Alternatives!

[Rickyboi]

Hi lads

I spoke to a guy on the phone today about eyesight, think he works for the Navy as a medic or something of that nature.

So I read out my prescription for him and he was like yep, yep, ok, that sounds fine, then he asked, what did you get on your near reading eye exam?

That is the eye test where they hold out a piece of paper with differant sized fonts and you say which size you can see, I scored N8, in my right eye and you have to score N5. Which basically means 5mm. N8 is the size of newspapaer print.

I'm going for my first day at the recruiting office tomorrow so they will probably give me an eyesight form to fill out, if I can cheat on the eye test I will, it's only like 1 line which is stopping me from joining so i won't lose too much sleep about it.

But incase I can't join the RM because of this, what other alternatives are there that can even come close to being a Royal Marine, I know the answer is probably nothing, i'm not giving up yet but i'm 90& sure that i'm gonna fail this eye test.

Really don't know what to do, or what other things are out there which will come even close to being a Marine.

Feeling devastated isn't the word, I didn't think it would feel this bad, but it really does. I'm not gonna get my hopes up though, i'll jsut have to wait and see what happens I suppose.

Cheers

[Sonne]

Honestly that's a decision only you can make. Pour over the websites for the three services and see what jumps out.

Look at your qualifications and interests and perhaps another trade may appeal to you

Sonne

[Rickyboi]

Yeah, I know what your sayin' mate.

I'm not out of the game just yet but i'm just so worried about it, it's racking my brain constantly.

Is there any way of appealing against it? After all it's my distance vision that I have passed and which was alright to join RM, just the near reading test that buggered it all up for me.

Well there's not much point me moanin bout it, i'll just have to wait what happens with this eyesight form.

I wouldn't mind joining the fire service IF I don't get in the Marines but i'll still be totally gutted and I won't feel as passionate about joining up, also they hardly do any recruiting where I am for that and alot of it you have to live within 3 minute radious of the depot.

Cheers

[jimbob]

i know how you feel mate, at first i was told that i couldn't get in because i was colour blind, i nearly cried

anyway they asked me to come back for a second opinion and then decided that i met the required standards by the skin of my teeth, colour blindness is scored on a level of 1 to 5 (5 being the worst) and i was told i was a 4, if it had been 5 like they initially thought then i had no chance

so anyway i sincerely hope that it all works out for you, i'll keep my fingers crossed, as you say yourself: "never say never"

[In_Training]

Mate thats harsh. Medical is the worst thing because unlike the physical training / fitness you cannot change any aspect of it.

If you cant get into RM then maybe try the normal Army Infantry? although to be honest (and i havent checked) i woul dexpect them to have the same eye sight requirements...

Fire service does sound good but it really will be a world apart from the RM - thats not to say it wouldnt be a great career.

It really is a decision you have got to make for yourself - try chatting to your AFCO about alternatives in the forces, if there are none then try a careers advisor - they tend to hang around colleges and schools (a bit like paedophiles..)

[Rickyboi]

Cheers for that lads

I'm going to the Recruitment center today to get the ball rolling, this eyesight thing has bene on my mind for months and is really doing my head in.

Like I said, it's only the near reading test that I failed, and only buy a couple of bloody lines, but when I did it in the opticians I had just shoved my contacts in and my eyes were blurry as hell, so i'm dying to do it again with my glasses on, also the optician said he could change my lense to a slightly stronger one which would improve the sight by a sligt fraction but maybe enough to see that line.

Like I said, if I get the oppertunity to cheat on the test then i will because it's only 1 line, it's not like I can't see the whole thing.

I tell ya though, if i do pass this test it will make me train so much harder and appreciate going in to the Marines alot more.

I'm totally shitting it about this eye test, jsut wanna get it over and done with.

Cheers

[rgj-rifleman]

Ah Ricky i know exactly how you feel. Im dreading my eye test as well. I have to go to an optician as well and dont think ill pass that either. Plus i have a medical history that could well prevent me from entry. Im having to see a GP about it to write me a letter saying im totally clear of this childhood medical issue. Got over it four years ago and its nothing like cancer or nothing, really common problem but my friend had it and is going for the regular army and is fine there so im worried if i may get in marines with it.

I know where you are coming form and understand completely the heart ache. If that lets me down i will literally be heart broken. My dream will fade away because of afew lines on a computer screen!!!

Seriously worried.

Hang in there, and im sure you will be fine, got to keep spirits high right.

RGJ-Rifleman

[Rickyboi]

Yeah cheers mate,

i'm gonna do everything I can to make sure I pass it, all I can do now is wait but the stress is really pissing me off.

I was supposed to have my driving test at the end of the month and yesterday i had a 2 hour lesson oh hell, everything I f@#k up big time, so he said he is going to change the date to a later one, I was like ohhhhh man, what else can go wrong??!!!

The sooner I get this medical the better, i'm just gonna press them for it and tell them I wanna do everything in the process ASAP, then jsut wait a while for the PRMC if I pass on everything.

Cheers for everything anyway lads.

[nufc_rulz]

It might only be one line but the standards are there for a reason. Dont cheat if you get caught out you will be out on your arse and there will be a chance you might not be allowed in to another service because you lied. I no its frustrating mate but just be truthful and try all possiblities.

[Rickyboi]

Well if I don't cheat then I got no chance of getting in any type of military, fair enough, if I had to memorise the whole eye chart then i would accept my eyesight isn't good enough, but to fail on 1 line i'm not gonna sit down and let it go because of that.

Anyways, if my optician changes my right lense I might not even need to cheat, I have passed the distance vision test which must be the most important in my opinion.

You gotta do whatever you can to make the best out of this bad situation, if I don't try everything and anything then i'm basically putting myself out of getting in the Marines.

Agree or disagree it's what i'm gonna have to do, i'm sure I won't be the first person to ever do it either. I'm not being arrogant or whatever, but i'm not going to let my chance of getting in slip away coz of 1 line, if I need to remember it then I will do it.

Because if they find me out later that I have cheated I will get chucked out anyway for not having good enough vision, damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Cheers

[rgj-rifleman]

My backup plan is to go into the Royal Green Jackets as ive already passed the medical for all that and will get in no probs, and if your eyes are dodgey they let you wear contacts etc. Its only the RM that are touchey about it. Have a backup plan ricky, its worth it, if all you want is the green beret, you can always go on the commando course whilst in another regiment!!

Or you can apply to be a clark or chef with bad eyesight, you still have to do the commando course though. I know its not infantry and i wouldnt do it, but its always an alternative.

RGJ Regulars for me if i dont pass medical. I no if i pass the medical if i get to PRMC i will pass that as i want it so bad and im sure you will to. Im training like crazy for it and getting faster and stronger all the time!!

[Rickyboi]

Obviously yeah I do want the green beret, but that's not the only reason i wanna join the Marines, it jsut fits in perfectly in my life at this point.

It will give me the chance to move out of my home and away from this area, get my to the peak of my physical and mental fitness, and give me alot of life experience and disciplin.

If I don't get in the Marines because of eyesight it's highly unlikely i'll get into any military, except maybe the French Foreighn Legion which is a huge step and one which I probably wouldn't consider.

I'm going the recruitment center at 3pm , what happens there?

Cheers

[rgj-rifleman]

No no no, read my post again, you can join with galsses in the reguklar army. You can be a para with glasses. I told you its only the marines that wont let you. Para are legendary fro hard training and are basically i hear meant to be replicas to the marines! You dont have to worry if its just the eyesight. Yes it may stop your entry to marines, but not into the military altogether. Ive got a bigger problem as not only my eyesight but medical as well,l which could stop entry into any force. So dont worry mate, you will be fine!!!

[xcj]

Rickyboi, i know exactly how you feel.

My right eye isnt up to the standards either. I've tried everything, written to the navy, the army, the raf and the mod itself believe it or not.

The vision in the right eye needs to be such and such because of the SA80, left eye doesnt really matter - the standards are 6/36 (which my right eye is by the way) because your not relying on it so much. It's the right eye you need because you can only use the SA80 with it, hense the reason theyre so pick.

I was/still am i suppose so keen on joining at least one of the services that I started enquiring on when the SA80 was getting scrapped. The answer I got to this was around 2015-2020. One day in work, i was speaking to a guy. We got chatting and moved onto the subject of the army. He told me that he had all the application forms filled in in his house, but has come to the self conclusion that his right eye isnt good enough (to be fair to him it isnt) so he wasnt going to send them away. I told him I was the exact same, except I wanted to join the marines over the army (his reaction is a different story).

This led me to (in a huff i might add) to write to the mod basically saying they were shooting themself in the foot by not having the option of left handed shooting. I told them that with a 'recruitment crisis' you'd think they'd be looking at ways to get mroe people in - and one of those ways was changing things to accommodate more people.

My responce was a fair one to be honest, bear with me:

"After the trials for the SA80, the MOD decided not to procure both left and right handed SA80s. This was to ensure that on the battlefield there would be no difference between the personal weapon of each soldier. It enables a trained soldier to be able to pick up any SA80... and still be able to fire it".

This, in a nutshell is why I, and i'd assume you can't join - however there seems to still be a glimmer of light at the end of your tunnel so good luck.


I, like you, had to think of what I was going to do now that my future had just slapped me in the face (thats what it felt like anyway). I thought about joining the police. Can't do this either, right eye needs to be such and such and I just fail it by either 1 or 2 lines, cant remember now. Does the fire service not require you to have almost 20/20?. I can't even be a paramedic (im clutching at straws here to stop me working in an office) because to do that you need to have such and such on your driving licence for heavy vehicles - and for that you need good vision in both eyes.

Im jibbering, sorry - to the point.


Again, like you, I'm open to suggestions about what to do as an alternative, however it sounds like more doors are closed for me than for you.

I wish you luck, don't give up.

[Sonne]

Rickyboi, i know exactly how you feel.

My right eye isnt up to the standards either. I've tried everything, written to the navy, the army, the raf and the mod itself believe it or not.

The vision in the right eye needs to be such and such because of the SA80, left eye doesnt really matter - the standards are 6/36 (which my right eye is by the way) because your not relying on it so much. It's the right eye you need because you can only use the SA80 with it, hense the reason theyre so pick.

I was/still am i suppose so keen on joining at least one of the services that I started enquiring on when the SA80 was getting scrapped. The answer I got to this was around 2015-2020. One day in work, i was speaking to a guy. We got chatting and moved onto the subject of the army. He told me that he had all the application forms filled in in his house, but has come to the self conclusion that his right eye isnt good enough (to be fair to him it isnt) so he wasnt going to send them away. I told him I was the exact same, except I wanted to join the marines over the army (his reaction is a different story).

This led me to (in a huff i might add) to write to the mod basically saying they were shooting themself in the foot by not having the option of left handed shooting. I told them that with a 'recruitment crisis' you'd think they'd be looking at ways to get mroe people in - and one of those ways was changing things to accommodate more people.

My responce was a fair one to be honest, bear with me:

"After the trials for the SA80, the MOD decided not to procure both left and right handed SA80s. This was to ensure that on the battlefield there would be no difference between the personal weapon of each soldier. It enables a trained soldier to be able to pick up any SA80... and still be able to fire it".

This, in a nutshell is why I, and i'd assume you can't join - however there seems to still be a glimmer of light at the end of your tunnel so good luck.


I, like you, had to think of what I was going to do now that my future had just slapped me in the face (thats what it felt like anyway). I thought about joining the police. Can't do this either, right eye needs to be such and such and I just fail it by either 1 or 2 lines, cant remember now. Does the fire service not require you to have almost 20/20?. I can't even be a paramedic (im clutching at straws here to stop me working in an office) because to do that you need to have such and such on your driving licence for heavy vehicles - and for that you need good vision in both eyes.

Im jibbering, sorry - to the point.


Again, like you, I'm open to suggestions about what to do as an alternative, however it sounds like more doors are closed for me than for you.

I wish you luck, don't give up.

Although i have no eyesight problems i'd like to be able to fire from either shoulder. From what i've read Marines in Northern Ireland were taught to fire the SLR from either shoulder so when shooting around corners they minimise exposure to fire. I thought that was a fantastic idea and i wonder how soldiers are expected to cope in urban combat now.

But i'm right-handed, what do i care anyway.

Sonne