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Scarring in retina
- Thread starter axc93
- Start date
FormerRecruitingGuru
Making Recruiting Great Again
http://www.med.navy.mil/directives/...45 147 150-152 154-156,159 and 160 below).pdf
Dig into the MANMED and let us know what you find. You can research your own answer.
It says "degenerative changes" are a disqualifier but I'm not sure if scarring is a degenerative change. I've also looked through the NAMI waiver guide and found someone that asked the same question here: https://www.airwarriors.com/community/index.php?threads/would-this-disqualify-me.5732/ and here: https://www.airwarriors.com/community/index.php?threads/npqd-due-to-retinal-scarring.45135/
Unfortunately, I haven't found a definite yes or no. I guess the worst that could happen is I get NPQ'd after the flight physical but I rather not waste the mine or the Navy's time/tax dollars if that would be the result.
Unfortunately, I haven't found a definite yes or no. I guess the worst that could happen is I get NPQ'd after the flight physical but I rather not waste the mine or the Navy's time/tax dollars if that would be the result.
FormerRecruitingGuru
Making Recruiting Great Again
If there's nothing found, then just get the physical at MEPS. Leave it to the experts to determine if your PQ or Not.
exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
I agree with the above, but be prepared for bad news, it is rare for someone with an eye issue to get it waived.
How did you find out about your scarring, was it a civilian or military eye doctor?
I went through both MEPS and three full flight physicals in Corpus over the course of a few years when I was applying for OCS back in 2004-8, neither place ever found any issues with my eyes. I was selected for pilot and when you first reported to OCS they sent all of us Pilot/NFO types to medical for a more "thorough" screening. They did a dilated eye check there and told me they found a small hole (scarring) on my retina, and that it could possibly disqualify me for pilot. I was told the same thing; that I probably got it from some form of head trauma from sports or getting into scraps as a kid. I continued through OCS for the next 8-9 weeks or so while my package was reviewed by NAMI (honestly that was more stressful than the DI's), and they came back with a waiver for me shortly before graduation.
The conditions of the waiver were that I had to have a thoroughly documented fully dilated eye exam every year during my flight physical to ensure the condition didn't begin to degenerate. Their concern (I was told) is if the condition worsened to a point, certain stresses such as pulling G's could cause a weakened retina to detach (which might make it a little tough to land a jet in blinding pain with no depth perception). When I got down to Pcola I was examined again at NAMI and the eye doc told me I could have laser eye surgery to fix it, but as long as it didn't get worse or bother me it wasn't completely necessary. The only time I ever noticed anything would be occasionally during BFM, with certain sun angles if I was straining to look behind me I might see a small black "floater" similar to what you see during the eye exam when they shine the bright light into your dilated eye. Other than that I never had any issues and it hasn't gotten worse on any subsequent exams.
Bottom line, the condition is waiverable (or at least was recently) but it's not black and white. Several factors could play in such as the severity of your current condition, the subjectivity of the flight docs examining you, whether the approving authority got surprised with a quickie on their way out the door that morning and they're in a particularly good mood, etc. There's also the fact waivers generally tend to get more easily approved the further along you are in the journey or the more money Big Navy has sunk into you. Being only an applicant it'll be tougher than if you were diagnosed in the fleet later on, but keep in mind I got my waiver approved while I was at OCS and wasn't even commissioned yet, so I was only one step ahead of where you are now and the only money they had invested in me was for a 'war spoon' and a shit ton of blue powerade.
Trust me, the Navy wastes plenty of time/money on other things to worry about you costing them a few shekels for a flight physical. Go apply, get the physical and see what a Navy flight doc has to say about it, then go from there. Good luck to you
I went through both MEPS and three full flight physicals in Corpus over the course of a few years when I was applying for OCS back in 2004-8, neither place ever found any issues with my eyes. I was selected for pilot and when you first reported to OCS they sent all of us Pilot/NFO types to medical for a more "thorough" screening. They did a dilated eye check there and told me they found a small hole (scarring) on my retina, and that it could possibly disqualify me for pilot. I was told the same thing; that I probably got it from some form of head trauma from sports or getting into scraps as a kid. I continued through OCS for the next 8-9 weeks or so while my package was reviewed by NAMI (honestly that was more stressful than the DI's), and they came back with a waiver for me shortly before graduation.
The conditions of the waiver were that I had to have a thoroughly documented fully dilated eye exam every year during my flight physical to ensure the condition didn't begin to degenerate. Their concern (I was told) is if the condition worsened to a point, certain stresses such as pulling G's could cause a weakened retina to detach (which might make it a little tough to land a jet in blinding pain with no depth perception). When I got down to Pcola I was examined again at NAMI and the eye doc told me I could have laser eye surgery to fix it, but as long as it didn't get worse or bother me it wasn't completely necessary. The only time I ever noticed anything would be occasionally during BFM, with certain sun angles if I was straining to look behind me I might see a small black "floater" similar to what you see during the eye exam when they shine the bright light into your dilated eye. Other than that I never had any issues and it hasn't gotten worse on any subsequent exams.
Bottom line, the condition is waiverable (or at least was recently) but it's not black and white. Several factors could play in such as the severity of your current condition, the subjectivity of the flight docs examining you, whether the approving authority got surprised with a quickie on their way out the door that morning and they're in a particularly good mood, etc. There's also the fact waivers generally tend to get more easily approved the further along you are in the journey or the more money Big Navy has sunk into you. Being only an applicant it'll be tougher than if you were diagnosed in the fleet later on, but keep in mind I got my waiver approved while I was at OCS and wasn't even commissioned yet, so I was only one step ahead of where you are now and the only money they had invested in me was for a 'war spoon' and a shit ton of blue powerade.
Trust me, the Navy wastes plenty of time/money on other things to worry about you costing them a few shekels for a flight physical. Go apply, get the physical and see what a Navy flight doc has to say about it, then go from there. Good luck to you
I have some mild scarring on my retina that didn't need a waiver and isn't disqualifying. They found it on my first aviation physical when I was a Mid but it wasn't a problem at NAMI or any of my flight physicals since. Just my anecdote, YMMV with how scarred your retina is and where the scarring is. Only way to know is to go get the flight physical done. Good luck!
exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
A reminder there is a difference between a person who is currently a civilian and a person who is currently in a program leading to a commission, the standards are different, I have seen those that are civilians be denied for items those already in the USN would get waived all the time.
The USN doesn't like eye injuries at all when it comes to people trying to join.
The USN doesn't like eye injuries at all when it comes to people trying to join.
That's kind of what I was getting at with my question to him about whether his issue was "noticed" by a civilian doc, or if it was part of a basic military entrance physical.
If it was just something that was just "noticed" by a civilian doc (and if there was no official diagnosis made or treatment recommendation given) then I would say go through a full flight physical without mentioning anything about it. Let them do their job and DQ him if necessary. The first doctor could've been mistaken, if it's something that would cause an issue enough to be DQ'd then a trained Navy optometrist familiar with NAMI guidelines should be the one to make that decision. I know you're supposed to disclose all known medical conditions up front, which is why I asked him if it was officially documented or just a passing remark from a civilian doc, but this type of potentially disqualifying condition isn't something like childhood asthma or allergies, etc. that you can try to hide to get past the enlisting physical. If there is something there worth worrying about it's going to get noticed.
exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
I see what you are saying, however it looks like he is currently Army so the optometrist that did the physical should have been military and as such noted it, but even if he is unsure if it was noticed he is still obligated to disclose it, to not do so could open up a big can of worms.
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