Expert: MARK A. HOWELL - 2/17/2011

Question
Hey, my name is kainia and i have been giving some thought into joining the military. as of now im set on the Navy. I had a cornea tranplant August 2009 and i have talked with a recruiter about that and he told me that that's fine. So what i want to know is can i still be disqualified or do i have of possibility of getting in? And Also what documents will i need to get from my doctor if i was to go to MEPS?

Answer
Kainia,

First of all, I'm glad your surgery was a success.

Here's an exact quote from the military medical regulations.

"The causes for rejection are:

(1) Dystrophy, corneal, of any type, including keratoconus of any degree.

(2) Keratorefractive surgery, history of lamellar and/or penetrating keratoplasty. Laser surgery or appliance utilized to reconfigure the cornea is also disqualifying.

(3) Keratitis, acute or chronic, which includes recurrent corneal ulcers, erosions (abrasions), or herpetic ulcers.

(4) Vascularization or opacification of the cornea from any cause that is progressive or reduces vision below standards."

None of these seem to apply to you, and as you can see a cornea transplant is not on the list of disqualifiers.  So I agree with your recruiter and don't think that will be any problem for you.  You will need a letter from the Surgeon who performed your surgery stating that the surgery was a success.  You'll also need a letter from the physician who is following your progress (if not the same person) saying you're doing fine and no problems are anticipated.

DO NOT present these letter to the recruiter or the MEPS physician unless they specifically ask for them.  You should NEVER volunteer ANY information that's not required.  This will remain true throughout your military career.  To do so just opens yourself up for more questions and more careful scrutinization.

Having these letters in advance will expedite the process should they be required.  If not, at least you were well prepared.

The MEPS process is a lot easier if you know what to expect.  Checkout the website:
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/joiningthemilitary/a/mepsglance.htm

I believe you won't have any problems.  Although all Branches of the Service are very goo, you made a wise choice in the Navy.

Send me a follow-up someday and let me know how it went.
Colonel H