August 2011 Board

[shutout39]

Any of you guys/gals dealing with a LASIK waiver?

Why are Pro-recs (myself included) being told minimum 6 months post-op?

Intel, is your recruiter telling you need the waiver BEFORE you can get a FS? Mine is telling me that is not the case. He said even though I was 20/60, since I passed MEPS, I am good to go. I have seen it go both ways with members on this forum.

Like you, I was really banking on the 3 month minimum. From what I have gathered, if you had the surgery before applying or before the results were out, the Navy will wait for you to get the waiver. I think it was Millsra who told me they have done all of the hard work that is processing and selecting you, they aren't just going to kick you to the curb.

 

[intelkw]

Intel, is your recruiter telling you need the waiver BEFORE you can get a FS? Mine is telling me that is not the case. He said even though I was 20/60, since I passed MEPS, I am good to go. I have seen it go both ways with members on this forum.

Like you, I was really banking on the 3 month minimum. From what I have gathered, if you had the surgery before applying or before the results were out, the Navy will wait for you to get the waiver. I think it was Millsra who told me they have done all of the hard work that is processing and selecting you, they aren't just going to kick you to the curb.

Thanks shutout39,

Interesting, so I could potentially get my FS letter before a waiver? I already took a MEPS (through a private doc.). Everything was fine with the Navy besides my LASIK not being 6 months.

(egd33: My 6 months mark is the end of November.)

So it's not the end of the world for me, I don't have much longer to wait. BUT, being a primary alternate I really wanted to get a head start on the paperwork and hopefully get a FS letter while I wait on my waiver. That would be awesome if it's possible to get FS and a tentative class date before a waiver. I turn 27 in June and am hoping to be able to get a spring OCS date to avoid an age limit issue for pilot.

Anybody else get a FS letter while waiting for a waiver? (especially a physical related waiver)

 

[egd33]

Thanks shutout39,

Interesting, so I could potentially get my FS letter before a waiver? I already took a MEPS (through a private doc.). Everything was fine with the Navy besides my LASIK not being 6 months.

(egd33: My 6 months mark is the end of November.)

So it's not the end of the world for me, I don't have much longer to wait. BUT, being a primary alternate I really wanted to get a head start on the paperwork and hopefully get a FS letter while I wait on my waiver. That would be awesome if it's possible to get FS and a tentative class date before a waiver. I turn 27 in June and am hoping to be able to get a spring OCS date to avoid an age limit issue for pilot.

Anybody else get a FS letter while waiting for a waiver? (especially a physical related waiver)

Is it realistic that you will get a FS now anyway though being that you are an alternate (primary or otherwise)? I would think they would have to get through the outright selects before they will start issuing them to alternates (or at least until they have all the budget stuff figured out), though I do not know what effect your age could have on the process. I have my physical scheduled for next week and then am eligible to apply for my waiver two weeks later. I hope it is fast as well, but am not really counting on it at this point.

 

[nugget61]

... That would be awesome if it's possible to get FS and a tentative class date before a waiver. I turn 27 in June and am hoping to be able to get a spring OCS date to avoid an age limit issue for pilot.
Anybody else get a FS letter while waiting for a waiver? (especially a physical related waiver)

When I was going through this process about 2 years ago you couldn't get the FS at all before med cleared you. Good luck

 

[dhinkle5]

So maybe this is a better question for the medical topic... but does anyone know what happens if your MEPS physical is good but you fail your FC1? Will they release you or give you another job?

 

[cmcalvert]

So maybe this is a better question for the medical topic... but does anyone know what happens if your MEPS physical is good but you fail your FC1? Will they release you or give you another job?

And I'd be interested to know approximately how often this happens. Does anyone know or have any guesses? I failed depth perception at MEPS and had to have a follow up to be cleared for SNA, so I know the first class physical is not necessarily a slam dunk for me.

 

[Stalin]

And I'd be interested to know approximately how often this happens. Does anyone know or have any guesses? I failed depth perception at MEPS and had to have a follow up to be cleared for SNA, so I know the first class physical is not necessarily a slam dunk for me.

Those depth perception tests at MEPS are stupid. I failed it too and had to go to a civilian doctor. Passed with flying colors. Read up, there are ways to "see" the right ones, and failing that, I believe they give a different DP test. At least I hope or I'm screwed as well

 

[shutout39]

Those depth perception tests at MEPS are stupid. I failed it too and had to go to a civilian doctor. Passed with flying colors. Read up, there are ways to "see" the right ones, and failing that, I believe they give a different DP test. At least I hope or I'm screwed as well

From what I have read, those DP tests really are measuring that you do not have one eye much more dominant than the other. This is the case for me, and from what I have researched in and out of this forum, you can do something called Vision Therapy. Actually, I believe I read on here an OCS doc told someone to do Vision Therapy after failing the DP tests down in Newport. Basically, you do exercises with you to make your eyes more equal..read into it, there are exercises you can pull off google for free, or if you're feeling a crunch you can find a place that does it.

 

[staff03]

From what I have read, those DP tests really are measuring that you do not have one eye much more dominant than the other. This is the case for me, and from what I have researched in and out of this forum, you can do something called Vision Therapy. Actually, I believe I read on here an OCS doc told someone to do Vision Therapy after failing the DP tests down in Newport. Basically, you do exercises with you to make your eyes more equal..read into it, there are exercises you can pull off google for free, or if you're feeling a crunch you can find a place that does it.

This is EXACTLY what happened to me over 2 years ago. I passed the DP test at MEPS, got selected for SNA and a year later at OCS did not pass the test at Newport. The flight doc told me it was due to minor astigmatism in one eye, but he said it was considered a permanent condition so I was NPQ'd. Been working on vision therapy for over 2 years now and I passed the test at my civ. doctor. My OR sent me up to MEPS in April and I passed the test there no problem. He sent my stuff up to get a waiver and it came back that I had been granted a waiver, even with it saying on my documents that the condition was considered permanent with no waiver recommended. Just wanted others to hear this and show that it can be done by sticking with it. If anyone has any other questions about this, PM me.

 

[AGonxAV8R]

Those depth perception tests at MEPS are stupid. I failed it too and had to go to a civilian doctor. Passed with flying colors. Read up, there are ways to "see" the right ones, and failing that, I believe they give a different DP test. At least I hope or I'm screwed as well

Just because you fail something does not make it stupid. They have been using those tests for years and they obviously work.

 

[cmcalvert]

Just because you fail something does not make it stupid. They have been using those tests for years and they obviously work.

I actually agree they are stupid. I went to college on a D1 golf scholarship and I can tell you within 2-3 yards how far away a pin or tree is on the golf course... up to 250 or so yards. Yet according to the MEPS physical I have no depth perception. But according to the ophthalmologist I saw after MEPS my depth perception is absolutely 100% - it's as good as it can possibly be.

Hopefully I'll pass the first class flight physical with no issues. Worst case scenario I hope I'll be able to redesignate as an NFO.

 

[AGonxAV8R]

I actually agree they are stupid. I went to college on a D1 golf scholarship and I can tell you within 2-3 yards how far away a pin or tree is on the golf course... up to 250 or so yards. Yet according to the MEPS physical I have no depth perception. But according to the ophthalmologist I saw after MEPS my depth perception is absolutely 100% - it's as good as it can possibly be.

Hopefully I'll pass the first class flight physical with no issues. Worst case scenario I hope I'll be able to redesignate as an NFO.

Explain it to me, how is it stupid? They have been using that test for a long time and most people pass it. Just because YOU and few others did not pass it, does not make it an irrelevant test with no basis. Perhaps I am being pedantic and I appoligize, but I just do not see how the test is stupid.

 

[eas7888]

Just because you fail something does not make it stupid. They have been using those tests for years and they obviously work.

There are a lot of things that have been in use for quite a long time. That doesn't make them wonderful, perfect, or even work. The tests are stupid. I guessed my way through 90% of them, and I apparently passed my physical.

 

[AGonxAV8R]

There are a lot of things that have been in use for quite a long time. That doesn't make them wonderful, perfect, or even work. The tests are stupid. I guessed my way through 90% of them, and I apparently passed my physical.

I actually missed only one on the doughnut test; the very last one. I could not make it out very well. The test at OCS was a lot easier.

My point is, yes, it might be old, and it might be somewhat unreliable for some people, but that does not make it stupid. And if any of you, that are not in the Military, think this test is stupid, you are in for a big surprise. There are a lot of things that will be done that will not make sense in your minds.

 

[eas7888]

I actually missed only one on the doughnut test; the very last one. I could not make it out very well. The test at OCS was a lot easier.

My point is, yes, it might be old, and it might be somewhat unreliable for some people, but that does not make it stupid. And if any of you, that are not in the Military, think this test is stupid, you are in for a big surprise. There are a lot of things that will be done that will not make sense in your minds.

There are also a lot of (other) things in the military that you will do that are just plain stupid. We'll agree to disagree on the depth perception test.