<p>I wear contacts right now, but I read in the information packet for NASS that one should wear glasses at the academy. Should I buy a pair of glasses if I get an appointment, or just wear contacts on I-Day?</p>
<p>you will be issued BCG's (birth control glasses) on I-Day. you'll see why they are called that when you get them. as far as needing a back up pair of your own glasses in hand, I don't know, but you will not be wearing contacts over plebe summer.</p>
<p>I wore my contact on IDay - they stayed with me after getting the lovely BCG's. Wore the issued glasses for all training but was able to wear contacts some during Plebe summer - like for church. I also did bring along my own glasses. Roommate broke her BCG's and wore her own glasses for the rest of Plebe summer.</p>
<p>thanks, that answers my question. I want to be a pilot, but obviously, my vision doesnt allow me to do that. how does do the PRK grants work?</p>
<p>Usually Mids don't have the procedure until 2nd class year (or later). USNA wants to ensure that persons are physically mature, done growing before allowing the procedure. They do it at the local USN facility, bus kids over.</p>
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thanks, that answers my question. I want to be a pilot, but obviously, my vision doesnt allow me to do that. how does do the PRK grants work?
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<p>Generally, they will allow anyone who qualifies for prk get it. To "qualify," (atleast 2 years ago) your prescription could be no worse than -5.5 diopters, and your eyes cannot have detiororated more than half a diopter between your physical in senior year of high school until your precomissioning physical in your junior year at the Academy. That being said things can change, but as I remember it, that was the rules for the class of '07.</p>
<p>stallion ...was I accurate in WHEN this occurs? Edify, confirm, and correct, pls.</p>
<p>You were correct. I was merely expanding in detail on what you said. It does happen 2/c year, and there way of making sure that your eyes are fully mature is the part about how they cannot change more than 1/2 of a diopter. From what I can gather, there reason for doing that would seem to be that they wouldn't want to spend money to correct your vision if your eyesight is still deteriorating. Atleast thats my logical assumption.</p>
<p>Pre-commissioning physicals have been held this fall for the class of 2010. On the vision requirements, there is also a "good but not bad enough dead zone" where you will not qualify for Pilot (20/20) and not qualify for prk - vision not bad enough what Dr said to my mid before he preformed the eye test was that he would fall into this zone as vision at time of his appointment was only 30/20 and 20/20 - not even bad enough for glasses and not typically bad enough for prk! The class of 2010 admissions eye requirement was changed from 20/20 to 40/40 so Mid did not require vision waiver for appointment. As of pre commissioning physical eyes had improved - go figure - to 20/20 in both so PRk will no be an issue and passed the vision qualification.</p>
<p>stallion et al ...could another potential reason for not doing this until 2nd class year be the 2 for 7, and receiving a major reaffirmation from Mids that they are serious about continuing their service in the USN/USMC?</p>
<p>WP - that would make sense. if the Navy did PRK on a plebe or youngster who then did not sign 2 for 7, the return on investment would be nil. it also makes sense to see how much the eyes have changed, if any, over the 2+ years since the DoDMERB exam. if they are still changing, the PRK may have to be redone before the Mid ever sits in a cockpit.</p>
<p>Profmom - my son also falls in that iffy zone, eyes not good enough to fly, didn't need a waiver, but not bad enough for PRK. it's good that he's thinking subs.</p>
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Pre-commissioning physicals have been held this fall for the class of 2010. On the vision requirements, there is also a "good but not bad enough dead zone" where you will not qualify for Pilot (20/20) and not qualify for prk - vision not bad enough what Dr said to my mid before he preformed the eye test was that he would fall into this zone as vision at time of his appointment was only 30/20 and 20/20 - not even bad enough for glasses and not typically bad enough for prk! The class of 2010 admissions eye requirement was changed from 20/20 to 40/40 so Mid did not require vision waiver for appointment. As of pre commissioning physical eyes had improved - go figure - to 20/20 in both so PRk will no be an issue and passed the vision qualification.
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<p>I'm confused... Isn't the vision requirment for pilot 20/40? It was as of 1 year ago atleast.</p>
<p>Profmom2:</p>
<p>Do you mean 20/30-20/20? I don't understand 30/20. That would be better than 20/20. The vision in that eye would indicate that the person could distinguish at thirty feet what the average person would need at twenty feet to recognise. Also, my understanding of 40/40 in both eyes means the same as 20/20, 30/30 or 100/100. Twenty feet is an arbitrary distance adopted by eye professionals over the focal sixteen feet. If you see the line at forty feet the same as the "average" person sees it at forty feet isn't that the same as seeing the line at twenty feet?</p>