Sage-Tips

Can you join special forces with bad eyesight?

Poor eyesight can disqualify you. Your uncorrected vision can be no worse than 20/70 in the worst eye and 20/40 in the best eye. You won’t be accepted into the program if you have color blindness.

Can I join special forces after LASIK?

Candidates with LASIK / PRK at entry level are not permitted in National Defence Academy (NDA), Navy and Air Force as well as at entry level of Other Rank (OR) and Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs). In Army, the candidates who have undergone LASIK / PRK will not be considered for aircrew duties.

Can you be a Green Beret with LASIK?

LASIK will not disqualify you from joining the regiment, but it will disqualify you from attending MFF and CDQC ( HALO and scuba).

What is the age limit to become a Green Beret?

You must have a minimum rank of E-3 and must be 20 years old at the start of Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) with a waiver. You must not be older than 36 years (waiverable) for SFAS attendance. You must be eligible for a Secret security clearance.

Can you join the military with a glaucoma surgery?

The military started accepting waivers for this eye surgery in 1997 on a trial basis with special operations (SEAL, EOD, and Diver, for example) candidates and then for pilots. Now, it is an acceptable surgery for all candidates seeking service in the military.

What is the minimum vision needed to join the military?

Airborne troops need to have a distance acuity that corrects to 20/20 in one eye and 20/100 in the other. The special forces are a more elite division of the army that requires 20/70 or better in both eyes with both being correctable to 20/20 as they rely on strong vision.

Can you serve in the military with bad eyesight?

There are two common waivers for vision, and both are laser eye repair surgeries that have evolved to the point at which the technology enables people with poor vision to serve in military professions for which near-perfect vision is a requirement like pilot or special operations:

Does the Army provide free laser eye surgery?

The Army provides free laser eye surgery for many soldiers under the Warfighter Refractive Eye Surgery Program (WRESP). This is an excellent opportunity for soldiers to fix their eyesight at absolutely no cost and often with better results than what can be achieved at a civilian laser eye surgery provider.