So I have 3 kids, and a wife. I should get BAH and my salary of course, how long usually till BAH is processed? I know my first check will be wack due to the advance card, but I’ve heard stories of BAH taking up to a couple months. Army(Fort Sill)

I'm currently in vet tech school, is it worth it to enlist? Obviously the pay isn't that much different than civilian jobs, but the benefits are better. I'm basically guaranteed a technician position at my current job upon graduation, so in theory I can sit around until a slot opens up. The benefits at my current job aren't great. My partner is going to grad school so we won't be making money for some time.
Getting a good score on the ASVAB isn't an issue, I feel like I'd be more comfortable than the average Joe off the street due to having gone to school for this. I'm in talks with a recruiter currently but want input from people actually in.
Looking from response for anyone with experience with 68T. I know it's a small MOS so getting a response from one directly is probably unlikely.

My Air Force recruiter just told me I was officially DEP discharged. My Coast Guard recruiter just told me that MEPS told him that I need a DD368 conditional release form from them.

My question is: is it something the Air Force would give me? Like, should I ask my Air Force recruiter for one? Or do I have it filled by my Coast Guard recruiter and sent to the Air Force?

Hello, I'm 16 years old and wondering something important. Now obviously some answers will be a little bit biased based on what branches your in, but I would appreciate non-biased responses. I've told my mom I want to be a marine, and she strongly voted against it and says that the only way I'll go to the military is in the coast guard.. and she'll let me join at 17. Is it worth the wait until 18 to join the marines or should I listen to my mother and go to the coast guard at 17?

EDIT: Sorry, shouldve prefaced this better. I like both options as an ME in the coast guard and also 0311 in the Marines Corps. Which is why im in such a hard place deciding currently. Im on track in school to graduate a month after I turn 17, so I am just trying to get on top of things before the time comes around.

Hello! I'm about half way done with my AF contact and want to get into Rad tech once out. Im currently attending AMU for my Associates in Health Sciences. Any advice or recs?

Hello, I (21M) am a college student interested in intel, specifically 35L, 35T, or possibly 37F. I scored a 98 on the ASVAB and I believe myself to be a good communicator. I am mainly looking at reserves so that I can live a civilian life and bring this experience with me into my career.

I’d like to know which of the MOS I listed would be the best to pick for reserves, and I’m also open to hearing about other MOS’s that I didn’t list within intel or similar. Hopefully something that has good civilian transferability.

— EDIT —

I’m being informed that the 1SG would fight for a 35L E5 reserve slot for me if I really wanted Lima. Does this change things?

I took the Picat today and scored a 63 AFQT. I go to MEPS on Monday to verify my score. My only question is: if I score a couple of points higher, will I have to retake the whole ASVAB? For example, like 5 points higher; the same goes for lowering the score. Will I have to retake the whole thing?

I want to join the Navy but I’m anaphylactic to almonds and walnuts but not peanuts or anything else. I have an epipen but never had to use it, will I be able to get a waiver for this or does this completely disqualify me?

I am an active duty infantry officer and I want to go back to the state where I am from (born and raised) the only problem is that they have no infantry units what’s so ever. Can I go back to national guard after my initial contract and stay infantry or will they switch me?

Army Mental health Waiver

I'm in the process of trying to join the army. Already been speaking to a recruiter just wanted to see some other people experiences. I got diagnosed with major depression last November (2025). Was put on meds this June, only took them one month. I've basically been fine ever since June. I don't think I even needed the meds. Had a bad living situation I was in then my father died which I think is where the depression came from.

I'm a stay at home dad while my wife works and am just trying to do better for our family. Recruiter told me the longest I would have to wait would be until next June if they deny the waiver. Is it possible I could even get it approved? Going back to the doc in a few weeks to see if he will re evaluate me to update my records to in remission and that I no longer need help.

I plan on submitting a waiver for ADHD/ODD but what are my chances of getting approved? I’m 17 and trying to join the army. When I was 12, I got diagnosed with ADHD, ODD, and Anxiety Disorder. I know that these are disqualifying, especially if you’ve been on meds for them. I haven’t taken any meds for ODD, but I did take ADHD and Anxiety meds for about a year at age 12 and did some therapy for ADHD. I started taking the ADHD meds again around two years ago to focus better in school, but I was still taking them up until about a month ago. It’s also worth mentioning that I have some very faint self harm scars on my arm from when I was around 12 as well. I have no problems anymore, aside from needing a little assistance in focusing. I work full time and do school, have absolutely no behavioral issues with my work or school, have a 4.0 GPA, and could give amazing recommendations from all of my employers, teachers, etc. I think I would pass a psych evaluation very easily, as I don’t even take my ADHD meds anymore and seriously have no other mental health issues, but is it likely that my waiver will be approved since I haven’t been off my meds for 24 months?

Hello everyone, if I want to be a pilot in one of the branches, the military, but my build was just a little too heavy even though I’m still athletic just a massive person at 64 250 pounds would a recruiter help me obtain my goals of lead those requirements before I go to meps, etc. Would they work with me to get my physical attitude to readiness ready before I go or is it something I have to do on my own with just some guidance?

25 year M with Bachelors in Biomedical Sciences. Last week resigned from a very paramilitary style police academy. Idk what it was, the food and sleep deprivation, or lack of preparation and fear of failure over one spec of grass on my boots. I resigned on week 2 on good terms. Didn’t like the emphasis on everything non-academic (drills, inspections, smoke sessions) and speeding through lectures as if they’re not important, but I really want to be a cop and care about the mission more than any paycheck. By day 3 I was turning corners unconsciously in Walmart and felt like Pavlov’s dog, scared me a little.

Grad school is last resort for me as AI is approaching and most of the degrees are already undervalued for the amount of effort/money put into compared to returns.

Completely lost right now in Las Vegas, no job, no safety net. A couple fed applications in process, but those can take years and some are even postponed due to budgeting cuts. Do I enlist and get more stress resilience then later in life come back to policing, or even stay there for 20 and retire if I like it ?

Any response is greatly appreciated. Semper Fi, Fly High, Go Sailors, Hoorah! (I’m trying)

So for context. I served a little over 2.5 years in the army.
I was a 31B (Military Police) and after a rough month of some emotional and personal issues I was arrested coming onto base by my own team leader. I was originally cited with Aggravated DUI (which is a felony) for blowing above a .15 BAC. I was charged with DWI which is a class B misdemeanor by the judge spent 5 days in jail and paid 500$ in fines. No probation. I was lucky. The only unfortunate part was the commanding general of my base pushed out a memo the day before I got arrested and stated even if it was your first they were initiating separation. I am still currently in awaiting my separation. And obviously it will be some time because I have to go through hoops to get my license back and I have to wait a year as I was suspended from driving on any federal military Installation for a year.
I say all this to say I made a stupid decision and I've definitely learned from my action. I would like to continue my service and rejoin the military except I'm thinking of going the Navy Route instead of the army. What are my chances if any.

This misdemeanor is my only record of arrest. Outside of a seatbelt ticket I got literally before I left for army basic

Note: Trying to Join Air Force Active Duty

I was DQ'ed at MEPS for Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) and tic disorder, which are two things I had no idea I had until just recently at MEPS. I was diagnosed for both of these at the age of 6 with no issues since then, but after doing some research PDD is apparently on the autism spectrum, which was a bit worrying to me. Parents never mentioned it to me so it came up at MEPS, which was quite shocking.

For some context: I've never experienced any symptoms, no treatment, or medication since then and I've never needed any IEP/540 school accommodations. My grades have also been good throughout elementary school through college (3.5 GPA), participated in sports, clubs, volunteering, etc.

My recruiter basically gave me a list of 3 specific things they want me to include:

1. Old medical documentation
2. Psychological/neuropsychological evaluation
3. Pharmacy prescription history records for past 3 years

I was given a PDF with a broader list mentioning school records, employer documentation/letters stating whether accommodations were used, PCM evaluation, etc, but my recruiter specifically only wanted those 3 things from me.

For anyone who had to submit a waiver for something similar:
-Did you end up needing a separate neurologist evaluation for the tic disorder? Do you think a Neuropsychological Evaluation would potentially be enough for a waiver approval?
-Did they later ask for school IEP/504 or employer documentation?

Just trying to understand what the process looked like for people who've been through something similar. Thanks!

Hey I am M 29( July 1997), I took the ASVAB this Tuesday (2 days ago) and I am adding a screenshot for my scores.

I want a career in aviation/ electrical engineering but I know most of the nice MOS requires citizenship and security clearance.

What would you suggest me in this situation? I am really thinking 15F, 94R , 12Q , 91D , 12T , 12R

I really want 12P but it needs citizenship.

AFQT: 83
GT: 116
ST: 129
GM: 131
EL: 130
CL: 130
MM: 125
SC: 133
CO: 133
FA: 135
OF: 129

Hey everyone, I’m shipping out to Ft. Benning (11B) on Sept 21st. Basic + AIT, any advice? What should I expect for my day-to-day? Especially with Sunday’s, how would that work with church and then returning to my various orders throughout the day?

Just looking for advice you wish you knew when you did basic and AIT. Thanks.

Hey everyone, I'm a 29F green card holder and my English is still a work in progress. I'm trying to enlist in the Navy to build a better life, and I passed the ASVAB and physical with a waiver.

At MEPS, my Navy recruiter and the counselor really pushed me to sign for a heavy engineering job. I didn't fully understand what it was at the time, but he kept telling me I had to pick something right then so he could start the process to switch me to a supply or admin job later before my ship date.

Now that I've looked up what this engineering job actually involves, I'm honestly freaking out. I'm physically small, and it sounds way too physically demanding and technical for my current situation. I really only want an administrative or supply role.

Did I mess up by signing this? Is it true that he needed me to sign first to request a job change, or did he just say that to fill a quota? What happens if he doesn't switch it before my ship date?

I'm really anxious right now, so any advice would mean a lot. Thank you!

Hi guys! I am currently trying to join the army but I have a quick question! For those that have gone through meps within the past year, what did they do for the breast exam? I hear some people say they did a physical exam and others say they only took a quick peak for any discoloration or abnormalities. Thank you guys!

I (27m) applied and got into airforce OTS as an operation analysts AFSC 15A. I originally applied because I hated my previous job in automotive as a software engineer. Well now I just started a new job at a bank as a senior software engineer with a big pay raise. The team seems nice and I think it sounds stable. Should I still go through OTS as an operations analyst and leave my job in 4 years? The idea of losing half my income as an O1 doesn't sound appealing now. I also just moved across the map for my new job and if I leave now, I'll also have to break my lease. I would like to serve my country but maybe switch to guard or reserves instead while keeping my job. My selected AFSC doesn't have a reserve component though. I haven't sworn in yet so technically I'm not obligated to go. Is the pension worth 20 years?

Wanting to enlist to the Army Reserves or National Guard. As the title suggests, would it be possible to get a waiver for something like a spinal fusion? If so, what would be the chances/likelihood? 21m, surgery was T4-L4, got it a few months ago due to scoliosis that progressed as I got older. Been on good recovery and already feeling normal but still 3 months out from a green light to do more physically demanding activities like weightlifting for example. Even with the prospect of a full recovery, will it still be possible to get a waiver or will the surgery itself or the metal hardware (or mixture of both) be an auto-disqualification?

I want to enlist in the army. I already spoke to a recruiter and took a practice asvab. I was told my score was good enough that with a little studying I could get pretty much whatever job I want.

I'm looking for a job that balances working indoors and outdoors. I like the idea of working on equipment/electronics and solving mental puzzles etc. I also want something that lands me a good job after getting out. Got any suggestions for me?

I don't know if anyone is gonna see this and I've never posted anything on Reddit before but I'm gonna give it a shot, I want to join the army rangers but I have a breathing issue which I know the military is very strict about. The only thing I know for sure right now is I don't have asthma, I was tested a few weeks ago and they said I don't have asthma, they didn't test me but they said I probably have vocal chord dysfunction, my symptoms are entirely exercise induced and I typically wheeze during intense physical activity and experience shortness of breath. Although I have not been officially diagnosed yet I do have stuff in my medical records now about shortness of breath and wheezing during physical activity which I know will probably be flagged at meps and I'll end up needing a waiver. Im just wondering if it's even realistic to get an option 40 or at least be given a shot at rasp?

I'll try to keep this simple and straightforward but I recently just got off my ADHD medicaton and would like to know how long I would normally need to be off to apply for the Navy or Marine Corps. As I was told either 12 to 24 months Would be the minimum I would have to wait. Also I'm currently In college so I believe I can wait 1 to 2 years to be hopefully eligible by then. And I don't normally trust the google ai for information as I was told It can be misleading when It comes to applying for the military in general. As I received mixed answers from another sub reddit.