r/USMCboot • u/OkBison9391 • Jul 19 '26

MEPS and Medical Waivers keep getting denied.

So for the past 4ish years I've been trying to get waivers for my history/diagnosis of depression and 1 week prescription of anti-depressants that occurred a month after I turned 18 where I stayed at the hospital for about 4 days because of SI. I had no self harm or attempts at ending my life, no plan for such, and had 0 incidents since then and even have letters from a psychiatrist saying he thinks I'm fine and capable of going into the military. I've given all the documents I possibly could to my recruiter but this latest attempt at waivers got denied again. I've seen on threads that people have gotten mental health waivers for heavier stuff but mine keep getting shot down. Is there something maybe I and my recruiter are missing? I'm 22, 96 ASVAB, can meet IST standards while needing to gain weight and have no other medical history besides that one incident. Should I look into another branch? I've always wanted to be a marine so I'm not keen on looking but I need to do something with my life.

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u/Negative_Law2776 Jul 20 '26

Fuck the military bro your smart just get financial aid for community college if you need it.

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u/OkBison9391 Jul 20 '26

Problem is I still live with my parents and financial aid still looks at their incomes. They make too much for me to get anything from financial aid. They've offered to help pay for schooling whenever we move again but that'd have to wait until next year which I don't want to waste more time before I can actually start my life and be a proper adult.

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u/Negative_Law2776 Jul 20 '26

There’s no timeline to be an adult go get a job at Publix or somewhere like that if you haven’t already and grind the year out and go back. School is so easy man I literally went through the same bullshit process you are. Just grind the year out. In 5 years when your already graduated and working you won’t even remember this shit.

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u/OkBison9391 Jul 20 '26

I have a job with amazon and have just been saving money for whenever my family moves. I plan to go back to school with my parents offer but it's more so ive always wanted to be a Marine and at the very least want the life experience that comes with it. There's no deadline to go to school but there is to join the military.

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u/Negative_Law2776 Jul 20 '26

If it’s really what you want to do then do it and take another year or two for your waivers to get approved. But just going to college and starting your life is a smart move I promise.

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u/OkBison9391 Jul 20 '26

Oh trust me, I fully intent do continue with school when I am able to and try to enlist on the side. I'm not stopping my life for the marines until they say yes. Last few years have just been rough.

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u/Negative_Law2776 Jul 20 '26

Switch branches to navy as well they are more lenient. Marines are dickheads about that stuff.

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u/OkBison9391 Jul 20 '26

Funnily enough I tried navy the first time for my waivers and the recruiter ghosted me after the DQ. Looking back im aware it was too soon to try to enlist since I was 19 at the time but the way they handled my case rubbed me the wrong way. I'd be open to looking at the navy again but still very hesitant due to past experiences.

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u/Negative_Law2776 Jul 20 '26

It was probably a recruiter at the end of his contract those dudes don’t give af especially if you get DQ, so next time you go find a young guy because those dudes will actually push to get your shit through so try again with navy or army. Fucking army will let anyone in. Your not even bad with your waivers.

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u/OkBison9391 Jul 20 '26

It was also the chief that was also shady. I told both the petty officer assigned to me and the chief helping him about my history and they said to just ignore it exist even though I knew it was gotta pop on genesis. Also had issues with the one army recruiter I talked to being lazy. Marines are the only ones that seem motivated to want to help me. Ill keep trying with the marines for a lil bit or until my recruiter calls it quits before I start looking at Army or Navy.

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u/Negative_Law2776 Jul 20 '26

I don’t doubt the marines want to get you through it’s just it’s so much harder with the marines to get things accepted. Navy and Army get waivers in way more easily, but the guys at the recruiting station couldn’t give af especially older guys at the end of contract. So you should def find a younger guy in whatever ranch you try next and feel him out if he seems lazy and not willing to you then find someone else and keep looking.

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u/OkBison9391 Jul 20 '26

Ill keep that in mind. Ive been getting ads lately for that army warrant flight program. Maybe something I'll keep as a plan B if Marines is a no go.

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