All applicants for the sea services (Navy, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines) must correct to 20/20 in EACH eye with no errors. The other services are not as strict when it comes to vision, but going by the sea services rule when you see the optometrist will not hurt.
The majority of people can be corrected to 20/20 in each eye.
If an applicant is not correctable to 20/20 in each eye (20/20 in one, 20/25 or worse in the other) DoDMERB will disqualify off the physical examination. They will not request any additional information unless the DoDMERB optometrist feels that there is something in the examination that does not "feel" right. In that case DoDMERB may request a new manifest refraction.
Once the physical examination reaches the waiver authorities they also may request a new manifest refraction, or possible a cycloplegic refraction (placing drops in the eyes to dilate the pupils and freeze the muscles in the eye).
If on the physical examination an applicant has been disqualified for corrected distant visual acuity greater than 20/20 in each eye, there are a couple of steps that the applicant can take.
The following are steps an applicant can take on their own, this is not DoDMERB or the waiver authorities policy, but my own personal observations. If you embark upon these steps you do so at your own cost and with no guarantee that a disqualification will be removed or a waiver will be granted!!
Check with your family optometrist. If you have never been able to correct to 20/20 then most likely the examination was correct. If this comes as a surprise to your family optometrist, request a new manifest refraction. If you wear contacts, ensure they are out the correct amount of time (3 days for soft and 21 for hard) and you provide a signed statement about the amount of time the contacts were removed. Try to get an early morning appointment. Avoid prolonged computer use, TV viewing, reading the night before. The eyes have muscles, muscles get tired, tired muscles affect your performance/vision.
Explain to the optometrist that you want to be corrected to 20/20 in each eye with no errors. Ask the optometrist not to overcorrect. It may sound cool to say you have 20/15 vision when getting out of the optometrists chair, but when the optometrist over corrects your vision you may now have an issue with your refractive error (strength of the prescription) being over the limits.
Get a copy of the optometrists office notes, a copy of the prescription pad will not work for DoDMERB, they want to see everything the optometrist wrote in your chart. Submit that with your contact lens statement (if applicable) to DoDMERB requesting a rebuttal of your disqualification. If DoDMERB does not remove the disqualification, they will automatically forward this information to the waiver authority.
I repeat, the information above is done at your own cost, and there is no guarantee that it will be successful!!
I hope this answers the questions, if not, feel free to ask away!