Expert: MARK A. HOWELL - 10/4/2010

Question
I am 18 years old and it has been my dream to become a Navy
Seal for at least the last couple of years. I have done a
lot of research, and understand the physical process, but am
a little bit fuzzy on the details of eye sight requirements.
I have really bad vision and I know that Lasik surgery is
out of the question for me, but I was wondering what the
requirements were for the PRK surgery. Also, if it is not
going to be possible for me to become a Seal, I was looking
into joining the Air Force Pararescue. I was wondering how
Pararescue compares to the Seals in terms of amount of
training, level and areas of expertise, pay grade for
officers, and frequency of deployments.  

Answer
Matthew,
Hopefully you know that SEALS are selected from Navy sailors that have at least 4 years time in Service and not selected from men who just walk-in "off the street".  So first you have to meet the general Navy medical requirements to join the Navy.  Those vision requirements are:

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.

After you've been the Navy for a few years you'll be eligible for corrective eye surgery, but you will be put on a long waiting list.  Of course, you may always pay for it yourself and have no wait time.  The military used to do PRK only but has now approved Lasik.

SEAL vision requirements are at least 20/40 in one eye and 20/70 in the other (corrective surgery is also permitted).

As for being an Air Force PJ, you may enter that career field (Air Force Speciality Code 1T2X1) directly upon entry into the AF, with no wait time.

Although their training is similar, their objective is different. For the PJs, it's to save. For the SEALs, it's to destroy.

The process of becoming a "PJ" is known informally as "the Pipeline" or "Superman School."  Successfully completing it takes nearly 2 years of intense physical and mental effort.  Of the many who begin the process, only the most determined will graduate.

Pararescue trainees must attend the following training courses:
the Indoctrination course (9 weeks in San Antonio, Texas),  the AF Paramedic Course (22 weeks at Albuquerque, New Mexico), Pararescue Recovery Specialist Course, (24 weeks at Albuquerque, New Mexico),   
Paramedic School, AF Combat Diver School (6 weeks at Panama City, Florida), Army Airborne School (3 weeks at Fort Benning, Georgia), Army Military Free Fall Parachutist School (5 weeks at Fort Bragg, N.C., AF Basic Survival School (2 1/2 weeks at Spokane, Washington), and the Navy Underwater Egress Training (1 day at Pensacola Naval Air Station, Florida), and the Pararescue Apprentice course (in Albuquerque, New Mexico).

Trainees may attend other branches schools such as the USMC Combatant Diver Course for diving instruction or the Navy tactical air operations school for parachute and free fall training if other courses are full.

After a Pararescueman completes the pipeline, they are assigned to a Rescue or Special Tactics team where they will receive informal On-the-Job training.

So as you can see, the training is similar except for medical and weapons training.

To answer the rest of your question:

Pay is standardized among the military Services.  Thus a Captain in the AF earns exactly as a Captain in the Marines, or Army.

As far as deployments, SEALs do a lot of reconnaissance, so they're gone a lot more than PJs.

I hope this answers your question.
Colonel H