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two PRK questions

pearcem

New Member
Hello everyone,

This is my first post, and i have a few questions about eye surgery that i have been unable to find answers to. I am getting ready to start my senior year, and i just graduated from Marine OCS, PLC-C a few days ago. I am currently a ground contract, but i am trying to switch over to an Air contract. My OSO seems to think it won't be a problem. I am taking the ASTB in about a week and a half, and then heading down to Pensacola shortly after that. I would ask my OSO about my questions, but i am currently on a vacation with my family, and we don't get any cell phone service here, and she is new at the office, so i don't have her email yet. so i will be unable to speak with her until next week.

1) I have been looking into the vision requirment, and i am a little unclear on what exactly it means. In order to be eligible for a Pilot contract, do i need to have better than 20/40 vision as an end result, say, after PRK, or do i have to have better than 20/40 BEFORE getting PRK? does the uncorrected mean uncorrected by glasses or contacts, or uncorrected by surgery? I have found instances on the boards where the posters' wording is ambiguous, and in different posts it sounds like the requirment is different. Also, if someone does have PRK to correct their eyesight, does it need to be done before their flight physical?

2) Are there any special precuations for someone like myself who is technically part of the Marine Corps, but not active duty? While i am not on active duty, or a reservist, i am still a USMC candidate technically, and technically on IRR for personnel reasons. Do i need to have the surgery done by a Navy Doctor? and if not, are there any special procedures i need to take with a civilian doctor (i.e. a followup with a navy doctor before commissioning)?

Thank you for your time and for your help
 

justin.c

New Member
I'm not sure if there are any discrepancies, but here in the Canadian air force, to be eligible as a pilot you must have 20/40 vision and be able to correct that 20/40 with contacts or glasses. However, if it is worse than 20/40 and you want to be a pilot, you must opt for surgery.

Although these are the requirements for the CAF, I think this should be able to clear up your concerns
 

nugget61

Active Member
pilot
Hello everyone,

1) I have been looking into the vision requirment, and i am a little unclear on what exactly it means. In order to be eligible for a Pilot contract, do i need to have better than 20/40 vision as an end result, say, after PRK, or do i have to have better than 20/40 BEFORE getting PRK?

2) ...

Thank you for your time and for your help

1) To be SNA (and I researched for Navy, should be similar), you have to have 20/40 uncorrected - no glasses/contacts, but surgery is ok. For the surgery, I think it was that you had to be 20/400 (or better) before the surgery (there are a lot of requirements that you have to meet - research this and be sure you meet them).
At the end of the day, they want you to read the 20/20 line, be it from surgery or glasses.

2) I don't know
 

Rocketman

Rockets Up
Contributor
I'll take a stab at 2) I just posted this a few min ago on another thread.

"My kid just went thru something similar so I'll throw this in as well. He was a Marine PLC candidate with 20/400 in each eye. Went to OCC 195 Combined with a SNFO contract. Finished OCS in Aug of 2007 and had PRK. He ended up with 20/15 vision, was granted a waver and commissioned Aug 2 as a SNA with a TBS date of 15 Dec."

He had his eyes done by a civi doc in his home town after doing some research to be sure the guy was damn good. He also made sure the doc had the waver requirements (including the documentation required to apply) found on the NAMI website http://navmedmpte.med.navy.mil/nomi/nami/waiverguidetopics.cfm

You have to get the PRK, THEN pass the P'cola flight physical, apply for the waver and complete the paperwork to transfer from ground to SNA. Everything must be approved BEFORE you commission. Otherwise you will be fighting for the 1 or 2 SNA slots they grant at TBS.

For him the process took almost exactly a year from OCS grad to Commissioning.

My comments are based on his experience so do your own reasearch as well.
 

whitesoxnation

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
i just graduated from combined too.... what co/plt you in?

as for #2

No, you don't need to get it done by a Navy doctor. You'll get PRK, then depending upon the correction that they made to your eyes, the wait will be either 3 months or 6 months until you are eligible to pass the physical. You'll get your 3 or 6 month checkup from your surgeon, then take that to the flight surgeons and they will check you out.
 

Vegas

AH-1Z
pilot
I'll take a stab at 2) I just posted this a few min ago on another thread.

"My kid just went thru something similar so I'll throw this in as well. He was a Marine PLC candidate with 20/400 in each eye. Went to OCC 195 Combined with a SNFO contract. Finished OCS in Aug of 2007 and had PRK. He ended up with 20/15 vision, was granted a waver and commissioned Aug 2 as a SNA with a TBS date of 15 Dec."

He had his eyes done by a civi doc in his home town after doing some research to be sure the guy was damn good. He also made sure the doc had the waver requirements (including the documentation required to apply) found on the NAMI website http://navmedmpte.med.navy.mil/nomi/nami/waiverguidetopics.cfm

You have to get the PRK, THEN pass the P'cola flight physical, apply for the waver and complete the paperwork to transfer from ground to SNA. Everything must be approved BEFORE you commission. Otherwise you will be fighting for the 1 or 2 SNA slots they grant at TBS.

For him the process took almost exactly a year from OCS grad to Commissioning.

My comments are based on his experience so do your own reasearch as well.


This is good gouge-However Rule # 1 is talk to your OSO about EVERYTHING before you do it and your life will be much easier
 

Vegas

AH-1Z
pilot
I'm not sure if there are any discrepancies, but here in the Canadian air force, to be eligible as a pilot you must have 20/40 vision and be able to correct that 20/40 with contacts or glasses. However, if it is worse than 20/40 and you want to be a pilot, you must opt for surgery.

Although these are the requirements for the CAF, I think this should be able to clear up your concerns

The Marine Corps is not the Canadian Air Force
 
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