Going in for lasik and I have a decision to make

[Crazy Larry]

You won't regret it, I had it done in 2004.  No problems here!   My eyes even put up with the Afghani dust storms since the procedure

Did the military nuke your eyes for you? When I was in '97-'01, it was a disqualifier to have that surgery, now I see that they offer the surgery and I also read that soldiers and Marines were getting their eyes done before heading over to Iraq/Afghanistan.

Did they cover the bill or was it a discount and was it a military VA doctor that performed the surgery? (That is if you answer yes to the first paragraph question).

Larry,
I'm in the Canadian Army.  Unfortunately, our medical system still considers laser eye surgury as "cosmetic" and "experimental" and refuses to cover/provide it for our soldiers.  This is the same for all of our military, not just the Army.  They allow us to have it done, but we have to aknowledge the fact that IF anything goes wrong we could be discharged medically.  Even though the military used to buy me two pairs of glasses every two years, they feel that the long term cost of that outweighs the danger of them possibly blinding a soldier and having to pay a pension.     Yeah, I know it's stupid.  Our military paid for a sex-change operation for a guy a few years ago, on mental health grounds, but they won't pay for this
I waited, and waited to see if our military would pay for the surgury, just like the US military.  No dice, even after all the studies done by the US military about the safety and successfullness of the surgury.  I grew tired of waiting and paid the $1200 for the surgury, but haven't regretted a day since. 

Dude, that sucks! Well at least they let you have the surgery. In fact, Canada was the first country to approve of the surgery. You guys were performing Lasik for years before our Federal Drug Administration (under pressure from the glasses and contacts companies) approved Lasik around 1996/1997. The US military just started allowing the surgery (not paying for it) in 2001 - right when I was getting out. But with the War and all, I guess they felt the Marines and soldiers could use the extra help, instead of buying perscription compat glasses and goggles - it worked out better in the long-run.

Well, at least you can see fully now - I'll be getting it when i turn 30 - right now I'm 28, so I have a few years left with the ol' 4-eyes routine.

shocking 'bout the sex change story