dsharpless

This happened about a mile from my office. Reports now say all 5 confirmed dead. Before learning it was a Puerto Rico ANG C-130 it was really easy to believe it had to be some of our local guys with the 165th here in Savannah. Such a tragedy.

Interesting. I was kind of hoping to try to use a MEPS physical to determine whether I was REALLY in need of corrective surgery, because I think I'm pretty close. Sounds like it may not be quite that simple. Oh well. Thanks for answering, I think the information you shared will still prove helpful.

Hey @stuckindayton, can you answer a couple of questions for me? You helped me understand the pilot vision requirements a few months back, but now I'd like to understand a little more about the MEPS physical vs FC1. What is the difference between the two in terms of procedure for the vision portion? Do they both perform the same cycloplegic refraction? I.e. if I went and had a MEPS physical and had passing vision, should I expect to pass on the FC1? I ask because I'm looking at an application that states that candidates may be required to have a MEPS physical performed prior to interview as part of the application process. What is the purpose of this physical if any selectee would still need an FC1 later? Perhaps just to vet applicants beforehand to weed out candidates that would be DQ'd at FC1? If that's not the reason, then why both? And I assume based on comments above that a DQ at MEPS would not be a final "no," but that a DQ at FC1 would be permanent. Am I mistaken here?

Excellent advice, thank you. Having worked with a couple of recruiters now I think I've begun to develop a sense for when he/she doesn't know something. Got that feeling today talking about waivers, unsponsored boards, etc.

@va121mir About the waivers, I'd have to agree, that makes sense, but I'll find a way to confirm that before getting too far into the process--if there are any unsponsored boards subsequent to the May board this year. And about the IFC1, thanks for that info. I was unaware of the requirement and the option to pay my own way to make that happen. Thanks for your help!

Pardon me for quoting a few pages back, but I'm looking at the possibility of applying to future AFRC boards (maybe September or so) as an unsponsored candidate if I can't secure a sponsored slot somewhere, but I'm unsure of my ability to do so based on this info. As it is now, my eyesight is disqualifying, but barely waiverable (nearsighted). And if I go get LASIK to make absolutely sure that I'm within refractive error limits, I need a LASIK waiver. Does this situation mean that I will not be allowed to apply unsponsored, or was that info specific to age waivers? And, if it does apply to all waivers, will the same apply to future boards, to your knowledge?

Ok then! I think by that measure I should be good to go... for now. Thanks for clearing that up: knowing that I don't need to take immediate action on my vision, I can now work on my applications with some peace of mind.

Do you mean that AFRC will be hosting bimonthly boards to interview unsponsored candidates/ratify sponsored candidate hiring decisions made by individual Reserve units? My understanding has been that Reserve units still hold their own boards, and their hiring decisions get approved by AFRC. Is my understanding correct, or has the process changed?

@stuckindayton Final vision question from me: based on the waiver guide, -3.00 total refractive error is the limit for myopia. Does compliance mean strictly greater than -3.00 (i.e. -3.00 is failing) or is it inclusive? I seem to be hovering right at that edge based on today's (generous) evaluation with my local doctor. He, having done his residency in the USAF way back when, understood that I was trying to determine my medical eligibility for a pilot slot and was levying all of the margin for error that he could in my favor.

Ok, that's good to know. If that timeline is roughly accurate, then it seems like timing possible eye surgery shouldn't cause any scheduling difficulties. Thank you all again for your help, and for sharing good, current info!

My apologies: I actually read that topic a good while ago and did not put two and two together regarding medicals being administered at Brooks. Thanks for pointing out that topic, as well as the helpfulness of the search function, to me again. Sounds about right.

That makes sense. Just curious, is there a fairly standard wait time between receiving an offer from an ANG/AFRC unit and getting IFC I done? I'm aware of the average time from hire to start of training based on other topics on this site, but I've seen less about when medical exams typically occur.

Can you comment further on the timeline from surgery to medical exam? Specifically, for applying to ANG/Reserve units, is the IFC I exam conducted before or after submitting an application/interviewing with a board? In other words, if I need and elect to have laser corrective surgery, do I need to wait six months to apply to units, or should the timeline from zero to starting all training (going from civilian to Guardsman/Reservist, so starting with AMS) function more or less as normal, save for getting necessary waivers for surgery? Thanks again, by the way, to all who have contributed. Best help I've been given in this subject thus far. I've scheduled a cycloplegic refraction for tomorrow afternoon with my optometrist, gonna see whether I'm compliant or will need surgery. From my glasses prescription it could go either way.

Finally! Thank you! This is the most valuable resource I've seen on this subject. For those who were searching as I was for this info, from the above link it's clear what the refractive error limits are for each type of common eye ailment, and whether these limits are waiverable. I know this is stated earlier in this thread, BUT, for those who are only looking at the end of this thread or are still seeking clarification, from the above link it's clear that a cycloplegic refraction, performed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist, is the only way to determine one's refractive error for the purposes of determining compliance or noncompliance with the USAF eye standards. A manifest refraction ("Better 1 or better 2?" exam) is, or can be, subject to patient bias. According to other sources I've since read, this bias (called accommodation) can make a person seem more myopic or hyperopic than they actually are, whereas, in a cycloplegic refraction, the doctor actually measures refractive error directly from your eyes. This is done by temporarily inhibiting the eye's ability to focus and then measuring the amount of manual correction required to achieve 20/20 acuity. Anyone, please feel free to correct or clarify if I have misrepresented anything here. For reference, see pg. 782 and following in the above link. For anyone else, a follow-up question: I'm a civilian looking into the possibility of laser corrective surgery prior to applying to ANG/AF Reserve units for a UPT slot. Are there any requirements I need to be aware of--choice of doctor, choice of procedure, wait time between surgery and application package submission, or otherwise? The only ones I seem to be aware of are that PRK is preferred, that there is a minimum 12 months wait time before UPT may be commenced following a laser corrective surgery, and that there is a minimum 3 months wait time before surgery waivers may be applied for. Is this all still correct? Please, any information would be hugely helpful. I know much of this has been hashed out before, but figuring out what's current and what's not is proving to be the biggest challenge.

Can you provide a reference for this info? I'm not doubting you, but I've been searching for a little while now for some concrete info like this (up to date vision requirements for USAF pilots), and I've yet to find it in anything official, other than your statement. I'd really like to know where to look for stuff like this. Additionally, can anyone do either of the following: 1) Comment on how to go about getting one's refractive errors. Are these measurements equivalent to the measurements given in one's spectacle prescription? My prescription gives spherical (myopia) and cylindrical (astigmatism) diopter powers, and I'm sure it would give other measurements as required if I needed any other corrections (i.e. for hyperopia). So are these the numbers I need to refer to to determine my own eligibility for pilot duties? 2) Comment on the waivability (is that the right word?) of these requirements. Are these the absolute or waiverable limits, or are there higher limits requiring waivers? Thanks in advance.