I had a conversation recently with my recruiter. He decided to look into vision requirements for unrestricted line officers after I informed him that I was open to seeking a commission as a SWO. I already took the ASTB-E (and have fairly competitive scores with my GPA), plan on going to MEPS, am considering LASIK surgery, and want to apply for three fields --pilot, possibly NFO, and SWO.
For the past few months, I've been primarily interested in aviation. While I considered SWO a viable third option, I began to consider it more seriously a few weeks ago. I love the water/ships/open ocean and I love the idea of flying --I suppose whatever I decide will depend on which is the best fit for me. Aviation and SWO both have something they can offer (I've heard that SWO is a more diverse experience, with more chances for leadership opportunities early on). Aviation is obviously that --aviation.
Anyway, the point, if I can stop dancing around the issue, is that my vision is fairly bad. I know that, if I go aviation, I will have to have LASIK. My prescription is:
(SPH): OD/Right Eye: -6.75, OS/Left Eye: -7.0. (CYL): OD/R: -3.5, OS/L: -3.75. Axis: OD/R: 3.0, OS/L: 157.0.
For aviation, I know I will require LASIK. My recruiter never had problems with vision, so he had to do research. He found that, for unrestricted line officers, vision can not go beyond +/- 8.00 diopters. If diopters measure only nearsightedness or farsightedness (SPH), then I should be good to go if I decide to go the SWO route. But, the recruiter is unsure about whether SPH and CYL (astigmatism) are combined when evaluating for eligibility. For example, my SPH falls short of -8.00, but if it is combined with CYL then it does not. Can someone explain/help me understand this?
If I have to have LASIK before I even think of going to MEPS, then I know I will have to wait for 6 months (according to my recruiter) after the surgery before I can go in to be evaluated. Will I require LASIK? What is the process like, and is it "frowned on" when you get your medical eval? My recruiter has related a few "horror" stories about MEPS, and a good friend (Army) told me "Don't volunteer any information."
I'm really just looking to understand as much about this as I can before I get in --and I do want to get in the Navy very passionately, even if I'm still considering a few different routes that I could take. Again, any clarification would be wonderful.
Thanks ahead of time.
For the past few months, I've been primarily interested in aviation. While I considered SWO a viable third option, I began to consider it more seriously a few weeks ago. I love the water/ships/open ocean and I love the idea of flying --I suppose whatever I decide will depend on which is the best fit for me. Aviation and SWO both have something they can offer (I've heard that SWO is a more diverse experience, with more chances for leadership opportunities early on). Aviation is obviously that --aviation.
Anyway, the point, if I can stop dancing around the issue, is that my vision is fairly bad. I know that, if I go aviation, I will have to have LASIK. My prescription is:
(SPH): OD/Right Eye: -6.75, OS/Left Eye: -7.0. (CYL): OD/R: -3.5, OS/L: -3.75. Axis: OD/R: 3.0, OS/L: 157.0.
For aviation, I know I will require LASIK. My recruiter never had problems with vision, so he had to do research. He found that, for unrestricted line officers, vision can not go beyond +/- 8.00 diopters. If diopters measure only nearsightedness or farsightedness (SPH), then I should be good to go if I decide to go the SWO route. But, the recruiter is unsure about whether SPH and CYL (astigmatism) are combined when evaluating for eligibility. For example, my SPH falls short of -8.00, but if it is combined with CYL then it does not. Can someone explain/help me understand this?
If I have to have LASIK before I even think of going to MEPS, then I know I will have to wait for 6 months (according to my recruiter) after the surgery before I can go in to be evaluated. Will I require LASIK? What is the process like, and is it "frowned on" when you get your medical eval? My recruiter has related a few "horror" stories about MEPS, and a good friend (Army) told me "Don't volunteer any information."
I'm really just looking to understand as much about this as I can before I get in --and I do want to get in the Navy very passionately, even if I'm still considering a few different routes that I could take. Again, any clarification would be wonderful.
Thanks ahead of time.