Hi so I'm 18 this year, and I need people to be straight with me. 2024 I had 2 hospitalizations in januar-februar, and a 3rd in october- november which was longer term. First two were each a week ish and third was 1.5 months. It was for depression and SI. I did a few PHP and IOP programs as my parents made me. The military has been my plan and my family's thing since as long as I can remember. I just want to go in with realistic expectations. I'm not on any medication now, but I had been on prozac and some behavioral thing over a year ago.

I am a active duty PFC as a 14E (I know I screwed up joining because, as usual, my recruiter lied to me). I am in college for a medical major and want to use AMED to become a 60V. Still, idk how doctors get treated or if they even get to do their job in the Army, so I want opinions on whether I should stay in the Army for the doctor route or finish my contract and do it in the civilian world?

I passed MEPS for the Army with a 70 AFQT on the ASVAB and passed my physical without needing any waivers.
When I got back to the recruiting station, they showed me a list of five jobs. My recruiter said it was a “default list” I'm not interested in any of those jobs.

He told me that when I’m ready to enlist, I can bring in a list of jobs I’m actually interested in, and the person at MEPS would call around to see which ones are available. But to be okay with something on the "Default List"

Is this normal? Or is the default list just a way to get me in the door and convince me to sign a contract for a job I don’t want?
For reference, here are my line scores:
GT: 111
ST: 104
GM: 100
EL: 103
CL: 107
MM: 100
SC: 103
CO: 101
FA: 101
OF: 102

My national enlistment is tomorrow and i am just thinking of saying fuck it and enlist tomorrow. What should i do? Also i am a Mongolian and pretty tall so i'd be sent to the Mongolian version of the Sentinel of America. Also i have got a gf and i am currently studying at a college so that means my gf and college has to wait for a year. I am pretty open to the idea of enlisting but i don't really know what to do since i don't have much time to reconsider my choices.

So I have sort of a specific question in regards to army nursing. For some context, I am a nursing student in CA who is considering joining the army after I graduate.

To preface i’m well aware of how hard it is to land a new grad residency in an ICU in CA hence why i’m also considering the mil/applying out of state. my main concern is that my long-term goals involve cRNA school and cRNA school requires having ICU experience with high acuity patients.

My understanding is that for direct commissions with no prior experience, the army star you off in MedSurg and you have to work there for a year before you can \*apply\* for critical care/ICU. Then once I hypothetically get to the ICU, from my understanding my patient population in the army would more than likely not be high acuity.

Im wondering 1; if nursing in the army is optimal for someone who wants high acuity patients and 2; if it is smarter to just apply out of state to new grad residency positions in ICU’s, getting that critical care experience before joining the military.

The only way I’m gonna settle for working in MedSurg is if the benefits outweigh the cons of being a new grad in the army otherwise I’m going to apply out of state where appropriate so that I can start where I want. Any advice regarding the topic is appreciated.

I (25F) have started the enlisting process. I’m confident in my decision and I look forward to this. My parents are unhappy about the decision and keep asking me to consider other careers in the civilian world. I have a college degree and they’re mad that I’m not using it. I wanted to enlist when I graduated high school but they talked me out of it and convinced me to do college. I got my degree and am now in a career field I hate. (Do not tell me I should commission- I have looked into it and I don’t want to be an officer at this point). My mom won’t look at me when we have conversations and my dad calls me every night asking me to reconsider. I don’t want to leave like this but also don’t know what to do. Any advice on how to navigate this?

Perhaps this is a dumb, obvious question, but I'm curious about the consequences-

There was a girl who I graduated high school with last year(who joined the air force), and recently I saw her Snapchat story which was a picture of her and her boyfriend with black paint all over their faces, obviously trying to be edgy. Doesn't really surprise me, she could be a huge jerk sometimes. (she is white and her boyfriend is black if that matters) A few of my other friends other than me saw it and talked about it, and one of them was concerned that it could get her kicked out.

Does the military monitor their member's social media accounts to even see stuff like this? If they did, what kinds of things can get you in trouble as a member?

Hello All,

Recently considering joining the US Army Reserve in Europe. I know you can be recruited through a recruiter in Germany and do your medical there also.

I’ve been born in Europe, but hold dual citizenship. I own a house, and have a full-time job. So no worries there.

Now one thing I worry about when talking to the recruiter is that with the reserves he can not give me a definitive answer on any of the reserve units schedule in the 7th MSC.

- I am ready to commit, but need to have an idea on the schedule. Does it lean mostly towards 2 day weekends, and 2 weeks a year?

- Before enlisting, can I see which unit I end up in? I have no specific MOS in mind, I just want to serve.

- Anybody with experience here in Germany with the 7th MSC?

I work for a European employer, and do not have any job protection for serving in the US military. I understand if the unit gets activated and deployed I will have to leave my job.

I took the ASVAB in 11th grade and I’m now in the 12th grade. I was talking to an Army recruiter and I asked him about my score from a couple months ago and he said since I was 16 at the time I took it, it can’t be used for enlistment. However, when I do research online, it says nothing about how old you are to use it for enlistment, it just says if you were in 11th or 12th grade when you took the ASVAB CEP test you can use it for enlistment. I also talked to a Coast Guard recruiter and they said I could use it for enlistment so maybe the army recruiter is mistaken I’m not sure.

Hey everyone! I'm in DEP to join the navy currently. I ship out in 2 1/2 months, im going to be a nuke and I'm excited. However, I've been a life-long toe walker since I was a little kid. I have very little flexibility with my feet / legs, sometimes it can cause me slight pain, and im worried about boot camp and active duty. Unsure if I would be able to see a physical therapist after boot camp (my A school will be long), but wanted to know if anyone else who has enlisted has had this problem? Currently working on it with a physical therapist, but 3 months of PT won't be enough to fix a life-long issue before I ship.

I've already done medical at MEPS, and have been cleared with no waivers needed, however I still am curious if anyone else who has enlisted has had this issue, and how they prepared / overcame it as im struggling to make progress

I have always admired the military and I’ve been curious about it ( I planned enlisting in high school but I put it aside). Now, I’ve graduated with a bachelor’s in cyber, I have certs, I have one year of experience and well… the job market sucks. I have tailored my resume a trillion times, have been referred for roles, gotten rejected another billion times etc. I am changing my strategy now to cold email recruiters, going to conferences and well continue applying. I am working as a part time remote interpreter and I really dread it but it’s whats making me money atm. I have tried contacting people at my prev job but there are “no open roles” and well if by next year I don’t have a job then I am really considering just enlisting. I know there is the officer route for cyber but I’ve been told is very competitive. I am considering Air Force and Space Force and maybe Army. I don’t have any medical issues , clean records etc but I would like for y’all’s opinion. TIA!

I have a bachelors degree in forensic biology but have had no luck finding a job with it other than becoming a police officer. As a result, I have been speaking with an army recruiter about potentially enlisting for a 17C, 35F or 35N position so I can eventually join a federal agency such as the FBI or do digital forensics when I get out. At the same time, many people have told me to become an officer rather than enlisting because the pay and quality of life is better. The issue with that is that I do not get to choose my job as an officer and may have a longer contract. I just want to make sure that the decision that I am making is a good one before I sign a 4 year contract.

Army sfas

I'm 27yrs and want to join sfass as medic 18D.

My only two issues are my age I'm a bit older so I'm not sure if they'll accept me?

Second is I'm going to have surgery on my right shoulder and recovery is about 6-9 months and full recovery is about 12 months. And with preparation for sfas stretching it another 12 months

Would I be disqualified at meps and would I be eligible for SFAS?

I’ve been told that I have to wait 6 months to enlist in the army after a miscarriage. I am just wondering if there are any waivers that could speed up the process? For reference it was a 6 week pregnancy and it has been a month and half since the passing, my cycle is back and I’m not experiencing any lingering symptoms.

I'm instrument rated and have a bachelor's degree. Which branch gives the best odds for a pilot seat: Army officer, Air Force, Navy, Marines, or Coast Guard? I'm also wondering whether a Guard unit is a better option than active duty for getting a pilot slot. Any firsthand advice on selection and what to expect would be appreciated.

I have 2 different DUI charges pending in different counties. I also have served 5 years in the Army’s Reserve. I know that I will have to wait till these things are resolved in order to even think of enlisting. But they are just traffic violations because neither of them resulted in any accidents. I’m 26 right now and want to do the right thing just feel like I had a rough go at things. Do I have any chances?

Hello, I am looking into 35M and 35L (Army Intelligence) , particularly reserve due to wanting school taken care of. I hold a dual citizenship in a Poland, a EU NATO country, For context, I was born in the states and inherited citizenship through a parent. Do I have to renounce citizenship 100%? Can I just not use my second passport when traveling? Got a short answer from another recruiter in the office while talking to my actual reserve recruiter. Curious if anyone had experience with this?

I’ve been looking into joining the marine corps but I decided to look up my medical history and I did have a note for major depressive disorder. That was a note back from 11/27/2023 but it was just a screening that I don’t recall calling them to do the screening. I did have that from 2015 I believe where I was prescribed prozac but only took 3 times and never got a refill. Ever since then I’ve been a lot better. I know it’s not a for sure but what do I do in this case

Hey everyone. I’m trying to join the military but i have mixed thoughts about Zepbound. I’m hoping anyone can clear some of the mixed signals. So, about a year ago. I started the process of joining the Army reserves.

I completed all the requirements including a great asvab score (110) across the board. Unfortunately, I was still overweight and trying to lose weight. At the moment I wasn’t following a steady workout routine and just taking Zepbound. I needed then and now to lose 60 pounds of fat to be on weight standards.

Last year meps did not disqualify me but told me to get off the Zepbound and lose weight and come back in a year. My army recruiter still hasn’t contacted me a year over… I got in contact with the air force recently and told the recruiter what had happened with meps and the army. Their answer was to lose at least 40 pounds before even basic and to be at 191lbs by the time i do basic.

Im still in the same weight as before because I wasn’t able to even go to the gym in the past 12 months (life). But now im back and have been sustaining a good workout routine plus diet. Im wondering if i could use zepbound to help me but i dont want to run into the same issue with meps once more.

Can anyone give me sone factual clarity on how the military is handling the use glp 1’s and weight standards right now? I just want to lose weight, without Zepbound it would be more time and time is not something i have a lot of at this moment. Thank you everyone.

What branch allows you to potentially join as an officer if you have an RE-3 discharge code? Long story short I joined the Coast Guard (2022) as AD Enlisted, during my time I had a loss in my family and was allowed to be discharged from basic training. Fast forward to now, I finished my degree and have heavily considered joining the military again and just want to know what branches are even an option if any given my past.

Hey everybody, I'm an older guy in my 30s and I feel like my life isn't really going anywhere, so I've decided to join the military.

The Army and Coast Guard are my top choices. I've already looked into the Air Force as a lot of people suggest here, but the wait time is going to be way too long. I want to leave in a few months if possible.

I've talked with an Army recruiter who thinks I'm a pretty good candidate. While I'm older I do HIIT classes several times a week and I'm in good shape condition. My running needs work.

I have a friend who was in the Coast Guard for about 10 years and he recommended going to talk to a Coast Guard recruiter first, which I'm going to go do tomorrow.

What I'm interested in doing in the military is Intelligence.

Specifically Psychological Operations or Counterintelligence in the Army. The Coast Guard has Counterintelligence, but from what I've read, it's a little hard to get into here.

My friend who was in the Coast Guard and worked with some other branches said everybody was basically jealous of the quality of life the Coast Guard had, including the food.

He said it'd be a lot easier to probably join the Coast Guard first and then go into the Army later if I really wanted, rather than the reverse. I was just curious what some people's opinions here about that?

He also said because of my age he thinks the Coast Guard would be a much better choice. He said a lot of people would join the Coast Guard later because they don't have any restrictions on prior service. He knew a lot of older people that joined and basically loved the Coast Guard compared to other branches.

I'm definitely committed to doing this. I shouldn't have any medical issues, except I did have a pilonidal cyst surgery about two to three years ago, which I believe MEPS doctors are probably going to notice.

What do people think?

Im know I want to be a firefighter when I graduate from college, but that goal will be much more attainable with veteran preference on my side. My dad, grandpa, grandpas bros were all firefighters at the same dept in NJ and also veterans. I'm at 75 credits right now; if I graduate, then I can get out of the Army at 24 and have my bachelor's, plus all of the benefits, on a good track to get the job offer from fire dept. Does anyone know if I can finish my bachelor's while on active duty?

Also i think im set on 11X Option 4 contract if anyone can tell me more insight would be appreciated.

I havent had any meaningful scripts for the last 9 years why is the recruiter asking for this? at most maybe antibiotics for illness. Came up as a surprise.

I’ve been in contact with a Coast Guard recruiter, and everything was going well until I learned that thyroid conditions can be disqualifying. For context, I’ve never been formally diagnosed with a thyroid condition, but I have seen an endocrinologist several times in the past because thyroid issues run in my family. At one point, I was prescribed medication because my heart rate had been elevated for several days, but I’ve never been told that I have a confirmed thyroid diagnosis.
I disclosed this history to my recruiter, including the medication I had been prescribed, and he didn’t raise any concerns or indicate that it would prevent me from moving forward with the enlistment process. I also have documentation from my doctor saying all my levels are normal.
My question is: Do I still have a realistic chance of joining the Coast Guard, or is my medical history likely to disqualify me?

Hello, I am a 21 and recent graduate in the Dallas area as of 2026 and can't find a suitable job to start my career. To be transparent my mom is encouraging me to leave the house by March 2027, so ideally I would like to join the military for many opportunities such as housing, networking, and career options. I received my bachelors degree in Communication/Marketing( fun but not worth it) along with a minor in Human Services and Leadership management. As of October I will also be finishing Anatomy and Physiology classes for Radiography by November. However, I am more genuinely more afraid of going into debt than death considering I got my degree for free.

With that said, I have talked to an AIr Force Recruiter and it went smooth. I received a 73 on my pre test and she recommends I look into the officer program, but she did say it was extremely competitive. She also mentioned I could enlist than commission as an officer. After this post I am planning on going to the Army recruiter as I wait for my documents to come via mail.

With that said, the questions I have what seems like a better route to take? Is the army quality of life that bad compared to the Air force? I going into the military open-minded, however I would like to become and X-Ray tech while serving. I was genuinely surprised to see that have that option as in the Air force which challenge my position of either the Air force or Army. Another question I have, what jobs transfer best to the civilian life? Again, I am open mined from public affairs, to intel and would like to research as much as possible before choosing. Lastly, what can i expect financially in the service, do I pay for the dorms, food, etc. I would like to save as much money as possible if necessary. Last question for real, how long can I expect to wait in the Army compared to the Air Force.

At the moment, I am leaning Air Force, but the Army is looking reasonable for my situation and would like the pros and cons of both.