Depth perception and shooting or other activities during Plebe Summer - eyeglasses?

[williamsdr3]

My son is excitedly filling out his Permit to Report paperwork now but is unsure whether to get an eyeglasses prescription. He hasn't had one in years, only contacts, and he hasn't worn his contacts in over a year since he stopped playing baseball. And he only wore them for baseball. He has one eye with great vision and the other with an artificial lens which is less flexible than a normal lens and which impacts his depth perception. In his daily life other than trying to track a fly ball his other eye tends to compensate and he doesn't need correction. However, we are wondering if he will need the eyeglasses for shooting during Plebe Summer or how that works with safety glasses and prescription glasses both any way? Or do they use a scope and it doesn't matter? I don't know enough about vision or depth perception or shooting so these may be kind of dumb questions but hoping someone smarter than me on these topics might have an idea.

Also, any other activities besides shooting that might involve depth perception at USNA? Thank you.

 

[MidCakePa]

Plebe Summer is challenging enough, why make it harder with less-than-ideal vision. Update the prescription and let USNA issue the famous BCDs on I-Day. That way, he'll have them if and when he needs them. Contacts are verboten during Plebe Summer -- only glasses allowed. If he wants those rifle and pistol qualification badges, he should set vanity aside.

 

[THParent]

BCGs are a coveted fashion statement, and virtually indestructible. I'm with @MidCakePa, get the new prescription and get used to it. There is a prescription form to fill out in the PTR, so those handsome new BCGs can be issued on I-Day.

 

[williamsdr3]

Plebe Summer is challenging enough, why make it harder with less-than-ideal vision. Update the prescription and let USNA issue the famous BCDs on I-Day. That way, he'll have them if and when he needs them. Contacts are verboten during Plebe Summer -- only glasses allowed. If he wants those rifle and pistol qualification badges, he should set vanity aside.

BCGs are a coveted fashion statement, and virtually indestructible. I'm with @MidCakePa, get the new prescription and get used to it. There is a prescription form to fill out in the PTR, so those handsome new BCGs can be issued on I-Day.

Thank you folks for your input. However, it is not a vanity problem - he just never uses correction in daily life since baseball ended. More of an annoyance thing and a difficult getting a new prescription during . I think the unspoken question we had also was are they going to expect people with issued BCG's to be wearing them at all times - sounds like no. But if it will be useful for shooting then yes he should go ahead and get them in case it helps. He has done a little shooting here and there over the past 2 years without correction but I don't know if he would have done better with correction in that eye. Thanks for your help.

 

[THParent]

The BCGs will be better than using the shooting glasses that they have at the range. I would imagine those not to be "optically clear", since shooters always take them off and flip them onto the bench when they're done. I have 12 pairs in my range box and I replace them every 2 years because of all the scratches. Yes, prescription glasses may make very well the difference between Marksman and Sharpshooter or between Sharpshooter and Expert.

 

[USNA 19 DAD]

Better to have them and not need them, than do less than optimal on whatever the task is. They will fix his eyes after his 2 for 7 anyway.

 

[handymann124]

Do plebe summer future mids wear glasses 24/7 or can they wear contacts sometimes? For example for doing exercise

 

[williamsdr3]

Do plebe summer future mids wear glasses 24/7 or can they wear contacts sometimes? For example for doing exercise

Plebe Summer is challenging enough, why make it harder with less-than-ideal vision. Update the prescription and let USNA issue the famous BCDs on I-Day. That way, he'll have them if and when he needs them. Contacts are verboten during Plebe Summer -- only glasses allowed. If he wants those rifle and pistol qualification badges, he should set vanity aside.

@MidCakePa reports that contacts are not allowed during Plebe Summer and I believe I read this somewhere else on some USNA paperwork or something somewhere else.

 

[sanman]

Do plebe summer future mids wear glasses 24/7 or can they wear contacts sometimes? For example for doing exercise

I believe the issue is a health concern. Plebes have so little time there is a concern about them getting the contacts applied in a timely and sanitary way. And a suspicion that because of time constraints Plebes may be tempted to leave contacts in even when sleeping. Because of this they are not allowed during Plebe summer. When plebe summer is over they are allowed to wear contacts rather than glasses if they prefer.

 

[USMCGrunt]

Want to shoot well? Focus on the front sight...

 

[THParent]

And keep both eyes open.

 

[Temple17]

Do plebe summer future mids wear glasses 24/7 or can they wear contacts sometimes? For example for doing exercise

As stated by others, contacts are generally not allowed during plebe summer. Some exceptions are made for those who are playing sports that require glasses. The most common example of this would be boxing. However, once the sports period is over for the day plebes take their contacts out immediately.

 

[Old Navy BGO]

And keep both eyes open.

Well, doesn't that apply only if you are shooting from the same side as your dominant eye ? I am mostly a shotgunner, and fairly proficient, but find that I have close my left dominant eye right before trigger pull in order to compensate for cross dominance. (I've done it enough, for a long, I acquire the target, swing, and subconsciously close my left eye as I pull the trigger.. probably not the textbook solution, but it works well for me). It's much less an issue with handgun/rifle - with handgun both eyes are open, but naturally focus with my left, dominant eye.

 

[THParent]

My overall teaching with Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, and Archery is to always keep both eyes open. If you get good results by closing your non-dominant eye though, you should keep doing that.

I can shoot a scoped rifle with my right eye looking through the scope and my left eye looking at the target. The people I meet on the range think it's a parlor trick, but I watch the hole made through the target with my right eye, and see the puff of dirt behind the target with my left eye.

 

[MidCakePa]

In self-defense situations, typical guidance is to keep both eyes open. Allows for better peripheral vision so that you can react to a threat not coming from straight ahead. Of course, during plebe summer weapons training, the greatest threat may be the pesky mosquitos flitting about one’s head while trying to take aim.