More than the eye can see Published Feb. 9, 2012 By Senior Airman Gino Reyes 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Anyone who has had their eyes examined on base has come across the captain who's ensuring Seymour Johnson Airmen are seeing things clearly. Capt. Andrea Rope is Seymour Johnson's sole optometrist. She provides care to all of the base's active-duty Airmen, ensuring they are deployment ready. "What I do each day helps people gain a better quality of life; that is what I enjoy most about being an optometrist," said Rope, 4th Aerospace Medicine Squadron optometry flight commander. As a child, Rope had an interest in anatomy and physiology. She knew when she grew up she wanted to work in the medical field. In junior high her parents bought her an anatomy interactive computer program and she became fascinated with the human eye. "I always admired optometrist Dr. Sowders," Rope said. "He gave me my first pair of glasses and was a big inspiration to me." Rope graduated high school with a four year Air Force ROTC scholarship at Indiana University-Bloomington. She graduated with a bachelor of science in biology and minors in chemistry and psychology. She commissioned as an officer in May 2005 and was awarded an educational delay to attend optometry school. After graduating with a doctorate of optometry degree, Rope re-commissioned as a captain. "Air Force optometry is nice because I feel I can give honest advice about eye care and recommend spectacle correction without selling a patient something," Rope said. Rope and the rest of the optometry staff keep Seymour Johnson Airmen visually ready to deploy while maintaining a number one standing in Air Combat Command for the past two years. "We have two great technicians who work very hard balancing additional Air Force duties with our patient care schedule," Rope said. "Working with a team like this is a great privilege." For more information, contact the optometry clinic at 919-722-1802.