Army Reserve - Possible Medical Problem

[Rob Taggs]

As some of you might have heard in the news the Army Reserve and National Guard have raised their upper age limit to 39 years of age. My problem is that I got Radial Kerototomy surgery on my eyes in 1990 and found out from the MEPS-Military Entrance Processing Station that this surgery is disqualifying. I may be able to enlist with a waiver but, it is very difficult if not immpossible to get a waiver for this operation. I have had nothing but, great results from this operation with no post operative problems since. MEPS headquarters emailed me that in 60-90 days all sight enhancing surgeries (Lasik,PRK, and Lense emplant) surgeries will be allowed medically without a waiver at all. Whats up with the military? I've had no problems from this surgery and it has been 15 years since I got it. All I want to do is serve my country and maybe get a new skill that I can use in the job market. It seems to me that the military is not that desperate if they turn down individuals with no medical problems. You have all these kids running from the military nowadays.

Does anyone have advise that would help me or know someone who could help me in my situation?

 

[Shannow]

Rob, my Dad was conscripted back in Vietnam era, and was thrown out for flat feet (he never told them about rheumatic fever as a ten year old).

There is no rhyme nor reason about what is and isn't allowed.

Good luck, if that is your wish.

 

[Gary Allan]

I don't think the standards change much ..other than the evolution of medical science. They just get more "blind" in the intake process as needs dictate. My son attempted to join the Marines. He had bunion surgery very young ..he managed to play dumb and they passed on investigating any further. He never could get down to entrance weight however ..hence it wasn't an issue (missed by about 11 lb. inspite of running with the recruiter every morning).

One has to wonder what the rational is with the eye enhancement disqualifier. I tend to think, given my surrounding relatives who have had lengthy military careers (one uncle retired a sgt major/30 years), is that the eye surgery isn't a liability per se` ..but unrestricts you for qualifications for more advanced training. Eye sight is one of the first disqualifiers for pilot training and whatnot.

They probably have a "natural selection" process that it disrupts.

 

[oldman]

When I was active duty AF I wondered about the same thing. If you had the eye surgery one could not reenlist. One of the reasons was exposure to light. I thought the Army and Navy allowed the procedure. Another reason was long term health care, don't know why it is such a problem. Tiger Woods had it and many other sports people. Try for a waiver.

 

[Dave Hess]

Rob,

The reason why they are letting people join (that in the past needed a waiver) is because of the shortfalls in recruiting. The Army, Army Reserve & Army National Guard is seriously hurting for troops. If you do join, try and get into the Electronics career field, the more complex the electronics the better.

When I went to MEPS they were not that strict when it comes to disqualifying people. Even if you had eye surgery, you can still join, but it would just disqualify you from certain jobs (air traffic controller). At MEPS you just take an eye sight test the same way you do at a driver's license office. No doctor actually looks at your eyes and examines them. When you go to MEPS, just answer "NO" to all the questions in the questionnaire and you are good to go. Good Luck.

[ March 27, 2005, 11:58 AM: Message edited by: LT4 Vette ]

 

[ruking77]

Since you are a veteran, I can say this to you. I think the reality has always been to read between the lines. Or the right time and the right place etc etc. The bottom line is they want, need specific folks and MOS's AFSC, BILLETS etc. They really do not have overall problems, they have specific problems. So the age raised to 39, might indicate they say want a body with at least 12 years experience in a VERY SPECIFIC area.

To give an example,let's use the GREAT General "Stormin Norman" of the Desert Storm era and fame. I don't mean to be insulting, since a lot of civilians will read this and might get the wrong impression, but if he had worked for me when I was in the armed services, I would have had no choice but to put him on the so called "FAT BOY" program. If he didn't hit weight targets and be able to do the qualifying aerobics run, I would have had to DISCHARGE him!

The other side of it is sometimes there really is no rhyme or reason. I literally had 2 million of your tax dollars in training under my belt. It was in a highly specialized and critical area. At the time there was less than 900 in the entire military. I also had very high clearances. This by itself is almost worth its weight in gold. As you probably know it can take 1 year or even beyond to do background investigations.

Retention effort??? On a scale of 0-10. ZERO to minus -10.

[ March 27, 2005, 01:48 PM: Message edited by: ruking77 ]

 

[msparks]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Rob Taggs:


Does anyone have advise that would help me or know someone who could help me in my situation?

---

Put in for the waiver. It's usually a formallity. I had knee surgury before I came. That was 16 years ago and they were much harder on medical then.

Good luck.

 

[tom slick]

the AF is now GIVING RK and other eye corrections. i know for sure they are giving them at wolford hall and i beleive they are also giving them at 2-3 other bases.

 

[Rob Taggs]

Tom slick,

Are you absolutely sure that the Air Force is performing Radial Kerototomy(RK)? I heard and read that the different military services were doing PRK and Lasik eye surgeries, not RK which is the first and oldest of all the sight enhancing surgeries. I read that the military shys away from it due to some bull**** about the eye weakening and possible rupture of the eye due to altitude and underwater pressure equalization. Funny thing is I had it done 15 years ago and have been in the mountains and underwater to some depth, been thumped pretty severely in both eyes due to my nature of work and zero has happened to my eyes or vision. The military doctors can never produce any evidense to show me otherwise, just heresay. The doctors for a fact do not know what they are talking about when it comes to the old RK eye surgery procedure. If you can, will you please check and see for sure that it is the RK surgery the Air Force is performing. Alot of folks get confused when it comes to RK and PRK. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Rob

 

[Schmoe]

Tom Slick is correct. Both Navy and AF are doing that. My son wants to be a pilot but one eye is just off the 20/20 mark. Navy said that if he qualifies and passes all the exams, mental and not medical, they will perform the RK at no costs to him. I think they are hurting for recruits so this is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[tom slick]

i do not know for sure that they are doing the RK procedure specifically, i am not that knowledgable in eye surgery, "i are only airpane mechinik" as we used to say.

here is a link on AF policy
here is another link that may be more valuable to your situation

 

[Bryanccfshr]

I am with Ruking77 on this.

The military makes litle sense in being effecient with its investments in people.

I had the clearances and top training yet they had no space for me when my contract was up other than in another field. (I was infrantry!!, how do you have no room for an infantry??) It was 1994 though.

 

[Rob Taggs]

You talk about doing everyone's work for them. My recruiters are about the worst. Totally without knowledge, plus they never return your calls. I had to use an email to get them to call back.

I got ahold of Army Recruiting Command, who informed me that my RK eye surgery was not medically waiverable. I was expecting this answer from them. So, I went over their head.

Emailed the Army Surgeon Generals office concerning my dilemma. I recieved an email from Colonel George Adams, OD. Colonel Adams is the Optometry Consultant to the Army Surgeon General. I was informed by him that the Army Recruiting Command is not current on RK Surgery medical waivers and that he would be sending them a written policy on this soon. The policy is that it depends on the Military Occupational Speciality that I will be in and the needs of the Army at the time.

Just amazes me how the Army, Army Reserves, and National Guard are in such need of recruits that they can put so many obstancles in the way of someone wanting to join.

I'm going to wait till next week when Colonel Adams is back at his office and I get my surgical notes etc... so I can get the ball rolling. Only thing I have left is to get my medical notes from the doctor who did my eye surgery 15 years ago. That will be fun. That doctor probably purged his records of me 5 years ago. So, I will have to beg for a letter to clarify my eye surgery success!

 

[msparks]

Those recruiter. If they had to lift a finger or do a bit of work it would kill them.

When I tried to get back on Active Duty, my recuiters went as far as throughing my paperwork away.

I had to email the SGM of USAREC, and still couldnt' get on active duty. This was only 6 months after I left.

You would think they would try to help one of their own. Being a vetern and all.

Jeez.

Good luck with it and let us know what happens.

 

[Bio-T]

I think there are a couple of point that most are ignoring. A Military Recruiter has to produce X number of new Accessions per month, usually 5. That is his/her goal set by the Recruiting Command. When a Veteran wants to rejoin the service he does not count toward the Recruiters goal. And in most cases the Vet requires more work and paper work and and waivers to process.

Now for the medical and waivers. If you have a medical situation that requires a waiver and that waiver is granted, now the military assumes any future responsibility for your health and welfare. Example, football knee injury in high school. Arthroscopic surgery and released after rehab. Now you go to join the service, a medical waiver is required. If granted the service must now assume full medical for any injury that may occur to that knee, and if you join the Army/Marines or other elite forces, it will happen. The next step is VA disability for life.

Also unless you are a Veteran who was in a critical field, your MOS may not be needed at the time you tried to enlist. Your number one chance to get back on active duty is to enlist in the Reserves, and then apply for active duty.

Do some research, don't shoot the messenger. (Or the Recruiter)

 

[Rob Taggs]

Got some news. I contacted my senators office and they got back with me the next day. They are sending out paperwork for me to submit with my medical waiver. The senators office said, that they can not make the decision for the army but, that with the paperwork that I'm submitting from their office that they want to have followup to what the decision makers are doing. I don't know how this is going to come out but, I hope that the senators office has some influence with the Army.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

I'm certain this will work out Robb.