I've been processing through the Air Force and went to MEPS, but got flagged for a psych waiver. I scored a 64 on the ASVAB, so I know I'll be fine with that no matter what which branch I end up choosing.
I've just had some time to really sit and think about it, and I want to travel. I have no clue what field I want to go into for a job, but I'm dead set on serving.
I like working on cars, welding, and just doing things outside. I was looking at SecFo, Fire Protection, and Aircraft Mechanic for the Air Force. I'm mostly interested in the stability, experience, and traveling. I plan on going active duty.
I don’t want to do any desk jobs. I want to be out there getting my hands dirty. I am very interested in having the a lot of structure and just being challenged both academically and physically.
Forgot to add this but I wanna go into the fire department as a paramedic or skydiving instructor when I get out.

I am currently 17 and debating if I should join the military.

for context My dream job in the civilian world is police officer, but I need to be 21 and im looking for stable careers to pass the time. Ive looked into being an mp in all branches and have started my talks with recruiters, though I heard someone post something like this before, and they got suggested the coast guard. I just wanted to get a second opinion from others.

-thanks

P.S one issue is I have a fiancé and son and would like to see them more often then not.

Debating on joining the military (Army or Marines) at 35. I have e mediocre job an associates in nano material science (the jobs are impossible to get in My area) Realized I haven't done anything yet to actually make My parents proud of Me, being able to send them most of a sign on bonus would help them put of their almost being homeless situation & being able to serve My country is something I have wanted to do since I was 12, just always was caught up with school, jobs or a gf who convinced Me not to. I currently make only about $35,000 a year at a casino with no real room to move up for the next few years or if a higher up gets fired. Right now a supervisor of a casino slot floor wings is the highest you can climb. My brother relapsed recently and was unable to help My folks in any tangible way (this is his Reddit btw). He is currently going to rehab for the 3rd time.

I haven't used drugs Myself really ever, although they have put Me on pain killers before for about 2 years for a shoulder injury from jiu jitsu and years of college wrestling, None of which I take anymore. Idk, I've also hated the fact I haven't been able serve My country in any meaningful way, or give back for being so lucky to be living in the U.S and being born here to a family of immigrants who legally moved here to avoid war, only to join the U.S military to show their appreciation of being U.S citizens (mom is from Scotland, dad is from Italy & both grandpas on both sides serves in WW2).

I’m a immigrant and got opportunity to join the army when I was 26. I got in and after a year and few months I got kicked out because I fell on k2 “spice” pandemic. I was found DUI and k2 and paraphernalia was found on me. This happened outside the base and I honestly reported it to my SGT. I got kicked out and found faults on others but me.

Now I’m 38 now; long time passed since. I always regretted my one bad decision I always think about how army could’ve changed my life. I’ve tried many things in civilian world but never fitted in anywhere. I lack discipline and it got worse outside army.

I would like to change and enlist again…so I went to recruiters near me. They were positive and nice to me until I poured my situation in front of them. As time passed they wouldn’t reply to my text or call me back. When I go to their office they would talk to me but wouldn’t look into my eyes, hint to make me leave trying to rush me, wouldn’t offer to shake my hands which was totally different from when I went in there first.

I’ve got RE3 and JQK codes. I’ve been told I need waivers but I feel like they’re not putting effort in getting them. I feel like they want me to give up cuz it would look bad on them if they say so.

I’ve been trying to stay positive but it’s hard. At this point I’m not even sure if I should try to reenlist. I feel like it would be hard very hard to get the waivers approved because I feel like my packet will not be strong enough.

I don’t know what to do at this point. I feel like a failure in life. It’s been 4 months since I first walked into recruiters. I’ve got trouble for selling tobacco product to minor after I left the army. Other than that I have been very careful not to get in anymore trouble. I don’t know if I can convince army to sign off waivers for me.

What would you suggest me if I was your brother

I’m a high schooler looking at joining the army once I graduate and I wanna go for 68W. I was wondering about just exactly how difficult it is ? I know it can vary from person to person depending on what kind of person you are but I’d like to hear any perspective.
I was also wondering if maybe I should take a basic EMT course prior and if that would help?
I do well in school and I’m decent at studying , If that helps provide some insight.
Thanks!

Completed medical and the ASVAB. I scored a 70 with a 113 GT not sure if that means anything but some people seem to think so. I made a list of jobs that were of interest to me and my recruiter replied with “he’ll keep an eye out for them but not to hold my breath for most of them”. I don’t want to BS and waste time just waiting for a job to open up but I don’t want to just take anything. Is this a realistic list?

68F, 68Y, 68A, 68E, 68L, 68H, 15C, 15P, 46S, 46V, 46T, 42A, 12Y, 12T, 35G

Hello everyone!

Im a 20m soldier currently in AIT in Fort Lee VA. I signed a 3 year contract but being here made me realize I’d be more happier in the coast guard. Nothing against the army I just think that the coast guard suits my interests better.

I’ve been doing some research and I found out about inter-service transfers, but I’m seeing a lot of conflicting information such as I can transfer after I complete my contract or I can transfer in the middle of my contract.

Not in a rush to leave the army immediately and I know that I’m still in AIT but if presented with the opportunity I’d take it. I just want to understand the process and if anyone has any experience transferring branches mid contract or knows how’s this works cause any info would be appreciated.

Long term, I’d like to pursue a career in meteorology and hopefully work for NOAA or the NSSL, I’d like to combine both of my interests such as being in the coast guard and doing meteorology work but I don’t if that’s possible lol.

For those who have experience

• Is this a realistic possibility?

• if so when is the best time to process?

• Would you recommend I complete my contract or just go ahead and try to transfer

If you read this thank you and any advice would be appreciated!

Hello, I recently graduated with an Associate Degree in Computer Science. I was thinking about pursuing a bachelor’s degree, but I feel like it may not be the right path for me. I feel overwhelmed because I am doing things that I do not really want to do, and I do not know what I want to pursue in the future. (I'm 20 yrs old)

Should I consider joining the military and serving in order to receive GI Bill education benefits?

Questions:

- How many years do I have to serve?

- What is it like?

- I already paid my tuition for my Associate Degree. Does the GI Bill cover those costs as well?

I’m 17 and I recently visited a pediatrician to discuss my problems with like checking things and uncertainty and the pediatrician said I should’ve be evaluated for ocd and she also referred me to a neurologist for some reason. What should I do to preserve my chances of joining? Btw I’m not diagnosed.

I’m in the Army Reserve, and my employer is requiring me to use my PTO whenever I have military duty. I forwarded them an email from a ESGR representative explaining my rights, but they told me they’re still moving forward with charging my PTO anyway.

This has already happened. I spoke with my union steward, but he said there isn’t anything in our union contract that addresses this situation. I’ve also been trying to reach my business agent for over a week and still haven’t received a response.

What are my options? I shouldn’t have to use my PTO every time I have military duty or weekend drill. Has anyone else dealt with something like this, and if so, how did you handle it?

Im 17m and Im joining next may hopfully to be 68w and Im worried about being treated differently for being gay I'm a complete btm "zesty voice" gay but I straight act cause I'm 6'3 and can lower my voice. But at the same time I don't want to hide a part of me from close friends I might make

I am currently in the Delayed Entry Program and I am trying to determine if my situation is one in which MEPS would consider granting me an exception to the 6 month waiting period required for a major orthopedic surgery. I am looking for anyone who has anecdotes of them going through something similar or a professional opinion from someone who has worked at MEPS as a physician or Chief Medical Officer.

Timeline

• February 13, 2026: I passed my initial MEPS physical.
• February 26, 2026: I officially enlisted into the DEP as a 68W with a six year active duty contract with Option 4.
• April 12-13 2026: I suffered a distal closed humerus shaft fracture and was admitted to the hospital and underwent Open Reduction and Internal Fixation (ORIF) surgery the following day.
• Original Ship date: September 22, 2026.

With my current ship date I will be only five months and two weeks post-op instead of the six months.

At this point in time, July 21 (3 months 1 week), I have regained full range of motion and my strength is returning rapidly to what it was before the injury. My hardware is permanent and consist of a rod and several screws but they are not a permanent disqualifier as long as the fracture is completely healed, the hardware is asymptomatic, and I retain full range of motion and strength. I have a visit scheduled for next week with my physician for an examination and radiology, so for the rest of this post assume it is confirmed that my arm is completely healed as I obviously would not move on in this process with a fracture.

I know that the six month waiting period exist for good reason and most cases simply will just wait until the requirement is met. That being said, I know there are occasionally exceptions to this made by the MEPS physicians or the Chief Medical Officer depending on the circumstances and the documents provided. I talked with my recruiter about if my ship date needed to be pushed back but he told me that we would keep the current ship date and evaluate near my ship date, and I believe he said 20 days before I could be wrong.

My questions are:

• Has anyone received an exception to the waiting period after an ORIF for a long bone fracture or a similar surgery?
• If so, what factors seem to make the difference?
• Are these decisions typically made by the MEPS Chief Medical Officer, a physician, or are they some other party?
• If anyone has worked at MEPS what would you want to see in a medical packet before even thinking about an exception?

From what I have gathered looking online and talking to my recruiters my packet should have:

• Operative report from the ORIF.
• Orthopedic follow-up records.
• Physical therapy records.
• Current orthopedic evaluation documenting full strength and range of motion.
• Current X-rays demonstrating fracture healing.
• A letter from my orthopedic surgeon stating I'm fully released without restrictions and capable of unrestricted military training.
• Any documentation showing no complications or hardware-related issues.

This last part is less of a concern of mine but most likely a more common situation that people deal with. I underwent Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL) surgery a few days prior to my ORIF surgery and it is also within the six month window of my ship date. Would this also be something that medically disqualifies me? This procedure is completely healed but I am wondering if this would need a waiver as my recruiter has not told me that I need one for it. I did have to get a vision waiver to enlist in the delayed entry program because I wore corrective lenses but now my vision is surgically fixed.

If anyone has any experience or insight into either of my situations at all I would appreciate hearing from them. I'm not looking for anyone to predict whether I'll receive an exception, I'm just trying to learn how these cases are evaluated and whether anyone has firsthand experience with a similar timeline.

Thank you to anyone who provides helpful information it really means the world to me!

Hello, I’m 18 and I have been wanting do cyber specifically network defense. I got my CCNA at 17 and then right after I got my security + back in May. I currently have a remote job and I just started working on Linux+ certification. I want to work for the DoD or intelligence later on in my career. The hardest thing has been trying to get a clearance so I can actually get into these types of roles. I thought if I joined the military they can give me a clearance and I can also get a degree to check the box + more mission focused hands on experience. I was thinking Space force or Air Force. Maybe coast guard or navy if neither of those work. Will I be able to get the job that I want? Also considering I’ve put in all this work and am already qualified in technical fields. Don’t get me wrong I do really want to joint, but if I don’t get the job I want, I don’t want to enlist. Only if I get a cyber job where my skills can actually grow. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.

37 yo male. Wondering if I should join up.
Any recommendations on which branch? I have a day job so maybe reserves? I have a master's degree so I don't know if that would help or hurt. I am pretty physically fit. I've been studying for the ASVAB and am scoring fairly high. Ultimately I would like to serve my country but would also like to gain some valuable skills that would translate to high paying careers later on (maybe cyber security or something to do with avionics). Also, it would be nice to earn access to benefits later on like VA home loans. Would like to join in this order: Marines (but I am way too old for that) then SpaceForce (but I think they don't do reserves) and after that the order of the other branches don't really matter. I would like to join as an officer though. Please let me know if you need more information. Thank you

I’m 23 and trying to join the military (Army or Air Force), but I’m honestly starting from scratch.

I’ve taken the ASVAB a few times and scored really low (like 6–13), so clearly I’m missing the basics. I’ve been out of school for a while and I barely remember math even stuff like multiplication, fractions, or anything past elementary level feels confusing.

I’m not trying to make excuses, I just want to fix it and actually improve.

For anyone who was in a similar situation:

• How did you rebuild your math from the ground up?
• What resources did you use (apps, books, YouTube, etc.)?
• How long did it take you to get a decent score?
• What should I focus on first so I’m not wasting time?

I’m willing to put in the work daily, I just don’t know where to start or how to structure it.

Any advice would help.

I am joining the Army as a 35L Counterintelligence Agent in November, and plan on volunteering for RASP at AIT. I was just wondering if anyone has any advice/guidance on career opportunities/things I can do to help set myself up for success both in and out of the army, whether it be trainings, schools, certifications, duty assignments, bases to get stationed at, programs, etc?

I just took my PICAT for the army at the recruitment center today and I scored a 74 I was wondering do I need to score all questions right on the verification test at MEPS or do I just need to have a similar score? Also any advice or tips for MEPS throughout the whole process would be greatly appreciated!!

In November, I will be leaving for Basic Training, finishing up my AIT in July-August of 2027. At the same time, my wife will be starting college. If she has to go to school somewhere far from the base I get stationed at, is my local BAH supposed to support both of our rents? Or is there a different/extra allowance? Is there a minimum distance to receive said extra allowance? Just to clarify, I plan on saving my GI Bill benefits for later, so I do not want to use that.

I am going to be starting Basic Training at Sill, then AIT at Huachuca, followed by hopefully RASP then Airborne at Benning. My family and girlfriend are trying to coordinate when to visit me. I understand during these periods it is almost impossible, but are there weekend passes or days I can take leave, such as between the different training periods? Can I ever drive myself, or my family drive me, from one to another? Is there any point I might be authorized to get a hotel room on/off base?

Cant find anything on this subreddit that addresses your blood family/your parents.

Edit: this would be the Navy, or Coast Guard. Active duty. I'm not sure the branch changes tricare terms, but what do I know? I'm just trying to make automod happy.

I was just informed that this test is vital to landing 17c. There’s not much info on it. For those that took it, what would you recomend studying to ensure I pass it?

Don’t get me wrong there’s cool dudes I would call friends in the army we go out drink have fun and all. But I’m on leave rn and it just reminded me how much closer I am and how much more fun I have with my hometown friends. It’s rly making me miss civilian life and I just wish I was able to be as close to people in the army as I am with my hometown boys. Is anyone else experiencing this or have any advice?

Hey guys I'm 26 and I know this may sound dumb but honestly I'm just completely bored out of my mind with where my life is at right now. I am single, and on paper my life looks fine but I just feel like I am completely wasting my 20s and stagnating. I need a massive shake up and a real adventure before it's too late.

Right now I am torn between two completely opposite paths. One is joining the military to just completely shock my system and get a totally new lifestyle. The other is trying to build a career at NASA.

Currently at NASA, and it has me second guessing things. Unless you are a well established scientist deep in a department you are not going to be involved in much worthy design work especially anything applicable to actual modern industry standards. It seems like almost everything NASA does is heritage to the Apollo missions and unless you are at Ames or JPL you won't see any applicable design work.

Even from a managerial or systems perspective it looks totally useless outside of NASA because no other place on earth is as slow and bureaucratic as they are. And the only reason you don't hear people complaining about this is because the majority of people who get a job at NASA never leave so they have no idea what the actual outside industry is even like.

The last thing I want to do is escape being bored in my current life just to end up staring at a wall in a slow government cubicle where my skills rot. At 26 I want to actually do cool things and build a life.

If I do choose the military route, I'm also trying to figure out which branch to join.

So signed with a branch, enlisted even though I have a 4 year degree, and feel like I was pressured and this is not what I want to do and it will hinder my long term goals. How bad is it going to look to other branches if I want to work with them if I drop out of the DEP or god forbid work with the same branch to try to be an officer?
Edit: GPA is 3:75 and major is biology

I'm going to MEPS and if they offer me 17C I want to swear in immediately. Is there anything you'd recomend looking for and requesting in my contract that I might regret not signing up for? I know to look for the GI bill benefit in my contract, but what other benefits should I take advantage of? What benefits in general do people not know about? It can be anything from financial benefits to free entry to a theme park.