Authorized Protective Eyewear List

[1] The APEL is updated periodically; it usually contains more than a dozen types of non-prescription and prescription spectacles and goggles for different duty situations and soldier preferences.

In 2010, the APEL was placed under the oversight of the Military Combat Eyewear Protection (MCEP) program under the office of PEO Soldier.

For ballistic resistance, this program requires that eyewear meet the current ANSI Z87 civilian standard.

Goggles are required to stop a 17-grain fragment simulating projectile moving at a speed of 550 feet per second (approximately twice the energy impact of spectacles).

In addition to ballistic performance, the U.S. military standard includes requirements for optical clarity, protection from UV rays, fit, chemical resistance, and environmental stability (properties won’t be changed by exposure to a range of temperatures or levels of humidity).

[7] Though soldiers are increasingly exposed to explosive threats, there is currently no testing or performance requirements for blast resistance of approved eyewear.