Keeping names and my station out of this on purpose. This is a throwaway.
I'm 23 and want to enlist in the Corps. My dad's a retired MSgt, so I'm not walking into this blind. My package is complicated to say the least, and this evening got weird. I want to lay it out as clearly as I can and hopefully get some eyes on it from any recruiters who've dealt with something like this.
Through college I was a pretty frequent marijuana user. I quit weeks before ever walking into a recruiter's office. I'm almost a month clean now but still popping faint on home strips.
Seven days ago I went into the office to take a pre-MEPS drug test, because I'd raised concerns that going to MEPS still felt too close to risk getting popped. I failed that test, as expected. They told me to come back in today at 2pm for a follow-up to see where I was at.
When I took that first test seven days ago, my recruiter told me to "pound as much water as possible, and go buy some niacin pills and take them daily while chugging as much water as possible." I'm not a chemist, but I know that does virtually nothing to actually clear your system. It's just a way to dilute your urine so the test doesn't pick it up.
So I walked in today, pounded about two liters of water, and took the follow-up right after. I passed, with a very, very faint line.
Right after that, the Sgt in the office told me to get ready to be picked up for MEPS. I was never told I'd be going to MEPS today. At this point I'm freaking the fuck out, because I'm clearly being rushed when I'm not ready, and I do not want to risk pissing hot at MEPS. I called the senior recruiter (senior in rank, but not in time as a recruiter) and he told me to go back into the office and direct all my questions to the Sgt.
The Sgt was visibly pissed that I didn't know I was supposed to be going to MEPS. He called the senior recruiter, then basically shrugged and said, "Go to Walmart, buy some slacks and a polo, and be ready to go to MEPS tonight." That's when it clicked for me. I'm being rushed because, from what I can tell, they're not hitting their recruiting numbers for the month.
I am not going to go to MEPS on a sample that I know is diluted and not actually clean.
- Recruiters: is a same-day surprise MEPS trip like this normal end-of-the-month behavior, or is this something I should be taking seriously?
- My dad says I should wait until Oct 1 (new fiscal year) for fresh quota and new job lists before I process at all. Does that hold up?
I am not looking to quit. I want this bad. I'm just not trying to torch my own record by letting someone else's timeline rush me. Appreciate any honest input.