My eyes are fine except for refractive error which is slightly out of limit. I'd like to have the waiver in hand when I go to Brooks because I don't want to delay this process any longer if I can help it.

I have a friend also in a Reserve unit who did just that - someone in his wing processed a waiver for him in advance and he was able to bring it with him to Brooks.

BUT.. today I spoke with someone in my unit, and she told me that they can't do anything for me because it's all handled by Brooks. According to her, the waiver is processed down there in conjunction with the physical. She also said you can receive the waiver on the same day of the physical or sometime very close to it! This is just a little dubious to me, because I've heard too many people complaining about how long the waiver process drags on. The more I think about it, the more it doesn't even make sense. I mean how can you get a waiver in a matter of days when it has to go through so many people and get approved. Still, I'm obviously not the first candidate she's handled and according to her that's how it went with the other guys.

Which is contrary to what my friend told me... so I went through the "Vision waiver" thread at the baseops forums. From what I read there, some people did indeed get the waiver before Brooks (but how?) and some people seem to say something along the lines of what I was told today (that the Brooks people do it.)

So... I'm trying to find out - can I or can I not apply for and get a waiver before Brooks? I feel like there is a clear cut answer out there somewhere and if yes, which party can initiate the process, and what the steps are. But everyone seems to say different things.