Dr. Gene Sweetnam earned his Bachelor's of Science Degree in Chemistry from Virginia Commonwealth University. He always had a fascination with the eyes in small part due to his own (lazy) eye surgery when he was 9. Dr. Sweetnam attended the Pennsylvania College of Optometry where he earned his Doctor of Optometry Degree in 1992. After graduation, Dr. Sweetnam received a commission as a Lieutenant in the Medical Service Corps of the United States Navy. After six years on active duty, Dr. Sweetnam decided it was time to open his own office, and in January of 1999 he opened next to Specttica Fashion Opticians in the Tysons Corner Center in Mclean, Virginia. When that store closed, Dr. Sweetnam moved his office to its current location in Burke, Virginia. Dr. Sweetnam's military decorations include: Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Navy Meritorious Unit Citation, Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation, Naval Reserve Medal, National Defense Service Ribbon, the Marine Corps Expert Pistol Qualification, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Ribbon. He has also received numerous letters of commendation and appreciation, but the most notable is a letter of appreciation from the Non-Commissioned Officer's Association. Dr. Sweetnam's last tour in the Navy was at the United States Naval Academy where he became an expert on the visual standards of the military and in particular the Navy. He currently holds the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the Naval Reserve and actively drills at the National Naval Medical Center.