Think my buddy is disqualified from joining the military?

[DP425]

Army sniper standard when I went (2009) was the same- 20/20 corrected in BOTH eyes. I don't believe that has changed, nor would there be incentive for them to do so, since qualified canidates are in no shortage.

At least Army side, LASIK and PRK are now permissible. I had LASIK about three months before I went to school, and was still dealing with dry eye while there (sucked ass).

A few other things to consider for the guy wanting to be a sniper-
-There are no sniper contracts; you have to be selected. Doesn't matter what branch. So getting in the door (if you were even able to meet basic standards) means nothing.
-PVS-14's are worn over the non-dominate eye. The device has to be able to give you a clear and focused image since your night vision is entirely reliant upon that one eye. If the device cannot correct your vision, either on it's own, or in combination with your normal correction, to provide for an adequately clear image, you are worse than useless at night, you are a hinderance.
-If you get something in your one good eye, just what do you expect will be your back-up plan when the shit is going down?
-No one closes their non-dominate eye anymore when shooting; not that it's an issue anyway since even when good, it ghosts.
-If you want to serve, consider doing so in a support role; there are a lot of cool jobs out there that are non-combat. Intel field alone can get you into some pretty legit gigs. Assuming you can meet basic requirements for enlistment, You'd be fine. But what you describe thus far, I would say, you'd be a detriment to a combat element.

I was a USMC recruiter last decade, the manual changed from MPPM to the EPM, but the standards are still pretty much the same. Enlistment wise, if you have one eye that still corrects to 20/20 and the other to 20/400, you can be waivered. Here's the manual, you're looking for page 126 of the PDF, listed as page 3-75 on the doc: http://www.hqmc.marines.mil/Portals/61/Docs/FOIA/MCRCO1100.1EPM.pdf

The following conditions are not waiverable and should be considered permanently disqualifying.
1 Vision
a Blindness in one or both eyes.
b Diplopia. Cataracts; cataract surgery (unless there is an intraocular lens implant).
c Visual acuity not correctable to at least 20/400.
d History of keratotomy or kertomileusis.
e Keratonoconus of any degree.
f Refractive error in excess of +/-8.00 diopters.

If you have one of these, you're done. If you don't, then there's a chance for enlistment. Speak to the recruiter, bring your eye records with you, they'll send it up to MEPS for a "med read", the doc will look at them and reply if you can go attempt the physical or not.

Now, on the sniper side, 20/20 correctable is MANDATORY. You wouldn't even make it into the platoon, that much I can guarantee, and certainly wouldn't make it past the school check-in as the instructors verify the standards being met in your med record. My eyes are shit, 20/200 uncorrected with a diopter around 4.5 and a bit of colorblindness too, and I buggered my first eye exam at MEPS when I enlisted, they ran me as 20/30 in one eye while I see 20/15 with contacts just fine and easy 20/20 with glasses. But I damn near got booted out of school on Day 1 until I could produce the documentation and also smoke the eye chart in the instructor office, but I did and I graduated high shooter two months later. Recon, Rangers, SF, all the rest of the SOCOM type stuff that would be infantry based shooter type jobs, they'll all be the same. You could probably be a standard grunt, not that there's any shame in that, nor is there even in being a "Water Dog", but sniper in the military would be extremely unlikely.

So go forth, join and serve our great land, stomp bad guys and learn how to police call the fuck out of the barrack's quad while you're at it. And who knows, I might just be that guy who told you that you couldn't do it and you proved me wrong. That would seriously kick ass...

 

[fx77]

Any Spinal Fusion Surgery is a disqualification..


https://www.thebalance.com/military-medical-standards-for-enlistment-and-appointment-3354060

​​​​​​(4) There is lumbar scoliosis greater than 20 degrees, thoracic scoliosis greater than 30 degrees, or kyphosis and lordosis greater than 55 degrees when measured by the Cobb method. d. History of congenital fusion (756.15), involving more than two vertebral bodies is disqualifying. Any surgical fusion of spinal vertebrae (P81.0) is disqualifying.

 

[jmar]

Army sniper standard when I went (2009) was the same- 20/20 corrected in BOTH eyes. I don't believe that has changed, nor would there be incentive for them to do so, since qualified canidates are in no shortage.

At least Army side, LASIK and PRK are now permissible. I had LASIK about three months before I went to school, and was still dealing with dry eye while there (sucked ass).

A few other things to consider for the guy wanting to be a sniper-
-There are no sniper contracts; you have to be selected. Doesn't matter what branch. So getting in the door (if you were even able to meet basic standards) means nothing.
-PVS-14's are worn over the non-dominate eye. The device has to be able to give you a clear and focused image since your night vision is entirely reliant upon that one eye. If the device cannot correct your vision, either on it's own, or in combination with your normal correction, to provide for an adequately clear image, you are worse than useless at night, you are a hinderance.
-If you get something in your one good eye, just what do you expect will be your back-up plan when the shit is going down?
-No one closes their non-dominate eye anymore when shooting; not that it's an issue anyway since even when good, it ghosts.
-If you want to serve, consider doing so in a support role; there are a lot of cool jobs out there that are non-combat. Intel field alone can get you into some pretty legit gigs. Assuming you can meet basic requirements for enlistment, You'd be fine. But what you describe thus far, I would say, you'd be a detriment to a combat element.

Thanks for the info but I disagree with the detriment part. The definition of a detriment would be someone who can't carry their own weight, or can't shoot, or isn't a team player. Accounting for the 1/100,000 chance that I'd get only one of my eyes injured is not a detriment. You have a higher chance of being shot, which would be a detriment, or if there's an injury large enough to damage an eye it is likely to damage both eyes or most likely the entire face which Is a detriment. Anyone else that would be there with me could obtain one of the injuries which would make them the detriment. So you are correct in saying it could be a very rare potential detriment, but it is not an existing detriment, just like being shot in the leg would be a detriment but it is not an existing detriment.

As for NV Goggles and sights yea I can understand more there, but what Redmanss said is you can apparently be GI with 20/400 vision in one eye. I bet there has been plenty of guys with some sort of blurry vision in one eye who went and did fine and would argue with that detriment statement.

 

[Strykervet]

DUDE, TAKE MY FUCKING ADVICE!

DON'T DO IT!!!

Your back takes one hell of a beating in the army, I went in with a fine back and it's trashed. So are my knees and feet. Still recovering from my last foot surgery, sucking up the morphine as I write. If he doesn't mind spending the rest of his life in a VA hospital or in bed by the age of 35 or 40, then go for it. Even not being infantry he'll still take a beating. Infantry, jumping and all that shit is definitely out though. Most guys I know with back fusions, and I know a LOT, got them during or just after ETS, not before MEPS, and every one has lasting complications.

My advice: go to a community college, get a transfer degree and go to college. Take it easy on the back.

Your recruiter will say anything to get you in, it's how he gets paid/bonuses/etc. He's a salesman. He gives two fucks if you buddy throws his back out.

If they take him, they shouldn't.

 

[Redmanss]

Hey Strykervet, it was still the best job and times you've ever had, wasn't it?

 

[DP425]

Thanks for the info but I disagree with the detriment part. The definition of a detriment would be someone who can't carry their own weight, or can't shoot, or isn't a team player. Accounting for the 1/100,000 chance that I'd get only one of my eyes injured is not a detriment. You have a higher chance of being shot, which would be a detriment, or if there's an injury large enough to damage an eye it is likely to damage both eyes or most likely the entire face which Is a detriment. Anyone else that would be there with me could obtain one of the injuries which would make them the detriment. So you are correct in saying it could be a very rare potential detriment, but it is not an existing detriment, just like being shot in the leg would be a detriment but it is not an existing detriment.

As for NV Goggles and sights yea I can understand more there, but what Redmanss said is you can apparently be GI with 20/400 vision in one eye. I bet there has been plenty of guys with some sort of blurry vision in one eye who went and did fine and would argue with that detriment statement.

Just looked it up- basic straight leg Army Infantry requires 20/20 in one eye and no worse than 20/100 in the other. Both corrected. General entry standards are 20/20 and 20/400.

I would imagine that is due to the dioper adjustment limitations of optics. Or, the need to be able to function in active combat on one eye.

Don't think the idea of losing function of one eye isn't a concern. There are a LOT of dudes who have lost only one eye in combat. It's an off the wall guess (with a very slight bit of real life observation), but I would assume FAR more single eye injuries are sustained than double eye injuries.

I can tell you 100%, combat, and the military, are not what you think it is. Your ability to assess your limitations, from the outside looking in is likely near zero.

The baseline entry requirements are there for a reason. I've never met a soldier who I'd call a total rock-star, that came in barely scratching by on a waiver, or one mouth in-haled breath from dropping below 31 on the ASVAB. Every one of them that I've dealt with have been a problem in one way or another.