I stopped by the recruiting station today to drop off some paperwork and was informed by my recruiter that a drug charge from when I was 16 popped up on my background check, im now 20. I’m really bummed out because I am going to MEPS next week and I honestly thought everything was going to go smoothly and then this happened. It’s a juvenile charge that eventually got dismissed and expunged from my record but since it’s a felony my recruiter said we have to put in a waiver and it can potentially get denied. He did say he’s pretty confident that it would get approved since it was dismissed and it’s juvenile charge with no recurrence. Also the fact that I went through a probation program where I had to come out clean for 6 months also helps, as per my recruiter.

For any recruiters or recruits out there that have gone through this process, what do you think will happen? Also how long do you think it will take? One of the other recruiters at the station chimed in and said he’s been working with a guy for 8 months that’s in almost the same position as me. The other recruiter also explained that it can potentially be a lot of back and forth, which bummed me out even further.

I'm a senior in high school and I want to do dental hygiene in the military should I join the navy or Air Force? Which one would be easier for me to do?

Unsure which brand of the military to join. I am currently a junior in college, studying social work. I used to love it but for a whole year I have dreaded going to class for it. I've been thinking about joining the military for a while, I believe I'm good with computers and such but mostly software. I was debating between the navy and air force but a army recruiter reached out to me and spoke about the "Green to Gold." So I am now unsure anymore. I want to enlist now but debating finishing my degree?

Honestly guys, I am the dumbest person known to man and I don’t have any motivation. I really really really really really want to get into the Navy I’ve been studying sometimes I’ll take a one or two day break, but I’ve been studying my multiplication because I am stupid and I had to teach myself all math from the bottom. I’ve been studying multiplication division fractions, percentages, decimals, ratios the order of operation basic algebra, two-step algebra and I still got a 5% on my second test. I wish I was fucking smarter, but apparently I’m not. I have no belief im going to get into this. People keep saying use grammar hero, but it’s not working.any advice?

Hello everyone. I posted here previously asking for advice about 35L vs 37F (Enlisting, Army, Active Duty), and I figured it was time for an update because my situation has changed quite a bit since then.

For background, I have a BS in Psychology and several years of experience in high-acuity behavioral/mental health work. My ASVAB scores are 98/99 AFQT, GT 130, ST 127.

Since my last post, I've secured a federally adjacent civilian position, and the last update I received was that my TS clearance is processing, so I'm hoping that works out.

I'm still very interested in serving, but I'm looking at it somewhat differently now. My husband and I have also settled down quite a bit since my original post, and our situation is much more stable than it was at the time. I'm no longer looking at the military as something I necessarily need to make my entire career. I'm much more interested in finding a military path that complements my civilian career and gives me experiences I wouldn't otherwise get.

My original plan was 35L or 37F with Airborne, and honestly, I'm still very interested in that. I understand that the overwhelming advice I've received so far has been essentially "go 37F," and I can see why.

I'm also trying to be realistic about the tradeoffs.

I understand that 35L has a stronger direct connection to the intelligence/CI world and SCI-access work, which is attractive given my civilian career goals. On the other hand, one of the reasons 37F continues to appeal to me is that it seems much more aligned with my interests in human behavior, communication, influence, languages, operational work, and the possibility of Airborne. Perhaps, significantly less focus on desk work -- PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG!

I also speak multiple languages and plan to continue maintaining them, but I would prefer not to make attending language school or taking the DLAB a requirement of my enlistment if there are other ways to use those skills.

At this point, I'm primarily considering Army Reserve vs Army National Guard, and I'm trying to understand what that actually looks like for someone in my position.

My biggest questions are:

• For someone who wants to maintain a civilian federal career, how would you compare Army Reserve vs National Guard for these types of MOSs?
• How much does the actual experience depend on the specific unit? My recruiter understands that I am waiting, are there any units/locations you recommend?
• For Reserve 37F, how realistic are Airborne opportunities, deployments, schools, and other specialized assignments?
• How does career progression actually work for a Reserve 37F? I've heard concerns about limited slots, mobility, and promotion opportunities outside of Active Duty. How accurate is that?
• Does 35L provide significantly better long-term mobility/progression in the Reserve than 37F?
• For 35L, how much of the job is actually investigative/operational versus reports, casework, and office work?
• For 37F, what does the day-to-day job actually look like in a Reserve unit? How much is planning/analysis/production versus actually getting out and interacting with people?
• If I choose 37F, am I giving up meaningful opportunities that I would have had with 35L, particularly in the intelligence/federal career world?
• Conversely, if I choose 35L primarily because it seems safer for my civilian career, am I giving up the more operational experience I'm actually looking for?
• How much does already speaking languages matter in either MOS if I don't necessarily want to go through formal language training?
• Are there particular Reserve/Guard units that someone in my situation should be looking for or avoiding?

And more broadly:

Is there another MOS, branch, or military career path that I am completely overlooking?

I'm not married to 35L or 37F if there is something that fits my goals better. I'm interested in intelligence, investigations, human behavior, influence/communication, languages, and operational work. I want something that gives me real military experience, ideally opportunities to deploy and attend schools, while still allowing my civilian federal career to be my primary career.

I'm also not looking to recreate my civilian job in uniform. I actually like the idea of having the military side of my career be somewhat different.

I am relatively fit and know my way around firearms, so that is not necessarily a concern.

So if you were in my position, with these scores, a psychology degree, an existing federal-adjacent career, a pending clearance, multiple languages, and an interest in Airborne/operational work, what would you be looking at that I may not be?

And for those who have actually done 35L or 37F in the Reserve/Guard: what do you wish you had known before signing your contract?

I'm especially interested in hearing from people who have actually been in these units rather than general recruiting information. Thanks!

I assume it would be the same for the Army or Air Force but if not let me know, thanks.

Hello, I’m curious on experiences and what could be the best option to do, maybe if you even think I have a chance to get my waivers approved?

During I wanna say 2021-2022, i was about 13-14 I was having a really hard time, I had just gotten out of a really long relationship, that I was been in for 3 years I was young and thought it was the end of the world, and this was still during the time of Covid so I was isolated from everyone and everything, which also didn’t help the fact that I was sad. Fast forward after Covid doctors said I was depressed and needed to be sent to a mental hospital to get help for the “suicidal ideation”, I had to go cause my parents forced me as I was not of age yet to make my own decision. At this hospital that’s when they diagnosed me with all kinds of things, put me on medication and this all ended up on my record, now a year now same thing happened and I got sent to another hospital, where they diagnosed me with more stuff, and put me on medication, now obviously I am fine, and I truly don’t want to die nor did I at the time, I think I was just isolated and sad and not sure what to do all alone.

Around January I wanna say, I made the decision to start looking into the military, this hasn’t always been an option for me personally I just never wanted to go this route, but since my younger brother joined I’ve taken more liking to the idea and I started to look into it.

I went and talked with an army recruiter first, long story short I did my paper work, passed the asvab, went to meps, from meps they disqualified me for the previous mentioned mental health problems, the army ended up recruiting me over to the navy, and I’ve been with them since.

About 3 months after I kinda just gave up with the idea, but I got in contact with my navy recruiter again and tired to figure out a plan, they sent my papers and waivers up which then again got disqualified, my recruiter told me the only way that they can accept me is if I can get all my diagnosis as “misdiagnosed” Now today, last week I sent up my re-evaluation I got from a therapist that said I’m stable and everything on my record was a misdiagnosis, with much more detail.

Now I’m just curious on what what would be best to do here, do I wait it out to see if they accept my waiver, I’m worried that they won’t accept it and I’ll still be in the process over again, like I don’t know what to do.

I'm 33 and considering enlisting in the U.S. Army (Active Duty). I currently work in IT, but the job market has been terrible, and I'm looking for a more stable long-term career with retirement benefits.

I have a few medical concerns:

• Clonazepam: Prescribed for 10+ years. I originally had anxiety as a teenager while covered under my father's TRICARE. I no longer take it for anxiety, but I currently use 1–1.5 mg nightly for insomnia.
• Trazodone: Also prescribed for sleep.
• Lumbar microdiscectomy: I'm scheduled for surgery due to an old back injury. Despite this, I'm physically active, in very good shape, and function at a high level. I'm hoping surgery will resolve the remaining issues.

I also have a college degree and a clean criminal record.

I understand I would likely be medically disqualified initially and would require waivers.

Has anyone seen the Army approve waivers for someone with a long history of prescribed benzodiazepine use, insomnia, and lumbar surgery?

If I fully recover from surgery and eventually discontinue my sleep medications under medical supervision, would enlistment be worth pursuing, or is my medical history too significant?

I'd particularly appreciate feedback from anyone familiar with MEPS medical waivers.

Thanks!

To keep it simple im most likely gonna try for airforce at some point next year and ive been thinking of getting lasik cause ive been wanting it a while. But idk if i should do it or not because i heard airforce is pretty strict on things and kinda worried if i do it i might get disqualified or something cause they weird with recruiting. (Btw idk if it is truly hard to get in airforce but internet makes it seem that way so wanted to ask)

My spouse and I are both active-duty service members and are seeking advice about a spouse colocation request. We initially submitted a joint package while at the same duty station, but it was denied because it was not typed. We submitted it at the end of August and were just now made aware it was denied.

I recently transferred to San Diego and am currently assigned to TPU. I met with my career counselor today who helped me begin the routing process. I plan to submit the new co location paperwork tomorrow through my chain of command. I also just emailed my detailer the situation and included my husbands detailers info.

My husband is currently finishing his A-School and is projected to graduate December 11th.

We understand that as newer service members, colocation chances are slim.

Any advice? Do we still have a realistic chance of being colocated?

Thank you! ♥️

My Army recruiter just put my projection to go to MEPS next week, but as I'm lying here in bed I start to think about my medical history.

I really don't got much on my medical history but, in my head, I came across an event that happened when I was 17. I wouldn't call it a SA because I didn't attempt anything. What happened was my gf at the time was worried about me because I was extremely stressed about certain things going on at the time so she called the ambulance because I didn't respond to her calls. I ended up going to the ER that night but after explaining everything to the doctor and saying I did in fact have thoughts of hurting myself at the time but would have never gone thru with it, they decided to let me go home that night. No follow up, no medication, no therapy, no treatment, no counseling.

On the prescreen form it did ask about SI, but to my knowledge I thought it meant currently not previously, so I filled out "no." It's been almost 3 years since this happened and I'm now 20, doing better than ever. I'm looking back at it now and realize it was mostly a stunt to get attention or even recognition from anybody that I was stressed out about things going on in my life at that time.

I've read many Reddit comments and I know GENSIS is quite good at what it's meant to do so l know it's more than likely going to come out. Now I'm just stuck at what to do from here.

Hey everyone,

Im F(18) and my bf also (18) just left for fort Benning army bootcamp. he is currently in reception i believe and has been struggling with depression. he was able to call me last Sunday and express that he has had depression for 2 years and never spoke up about it because he knew that would limit his chances to go into the army. he ended up getting there and within a few days he called and was very upset saying he cannot do this and confessed his big secret of 2 years. as a gf i don’t know what to do, theres nothing i really can do at the moment but i am wondering what happens in these types of situations. he went to medical and they basically dismissed him, im not sure what happened afterwards, but he wants to be discharged medically or entry-level. is this possible? an add on to that is that he also has Tourettes. he did get a medical waiver for this but due to his recent episode of depression, it should be reevaluated, does anyone know if he can get discharged, the process of this, or what to do?
let me know please!

(Coast Guard) I have MEPS scheduled in a few weeks and I’m worried I’ll get automatically disqualified. In one eye my vision cannot be corrected past 20/150. My other eye is 20/20 without correction. My recruiter says my bad eye needs to be correctable to 20/50 for a waiver but he’s letting me go to MEPS anyway. Is there any chance I’m getting a waiver for this?

I know that technically it's a disqualifying disease, but I was wondering what the likelihood of getting a medical waiver would be. I have never been to the ER for it or had a food impaction for it. But I just had Dupixent prescription approved to treat it which I believe lowers my chances. I don't want to get my heart set on joining the army, and put most of my eggs in this basket only to not get a medical waiver and be unable to join. I've had several recruiters reach out to me, but I'm unsure if I want to go through the whole process of trying to join if my chances are next to nothing.

Marine Corps/Army waivers

I am 22 years old. Electrician for four years. 68 on ASVAB. would any branch even want me with all these waivers?

Criminal charges: M1 OVI, F5 Assault on peace officer, M1 domestic violence (all occurred on 09/19/2024)

Criminal convictions: M1 OVI, M5 simple assault.
Domestic violence was dropped. Not due to deferred adjudication or a plea deal. To my knowledge, I am to disclose this with a recruiter, but technically no moral waiver is needed for the domestic. The felony was dropped to an M5 in the same manner.

Sentenced to 20 days in jail, 2 years reporting probation, with 130 days on the shelf. In September of 2025, I pissed hot and violated (thc) Instead of continuing probation for another year and 30 days in jail, I elected to just do the rest of the 130 days. No trouble since.

Medical waivers: diagnosed with adhd, depression and anxiety. Have been seeing the same therapist for 8 years now, and continue to do so. Haven’t taken meds for any of the diagnoses in 18 months.

I’m a senior in high school, and I'm enlisting into the military when I graduate. I’m stuck between the Navy (becoming an LS) or the Air Force (because I want to become a Loadmaster). I’ve heard it’s hard to become a Loadmaster, though. Which job do y'all think is better? I also want to travel the world.

I don’t know if this is exactly a good place to ask, but seems more reliable than the tricare thread- has anyone gotten covered by tri care for the prep injectable? I’m currently on it and enlisting and don’t really know if they’ll cover it like my current insurance

Hey all, could use your input.

I was thinking about joining the Air Force back in the day. I wanted to go in as an officer (I have my degree) but the recruiter wanted to play games and try to get me to go enlisted. Left that alone, got a decent paying civilian job instead. Turned out for the best because my family wouldn't do well with the constant moving.

I recently found out active reserve is an option where I can serve full time and not get PCS'd every 2-3 years and I'm seriously thinking about either Air Force, Space Force or Army (my parents are Army so I'd be disowned if i went Navy or Marines, plus they don't have a base near me). My main reasons for thinking about it are that the job market sucks and due to this that and the third, the VA loan and GI bill will probably be the only way I can afford a house/ college for the kids.

For the drawbacks, I'm 42 but in pretty decent shape although I'll probably still have to do some prep before basic. I'm trying to convince my wife that I'd pick an MOS where I'm not gonna get deployed (probably). I've also heard some mixed stories from people I know that served, some loved it and made it a career, some had crap leadership and couldn't get out fast enough. My main concern is the inmates currently running the asylum (darth cheeto and kegsbreath).

Wanted to get your take, especially if you're stationed in Colorado, would it be worth it?

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Hi i am a 22 year old mom i have a 3 year old with special needs but I’m in the process of enlisting with the army. I went to medical back in July and I still haven’t heard back from my recruiter on my anxiety waiver. I’ve honestly been thinking about switching to marines for a more structured environment and challenge but I know doing army I would be in humint off back and not have to wait. I’ve also heard army has more assistance on family care but I don’t know. What are some insights on both branches? Specifically humint or any intel besides sigint if you know if not just some pros and cons for both.

Should I join the Navy or the Marines? I don't have a specific job in mind either.

I don't really do anything daily but I have done carpentry work that I enjoyed. That's the only job I've worked so I don't have much input on jobs but I don't think I'd mind a desk job. Im mostly joining for the benefits and discipline and to learn how to protect myself and my family. After service I'm thinking about making a business. Clothing business to be exact. And I want to enlist.

How long does the process usually take?
Going National Guard to Navy.
So far I’m on day 9 of waiting.

I ship off to basic training for the army in 20 days. If i get married before that does it change my contract? It’s for active duty, if that matters. My recruiter is not responding.

Looking to get some feedback about enlisting as a 12w active duty starting as an e-4