Sailing in style

March 2, 2017

It used to be that Navy-issued eyeglasses had a special acronym among servicemembers: BCGs, or birth control glasses. The clunky (but durable!) frames were not always easy to wear. But with the addition of a new selection of approved frames at Naval Hospital Bremerton’s Optometry Clinic, the men and women of our Navy are able to find a style that suits them. Also, with the ability to fit, fabricate and finalize most new pairs on the same day as the appointment, sailors are able to leave the clinic with their new glasses that day.

There are now nine styles of frames available, and it adds a bit of individuality for everyone.

“People have been pleasantly surprised but have also asked if the new frames are really options and if they are in regulations.” says Lt. Abbey Nelson, Optometry Department head and optometrist. “Style and fashion are cyclical, trending nowadays towards larger frames. We can give our customers nice options they want to wear and not just cram into the bottom of their seabag.”

In its first three months following its October opening, the clinic issued more than 1,100 pairs of new glasses. Each sailor is issued two pairs of serviceable eyewear, along with inserts for specific jobs as needed. The clinic cares for all active duty, drilling Navy reservists and enrolled beneficiaries with routine eye exams, physical eye and eye health exams, diabetic eye exams, school vision exams — for children six and older — and glaucoma screening exams.

Click here to read more in a story from Naval Hospital Bremerton. (Tim Pfarr)

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