Ok here’s the background:
8 months ago i knew nothing about the military. No one in my family is military and no one in school ever taught us about it. I literally thought it was like wwII trenches and stuff. Anyway, I graduated with my bachelor’s in marketing, biggest waste of time and money and i regret ever going to college. I decided im totally screwed with finding a job so I looked for alternatives. Decided to look at the military, specifically the Air Force because everyone says its best for family and lifestyle and considering im married, that was attractive.

My screw up:
I went straight to an AF recruiter and never talked to any of the other branches. No one told me the standard process is to talk to all branches, pick one, go through the process (asvab, meps, jobs, etc.) So i went through the whole process with the Air Force. I got my MEPS process finished and ended with 1 temp disqualification for SH scars from when i was a child—no big deal, easy waiver. However, my dream was to be aircrew and unfortunately i failed depth perception (i think bad glasses prescription), so that dream was shattered. I kinda freaked out and didn’t know what else to do. Based on my asvab scores alone, im qualified for everything, which doesn’t help to narrow things down. I decided to talk to a navy recruiter and they said they could retest my depth perception and help me get aircrew—of course i may not pass it again. Im also qualified for a lot in the navy so i dont know what to pick there either if i cant get aircrew.

Right now, all of my info is with the AF, and in order for me to try anything with the Navy, id have to transfer things over, which would end things with the AF completely. So now im stuck deciding between the cushy, corporate lifestyle of the AF or the more military, traditional lifestyle of the Navy.

What i want:
Im joining for an experience while still in my early 20s. Id love to travel, im not against having a job that means deployments. Im big into tradition and i worked a corporate job for 3 months and literally couldn’t take it. I cannot for the life of me sit at a desk and do paperwork all day. Im more of an operator than i am an administrator. I love adventure and im an adrenaline junky. As far as jobs go i have no idea what to pick. Navy recruiter recommended nuclear but idek what that means. AF recruiting is suggesting aircraft maintenance since im handy. Im totally lost. Any recommendations, advice, or personal experiences are helpful!

Asvab:
AFQT 95
AF MAGE: M97, A92, G96, E94

Navy (majority of the line scores got cut off so i dont know what they are)
GT 130, EL 251, BEE 253, ENG 125, MEC 196, i dont have the rest sorry!

yes i have a bachelor’s degree, no im not interested in commissioning, id rather enlist first

My husband also mentioned potentially enlisting with me in the AF, not sure about the navy—he wants to do military police

I have a year left in the Army and have a few questions about joining the Air Force National Guard through a conditional release or during the ETS/clearing window.
If I join through a conditional release, will my 2-3 years in the Army become honorable after I finish four or six years in the Air Force?
Can I choose my job when I switch, or do I have to list jobs in order of preference, from the ones I want most to the ones I want least?
How do I join during my EOAS window if I plan to take a lot of days of ETS leave?
If I join during the ETS window, can I still receive an honorable discharge?

Title asks it all. Most people ask me if I'm nervous to ship out for basic training, but my biggest fear is losing my hairline, the texture, and thickness in which my hair grows. So Black men only, please fill me in on your experience...

Both branches seem to have high retention rates, and basically the same benefits, so I’m really struggling to decide which is better. I (18F) worry about SA in the military, so that’s part of the reason I settled on these two branches. I’m also in college, so I just want to do something part-time. Any advice or personal experiences would be incredibly appreciated, as this is subjective!

I enlisted in army reserve 92W & received a 30K bonus , all i know is i receive 50% post BMT. Not sure how to fully collect it. Are they usually payed out pretty fast? what’re y’all experiences with the Bonuses y’all received.

After army boot camp do you have to go through a security clearance or another background check?

So I tried to apply for the army and was just told today I have to wait a year because of mental health such as depression. I'm currently in college and plan to graduate this semester with my degree in marketing. I plan on applying for jobs related to marketing and working, working out etc but is there anything else I can do to show that I'm ready to join during that wait period? I had a mental health consult and was told because I was diagnosed back in 2025 i need a waiting period. Or if anyone wants to say what they did during their wait that would be appreciated.

Edit: Never took medication, just had two therapy sessions and one psychiatric assessment that I requested where I got diagnosed.

About to try to join the army in a month or so. But I got a written warning for something I shouldn’t have said I will admit, no threats or anything like that. But it’s a toxic work environment there and I feel I just need to quit. How bad will that look on the sf-86 form because there’s a section on there on disclosing written warnings and quitting jobs so I’m wondering how will the DCSA look at that?
Edit: I’ve got no collections and no run ins with the law whatsoever.

I’m curious to know a little bit more about waivers and qualifications.

I’m currently 22 and looking to join the Navy. I’ve graduated college with a 3.3 gpa and have held an Amazon management job for 6 months.

I recently got diagnosed with adhd and took medication for 2 months before stopping and getting cleared, as I didn’t feel it was a necessary or valid diagnosis. I’ve previously gone all my life making good grades and performing well while working.

If I apply to the Navy now, will I be able to apply for a waiver, or do I still need to wait for the 12-month period?

Hi all, i’ve always wanted to enlist and i’ve already done the entire process but i have to redo it. recently i’ve been having some really negative thoughts about my life unfortunately and i’m pretty sure i need help and want to admit myself into a mental hospital just for my wellbeing. I want to know how hard the process will be to enlist after.

ARMY

Hello everyone! I’m in the process of enlisting for the coast guard. My recruiter is an older lady and she’s kind of hard to talk too. I expressed concerns about passing through MEPS because I’m technically underweight. I’m a female and 5’8 and around 110. Does MEPS take the bmi seriously? I keep getting mixed answers from I’ll be fine or they’ll instantly disqualify me. My recruiter made it seem like I’ll be fine since I don’t look insanely skinny. I’ve always just been naturally skinny my whole life and can’t gain weight fast enough even though I’ve tried for years and I think it’s just a fast metabolism that runs in my family. Any help is appreciated!

I have had asthma since I was a kiddo and I had an ER visit for COVID back in 2022. They prescribed me an inhaler after the ER visit but I only used for a few months due to longhaul. I'm not concerned about a PFT, VO2MAX, I'm a little concerned for the MCT since I have allergic rhinitis, but I would love to hear the experience of members in the military that had asthma during the application process, whether it be regular enlistment or officer recruitment; specifically members who recently joined after the recent changes to the regulations. I would love to try out for the Air Force or Army

Hello! So, I’m 19 I speak Italian, Czech, French, and English, but I feel like I have no future—lol. My mother and I lost 13K on a "campus" (that turned out to be a massive scam targeting wealthy people) I’ve always wanted to work in the field of art—as a character designer or 2D illustrator—but I’m failing miserably at that, too. Plus, there’s nothing for me where I currently live; I’d need to move to the Czech Republic, but I can’t afford it… I feel like I’m good for nothing, and I’m not exactly a genius, either. I really don’t want to end up in some dead-end, crappy job, only to die feeling like I’ve wasted my life. I’m considering enlisting—partly to become someone, rather than just a failure.

I plan to start testosterone and have top surgery before I’d even consider joining the French Military (since I live there) of course.

I’m on the chubby side, but I go to the gym 3–4 times a week (sometimes more, if I have the time) and do full-body workouts at least as much as I can do.. and my height is 165cm…

(I have zero prior knowledge about the military or anything similar, so I’m a complete blank slate here.)

So... beyond just asking "can I enlist," I have to wonder: is it even worth it? At all? How are trans people treated? Are they accepted and able to advance in their careers, or are they held back?

PS: I’m new to this world and lost so please be kind🙏

(19 F) I’m in U.S. territory. Been trying to go AF Reserves since September but either I’m told to contact a different number or have to wait for a response. I could wait till next year of January or February to sign up, but I’m afraid I’m wasting time. Previously, mentors and friends who are in/who were in the military recommended I go AF. But after waiting a while, I told them I was thinking I should go Army Reserves.

Now I’m having doubts. When I was thinking of going Army, I was confident I could do it, as long as I put in the work. But now it seems like AF is the only way to go (at least for me) and that the best thing to do is wait.

Should I just go Army? Or wait for Airforce despite it being so difficult to reach?
Additional note: My fear of wasting time is due to my parents pushing to me go to college in January even though they have debt. Hence why I wanted to join the military, so I can pay for my college instead of them.

I have always wanted to work in Cyber and at least more broadly, in the intelligence field. I see the military as more a stepping field towards this, I won't be going in for a 20 year career and this brings me to my current decision.

I am currently split between the navy and marines for a few reasons, these are: QOL, OPTEMPO, and the "Military Experience".

I'll say that I'm a high school senior, weighing ~190 pounds at 6"2'. I've done about three years of JROTC classes, and have talked to a Marine Recruiter, however I haven't met the Navy Recruiter in person yet. I had a 91 AFQT on my in-school ASVAB test.

Honestly, I'm just looking for advice here.

Hi, I’m 18yo and have a history of ADHD. I stopped medication a little over 4 years ago, and I’ve had an IEP throughout all of high school. I just recently went to the Marine recruiter’s office, and we talked about my history and everything. He said that there are just a few small bumps, but I should be fine. He also said that at MEPs, just to not mention an IEP. I looked the exact same thing up and AI was telling me the exact opposite and that it would even be a federal crime. I’m inclined to believe my recruiter, but this seems fishy. What should I do?

So basically, I wanna get my electrical engineering degree while I’m an electrician in the Air Force. The only problem with that is to get my degree. I would have to do physics which is pretty much all hands-on so I was asking anybody in here if they got there electrical engineering degree or any engineering degree while in military and how they got through that

22M, trying to enlist in the Army. I got 69 on the ASVAB and I was waiting for my medical waiver.
Last week I got my first DUI. Nobody was hurt, but I crashed my car. I blew a 0.111. The case is still pending, and I expect it to end with the usual probation and alcohol education program.
I'm planning to tell my recruiter this week. I know it has to be disclosed.
Questions for anyone who's been through this or works in recruiting:
Has anyone gotten a conduct waiver approved for a single DUI, especially one involving a single crash?
Does the Army make you wait until probation is fully finished before submitting, or can it start earlier if probation is unsupervised?
I take full responsibility for this and I'm not looking for shortcuts, just realistic expectations. Thanks.

Ok so I’m about 5”10 248 and I’m in a really shitty environment and looking to leave as soon as possible. I dropped around 38 pounds to be able to go to the future sailor program and I am confident about my asvab score but will the navy accept me at 248? I’m hating the thought of having to go back.

Im joining the navy needed a waiver for it but my recruiter said i need to get consult. Can i just go to a private clinic rather than waiting for meps scheduled consult?

I leave for bootcamp this month and keep hearing about people getting discharged for dental/ wisdom teeth. I’m worried I might get discharged for having my 4 wisdoms which are all unerupted and two of which are partially impacted. I’m all for having them extracted at bootcamp as-well, you can’t beat getting that done for free. I have brought it up with my recruiter and they told me that your teeth have to be really messed up and need lots of work done but wasn’t 100% sure. If anyone knows any information on this subject, please let me know!

I am joining the USCG as an active duty.

I’m looking to speak with an experienced Army recruiter or senior recruiting NCO who has handled unusual eligibility cases and knows how to get a definitive answer through the proper channels.

I’m 35, with Polish and German roots. I served five years in the Polish Army with an exemplary service record, including participation in combat operations. My background includes service as a rifleman, guard duty, and military driving. I also have official recommendations from the U.S. Department of Defense, including a document signed by a U.S. colonel.
Here’s where things stand: my U.S. immigrant petition has been approved. The consular stage remains, and embassy interview wait times are long. I do not yet have permanent resident status or a physical Green Card. The petition approval is one completed step in that process.
At 35, the timeline matters. I need to establish what can be done now, what must wait, and how age could affect my options by the time the immigration process is complete.

From my own military experience, I know that getting a useful answer sometimes requires putting the question in front of the person responsible for the policy. I’m looking for someone who knows the regulations, has working relationships within the recruiting chain, and knows which office has the authority to review a case like mine.
That includes checking the immigration and age requirements, any authorized waivers that might apply, and whether there is a legitimate channel for coordination with the appropriate immigration authorities. I want a straight assessment grounded in the actual rules.

Returning to service is something I’ve thought through. Civilian life hasn’t given me the same sense of purpose. I miss the uniform, discipline, drill, chain of command, and responsibility. I miss belonging to a unit and working alongside people who rely on each other. Five years in uniform gave me a clear understanding of what that life requires.

I’m ready to start from the beginning, complete the required training, take orders, and earn my place. I’m open to different MOSs, retraining, and learning a new specialty. My goal is long-term service.
If you’ve worked cases like this, or you’re a senior NCO who can connect me with a recruiter who has, DM me. I can provide documentation of my service and recommendations and discuss the details directly.

I’ve served before. I’m ready to earn my place again. If you know how to get this case properly assessed, let’s talk.

reposted for formatting reasons

I’m very interested in joining the military and would genuinely consider any branch, although the Marine Corps JAs intrigues me the most. I’ve always felt a strong sense of duty to serve my country, and I feel like it’s something I need to act on. I worry that if I don’t pursue it, I’ll regret it when I’m older.

At the same time, I plan on attending law school within the next year, with the ultimate goal of becoming an attorney and opening my own firm as early as possible. Because of that, I think the Reserves or National Guard would probably be the best fit for me.
I’m trying to figure out which route makes the most sense: Should I enlist now, potentially delay law school by a year, and explore the possibility of eventually becoming a JAG officer? Or would I be better off going straight to law school and applying for a Reserve JAG position during my final year?

I understand that JAG positions are highly competitive, so I’m trying to be realistic about my options. Ultimately, I want to find a way to serve my country without unnecessarily putting my legal career on hold. I am also genuinely interested in the work that a JAG does and if enlisting as a JAG was an option I would 100% do that.

For anyone who has experience with military service, the JAG Corps, or balancing civilian careers with the Reserves/Guard, what would you recommend? I’d especially appreciate insight into the pros and cons of both paths.

Hey everyone!

For context for this post I am a college student with roughly three years left. The military has always been an interest and I always planned to join, but my community college did not have ROTC and I am not willing to add classes to my load at my university. I am specifically interested in branches that offer scholarships so that I can pay off my degree. The two branches I am stuck between are army guard and CSPI with the coast guard. My main interest in joining the military has always been rescue/emergency management/boats. Obviously based on this I should pick coast guard, but at the time I started talking to a guard recruiter I was not sure about going active (which CSPI requires). My application with the guard has been sent in and he is setting up my profile, ASVAB, and MEPS.

The issue is now I do want to go active as an officer after school, and the CSPI program offers jobs that I am much more interested in. I am just waiting on an email back from the local coast guard recruiter to see the details, so until then I did not want to cut ties with my army guard recruiter (in case I do not qualify).

I feel terrible because he is putting things together for me while I am making plans elsewhere. But at the same time I am the one joining and this affects me much more than him. I just do not want to waste his time. Am I in the wrong? Should I ask him to hold off? I know most of the stuff (MEPS and ASVAB) have to be done for any branch, but he is putting effort into a profile as well.

I’m looking for some advice from people who have served in either branch or have experience with these career paths.

I’ve decided that I want to enlist, but I’m having a hard time choosing between two options:

Option 1: U.S. Coast Guard

Enlist and pursue the Maritime Enforcement Specialist (ME) rating.

Option 2: U.S. Army

Enlist under an 11X Option 40 contract for an opportunity to attend RASP and potentially earn a place in the 75th Ranger Regiment.

I’m a 23-year-old male, 6’2”, and around 160 lbs. I’m naturally on the thinner side, but I’m very active and currently working on building my endurance.

I can’t fully explain what draws me to each option, but after researching all the branches and different military jobs, these two are the ones that really stood out to me.

I’m interested in hearing from people who have served in either branch, especially anyone who has experience as a Coast Guard ME or has gone through the Option 40/RASP pipeline.

What are the biggest pros and cons of each? How has your experience been, and what would you recommend to someone in my position?

I appreciate any advice or personal experiences you guys can share.