Iowa Soldiers Getting Eye Surgery Before Deployment

By Justin Foss, Reporter

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By Justin Foss

Story Created: Feb 22, 2010 at 6:29 PM CST

Story Updated: Feb 22, 2010 at 6:29 PM CST

CEDAR RAPIDS – When Private First Class Brent Rich starts looking for bombs later this year in Afghanistan, he’d like to see them.

"You definitely don't want to roll up on one of those because you didn't see it,” said Rich, 27, Mount Pleasant. “That would be a bad deal.”

Rich is one of dozens of Iowa Army National Guard soldiers getting Lasik – vision-correcting surgery – before they deploy with the largest Iowa group since World War Two.

"I can't wait to get up tomorrow morning and be able to read the alarm clock,” said Rich, who has had to wear glasses or contacts for years because of his poor vision.

Eye surgeons around the state are offering soldiers a discount on Lasik surgery before this upcoming deployment. Wolfe Eye Clinic is offering a 25% discount for soldiers. Other providers are offering different discounts.

Doctor Todd Gothard at Wolfe Eye Clinic said the Iowa National Guard approached all of the state’s eye-surgeons and asked them to help the soldiers.

Gothard said he’s seen several soldiers come back with eye injuries because they were wearing contacts in the sandy and dusty conditions.

"And those things here you can deal with pretty easily with anti-biotics,” said Gothard. “But out in the field, you don't have access and medical care it can be a big deal.”

Rich said soldiers aren't supposed to wear contacts in battle, but he admits he’s heard countless stories of peers going into battle with them. He said they hate the worries of glasses falling off or breaking and throwing debris in their eyes.

“Just with the climate, storms and sand storms…I wasn’t looking forward to handling those with contacts in my eyes,” said Rich.

Gothard said soldiers can still apply for the surgery before their deployment. However, he said military officials told him to stop operating after the end of April, in order to give soldiers enough recovery time before heading overseas.

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