying to a board is essentially you applying for a job, they will pick you based on your professional qualifications. If selected (pro-rec'd), you must now go through the process of proving you are medically and physically qualified for the job you have been offered. This is where your vision can stand in your way. You may need to wait several months to prove your medical qualifications because of PRK, but if that's the case, so be it. My recommendation would be to have the surgery as soon as practical so that the wait time after your hopeful pro-rec is as short as possible, but consult your OR of course. Just as a reference, I had PRK 2 days AFTER I was pro rec'd for SNA, and I start OCS this Sunday. Good luck, if you have any questions for me, I'll do what I can, but I'll be in Newport soon.
 

Topper Harley

Good NEWS everyone!
I just found this out and thought that anyone who's had PRK for becoming a Naval Aviator would really like to know this! You can use the cost of your PRK surgery as a tax deduction because you're doing it to satisfy job requirements for a job you're trying to get. Keep in mind that if your insurance pays on the surgery that the amount they pay isn't deductible and only the amount you pay is deductible. However, if you took out a loan to pay for the surgery you can count the entire amount as long as you are making the payments and not someone else. I got this information from the IRS yesterday after an hour on the phone with them. They told me this should be filed on section A of the 1040 form but it may be different for you depending on if you use the 1040 EZ or don't itemize your return but it should still go under medical expenses. I thought this information would be helpful but you may still want to call the IRS or talk to your tax filers to have them verify where on the form to file it. Also if you've already filed your taxes you can still fill out an adjustment form apparently. Ask about that. Goodluck for all the prospective pilots out there!
--Topper
 

strovrpwr

New Member
I've been doing a lot of research but just for clarification purposes, I was wondering how the process of becoming a pilot would go down in my situation. My eyesight is pretty bad uncorrected, I'm not going to sugar-coat it. If I had to guess I would say 20/200. Are my chances of getting a PRK waiver slim?
And do I have a better chance if I go through ROTC?
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
I've been doing a lot of research but just for clarification purposes, I was wondering how the process of becoming a pilot would go down in my situation. My eyesight is pretty bad uncorrected, I'm not going to sugar-coat it. If I had to guess I would say 20/200. Are my chances of getting a PRK waiver slim?
And do I have a better chance if I go through ROTC?

PRK waivers are actually fairly easy.
 

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
I just found this out and thought that anyone who's had PRK for becoming a Naval Aviator would really like to know this! You can use the cost of your PRK surgery as a tax deduction because you're doing it to satisfy job requirements for a job you're trying to get. Keep in mind that if your insurance pays on the surgery that the amount they pay isn't deductible and only the amount you pay is deductible. However, if you took out a loan to pay for the surgery you can count the entire amount as long as you are making the payments and not someone else. I got this information from the IRS yesterday after an hour on the phone with them. They told me this should be filed on section A of the 1040 form but it may be different for you depending on if you use the 1040 EZ or don't itemize your return but it should still go under medical expenses. I thought this information would be helpful but you may still want to call the IRS or talk to your tax filers to have them verify where on the form to file it. Also if you've already filed your taxes you can still fill out an adjustment form apparently. Ask about that. Goodluck for all the prospective pilots out there!
--Topper
Unless you already itemize your deductions (I.E. are a homeowner), this isn't going to do you any good. Your standard single deduction is $5800. Unless your surgery costs more than that (doubtful), you're better off taking the standard deduction. Furthermore, in order to take any deduction for medical expenses (if you itemize), the total must exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross. Any way you stack it, there probably aren't too many guys entering the Navy that would benefit.
 
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