Q&A: Military astigmatism limit: is it 8.00 or 3.00?
Question by Kate: Military astigmatism limit: is it 8.00 or 3.00?
I’m looking to join the military, but am trying to understand if I’ll be DQ’d for my astigmatism. At one point it says 8.00 diopters, and later it says 3.00 diopters.
Which is it? Mine is 3.75
Thanks!
—–
Vision
The causes for rejection for appointment, enlistment, and induction are:
a. Distant visual acuity of any degree that does not correct with spectacle lenses to at least one of the following:
(1) 20/40 in one eye and 20/70 in the other eye.
(2) 20/30 in one eye and 20/100 in the other eye.
(3) 20/20 in one eye and 20/400 in the other eye. However, for entrance into USMA or ROTC, distant visual acuity that does not correct to 20/20 in one eye and 20/40 in the other eye is disqualifying. For entrance into OCS, distant visual acuity that does not correct to 20/20 in one eye and 20/100 in the other eye is disqualifying.
b. Near visual acuity of any degree that does not correct to 20/40 in the better eye.
c. Refractive error (hyperopia, myopia, astigmatism), in any spherical equivalent of worse than -8.00 or +8.00 diopters; if ordinary spectacles cause discomfort by reason of ghost images or prismatic displacement; or if corrected by orthokeratology or keratorefractive surgery. However, for entrance into USMA or Army ROTC programs, the following conditions are disqualifying:
(1) Astigmatism, all types over 3 diopters.
(2) Hyperopia over 8.00 diopters spherical equivalent.
(3) Myopia over 8 diopters spherical equivalent.
(4) Refractive error corrected by orthokeratology or keratorefractive surgery.
d. Contact lenses. Complicated cases requiring contact lenses for adequate correction of vision, such as corneal scars and irregular astigmatism.
e. Color vision. Although there is no standard, color vision will be tested because adequate color vision is a prerequisite for entry into many military specialties. However, for entrance into the USMA or Army ROTC or OCS programs, the inability to distinguish and identify without confusion the color of an object, substance, material, or light that is uniformly colored a vivid red or vivid green is disqualifying.
Best answer:
Answer by Greco
You’re not going to West Point or into ROTC are you? It seems to be 8.00 if you aren’t.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
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I’m assuming the rules as stated are current and accurate.
If you have 3.75 units of astigmatism, you are disqualified under rule c(1) for USMA or Army ROTC programs.
For other areas of service, the first part of rule c applies instead, but you have to know the “spherical equivalent” of your prescription.
To find the “spherical equivalent, you need to know the first two of the three numbers that make up your full prescription. Here’s a typical prescription: -2.00 -2.75 X 180. You are interested in those first two numbers. Now for the math: Take half of the second number and add it to the first number. Pay attention to the signs. The sum is the spherical equivalent.
For this example: (-2.75)/2 + (-2.00) = -3.375 That’s between -8 and +8 so it passes.
Another example: +6.50 -3.75 X 21: (-3.75)/2 + (+6.50) = +4.625 so it passes.
Last example: -6.50 -3.25 X 14: (-3.25)/2 + (-6.50) = -8.125 so this one fails.
The prescription has to be your spectacle (glasses) prescription, not your contact lens prescription. The numbers are usually different, and will definitely be different in higher powers.
Good luck!