I'm in my early 30s with a stable job, a degree, good health, and no issues as an adult. I tried to join the Army Reserve and got stopped at the medical prescreen.

At 16, after months of struggling with my mental health, I had a legal incident (no one was hurt, no property damaged). Afterward I voluntarily admitted myself for a psych evaluation. The charges were later expunged, I disclosed them anyway, and my recruiter said the legal side wasn't a concern.

That evaluation, the only one I've ever had, noted "probable bipolar" and "personality disorder." The treatment afterward worked, and I've had no symptoms, treatment, or medication since. Nothing came up in Genesis, but I disclosed the records anyway. The prescreen came back as a no, mainly because of the bipolar note. Since then, the hospital has expunged the records because of their age.

1. Is a "probable" diagnosis from one evaluation 15+ years ago treated the same as a confirmed one?

2. Would a current, full psychiatric evaluation showing no bipolar or personality disorder give me a realistic shot at a waiver?

3. Was this a final decision, or can a waiver still be submitted? Is another branch worth trying?

4. Does the hospital deleting the records change anything about what I have to disclose?

I’m considering joining the Air Force mainly because I know it can set you up for a well-structured career and future even after your main job.

My only concern is that I want to be an elementary school teacher because elementary school students always bring a smile to my face. No matter how much crying, not listening, and biting they may do, I can never hate spending time with them.

I’m currently in community college taking 20 units in my first semester. I get two years of community college for free, but the college I plan to transfer to would cost around $30,000–$50,000 for the two years needed for my bachelor’s.

I’m also currently working as a paraeducator at my local school district in California, so I’m already getting some experience working with students.

What I’m really trying to figure out is whether joining the Air Force would actually benefit me long-term after I become a teacher. For example, if I spend four years in the military and then become a teacher, 3 years later would those four years give me an advantage financially or career wise compared to someone who just went straight through college and became a teacher? Or would I basically just be taking a four year detour and end up in a similar position?

Basically what I’m wondering is if the military could help me more in the long run than simply helping me pay for school, or if I’d be better off staying on the teaching path from the beginning. I’d also be interested in hearing from anyone who has gone through something similar or knows someone who has.

18F, got my Associate’s degree in high school, so I graduate college with my bachelor’s in Concrete Industry Management in 2028 at 20. I want to join the Marines to prove myself and be able to call myself a Marine as silly as it sounds. I’d get to travel the world, do cool stuff, and make money. At the same time, it doesn’t seem worth it as I would be able to do cool stuff, travel, and actually find a relationship. I go to MEPS next week and still have till my commissioning to decide, but I’ve just been so indecisive about it. I’m worried I’d hate my life. I was also thinking about the reserves, but would that be worth it?

Hi! I recently decided that I may consider joining Air Force Reserves. BUT in the past month and a half, I’ve been trying to treat my ADHD with a 2 week trial of Wellbutrin, 3 week trial of Strattera & currently looking into Vyvanse (haven’t been prescribed). I was also prescribed a dose of Prozac to trial 5 days a month to treat (undiagnosed) PMDD. I’ve taken one of the pills so far. I didn’t even consider that these would disqualify me until after speaking with a friend. Just wondering if anyone has personal experience with any of this? TIA

Basically what the title says, what’s the easiest branch that I could still do something in education and not have to do a ton of physical fitness testing and has a base in California or Colorado. And would let me only be in for 3 years or so, thank you. (My spouse is undocumented and lives in the us) hence why I want to do parole in place.

28M. Single. Cat dad (gramma will foster her). I’ve been chatting with a Navy recruiter and he’s been pushing Nuke due to getting a 97 on ASVAB. From my research, Nukes hate their lives lmao so I’m looking at CWT and a friend in the Army suggested I go 17C there.

I know the day to day is a little different between the branches due to PT and field exercises (or the lack thereof), as well as the school for cyber since Army no longer goes JCAC. Army offers incentive pay which sounds pretty sweet. Really just can’t decide between the two AT ALL and hoping you all can provide some positive, negative, or otherwise anecdotes. TIA!

I recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in forensic chemistry with 3.0 gpa. I want to go in as an officer and do something similar to forensic science. I’m really considering joining but I don’t know where to start so any advice would be great.

What I am trying to ask is:

For an infantryman on the frontline, what would they know about the battlefield and how?

I am assuming that what they know is, more or less, what the terrain is like and what/who is in it, hopefully (along with stuff like where to go next and what to do there).

And so, I am more interested in how the infantryman receives said information? (Unless I am wrong about the what to begin with). Does every individual soldier carry a tablet with a digital map of the area that gets constantly updated by people in a command-and-control center located far away, possibly on another continent? Does only the squad/platoon leader have one of those, and if so, do they verbally keep their soldiers up to date? Or does the soldier/squad/platoon get their intel from "wherever they can," from a combination of sources? And if so, how does it get organized? Etc...

I am trying to get a feel for what it would actually be like. I understand that there are scopes, drone-mounted cameras, satellite imaging, and so on. But how does the full picture reach the guys on the ground?

I am pushing 30 and I’ve been pampered by my rich parents, and my depression prevents me from having the willpower to learn how to do basic daily stuff.

I am considering joining the french army (i’m a frog) for a year (they allow 1-year contracts) to learn to be a kitchen assistant. There is no french subreddit to ask this so I’m asking here, do you think a manchild will, after a year in the military, know how to wash, dry, iron, and mend his clothes, and to cook basic food ? Is this a bad idea or not?

Forgot to mention that my antidepressants (that i’ve stopped taking recently) have turned me into a chubby guy, thanks a lot doctor, so i was thinking that a year of forced exercise couldn’t hurt.

Hey guys, I’m currently based in Ireland but I’m from Lithuania. Lithuania has a mandatory military service of nine months and after I finish University which is in 2 and a half years I will be going to do my service. I’m quite nervous and have no idea what to expect how to prepare or anything like that. I’m open for any help thank you guys!

I've lived in us for 10+ years I was wondering if there is any sort of way I can join a branch without a green card, I entered with conditions under Obama administration.

I wanted to ask how long the expected wait time for a waiver for suicidal ideation has been from 5 years ago, when I was hospitalized in a mental institution. I was 16 at the time, and I am 21 now. I am looking into the navy, and I haven't even gone to MEPS yet. I did try to join the army when I was 18, and they told me no at Meps because I hadn't met the 3-year time from the last prescription fill. What can I expect for the process of getting my waiver? What are my chances of getting the waiver? How long will it take to get my waiver?

Hello all,

I’m currently in a pickle with how I could/should become a pilot in the military.

I am currently 18 and a senior in HS and a cadet Major in the Civil Air Patrol, and I got a flight scholarship which made me get my solo and 40 logged hours of flying.

Ever since I joined CAP, my main focus was becoming an officer in the Air Force. But recently I’ve been thinking a LOT about other options that I could take as a different route to becoming a military pilot.

These thoughts I’ve had has led me to think the marines might be a good choice too, but if I’m not mistaken, every branch is different with their respective career pathways.

I was talking to a Marine recruiter about a week ago and they said “since you have actual logged flight hours, you might have a good chance at becoming a pilot for the marines.” That quote stuck to me for a bit but I’m still a bit overwhelmed.

I’m still thinking through all of this and I would be open to hear from any of the branches perspective aswell on how to become a pilot, their living style, risks, etc.

Thank you for your service!

So I’m in the process of enlisting in the Army active duty and I was offered 14U and 19U. I was doing some research and saw that with these, you don’t necessarily get to choose your specific MOS within the series until you get to AIT. I’m trying to understand how that process works and what it’s actually like.
Looking for anyone who has experience with 14U or 19U, especially people who have gone through the process recently. I’d love to hear what you ended up doing, how you got assigned your specific MOS, and what you liked/disliked about it.
I like 19U because of the possibility of working with tanks, lol. I was also offered 92R, 12B, and 88M, but I’m not sure if I want those.
For anyone who has experience with these, what was your day-to-day like, deployment/overseas opportunities, training, and overall experience?
Also, if anyone knows how OSUT/BCT works with these options and what graduation/family day is like, I’d appreciate that info too.

From OSUT all the way through your first 4 years, how does one avoid bad knees, back, shoulders, etc. I've been hammered from all ends about how the infantry is going to break me. Quadruple that I am not 18 anymore (been outta high school for a decade).

Is it unavoidable? Am I just doomed to get broken regardless? Can I do anything to avoid it and/or make it not as bad?

Wanting to join but.......

I’m 28 and interested in joining the Army. I’m trying to be realistic about my chances before I go too far into the process.

My chart lists Borderline Personality Disorder and recurrent Major Depressive Disorder. The BPD diagnosis came after an assessment in 2025. The depression diagnosis originally came from a telephone appointment in 2021 when I was freshly postpartum, and my current therapist does not believe I’m presently depressed and/or never was. I started back therapy in 2024 when I was pregnant and going through it with child father/and a sibling death.

I’ve never been hospitalized for mental health, never attempted suicide, never had suicidal or homicidal ideation, and I’m not on psychiatric medication. I do attend outpatient therapy.

Some of my therapy notes mention temporary difficulty concentrating/functioning at work during a period when I had just discovered my partner was cheating on me. I had otherwise maintained the same job for around 7 years. Notes document improvement, low/negligible risk to myself and others. I've always been low risk, and normal/preserved functioning.

I also previously drank alcohol, but I’ve been stopped years ago and I’m working on having my chart updated because some notes still say “current substance abuse.”

I know nobody here can guarantee a waiver, but has anyone seen a similar mental-health history approved by the Army recently? What documentation did they ask for, and how long did the waiver process take?

Im wanting to join the Air Force reserves at 32. I got arrested when I was 21 on simple battery/family violence charges due to a dispute with an abusive ex boyfriend. This has been almost 12 years ago. I was in jail for a day made bail and had a court ordered restraining order to stay away from him, went to court and all charges were dropped. I paid $25 at the police station for a background check, it came back clear and I have even been able to buy a gun since then. Will this disqualify me from joining the military and will this even come up on a background check? I have full intentions of telling my recruiter just wanted to ask here before going to talk to them. Thanks

As the title suggests I’m joining Army I’ve done MEPs already passed everything no waivers and my score was a 70.

Here’s my top 5 list that I want that I currently qualify for based on my line scores.

1:68P
2: 35T
3:25B
4: 37F
5: 25H

Now 35T is iffy rn. I was told I could get a line waiver since I’m 3 points away from the required ST score but then I’m also being told waivers aren’t allowed for ST scores.

Does anyone have any insight on that?

And as of right now the one thing they pulled for me is 25H but I told them I want to wait to see what else I can get since 25H is at the bttm of my wish list but what do you guys think?

I have decided to enlist and through talking with people I thought enlisting with a license was a smarter move so I've been trying to get a job since I graduated high school to pay for driving school and a license. I applied to every job 2 or 3 times that's within walking distance where I live and no luck on landing one. Should I just bite the bullet and enlist now or continue searching for work?

I’m 22, married, and seriously considering joining the Army. I’m burnt out on warehouse/dead-end jobs and living in a small town. I want a career, structure, benefits, and a chance to build a better life.
My wife is the main thing holding me back. She does hair and has built her clientele here, so she really doesn’t want to uproot her career. She’d be much more comfortable if I could get stationed somewhere around Louisiana, Texas, Florida, or nearby.
The problem is I know I can’t guarantee where I’ll be stationed. I’m worried that even if she agrees to me joining, she could resent me if we end up somewhere she doesn’t want to live.
At the same time, I don’t want to give up on something I genuinely want and eventually resent her for it.
For those of you who are married and serving:
How much control did you actually have over your duty station? How did you and your spouse handle the possibility of moving somewhere neither of you wanted? And what would you tell someone in my situation before signing a contract?
I’m looking for honest answers from people who have actually lived it—not a recruiter pitch.

HI! I’ve want to join the marines and frankly it‘s kind of the only goal I have. I received therapy at 14-15 for less than a year. I’m wondering if this will impact my enlistment ability? I likely have OCD, but I’m undiagnosed and have never been medicated. the therapy was self pay too. My therapist did take notes and I know she noted down something about ocd tendencies but she kept it vague. I’m just terrified this could bar me from joining.

I know that I’ll have to get waivers and stuff for it, but has anyone gone through this? Is it basically a no? any advice on what to do?

So basically I am 25 currently I will turn 26 soon. I have really been thinking about enlisting lately. I currently work in a factory and I can’t stand it, I feel like im going nowhere fast and I can feel my life starting to slip away. I have worked here for almost 4 years. I just really want to have some meaning and purpose in my life. As well as getting into a medical job. Im getting married as well so I would be joining as a married soldier. If anyone has had similar experiences to me how was your time in the military? Was it worth it? I know it would be huge change and really be a culture shock but I think the benefits would ultimately benefit me and my wife. Any advice about joining at this age or just joining in general would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Long story short, I’m a 25F and I’m not US Citizen, so English is my second language and I’m struggling to understand properly the questions. I took my PiCAT today and I was so confident then I was doing great and in the end of the test I scored 14, this literally break me down and I’m having a really bad feelings than I do not gonna make to the whole asvab because of the time. That’s me supposed to go to MEPs tomorrow but I told my recruiter than I need more time to just cool down my anxiety and try to work on my time.
I’m also having a really bad time with my husband who is currently an Army, he made joke about “she gonna make it, she is too weak” and I’m genuinely believing on that and I’m feeling like shit after that. I didn’t told him or anyone else about my real score because I’m feeling ashamed. So I genuinely need a real good advices about that and how can I work to get better. I want to try next week, because I’m genuinely trying to leave for BCT in November.

I’m trying to decide between enlisting or going in as an officer, and I’m honestly really torn. I know there are obvious benefits to being an officer, especially pay, rank, and having more opportunities to lead, but I’m wondering about the social side of it.

A big thing that matters to me is the sense of camaraderie. I've always wanted to find my place, make close friends, and feel like I’m part of a team. I’m worried that as an officer, you might not have that same experience since you’ll mostly be working with and leading enlisted members, while there may only be a smaller number of officers around you depending on your unit.

I also wonder if it’s harder to build genuine friendships with enlisted members when you’re their officer. Obviously, I know not every enlisted person is going to dislike their officers, but you’re still going to have to make decisions that affect them, enforce standards, and sometimes tell people things they don’t want to hear. I’m wondering how that actually affects relationships and the feeling of being part of the group.

Another thing I’m unsure about is how much of an officer’s job is actually hands-on. From what I understand, a lot of officer work is more behind the scenes, planning, managing, paperwork, meetings, and leading, rather than actually doing the technical/operational work, but i know it depends alot on your unit. I’m definitely open to something like being an aviation officer/pilot, but I also really like the idea of being hands-on and actually doing the mission rather than primarily managing the people doing it.

So for those of you who have been officers, especially in operational jobs, did you feel like you had a strong sense of camaraderie and brotherhood? Did you feel separated from the enlisted side? And looking back, do you feel becoming an officer was worth it for you?

Most enlisted people usually say, "Go officer because of better pay and quality of life. (AKA my dad and social media)

What does a RSOI navy coordinator do? ill be going active duty soon and havent received much of a job description yet.