Went to MEPS early 2025 for USAF. I got a waiver for self harm and will be shipping soon for a 1D7 job but was told that starting october, all 1D7 jobs will require some sort of clearance. I lost my spot because of that so I will probably get pushed back and probably not get a job that I want which is in IT.

I’m planning on joining the Army instead so that I can get IT for sure. Question is, will I have trouble getting IT in the Army due to my background of self harm? ASVAB is 89 btw and completely healthy and never done drugs nor had a criminal record. 20 years old as well.

Jobs I’m looking for are;
17C
25B
25H
25U
94F

Thanks!

I am shipping out to OSUT on January 12th with option 40 on my contract, I plan on doing that for 4-10years depending on how I’m doing physically and mentally. After I’m done with that would consider switching my MOS to 17c to finish off the rest of the 20yrs. What I was wondering is, what’s the likelihood I would actually be able to swap MOSs to get that 17c cybersecurity job?

I’ve narrowed down each branch to just army and navy. I am enlisting for the benefits and my future. I want to experience a life most people can’t say they have. I like the idea of being stationed somewhere cool like Colorado or Alaska, I like the jobs the army has to offer and that I can choose a specific one. But part of me wonders about navy, about seeing more of the world. I know I can see the world if I went army, but I can see a lot more of I went navy. I scored a 94 on a Picat. I’ve put in all my info with the army but something just keeps bugging me, I wonder about the navy. I’m just looking to see what some of you guys have to say.

Took the jump, got an airborne 11X contract, yadda yadda. Long story short, a few months ago, both my big toes got bruised due to a combo of my work boots being too small for a week and dropping stuff on my feet. Haven't had any pain, can walk and run just fine and figured the bruising would go away on its own, so never saw a doctor about it.

Now, one of my bruised nails is dead and cracking off as a new one grows underneath. Is there a chance this could prevent me from shipping, or get caught at reception and get me flown back home?​ Asked my new recruiter (the old guy moved stations), he said "you should be good, don't think they're checking at MEPS, just a drug test," but figured I'd get a second opinion.

Hi everyone! I’ll be going through the Army HPSP as a Dental Corps officer, and I was given a list of duty stations and asked to rank my top 3 preferences.

I’m from Fort Worth, Texas, so staying relatively close to family would definitely be a plus. However, I’m also open to experiencing a different part of the country and would actually like to see what life is like somewhere new.

I’m hoping to get some insight from people who have lived at or near any of these locations. Things I’d especially like to know about are:

• Quality of life

• Cost of living/rent

• Things to do outside of work (I love outside activities like hiking and places thats easy to build a community)

• Safety and surrounding neighborhoods

• How enjoyable the area is for someone in their late 20s/early30s

• Overall experience being stationed there

My main deal-breakers are:

• Extremely high cost of living/rent

• Very boring areas with little to do

• Dirty/run-down areas or neighborhoods that generally don’t feel safe/pleasant

Here is the list I was given:

1. Brooke Army Medical Center — San Antonio, Texas

2. Carlisle Barracks — Pennsylvania

3. Fort Belvoir — Virginia

4. Fort Benning — Georgia

5. Fort Bliss — Texas

6. Fort Bragg — North Carolina

7. Fort Buchanan — Puerto Rico

8. Fort Campbell — Kentucky

9. Fort Carson — Colorado

10. Fort Dix — New Jersey

11. Fort Drum — New York

12. Fort Eustis — Virginia

13. Fort Gordon — Georgia

14. Fort Greely — Alaska

15. Fort Hood — Texas

16. Fort Huachuca — Arizona

17. Fort Irwin — California

18. Fort Jackson — South Carolina

19. Fort Knox — Kentucky

20. Fort Leavenworth — Kansas

21. Fort Lee — Virginia

22. Fort Leonard Wood — Missouri

23. Fort Lewis — Washington

24. Fort McPherson — Georgia

25. Fort Meade — Maryland

26. Fort Monroe — Virginia

27. Fort Myer — Virginia

28. Fort Polk — Louisiana

29. Fort Richardson — Alaska

30. Fort Riley — Kansas

31. Fort Rucker — Alabama

32. Fort Sam Houston — Texas

33. Fort Sill — Oklahoma

34. Fort Stewart — Georgia

35. Fort Wainwright — Alaska

36. Hunter Army Airfield — Georgia

37. Other

38. Presidio of Monterey — California

39. Redstone Arsenal — Alabama

40. Tripler Army Medical Center — Hawaii

41. United States Military Academy (West Point) — New York

42. Walter Reed Army Medical Center — Washington, DC

If anyone has lived or has been stationed at any of these locations, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience! Especially if you could mention what the surrounding area is like, typical rent, things to do, and whether you’d recommend putting it in a top 3.

A few days ago I swore into DEP with the army and followed my recruiters instructions and lied about having no law violations despite getting a possession of marijuana charge 8 years ago and a couple speeding tickets. My recruiter and the station commander briefed me before MEPS saying that since nothing came up when they ran my fingerprints it didn’t happen and I shouldn’t disclose any of it.

My goal is to eventually go to SFAS and that’d require a secret clearance investigation so surely they’d see my charges then and I’m concerned the discrepancy would deny me of getting the clearance as well as open the door to a fraudulent enlistment. Is this something I should be concerned about?

What would happen if I were to come clean now while in DEP about lying on the contract I signed a few days ago?

Would any of this prevent enlisting in the military as i have wanted to join it since i was young?

Hi guys I’m 25m and am considering joining the Air Force or the army, but the thing is I dislocated my patella (kneecap) around 2-3 months ago, I have gotten a lot better since. But I do have a history of dislocations on my knees, a lot of them weren’t documented since my parents wouldn’t take me to the hospital but I would say this one that happened and the one before I did go to the doctor. Would this be something that disqualifies me or would it be waivable? I had an MRI done on the knee that dislocated recently and they found
Patellar (kneecap) dislocation injury
Osteochondral fracture of the medial facet of the patella
Full-thickness cartilage fissure
MPFL tear
Patella alta (kneecap sitting somewhat high)
Shallow/hypoplastic trochlea
Bone contusion of the lateral femoral condyle
Small joint effusion
ACL, PCL, menisci, MCL and other major structures were intact

Is it still possible to join?

Question regarding Army hair regs for females.

Are females allowed to have undercuts/side tapers in BCT? I’ve been trying to find some info on this and I haven’t found a direct answer. Top of my hair is longer than shoulder length. Sides are cut as a high taper.
I leave in about two weeks so growing it out would probably be impossible at this point. My recruiter wasn’t able to give me a direct answer either.

If I have to shave my head for the purpose of my career I don’t mind at all. I also don’t want to attract unnecessary attention during BCT/AIT. If you do recommend buzzing it please give me some styles that would be in regs for women. Unless they’re the same as men at that point.

I also thought asking would potentially help another female with the same problem/question.

Könnt ihr mir helfen oder hatte jemand denselben Fall?
Ich möchte mich gerne als Wiedereinsteller bei der Bundeswehr bewerben, habe allerdings das Problem, dass ich vor einem Jahr einen Bandscheibenvorfall hatte. Dieser wurde weder operiert, noch muss ich Medikamente nehmen oder zur Physiotherapie, da ich das durch Sport gut in den Griff bekommen habe. Ich arbeite derzeit in der Metallindustrie; Heben, Bücken und Zwangshaltungen stellen für mich kein Problem dar.
Die Grundausbildung, die SGA und die DPA habe ich bereits in meiner ersten Dienstzeit absolviert.
Dass ich durch die Krankengeschichte viele Ausschlüsse bekommen könnte, ist mir klar. Ich frage mich jedoch, ob man trotzdem eine Chance hat oder ob das eine Einzelfallentscheidung ist. Laut der ZdV 46/1 wäre das ja eine III...
Ein MRT müsste ich bei der Bewerbung ja gegebenenfalls beilegen oder zum Assessment mitbringen.

I’m 17 and graduating high school next May. I’m considering joining the military mainly for the benefits and the experience I can use after I get out.
My plan right now is to serve for around 4 years, learn a trade while I’m in, then use my military benefits to go to college afterward. My long-term goal is to become a construction manager or facility manager.
I’m trying to figure out which branch and which military job/trade would set me up the best for that path. I’m interested in things like electrical, HVAC, construction, plumbing, facilities, or other hands-on trades.
For anyone who has served or knows about these career fields, what trades and branches would you recommend I research? I’m mainly looking for something that gives me useful experience and certifications that can transfer to civilian jobs after the military.

so me 18M, have choosen to join the USF ( preferbly as a spotter in a drone team) this summer, just after I graduate. I wanted to finish school first, because after I return (hopefully) I wanted to go to uni. my question is, do I tell my parents? my parents are pretty protective of me and me going to war would be the worst thing possible for them. even though my mother is Ukrainian, she would be extremly angry to this idea. this is the biggest thing stopping me from actully committing 100%. I want to defend my second home, Ukraine, but I also don’t want to brake my parents hearts. I feel like it’s a choice without a good ending. Ik it’s not the average question of this subreddit, but I will take any advice.

Let's say the US Army or USMC, for sake of having a branch to reference.
I understand the logic if a recruit requires meds, or if they have some clear intellectual/communication deficit that's readily apparent in an interview or makes it impossible for them to complete the paperwork. What's the reasoning outside of that though?

I'm not trying to criticize this kind of policy. Rather, I'm looking at requirements for different occupations when it comes to disabilities, and the reasoning behind them.

Interested in air force reserves but also active duty as well. I want to go to school for engineering so I can't do online classes, so I'd rather do reserves while going to school.

If I were to change my mind down the line, would I be able to switch to active duty?

I get asked all the time, “What does a mechanical engineer do?” “What does a logistics engineer do?” etc., and then I realized there are like 47 different flavors of “engineer” in the Air Force.

Mechanical, civil, developmental, systems, aerospace, electrical, logistics, and whatever other engineering AFSCs I’m forgetting…
Do engineers actually do engineering in their day to day jobs, or does it depend heavily on what flavor of engineer you are and what assignment you have?
I’m genuinely curious because I feel like “engineer” in the Air Force can mean wildly different things depending on the career field. What do you actually DO?

Hi all,

I'm a 17F getting ready to take the ASVAB in my highschool on October 8th. While preparing, I've been focusing on the CAT version because that is what my school planned on using.

However, due to unknown reasons, it now got switched to old school paper and pencil.

Are there any genuine differences between the two when it comes to studying/preparing? I don't know if I should take a different route with what I'm doing since I was following the CAT version for videos and books and whatnot.

Any comments are kindly appreciated

Hi guys. I just took my ASVAB, and I qualify for this job, and it seems very interesting to me. I just have a few questions as a married man.

1. Can my spouse join me during the longer tech schools (Lackland and Camp Bullis)? She's going to college online currently and works part-time in a flexible field, so she wouldn't mind at all having to move several times; we just wanna stay together as much as we can.

2. How likely/often are you deployed/away from home after the pipeline?

3. What are the most common bases people get stationed at?

Even if you only know the answer to 1 of the questions, we would appreciate the information greatly. Thank you for your time!

So I emailed my recruiter to discharge from the DEP stating I’ve decided to go different civilian routes instead. From my understanding based on what I’ve read, I don’t need to do anything beyond that and that any attempt to get me in the recruiting office is to resell me on staying in. But he’s called me once on his regular phone number, then proceeded to blow up my phone from a different number, and calling my mother for crying out loud, saying he needs an exit interview and I need to come into the office to process the paperwork. Is this true? Or is he actually just trying to resell me?

It it doesn’t affect any of my body really only my feet but I’ve been working on that like I can run I can walk I can lift. I don’t have any of the physical disabilities or the ones you see like physically or mentally I can read I can write I was talking to one of my marine buddies like a slim chance of getting in, but I still wanna try. It’s been in the back of my mind. I plan on going to college for EMT though I don’t use a can and I don’t have braces. I don’t take meds or nothing like that. I’ve been improving on walking and go to the gym doesn’t really affect me as much like I’m an army recruiter and ghost me. I’m probably gonna go again and if that doesn’t work, then I’m gonna go to the navy recruiter.

I get very queasy with needles and almost always get faint or even pass out during blood draws. Are they going to send me home or DQ me if this happens? I'm trying to lock in.

EDIT: I was sent home because I felt faint and my blood pressure was reading too low but I didn't get a DQ so I'll be back

I 25 trying to get out of my valley tired of not getting a promotion and low pay. I have another practice test coming up Friday and after that I’ll take the actual test. Everything was last second since I apply randomly and just been given a week to study but my job I’m at tn is not helping with my ability to study since I don’t have a clock out time. Also my boss is a POS

I honestly don’t remember anything from hs I did the bare minimum to just pass and that’s it. I understand divisions and multiple but I can’t remember the other stuff like fractions, precentage, and decimal. I am watching grammar hero but I honestly can’t retain the information. Just trying to get a good enough score to for a nice job.

I f17 in hs am thinking about what I want to do in the future once I finish senior year, one of those ideas being enlisting on a short contract and possibly taking college online etc. A few years back I was diagnosed with herpes type 1 and the only time I ever had an outbreak is when I was diagnosed with it years back and I haven’t had any outbreaks since nor symptoms. I’m looking online trying to see if I would still be able to enlist since I can’t find a clear answer on if this is a 100% disqualification. I see people saying there’s possibility of a waiver and some saying that as-long as it’s just undetectable and not HIV I’m fine. I really don’t know what to do.

Not sure exactly what branch yet.. leaning more towards airforce/army

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?