espo180 Posted February 18, 2017 Report Share Posted February 18, 2017 Hi, I posted on a separate thread and was able to get a very helpful response, however now I've done more research and I have more questions related to a civilian applicant and certain conditions so I wanted to get feedback on my questions and the specific process all in one place. So I just turned 28, civilian, have a college degree, Eagle Scout and a varsity runner in high school. No arrests, a few speeding tickets. Health wise, I'm pretty healthy however, there are the below items: Eyes: Currently 20/200 correctable to 20/20 with glasses, my prescription is pretty low. The reason my eyesight is off is bc of my astigmatism. I called Rucker and spoke to a flight surgeon there...very helpful actually. The "MedStandards" app is a goldmine, it's got the phone number there and a lot of useful info. I read my prescription to the doc and explained to him I've been evaluated for bladeless lasik and should be corrected to 20/20 no problem. He said it shouldn't be a problem for my flight physical. In my understanding, in speaking with an army recruiter (who actually is helpful) we uncovered that although it's only 3 months after lasik for a flight physical, MEPS requires 6 months before screening you after a surgery like that. Just wanted to see if anyone else as a civilian applicant, has gone through this? I checked to see if I'm a candidate for PRK, but apparently my cornea is too thick. It seems to me based upon all of my research that LASIK shouldn't be a problem. As a kid, I was told that I had flat feet because I didn't have enough of an arch. I have an arch but I suppose it's not as much as it's supposed to. I was never prescribed orthotics and have never had pain in my feet. I have backpacked over 50miles with a backpack, ran as a XC runner in high school and ran a half marathon 3 years ago and I have never had pain that stops me from doing those activities. Now I'm hesitant about dedicating all this time because I don't want to get dinged at MEPS over something that isn't even a problem for me. I have a few friends in the Army and they said just to keep my mouth shut at MEPS and I'll go right through especially as it's not a problem. My research seems to indicate that if you can prove it's never been a problem or never prescribed...it shouldn't be a problem. I would just hate to get LASIK and study for the SIFT to get dinged on this. Any thoughts? Waivers? 4 years ago, I had minor surgery on my elbows to move a nerve around. Just a few stitches. All they did was snip a small nerve and move it around so it wasn't rubbing up against other things. I haven't had any problems since. Will this be a problem at MEPS? Keep my mouth shut? Obtain the paperwork from the surgeon? How much time should I dedicate to the SIFT and ASVAB to get a score of 70? Seems to me like I should use the 6 months I have to study. I got 2 study guides for SIFT off of Amazon, they seem to be pretty good from reading so far. Finally, would anyone who's a current pilot mind me messaging them? I'd like to get a conversation going and if you think I'm a good shot I'd like to ask for a LOR down the road. I've accomplished anything I wanted to in my life and I feel this would be a challenge that pushes and stimulates me and I like that. One more thing, how likely is it if I ask for an apache slot that I'll get it? I'll push my self to do the best I can at all stages to make me a good candidate. Thank you for reading and I appreciate your feedback. Thanks to those who have served or are currently serving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StockTrader Posted February 18, 2017 Report Share Posted February 18, 2017 Disclose all surgeries regardless of how miniscule you think they are. They will check you for flat feet at MEPS but its not something I would be worried about. Study until you feel confident enough to take the exams. You can't request an aircraft. Have to work hard and finish top of your class, then pray the selection has what you want. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krustchinsky Posted February 18, 2017 Report Share Posted February 18, 2017 Good luck. See it through. It took me a year from learning about WOFT to having my packet submitted. Study hard, get great LORs and focus on being the best applicant you can be. You select a platform that is available when you complete training in an order determined by your performance during training. Pick the mission, not the aircraft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bLACksUn1015 Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 Hey, I'm a CIV applicant as well waiting to hear from the March USAREC board (20-24th). I also have flat feet and I checked the box at MEPS to disclose it but no one seemed to care at all. It used to be a big deal until the military did a study on it and found that there were actually less injuries among people with flat feet as opposed to those with normal to high arches. Concerning your medical disclosures: keep in mind that as a WOFT applicant you will undergo a secret security clearance. This means that in the off chance that they miss your scar at MEPS, they won't miss it when they run your name and check your medical records for themselves. Which, btw, you have to sign a paper that authorizes them to do so. Honesty is the best policy. They want to know if you are the kind of person that essentially "mans up," rather than seeing what you can get by with. Other than that, good luck! Hope to see you in flight school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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