Warrant Officer, LASIK and age ?'s

[jfcorey]

Hey guys, I am 28yrs old, prior service (5yrs active duty Army enlisted) and very interested in becoming a warrant officer aviator. I have applied twice yet never made it to a board since my physicals have both been disqualified from Fort Rucker after aeromedical review. I was within the 20/50 uncorrected however over on the cycloplegic refractive error allowed per AR 40-501. I scored a 124 on the AFAST and have a GT of 128.

 

I've been corresponding with the WO recruiting team and they tell me I can have LASIK now but It's up to Rucker if I'm medically qualified. I'm motivated and after my 2nd medical was denied and my service contract fulfilled, I ETS'd, got my Private, 150 total hours in helicopters as well as my requirements for a commercial rating.

 

Okay now my question are there any WO's who have had LASIK prior to applying for WOCS? Could you please PM me? Also will my age be an issue? I know the Army has a waiver for just about anything. Thanks in advance!

[PhotoFlyer]

I have a former student who was just accepted to WO. According to him LASIK is not acceptable. He had to have another procedure where they do not create a "flap" as they do in LASIK, which was acceptable. I'll give him a call and find out what the procedure was called.

[jfcorey]

well this was from the WO recruiting team yesterday...

 

 

UNCLASSIFIED////

 

 

You can get LASIk, but the Aero Medical center will have the final

approval on whether or not your qualified.

[CharyouTree]

well this was from the WO recruiting team yesterday...

 

 

UNCLASSIFIED////

 

 

You can get LASIk, but the Aero Medical center will have the final

approval on whether or not your qualified.

 

LASIK used to require an exception to policy, while PRK required a waiver. After a study was done back in the 2004 time frame, USAARL said that they were both OK.

 

Your flight surgeon doing your flight physical is going to have the option to give you a local waiver. No big deal. Should he think your results are a little iffy, he can send it to Rucker for determination.

 

Dirty little secret: ALL flight physicals have to be approved by Ft Rucker. And even if you have one 1 month before you get here, and have been on flight status for a year, you MUST have a physical performed down here, at the start of training.

 

 

I had PRK back when it was a huge deal, and in the middle of my application process, (Dec 05) they finally changed the Aeromedical Policy Letter (APL). I got a waiver the hard way, and my eyesight was deplorable beforehand (20/400 and 20/200, but corrected down to 20/20 or better with the surgery)

 

Just be aware that there's no guarantee that you WILL get the go ahead on your flight physical, and that (as with all surgeries) there are risks associated. (duh) You also will have a waiting period after surgery complete before you can get your flight physical. Your best bet would be to try and get a contact number from the recruiting team for someone here at Rucker, as info changes all the time. I used to have a bunch of websites, and such, but it's been so long since I actually used them I don't remember them.

 

I just recalled this one. Lucky you:

 

https://aamaweb.usaama.rucker.amedd.army.mil/AAMAWeb/p4.html

 

It has the APL for Refractive surgery. best of luck

[jfcorey]

LASIK used to require an exception to policy, while PRK required a waiver. After a study was done back in the 2004 time frame, USAARL said that they were both OK.

 

Your flight surgeon doing your flight physical is going to have the option to give you a local waiver. No big deal. Should he think your results are a little iffy, he can send it to Rucker for determination.

 

Dirty little secret: ALL flight physicals have to be approved by Ft Rucker. And even if you have one 1 month before you get here, and have been on flight status for a year, you MUST have a physical performed down here, at the start of training.

 

 

I had PRK back when it was a huge deal, and in the middle of my application process, (Dec 05) they finally changed the Aeromedical Policy Letter (APL). I got a waiver the hard way, and my eyesight was deplorable beforehand (20/400 and 20/200, but corrected down to 20/20 or better with the surgery)

 

Just be aware that there's no guarantee that you WILL get the go ahead on your flight physical, and that (as with all surgeries) there are risks associated. (duh) You also will have a waiting period after surgery complete before you can get your flight physical. Your best bet would be to try and get a contact number from the recruiting team for someone here at Rucker, as info changes all the time. I used to have a bunch of websites, and such, but it's been so long since I actually used them I don't remember them.

 

I just recalled this one. Lucky you:

 

https://aamaweb.usaama.rucker.amedd.army.mil/AAMAWeb/p4.html

 

It has the APL for Refractive surgery. best of luck

 

 

Well thank you very much, I know Rucker has to approve ALL the physicals, I applied twice knowing that they would get denied and they did. I am completely aware that the surgery is no guarantee of passing the physical however that's a chance I am willing to take.