Thinking about joining the army?
Question:
Can i wear contacts in the army? If not will the army get lasik surgery for me? I refuse to wear army issued glasses!! :(
Answer:
The only time you have to wear the issue glasses is during basic combat training (BCT) and actually in combat. My husband had to wear the glasses in BCT and some of OCS. After that he got to wear whatever he wanted. He's been wearing his contacts everyday since he's been able too. I wouldn't worry too much about it. Here's a good way to look at it. When you're in, some units get issued Rx Oakley sunglasses, I sh!t you not. The reason the regular glasses are so goofy lookin is because so many people have to wear them and the Army is paing the cost. I believe the only time the Army will do PRK or LASIK (yes, the Army is the only branch that pays for lasik, but once you get your wings, you can fly in any branch, so I've heard) is if you apply for the aviation department, or any other that requires perfect vision, and you've passed the required tests and physical (with an acception of the vision, of course) and they want you, then they'll allow the surgery. But you can only be in those departments as long as the military has approved the surgery for that particular reason. If you get it before hand, they will take you in the military, but not a unit that requires perfect vision. That is why my husband is waiting to get it done. Once he takes the physical and test, if they want him the surgery will be allowed, if he gets it done before hand, then he's SOL. And to counter what that one stupid dude said. If you want to join, more power to you. I think it's awsome when people join in time of war or conflict, it means you're not a wimp, and that you actually care for your country and freedom for your country as well as other people who need our help assisting them in obtaining freedom for their own country. People say we're fighting a war that we shouldn't be involved in, but police officers do that same thing, they help people out of their own good will even though it's not necessarily thier problem. If that guy says this war is stupid, then he should resign his American citizenship. It's not all about just America. We're only 230 years old but we're one of the top 5 countries, and there's a reason. Do unto others as you would have done unto you. If we don't help other people, then who do we turn to if and when we need help. That's why we have ali's and such. GOOD LUCK for your decision.
You'll have to wear the glasses until you can get the surgery. I heard the waitlist is kind of long.
Hey buddy, they might use you as a decoy. Do you have a deathwish? Please think about it - better yet, become pen pals with someone on active duty. Then decide.
i don't know about your vision, but DON"T DO IT! please do not join the army. i'm a patriot but i believe we lost too many good soldiers on a pointless war that i don't think will end.
Yes the Army will get you PRK but not LASIK, but you might be blocked from some jobs such as a helicopter pilot etc...
And no you cant wear contacts in the Army because they have a chance to fall out during combat. Which means.. Uh oh.. Friendly fire
While in basic you have to wear army issued glasses. After that I think that you can do what ever you feel like.
Join the Air Force if you can- You will learn a more meaning full profession that you can use when you get out.
If the service will take you, your eyes and all else will be taken care of. Don't ask questions about it. You will be given a through examination and they will know about your eyes and make a determination without you yelling about it.
There is an old saying, "Let sleeping dogs lye"
your screwed either way. Cuz if you get into the army and they make you get glasses you will be *** raped in the showers and killed in combat very easily. If you do wear contacts, then the army will screw you like they do everyone else...they will send you to iraq, iran or some other hellhole where you will have to stay until you die or they find a replacement. If you decide to get out at the last moment, then they own your *** and then they will rape it like they do everyone who discharges...so either way your fucked if you join. I suggest you don't sign that contract and get the **** out of the army. If you can't get through college cuz your poor, I suggest you apply for an academic schollarship..Otherwise your a D-U-M-B-A-S-S.
Don't matter, they wont want you to see when they declare marshal law in America. All it's going to take is one more "terrorist attack" and it's a done deal. Lucky for Bush all the Concentration camps are all built or being built (check Haliburton's recent contract to build them).
i also have very bad vision and i had to wear the BCG glasses. i looked horrible but it was only for 9 weeks and i wasnt the only one wearing them. in AIT we were allowed to where our contacts. As soon as you get out your basic training you can wear what ever you want! I hope this helps
It's a pity that you ask a reasonable question and the majority of your respondents are hate mongering ill informed anti-Americans who probably can't remember the date of the 4th of July.
If you choose to serve then serve. Don't worry about your vision until you have your pre-entrance physical. If you don't like the answer or corrective measures they describe, don't join.
Either way; best of luck.
I concur. It's a shame that there are so many idiots out there that look for nothing more than a chance to smear their personal garbage everywhere.
If you have 20/20 with correction, you'll do fine. Under no circumstances ever wear contacts. during Basic/AIT or OSUT. If you are found to be wearing them, you WILL be scuffed up. If you don't like the Army glasses, too bad. They're redoing the designs, by the way, but if you don't want to wear them, you're going to have a real, real hard time during BRM making out those pop-up targets on the range.
If you are stupid enough to wear contacts every day, then eventually you'll enter a fun day where you'll be put in the NBC chamber. Contacts have an ugly tendency to fuse permanently to the cornea and cause permanent blindness upon exposure to carbon sulfide (aka tear gas) so don't say you weren't warned. You'll hear that warning several times before entering the chamber.
You won't get LASIK, you'll get PRK. You'll only get it once you're assigned to a unit - the Army isn't going to waste money on a kid who may or may not flush out of training. You'll need a Battalion Commander to sign off on the surgery and you become undeployable for a few months, with other restrictions attached to physical activity so your eyes heal up.
Vision is a minor concern. Don't let simple vanity get in the way of any decision you make.
I know a lot of soldiers that wear glasses.
We refer to them as birth control glasses cause they are ugly black frames.
Your best answer is to see and talk to your local recruiter. He has all the specifics on what the limitations are, but with corrected vision of 20/20 i am sure you can join. And to give you a heads up, army issued glasses are now just as compatable with the civilian sector. Don't let something as small as how you appear in glasses stop you from joing. The Army is the melting pot of America.
in basic you would have to wear BCG's. (birth control glasses). after that wear what you would like. if you do not want to join the army because of glasses then maybe you should not join. that is a stupid reason not to join. the only way to find out about your vision is to go take the physical.
During basic you'd have to wear the BC glasses.
After that they give you a choice of frames. They even gave hubby prescription sunglasses.
That would be pretty sad not to join just because of the glasses. Everyone there will have to wear them.
GOOD QUESTION... no you are never authorized to wear contacts in the army .. however some Commanding officers will overlook it...During your training (basic and AIT) you will be wearing the BDU glasses . those things SUCK! ugly and heavy and you will really hate them. No the army will not get lasik surgery for you( and if you decide to get that surgery without authorization you can be prosucuted for a crime "Damage to government property") It happened to a SSG of mine about 4 years ago. He ended up loosing quite a bit of money out of it. Also keep this in mind ... your bad vision may keep you out of certain career paths... no your never going to be able to be a pilot or join special forces with bad eyesight. Trust me in this .. the military and bad eyesight don't mix.
first of all dont join the army.second during basic u have to wear BCG's aka RPG's, once out of basic n ur tech traning you can wear contacts but you cant get lasik till ur 21
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