Eye Problem (USAFA)

alanghsur

New Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2015
Messages
5
Hello all,

Im currently a rising-Junior. I will therefore start my application next year. I discovered last year that I actually have a slight eye problem. My left eye is perfectly fine (20/20); however, I am myopic (nearsighted) in my right eye. According to my optometrist, the refractive error in my right eye is only 20/50, but I have truly found difficulty in seeing even large text from far away. I therefore worry whether the refractive error is much greater than 20/50. Of course my right eye is correctable to 20/20 though. Would this possibly lead to a disqualification at my medical during my application? I have heard that the academy now offers eye surgery during a cadet's junior year if they meet certain requirements. It is my dream to attend pilot training after graduating. Would I need surgery to do so, and would I meet the requirements to recieve the surgery?

Thanks! Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
It should not disqualify you. My son wears contact lenses flying. If I recall correctly, his vision was about like your numbers, but not considered bad enough for the Academy to do the surgery. The Academy will decide if your vision is "bad enough" for the surgery. If not, then you wear glasses or contacts and move forward in your pilot training.
 
One of the biggest hurdles is being correctable to 20/20 and it looks like you have met that. Yeah
Do what you can to strengthen that weaker eye.
 
One of the biggest hurdles is being correctable to 20/20 and it looks like you have met that. Yeah
Do what you can to strengthen that weaker eye.
you don't have to be correctable to 20/20 in both eyes, just one. The other can be corrected to 20/50. This is for both USAFA and AFROTC. 20/20 in one eye and 20/40 in the other is qualifying for West POint and AROTC. Corrected to 20/20 in both is qualifying for all maritme academies and NROTC. I don't know what qualifying is for Marines ROTC.
 
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