20/30 vision non-corrected

SF1775

5-Year Member
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Dec 5, 2012
Messages
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I am currently a HS sophomore planning on applying to West Point, and found out today that I have 20/30 vision. I don't wear glasses and never have, and my doctor said that I'm fine. But to get into West Point, do I have to get glasses, or contacts? Or can I get a waiver so that I don't need to correct my vision? Thanks.
 
I believe that it is a disqualification if you correct your vision.Your vision is fantastic right now, but it will probably change. Stick with wearing both contacts and glasses when needed. You do not want contacts in all of the time. Your vision changes while in high school and even in your early years of college, so you can't get it corrected anyway.

I say this from experience. I went through a four hour eye exam and they then informed me that my vision was still unstable at the age of 20. I thank them for not letting me have the procedure done just yet.
 
I am currently a HS sophomore planning on applying to West Point, and found out today that I have 20/30 vision. I don't wear glasses and never have, and my doctor said that I'm fine. But to get into West Point, do I have to get glasses, or contacts? Or can I get a waiver so that I don't need to correct my vision? Thanks.

Here is the Army's vision standards for USMA and ROTC:
2-13
...for entrance into USMA or ROTC, distant visual acuity that does not correct to 20/20 in one eye and
20/40 in the other eye does not meet the standard.
If this is the case for you, you may need a waiver to be considered for an appointment.
 
correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm reading the OP to say that he wasn't aware that his vision wasn't 20/20 until this recent exam - he doesn't currently wear glasses or contacts/never has and wonders if he must get glasses and contacts to then correct it to 20/20 instead of just seeing out his eyes like they are at 20/30.

surely this is fairly common?
 
My experience: I got my DoDMERB exam for USMA class of 2017. When I went, I had never been to the optometrist. I found out I had 20/30 vision in one eye and 20/40 vision in the other eye. The optometrist told me I would probably be disqualified because it wasn't corrected and would need a waiver. However, shortly after that I received my notification that I was medically qualified.
 
My experience: I got my DoDMERB exam for USMA class of 2017. When I went, I had never been to the optometrist. I found out I had 20/30 vision in one eye and 20/40 vision in the other eye. The optometrist told me I would probably be disqualified because it wasn't corrected and would need a waiver. However, shortly after that I received my notification that I was medically qualified.

The term is correctable. If you are correctable to 20/20 you are ok so long as refractive error, astigmatism, etc are within limits. Correctable means by putting glasses on or contacts in you could see 20/20.
 
My vision is -6.5 in my left eye and -6.00 in my right, plus an astigmatism. My vision IS correctable to 20/20 with glasses and I was medically qualified for West Point. However, I think it is safe to say that I won't be flying any helicopters in the future. Also, Look at pictures of cadets at beast or buckner and you will see that a large minority of them wear glasses.

Bottom line, you are fine as long as it is correctable to 20/20.
 
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