Just to clarify, you are designated, in the eyes of the medical standards, once you walk out with your upchit. This happened for me AT OCS (because I got my full flight physical on day 2 of OCS). After I commissioned and went to branch for my upchit, I simply met with a flight doc. He asked if anything had changed, discussed a medical waiver I had, and handed me a new upchit. I asked him at THAT point what my standards were. He told me that I was officially designated SNA AFTER he handed me the upchit and that it was now 20/100. I'm sure it's buried in some document somewhere, but this was straight from the horse's mouth (flight doc). For OCS guys NOW? I have no idea. I'm sure they have a system for flight physicals up north and it's similar now with just a formality to meet with the doc to get an upchit. I DID NOT require another "physical" after OCS. I just met with the doc and got an upchit. This is also similar to getting assigned to a new squadron/wing/whatever. When I came to Corpus, we all just got our new vaccinations, fixed anything that needed fixing with our records or got anything we needed done and then got a new upchit handed to us. No formal physical, just formalities taken care of and a fresh upchit delivered, even though we had ones from our previous command. (This happens when you switch commands. Like OCS to API was OTCP to NASC and API to Primary in Corpus was NASC to CTW4) Hopefully this sheds some more light on the process.
Vision Req After Tbs? I am out of TBS in 4 weeks and i am wondering what my vision requirements are for my intro physical at P-cola. I am not going to IFS. My vision has been decreasing over time and it is hovering around 20/40 or above. I heard rumors that after your initial physical you just have to have 20/100. Anybody have gouge? Thanks Lt. Ulyatt
If you read LITERALLY the posts right above yours, the answers are there. AFTER your physical with NAMI (or if you've had a flight phys before, then after you get your upchit in pcola), then you're good to go with 20/100. If you're getting your physical in pcola, then it's 20/40 for THAT physical and then for your annual thereafter 20/100.
I apologize if this has been stated clearly earlier in this thread, but I can't seem to figure out if this is a no or a yes to my question... Now that I passed the NAMI WHAMMY eye exam, am I allowed to wear contact lenses in leiu of the nasty prescription goggles they give out in API? My vision was between 20/20 and 20/40. Also to further add confusion, the optometrist didn't check the box that says "requires use of corrective lenses" under the "PQ for SNA" box that he did fill in.
I believe you'll (officially) have to wait until Primary, just because they don't want to bother w/ you while in the pool. However, I think there's some anecdotal evidence that guys have managed to get them anyway. As for the check in the box...wear them if you need them, but on paper, it says you're good w/out them. One caveat to that is if you got a "waiver" from BUPERS when you got your commissioning physical that says you're "out of limits, waiver approved" (or something to that effect). W/ the changing requirements, they may do it differently now, but when I had my physical, I had such a letter that went into my medical record (and is still in there today).
On my 1st physical (for 1/c middie cruise) it said "qualified SNA - corrective lenses required", but that was 2 years ago so I don't know whether that has been superseded somehow. Anyways, thanks for the info. That's good to hear about the contact lenses!
I'm not talking about your upchit, I'm referring to the actual letter that says you can still be a SNA w/ less then perfect eyes (or whatever other part of your body is weak). Again, the recs may have changed, but when I was an applicant/stud, it was 20/40, corrected to 20/20, so it required some piece of paper saying that correction was okay. I only bring this up to make you aware that there might be another piece of paper saying you have a requirement even if the doc missed a checkbox. I think on my last upchit, mine did the same, but I know that won't stand up at the long green table (if that was a contributing factor). Anywho, you get the idea.
It doesn't matter if some flight doc goofed up and didn't check a box. If you're <20/20 uncorrected....wear the correction while flying. It's as simple as that.
Oh yeah, I have no problem w/ that....in fact I would prefer to see as well as possible (imagine that ). I just would like to wear contacts
Since I asked the question, I figured that I would follow up w/ the answer I got this morning from the flight doc about contact lenses for SNA. According to him, its all good during flight school IF: 1) You pay for the contacts out of pocket 2) You take them down to branch medical, and take an eye exam with them to make sure they are giving you the proper correction. From there they will give you a chit that says you can use them in place of the foggles. Later on when you are winged, he said the govt will pick up the expense, especially if you are flying a platform that uses NVG's. So just a heads up for anyone who cares. Oh yeah, and I passed the NAMI Whammy
This seemed like a good place for my question: I'm considering the PRK option, however the doc that was recommended to me does ASA (advanced surface ablation). In the guide PRK and ASA are in the same paragraph - does that mean that wherever it says PRK I can substitute ASA? I'm fairly certain its ok to get ASA, but I don't want to DQ myself. If it is ok, want to make sure that its ok for applicants (not just winged) as well. Does anyone out there have a waiver for ASA? While on the note of the waiver, I was under the impression that if you meet the pre- and post-op criteria that the waiver was pretty much a given, but my recruiter has me scared into thinking that they are hard to get - anyone confirm/deny?
The officer prgram recruiter I was talking with about BDCP told me that LASEK (not to be confused with LASIK) is an option for eye correction. Is this true?
Yes - LASEK=PRK and may also be called ASA. I just had PRK done and you might find some useful info in my thread: http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=145609&page=1 Feel free to ask questions there too
Hey I was wondering if you get selected for BDCP SNA and want to have PRK to avoid any chance of problems later on, can you? Specifically I mean can I get the surgery after being final select and sworn in. I apologize if this has already been answered, I skimmed the post and didn't find what I was looking for.
You have to pass MEPS to get the FS, so if you're 20/40 or better then I'd take the FS, wait on the PRK and let the Navy pay for it after you're out of OCS.
I got 20/30 at MEPS and just waiting on final select now. I just know even though I made it through MEPS the flight physicals usually what make pilots more nervous.
As long as you're 20/30 each eye by itself (combined doesn't matter) then don't sweat it, get the PRK later on. I was 20/40 combined and thought I would be OK but found out otherwise. Just don't get yourself locked into something that you don't want.
I went through the same thing you did and I was BDCP, only I had 20/40 at MEPS over a year before I was to head to OCS. I'll tell you now what people told me then: STFU and quit worrying. No doc would operate on 20/30 anyway. I still had 20/40 (the absolute worst you can see and keep SNA as an applicant) at NAMI when I went through OCS a year and a half ago, and I'll be winging in like a month. You will be fine.
SNA Vision Requirements I am final select for pilot BDCP and supposedly PQ but I would appreciate some clarification. My results from MEPS showed 20/25 for near vision in both eyes and 20/70 : 20/100 for distance vision, all correctable to 20/20. I had a personal eye exam to verify and the results were 20/100 in each eye. I believe the standard is 20/40 for SNA, so does this only apply to near distance? I am certainly not complaining that I was PQ'd for pilot, I am just wondering why.
Unfortunately people DO slip through the cracks. This will NOT happen at NAMI (or I guess up at Newport when you do a real flight physical). I'd contact your recruiter to find out the skinny because if you truly are seeing 20/100 in either ONE or BOTH of your eyes, you WILL be NPQ at OCS and forced to redesignate. Not a matter of IF, but WHEN.
Thats exactly what I'm afraid of. This line is part of a statement from the medical advisor of recruiting command... "Code 00M defers to NOMI (BUMED-M3F8) for suitability for service in aviation programs" ...does anyone know what it means?
