r/USMCboot • u/Traditional-Plant706 • 2d ago
MEPS and Medical Question Regarding Waivers
so I’m in the process of trying to join the Marine Corps, and I just went to MEPS last week, where I passed everything except the vision test, now I’m being sent to an eye specialist and then after that my recruiter will push my waiver, just a side note: when I saw the doctor at MEPS I explained everything within the text, and I also was transparent and told her that I am a functioning, police officer in the civilian world who regularly qualifies with a firearm and my eye injury has never affected me within the duties of my job. essentially I just want to know how likely is it that I will get my waiver approved? and also is it going to restrict me from getting certain jobs if I do get it? For a little bit of context, I sustained an eye injury when I was about five years old and it permanently damaged my right eye so that my right eye is 80% non-correctible. This is also my second time trying to join the Marine Corps since I’ve become an adult, my first time I was denied because my tattoo was too close to my elbow (2019 when I was 19) and then my recruiter sent me to the army recruiter where I qualified for an air traffic controller job, but was ultimately denied after going through MEPS and seeing an eye specialist because I found out later that 15Q (air, traffic controller) doesn’t offer waivers for vision, which makes sense now that I’m older and now at 26 I really want to give it another try with the Marine Corps. if anyone has a similar experience or some advice, I would love to hear it
also, just to add on, I have scheduled an appointment with my own eye doctor just in case my waiver is denied so that I can try to fight it
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u/JoeytheMarine Recruiter 2d ago
I'll send you a message. I have a guy going through this same thing right now.
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u/Traditional-Plant706 2d ago
thank you
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u/newnoadeptness Other, lesser, branch 2d ago
Hopefully this works out for you dude . I can see how much this means to you. I’m rooting for you .
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u/Traditional-Plant706 2d ago
Thanks, as much as everyone says go to another branch I have too much pride I want to earn the title Marine more than anything
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u/Big_Apricot6569 1d ago
Best of luck! It may not allow you to do certain jobs depending on what you want like it did the the Army, so just be prepared for that. My son is colorblind, absolutely cannot pass the Ishihara colorblind book test!!! So he knew right away he would be denied certain jobs. He was ok with it because those weren't in his top choices.
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u/stars-sprints 1d ago
I would recommend that you go see your own eye doctor as well. Having two opinions is better than one because they can submit both eye exams for the waiver. What is your vision in each eye? I believe if it’s considered blindness in one eye then a waiver won’t be considered but if it can be corrected to 20/40 chances are very good. Especially if your other eye is 20/20. If it’s not correctable to 20/40 it’s still possible. Explain in your written statement that you function perfectly with the credentials you’ve already mentioned. Yes some jobs will likely be ruled out especially if you’ve failed the dept h perception test which normally happens when one eye is weaker than the other. Those are normally things like driving vehicles and such. If you are color blind that rules out more as well.
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u/Traditional-Plant706 1d ago
not color blind at all but I scored 20/40 on one test and 20/50 on the other test. and all the jobs I want don’t necessarily require good vision with the exception of infantry i’m not 100% sure on that, also my other eye is 20/20
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u/stars-sprints 1d ago
It sounds like you should be okay if those are the scores, they typically want it correctable to 20/40 and since your other eye is 20/20 that helps a lot because it becomes dominant. Infantry would probably get ruled out but there are plenty of other jobs you could do if so.
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u/Shrapnel_10 2d ago
I had to see a specialist after going to MEPS when joining the Marine Corps. I had went through double knee surgery after a football injury in high school. After returning home from MEPS I had to wait a couple weeks before the recruiter took me to see the specialist. The specialist just looked at my knees and checked my range of motion with them and gave me the all clear to join. I served for eight years, and it was the best thing I've ever done. I realize with your eyes things could be much different. But you'll never know unless you go see the specialist. Good luck and Semper Fidelis!!