Eyeware Post - Legit?
SouthernFalcon,
Before you have your parents spend a lot of money buying Spectacles that could end up costing them a lot of money but that could end up not being a good fit for you please do some research.
I currently support the Army’s Program Executive Officer – Soldier (after 20 years in the Air Force). The Army has a Military Combat Eye Protection (MCEP) Program and one of the products it produces is the Authorized Protective Eyewear List (APEL). The MCEP Program test commercial protective eyewear to military ballistic and to American National Standards (ANSI). Eyewear passing these tests are then tested by soldiers for form and fit. The Army found out that different eyewear styles accommodate different facial features/head dimensions differently, impacting proper fit and retention of eye protection on the individual. Choice allows Soldiers to optimize fit/retention, increasing likelihood that eye protection will be worn/retained on the head, and thus maximizing safety.
I know that only eyewear on the APEL can be ordered through the Army supply system and I’ve heard the US Navy will only order/issue eyewear that is on the APEL. I’ve also seen data that the Air Force and the Marine Corp also orders eyewear that is on the APEL.
Currently there are nine spectacles on the APEL: ESS Crossbow, Oakley SI Ballistic M Frame 2.0, Revision Sawfly, Smith Optics Aegis, UVEX XC, UVEX Genesis, Wiley X SG-1, Wiley X Talon, and Wiley X PT-1.
All the vendors have websites that you can compare styles and cost and there are plenty of places you can obtain these products from. Also see if you can access the PEO Soldier web site and each spectacle has a fact sheet on that site. PEO Soldier Eyewear site is:
https://peosoldier.army.mil/pmseq/eyewear.asp. PEO Soldier information can also be accessed by Facebook and Twitter.
Bottom line: in the military eye protection on and off duty is a huge issue and a choice should allow you to make a “Best Value” decision to best suit your needs.