Awards
The Armed Forces Optometric Society (AFOS) is committed to recognizing excellence within the field and within our organization.
Below is a listing of the significant AFOS awards and the criteria on which they are judged and nominated.
AFOS Junior Optometrist of the Year
- Recognizes significant contributions to the advancement of AFOS and Optometry.
- Nominees must be an active AFOS and AOA member.
- Nomination to come from member’s senior officer or qualified individual.
- Judged by a minimum panel of 5 Active AFOS optometrists serving on the Awards Committee who have been members of AFOS for at least 2 years. These members are selected from various branches of service.
- Junior nominees must be within 10 years of graduation from Optometry school at the time of nomination, regardless of time in federal service.
- There will be an initial Service-specific Award recipient selected for each of the following five services: Army, Navy, Air Force, VA, and Public Health. These recipients will then compete for the overall AFOS Junior OD of the Year Awards.
Criteria for Junior Optometrist of the Year:
Nominees will be evaluated according to a point system allocated to three principal areas:
I. SERVICE TO OPTOMETRY (40 point maximum)
- Leadership roles (include titles and dates).
- Major accomplishments
- Initiating and/or implementing unique plan, program, or action on behalf of optometry
- Published professional articles or research findings
- Outreach to potential students, or assistance to optometry students and/or recent graduates
II. SERVICE TO THE VISUAL WELFARE OF THE PUBLIC (35 point maximum)
- Sight-saving groups or charities
- Service efforts in the community
- Participation in government health care programs
III. SERVICE TO AFOS AND PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS (25 point maximum)
- Service as an officer, committee chair or member, etc.
- Promotion of the association’s goals and programs
- Activity in support of association’s projects
- Involvement in public information activities (media spokesperson, etc.)
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AFOS Optometrist of the Year
- Recognizes significant contributions to the advancement of AFOS and Optometry.
- Nominees must be an active AFOS and AOA member.
- Nomination to come from member’s senior officer or qualified individual.
- Judged by a minimum panel of 5 Active AFOS optometrists serving on the Awards Committee who have been members of AFOS for at least 2 years. These members are selected from various branches of service.
- There will be an initial Service-specific Award recipient selected for each of the following five services: Army, Navy, Air Force, VA, and Public Health/IHS. These recipients will then compete for the overall AFOS OD of the Year Awards.
Criteria for Optometrist of the Year:
Nominees will be evaluated according to a point system allocated to four principal areas:
I. PUBLIC SERVICE TO: (30 point maximum)
The country, state, or other subdivision in any capacity:
- Education
- The community
- Religious or service institutions
- Charitable causes
II. SERVICE TO THE VISUAL WELFARE OF THE PUBLIC (20 point maximum)
- Sight-saving groups or charities
- Service efforts in the community
- Participation in government health care programs
III. SERVICE TO OPTOMETRY (30 point maximum)
- Contributions of personal effort and time on behalf of the profession’s advancement
IV. SERVICE TO AFOS AND PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS (20 point maximum)
- Service as an officer, committee chair or member, etc.
- Promotion of the association’s goals and programs
- Activity in support of association’s projects
- Involvement in public information activities (media spokesperson, etc.)
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Reserve/Guard OD of the Year
- Recognizes significant contributions to the advancement of AFOS and Optometry.
- Awarded to an Associate AFOS member who is not eligible to be an Active AFOS member but is an Active AOA member.
- Nomination to come from member’s senior officer or qualified individual.
- Judged by a minimum panel of 5 Active AFOS optometrists serving on the Awards Committee who have been members of AFOS for at least 2 years and 2 Associate AFOS Members. These members are selected from various branches of service.
Criteria for Reservist/Guard OD of the Year:
Nominees will be evaluated according to a point system allocated to four principal areas:
I. PUBLIC SERVICE TO (30 point maximum)
• the country, state, or other political subdivision in any capacity.
• education.
• the community.
• religious or service institutions.
• charitable causes.
II. SERVICE TO THE VISUAL WELFARE OF THE PUBLIC (20 point maximum)
• with sight-saving groups.
• legislative activities beneficial to the visual welfare of the public.
• participation in governmental health care programs.
• participation in public service programs such as visual screening projects, etc.
III. SERVICE TO OPTOMETRY (30 point maximum)
• Contributions of personal effort and time on behalf of the profession’s advancement.
IV. SERVICE TO AOA OR AFOS (20 point maximum)
• Service as an officer, committee chair or member, etc.
• Promotion of the association’s goals and programs.
• Activity in support of association’s projects.
• Involvement in public information activities.
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Student of the Year Award (COL Bzdula AFOS Student Award)
- Recognizes significant contributions during Optometry Student Status within the professional realm of Optometry and Federal Service.
- Must be an active AFOS and AOSA member.
- Candidate must be enrolled in one of the accredited Schools of Optometry and not have graduated at the time of the submission.
- Nomination to come from any AFOS member or qualified individual familiar with the student’s accomplishments.
- Judged by a minimum panel of 5 active AFOS optometrists serving on the Awards Committee who have been members of AFOS for at least 2 years. These members are selected from various branches of service.
Criteria for COL Bzdula Student of the Year
A type written statement, not to exceed 2 pages (bullet style) explaining the student’s accomplishments in the categories listed below. The statement should explain the nature of the individual’s contribution based on all previous history, not just activities accomplished in the last year.
- Involvement in AFOS/AOSA
- Military Training
- Service to Optometry
- Service to the Public
- Service to a Political Subdivision
- Academic Achievement
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Resident of the Year Award
- Recognizes significant contributions during a Optometry Post-Graduate/Residency Status within the professional realm of Optometry and Federal Service.
- Must be an active AFOS and AOA member.
- Candidate must have been enrolled in one of the ACOE accredited residency programs within the past 1 year.
- Nomination to come from any AFOS member or qualified individual familiar with the resident's accomplishments.
- Judged by a minimum panel of 5 active AFOS optometrists serving on the Awards Committee who have been members of AFOS for at least 2 years. These members are selected from various branches of service.
Criteria for Resident of the Year
A type written statement, not to exceed 2 pages (bullet style) explaining the student’s accomplishments in the categories listed below. The statement should explain the nature of the individual’s contribution based on all previous history, not just activities accomplished in the last year.
- Involvement in AFOS/AOA
- Academic Achievement
- Involvement and Residency Engagement
- Service to Optometry
- Service to the Public
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Orion Award
- Highest honor that AFOS can bestow for most significant contributions to the advancement of AFOS and Optometry.
- Individuals and organizations are eligible, though if the nominee is a member of any Federal Service, they must be an active member of AFOS and AOA.
- Any active AFOS member may submit a nomination.
- AFOS Board votes on the nomination and there is a maximum of 3 recipients per year.
Criteria for Orion Award
Nominees will be evaluated for long-term or lifetime achievement according to a point system allocated to two principle areas:
I. SERVICE TO OPTOMETRY (80 point maximum)
Contributions of personal effort and time on behalf of the profession’s advancement in such areas as:
• leadership roles within the profession.
• organized optometry at national, state, and local levels.
• continuing education, as a writer and/or lecturer.
• education as a teacher or administrator.
• legislation furthering the advancement of optometry.
• research.
II. SPECIAL SERVICE (20 point maximum)
Involvement on behalf of the profession of optometry, in such areas as:
• inter-professional health care organizations, committees, boards, or groups.
• inter-professional organizations, committees, boards or groups outside of the healthcare area.
• international health care or other organizations, committees, boards, or groups.
• standards, i.e., as a representative of optometry with standards organizations and committees.
• public health, in a leadership role.
• the military, in a health care leadership role.
