Hello, I'm going through the waiver process because I was DQ'd at MEPS for having poor eyesight. My recruiter says I am waiver able but he also mentioned a waiver he put in previously has been in for 3 months and they have not gotten any word yet on it.

What I am asking is, say my eyesight waiver gets denied(a preliminary waiver was asked, but not an actual one) and basically I can't join. If I get PRK and have everything works out for the PRK waiver(I'd still get DQ'd if I had PRK surgery and need a waiver), am I still completely DQ'd from the CG because of the first waiver being denied? or can I get approved via the waiver for PRK?

So basically, is getting the PRK eye surgery a back door to getting in after getting the other waiver denied?

I don't know much about the eye stuff, but I just went through the waiver process, so I know how you are feeling. It can be a frustrating process, but be patient. I will tell you that my waiver process took 45 days, so I think its different for every case. Also, I do know that if your waiver is denied, at least in my case, it would have been the end of the road as far as the Coast Guard. Again, I don't know anything specifically about your situation, but thats what my experience was

Specifics on why the DQ, any disease, how was your prescription? Corrected yo 20/20? If not, how what the best corrected vision?

The DQ was because my eyesight was over -8 Diopters which is figured out by halving the cylinder number and adding it to the prescription. I think the MEPS docs wrote it was correctable to 20/35 in one eye and 20/25, however I just went for a check up and my doc said it's correctable to 20/20 in both eyes.

Which prescription is looked at? The spectacles one, I'm guessing? Right eye is -8.00 with a cylinder of -2.00(gotten .25 better from last year for both eyes) and Left is -8.75 with a -2.00 cylinder. It really edges the 10 diopter limit for waiverability which worries me.

One note, those numbers were taken recently by a personal eye doctor. I cannot remember the numbers the MEPS doctors wrote down, but i think they were a bit higher but still waiverable.

Alex, I supplied the medical enlistments standards in your hello post...saw your eye situation there first.

I wish you the best...the fact your recruiter is submitting a waiver is the golden goose...be ready to run with that if approved.

Thank you very much for the help, it's not a real waiver, just an email basically to the waiver doctors to see what theyd say and then depending on what the reply says, he said we would work from there.

I'm not sure if you're a recruiter or not, but do character evals by someone help waivers by any chance?

I'm not sure if you're a recruiter or not, but do character evals by someone help waivers by any chance?

Only in the case of civil waivers. Medical waivers are purely by the book.

Oh okay, my recruiter talked to my JROTC instructor and said he might get a character evaluation from him for my waiver, so I was seeing if that would help any.

as far as waiver for medical stuff, they don't want anything else but your medical records. so unfortunately, its all up to the doctor. frustrating process, but when it works out, its an awesome feeling i'm so ready.

Do you think they would want my prescriptions I just got from an eye doc I just went to for a regular check up?

anything that you have from your eye doctor is what they want and will help speed things along. if you had a recent visit, give every piece of paper. becuase they will eventually want it. it will save time and it shows them how bad you want it and how committed you are.

If the waiver has been submitted then it's a little too late. If it hasn't been submitted yet, contact your recruiter and ask them if they need it.

I probably gave the wrong impression, what my recruiter did was email the waiver doctor to see if he would approve or deny it. The email back will decide if he will send in a waiver now or not.

hmm. i didn't have that step in the process. I would ask again if thats what really is happening because I'm not sure that's part of the process. It takes a long time for the doctor who does the waivers to even look at a persons waiver file, not sure they can find out that quickly over email. I would check in with the recruiter.

Okay will do, however I don't particularly like questioning what he did, because you never know. I haven't been wanting to annoy him any, I know that can make things rough, but I do want to show that I am highly dedicated to getting in.

Alex,

Trust your recruiter. When he/she has a response you will find out. Don't sweat it.

Krys,

You may have been through the waiver process, but every situation is different. Advising people to 2nd guess their recruiters is a bad idea.

Thank you Gears for the help.

I am still wondering that if my actual waiver was sent in and denied if that would be the end of the road for me all together or just the end of me for my eyes at that point and I could get eye surgery and get a waiver for that and have a possibility of being accepted.

It's hard to say. That is definitely a question for your recruiter.

Yup, I'm just asking on here in case anyone happens to know so I won't have to bug my recruiter with it. Once I get word, it will definitely be a question I will ask.

Not to be the bearer of bad news,

Guidance was put out a couple of years ago further explaining the waiver process. For the army a waiver can be granted for up to 10. The Coast Guard is 8. No waivers. Your recruiter probably sent the email up to inquirer if there was any chance of a waiver getting through. Special guidance came down on this very subject. I wish you the very best in your endeavor, but please have a plan B in place.

Eye surgery will require pre and post op exams. If your diopters were out of regs pre-surgery, you are probably out of luck as well.

Really? I could have sworn in the Medical Manual it said up to 10 is waiverable for enlistees, however I think the one i read was published in 2007. Also my recruiter mentioned I was waiverable and that there are to be no waivers besides exceptional candidates and I think mentioned one per station. I'm guessing if I tried Army and tried lateraling over, I'd go through this same process and it would probably be harder.

I have thought about just going police, but never seriously. Badly enough, my mom and dad's eyes are about -1 at the most, my grandma's eyes are the ones that were terrible and the gene just had to skip a generation.

Thank you very much for the information and the good wishings. Hurry up and wait I guess.

The fact that he is trying is a testament to you as an applicant. I wish you the best of luck!

Thank you very much again chuckles. I honestly cannot imagine not being in, been raised around it my whole life.

Hello, well I don't want to start an argument here, however, I have astigmatism and my diopter is more than 3 (-3.75), and I was qualified without any waiver, I don't know if that change or anything, but this is what I found, hope it helps.

Vision

Vision must be correctable (with glasses) to a minimum of one of the following:

(1) 20/40 in one eye and 20/70 in the other eye.

(2) 20/30 in one eye and 20/100 in the other eye.

(3) 20/20 in one eye and 20/400 in the other eye.

Current near visual acuity (367) of any degree that does not correct (with glasses) to 20/40 in the better eye is disqualifying.

Current refractive error (hyperopia (367.0), myopia (367.1), astigmatism (367.2)), or history of refractive error prior to any refractive surgery manifest by any refractive error in spherical equivalent of worse than -8.00 or +8.00 diopters is disqualifying.
Source(s):
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/joiningth…

Oh yea, correctable it's 20/20 in both according to my doc, the MEPS docs said 20/35 or something but my correctable is perfectly fine, just uncorrected, the diopters are high so that's the problem. It's DQing for every branch i believe so i need a waiver. I didnt even think my eyes would be a problem when I went to MEPS is the funny thing, I figured they would nit pick something, even though I havent had any medical problems.

Yes, the medical qualifications for all services are the same, thats why ev1 go to the same MEPS and not to a CGEPS (lol I just made that one up)(Coast Guard Entry Processing Station), HOWEVER, other branches are more likely to give a waiver than coast guard. I read your story, but be prepared for a NO and consider other branch, (navy can be a good option)

Oh yea I'm going with that I will get a no, just incase I do, it wont be as bad as if I was expecting a yes. I've been looking at other branches, but I can't find a job that I'd enjoy as well as my motivation in bootcamp wont be close to as high as it would be in the CG. My JROTC instructor is making sure I have backups, I'm just hoping that things will speed up and they will start accepting my type of waiver.

What you want to do in the CG?

Gears, I was in no way suggesting he should second guess his recruiter. I have mentioned before that every case is different. I am trying to be encouraging because I had read nothing but negative when I started asking about my waiver online. My waiver was approved so I want him to know that is it possible.

Not possible, but to remain positive. His situation might be one of the unfortunate ones, but you can never be sure until you get the final word. And i have no reason to suggest his recruiter isn'tdoing his job. I have had nothing but positive experience with my recruiter. They work hard. Sorry if you got that impression Gears.