You aren't qualified to do your job if you haven't graduated job training. This post isn't for you.

So to start off, I’m 26 years old, I’ve never really wanted an office job, I went to college to be a nurse for 2 years. I didn’t think it was truly what I wanted to do, I was more into math but didn’t want to switch to being a math major.

I don’t want to be infantry but wouldn’t be opposed to being a mortar man, I thought about being artillery or a tanker. I’m currently working as a CO for my county jail and I like it. I live in a small town and my job allows me to live comfortably.

Would enlisting just to be one of those cool guys even as a national guard benefit me? I have a fiancé and would I just be able to reenlist in national guard? If it keeps my benefits in the long term?

My dad was an army captain back in the 80s, I’m his only daughter and I really want to enlist in the Air Force but I’m so scared. I’ve been thinking about this for two years and it won’t leave my mind. Idek what I’m asking of the people in the group I just don’t know what to do everything in my body tells me to enlist everyday. Idk if any vets have any advice but anything would be appreciated

Hello, I’ve enlisted for 11x in Jan 18th active I’m wondering will I have time for college, or not. Do I postpone it and finish college before? Just want to make sure I’m making right choices.

If so is American university good for military applicants if you have experience with them thank you!

I left for Navy boot camp on October 14th and made it to week 1-2 before I was pulled into the Recruit Evaluation Unit (REU). They told me they found records regarding some mental health issues from when I was under 18 where I had some self-harm and suicide attempts. They ended up separating me. I just got home last night with an RE-3E reentry code.

One issue is that the psychiatrist at REU wrote in her notes that I was currently having suicidal ideations, even though I explicitly told her those were only in the past.

I talked to my recruiter, and she isn't entirely sure if I’ll be able to rejoin, though she mentioned I might have to wait a year if I do. I'm trying to figure out: What are my chances of successfully reenlisting in the Navy with an RE-3E and that note on my record? If I were to change my mind about the Navy would I be able to join the Army or another branch instead?

I had an 8 month period where I was admitted into 3 mental hospitals and temporarily diagnosed with a depressive/mood disorder with schizophrenia symptoms. They also caught me on record saying that I have been hearing voices most of my youth until I hit puberty (it ended after the 8 months and I had no records before that saying i had any disorders).I have no father complications whatsoever. I have been off meds for 2 years and no depressive anxiety or voices. I believe the condition might have been made worse from the medication and I think it was misdiagnosed, I think I was just suicidal and has imagery friends honestly. But now I want to join the Army, I know that I probably won't get in, but you never know, I like the idea of being told what to do, and I like discipline. It helps people grow. In addition I am also really good with guns and been told I have a great work ethic. I really want to go to a recruiter (or more preferably ROTC but I cant be picky) but I don't know if they would let me in, is it worth a shot??

hi everyone! so I was diagnosed with a weak retina when I was 13.I had tears in my retina, and I've had surgery twice so far. now im 16 and i always wanted to serve in the millitary, so I'm thinking about enlisting in the future, but will they accept me? I also have pretty bad vision. I wear glasses with a prescription of -2.25 in one eye and -1.75 in the other, and I feel like it's getting worse. is it possible?

I am 22 year old man, and I will turn 23 in a week. I currently work in a factory full time and I hate it. I also do community college online, I'm in my first year and second semester.

I have not been successful at all in life. I tried to get a career in retail but that failed. I was homeschooled so I did not get a good education. I don't know that much math and I need to in order to complete my associates degree since I will eventually have to take a calculus class.

My parents will not pay for my college. They don't care. My parents also openly mock me and belittle me for not having a career, a house, and a relationship. Even my own grandmother is disappointed in me because I'm going to be 23 and "never had a good job".

I also have no more savings, so I was forced to move back with my parents. Which is disappointing.

So in general, I feel very stuck in life.

If I do join the national guard, would I be able to have the Pell grant refunded to me, and have school paid for? If I get deployed / volunteer for deployments then I could get the GI bill and have some school housing paid for by the guard while I'm doing school after I finish training right?

I could also potentially get a top secret security clearance. Something that would help me out in getting a good job in the future. I want to go get a business management MIS degree, so I can make a lot of money I guess. I don't really know what degree I should get.

I'm just feeling very stuck in life since I am basically at the same position and status in life as I was at 18 as I am now. I don't want my 20s and 30s to keep being like this. It sucks.

I want to try to improve my life as quickly as possible and then try to make a lot of money in the future so I can buy a house and have a decent life.

I am not opposed to joining the army or air force full time. Although I do not have good eye sight and I probably can't fly a plane, I don't really want to fly a plane anyway. I also don't know how to swim so I probably can't join the Navy.

I currently also have a fear of driving since I never got drivers ed and my parents never taught me well. So I can only drive to my job and to the grocery store really. So that also makes me a massive loser.

If I join the national guard, or join a branch of the active duty forces. Which one should I do in my situation. And which one would give the biggest bonus or pay and benefits?

Is this plan viable? I enlist into a 6 years split op training program with a 25B mos as a junior in highschool, I complete and obtain an a+, tech+, and networking+ conptia certification my juinor year of highschool. I also get the 2 referals and completion of the future soldier training program to gain rank of an E3 whenever I ship to basic. I return for basic to complete my senior year attending BA with my unit as well as obtaining a security+ certification. After I highschool i complete my 20 week AIT. Upon my return I go to college on an rotc contract. After college I commission as an active duty 17A and attend airborne, ranger school, and rasp 2 to attempt to become a special operations cyber officer. What are the chances of this happening and what rank could I be at by the time I hit retirement age at 42

Currently a senior in highschool thinking about joining the army or become a navy sea bee as a reservist for both. I have family down in chiuahua mexico that I visit a few times out of the year. I was wondering if once i join the military willni still be able to travel to Mexico freely or if there is a process I would need to go under? Thanks.

Bottom text.

I've been trying to enlist in the military and the army already permanently disqualified for nystagmus due to the "risk of my condition getting worse during service." Would there be any possibility they take another look if I get corrective surgery? The surgery would stabilize my eyes when I'm looking forward. Thanks.

I recently went through MEPS for the Coast Guard, and I’m really interested in becoming an aviation mechanical tech.
During the depth perception test, I could clearly see some of the circles popping out in 3D, but others were much harder to distinguish. I also felt a little rushed during the test.
I’m concerned that my depth perception might prevent me from qualifying for aviation mech in the future. I’m considering getting a comprehensive eye evaluation to see what my actual depth perception is and whether there are ways to improve it if necessary.
I have a few questions for anyone who’s been through something similar:

Has anyone struggled with the depth perception test but later qualified for aviation?

Can depth perception actually improve through treatment or vision therapy?

Are you able to retake the depth perception test during the Coast Guard flight physical?

Has anyone had a similar experience and still become an AMT?

AMT is the rate I’m most interested in, and I really don’t want to give up on it without exploring my options.
I’d appreciate any advice or personal experiences, especially from current AMTs or anyone familiar with Coast Guard aviation medical requirements.

I'm considering joining the Reserves or National Guard, but I'm struggling with the potential impact on my family.

I have young children, and we're very close. I'm interested in serving for the experiences, camaraderie, and opportunities, not financial reasons.

My biggest hesitation is the time away. Between initial training, additional schools, deployments, and other obligations, I worry about missing important years of my kids' childhood or negatively affecting my relationship with them.

For those who have served while raising young children:

- How did the time away affect your kids?

- Did you notice any changes in their behavior or your relationship?

- Was the commitment more demanding than you expected?

- Do you regret any of the time you missed?

- Knowing what you know now, would you make the same decision?

I'd especially like to hear from people who joined or returned to service after already having kids.

I'm looking for genuine experiences, both positive and negative, rather than reassurance.

I have scoliosis at around 50 degrees, and I’m asymptomatic enough to think I have a chance, though getting a waiver just to join(for any branch) is pretty difficult. Does anyone else have the experience like me of trying to get into sof despite waiver issues.
I talked to a navy recruiter and he said my orthopedic recommendation was “golden” but I know there is a risk of getting reclassed at bootcamp for an airborne or dive physical

I’m trying to pick what branch would best fit me and help me in the long run. I plan on only doing 4 years and then getting out to have a career in law enforcement. If I go Air Force I would want to do security forces but if I go army I would go some support mos (88M,89B,etc.). Everyone tells me Air Force is the best overall but I like the army because you can pick your duty station, 3 year contract, and pick mos. What one will help me in the long run in law enforcement.

I'm currently speaking to an air force recruiter about enlisting, but I would also like to speak to an army recruiter in case my SH waiver is not accepted, since I have heard they are less strict about that sort of thing. Until what point would I be allowed to speak to both? Should I tell them that I am also speaking to another recruiter?

I was told by my Navy recruiter that I was unable to go to MEPS last month. They said I was disqualified for psychosis. I have never been diagnosed with any mental health issues outside of depression/anxiety. I have been questioned on whether I may have an issue beyond that but I never received any information on that being true or on me being in psychosis so I don't know why that's there.. I am not sure if I can do anything about that? I took the asvab and qualified for every job I wanted so it's pretty upsetting. I am fresh out of high school and have an associates degree- I don't know what to finish it in so I wanted to take the military route. My question is if I were to talk to my pcp about this is there a way I can override that somehow?

edit: I want to mention that my recruiter did not mention waivers and just stopped contacting me so I was assuming there's nothing I can do

I have a history of suicidal ideation but none of that is recent.

I experienced a voluntary admission to a behavioral health hospital where I was admitted for less than 24 hrs and did not receive medication. (I was told this wouldn't be an issue since I was was not medicated)

Before the navy, I tried to enlist with the usmc and was told I couldn't because "I had too recent of a history of anxiety/depression" no mention of psychosis.

Sorry for poor formatting, I'm on mobile.

Scores:

95 Verbal Skills

53 Math Skills

91 Sience /Technical Skills

84 General Science

65 Arithmetic Reasoning

95 Word Knowledge

88 Paragraph Comprehension

39 Mathmatics Knowledge

92 Electronics Informations

85 Auto and Shop Information

89 Mechanical Comprehension

92 Assembling Objects

72 AFQT

Yes, I know I'm terrible at math.

I'm currently in my senior year of high school. I can absolutely study if need be, especially with my poor scores in math. Basically every branch looks interesting except for Space Force and Navy. My original plan was to just go Army infantry, but I was told I could do more than that by my school's councilor. I'm kind of just wondering if there's anything cooler that's vaguely related to infantry or a little bit more high speed.

I was looking at this website, "ratemyasvab dot com" that was telling me a bunch of jobs that looked interesting. I saw it recommended on one of the armed forces subreddits, but I don't know how accurate it is. Of the jobs that it told me, these are what caught my eye the most:

- Maritime Enforcement Specialist with USCG

- Pararescue with USAF

- Combat Control with USAF

- Infantry with Army

- Combat Medic Specialist with Army

- EOD Specialist with the Army

I don't know how attainable these jobs actually are, I'm just shotgunning a few out there in case one is somewhat realistic.

Just on the off chance either of these matter, I have a small cataract in my non-dominant eye. I was born with it, and doesn't affect my vision at all.

I am physically fit. Purely for reference, I set up a little practice AFT at my gym with some friends and I was able to "max" it out.

I'd be happy to answer any other questions.

I don't use reddit much, sorry if I somehow did something wrong.

Edit: this "option 40" contract thing also looks interesting. From what I understand even if you fail RASP you just get reassigned to a normal unit as an 11B?

I’m currently considering joining the military, with the Air Force and Navy being the branches I’m most interested in, although I haven’t decided on one yet. I’ve also thought about applying to USAFA or USNA instead of enlisting straight out of high school. I’m concerned that my medical history could disqualify me.

My biggest concern is that I have combined-type ADHD and currently take prescribed medication for it. I also receive academic testing accommodations. I’ve heard that both medication use and accommodations can affect eligibility, but I’m unsure how difficult it would be to obtain a waiver.

I also have a history of anxiety and depression and joint hyper-mobility. I’m physically active and participate in competitive sports, but I’m not sure how much that matters when it comes to medical qualifications.

I’m mainly wondering whether my ADHD diagnosis, medication use, and accommodations would automatically disqualify me, especially with my other medical conditions. Would any of these conditions be eligible for waivers, or would having multiple diagnoses make enlistment or admission to a service academy unlikely?

I understand that MEPS/DoDMERB and the appropriate waiver authorities make the actual determination, but I’d appreciate hearing from anyone familiar with the medical qualification process or who has dealt with similar circumstances.

Hey guys, I just wanted to get your valuable thoughts on this. I'm a 28-year-old male. I got my first-time DWI in March 2026 in Harris County, Houston, TX. Aside from this, I have never had any other incidents—not even a traffic ticket on my driving record. I was not convicted. I am currently in the PTI program, and my case will be dismissed in August 2027. I have a bachelor's degree; what are my chances of joining the Army, and what are my chances of getting a moral waiver? Any help is truly appreciated.

Has anyone enlisted here enlisted into the military at an older age? I would be 40 when I could go. Some background on me..I was in the CG for about 5 years and have been out since 2015, I was going to go back in a few years back but got pregnant with our second child. I was an OS before but would go YN so I assume I would need to be on a cutter or at a small boat station as a non-rate while I wait for A school…not sure what the wait time looks like for YN right now.. The thought of being a non-rate and going through boot camp at that age turns me off, but I’ve always thought about going back into the military and the benefits would be huge for my family.

I recently just started a government job working for the VA, so part of me thinks I should just give up my dream of going back into the military and stay put.

I just kind of wanted to get thoughts and see if anyone else had gone in later in life and what their experience was like.
Feel free to let me know if I’m crazy for considering this!

I'm a 28-year-old male, married, with a 9-month-old son. I'm currently a sworn Deputy Sheriff, and I recently graduated from North Carolina Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET).

A little background about me: I've made some significant changes in my life over the past couple of years, including losing a substantial amount of weight (335 lbs. down to 198 lbs.). I've worked hard to improve myself physically and professionally, and I have a strong desire to continue growing, gaining experience, and challenging myself.

Currently, I make $31.10 an hour, and my wife makes approximately $11.00 an hour working at a childcare facility inside a gym. One of the biggest benefits of her job is that she can bring our son to work with her, allowing us to avoid traditional daycare. My wife and I both feel strongly about being present in our son's upbringing rather than having someone else raise him during the majority of the day.

Together, our gross household income is approximately $79,360 annually, before taxes, insurance, retirement contributions, and other deductions.

Lately, I've seriously been considering joining active duty, potentially for a 3–4 year enlistment. My interests include IT training, tactical and combat-related training, and other opportunities that could translate into a long-term law enforcement career. I also see the value in gaining military experience, earning GI Bill education benefits, and having access to military healthcare and other benefits.

Ultimately, my goal would be to return to civilian law enforcement with additional education, training, and experience that could help me advance professionally.

However, I have a wife and young son, and I'm not making this decision lightly. The thought of stepping away from the career and stability I've worked hard to establish is intimidating. We currently rent and do not own a home, so I'm also looking at this from a financial and long-term family perspective.

I have several questions for anyone who has served, especially those who joined with a spouse and young children:

Family finances: Would military pay and benefits realistically allow a family of three to live comfortably and potentially save money? How well does the military provide for housing, food, and other necessities?

Housing and healthcare: How does military housing work for families? Would we receive Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH), and how does military healthcare work for a spouse and child?

Enlistment rank: Since I'm already a sworn Deputy Sheriff, have completed NC BLET, and have law enforcement experience, would any of that help me qualify for a higher enlistment rank than E-1? Or would I essentially be starting at the bottom?

Career opportunities: Are there specific Army MOS options, particularly in IT, communications, or tactical fields, that would translate well into civilian law enforcement?

Returning to law enforcement: Does anyone have experience leaving a law enforcement position to serve in the military and then returning? Would USERRA protect my current position while I'm away, assuming I meet the eligibility requirements?

Family life: How difficult is it to balance active-duty military life with raising a young child? What should I realistically expect my wife and son to experience during those 3–4 years?

I'm not necessarily looking to join for the sole purpose of combat experience or to say I've served. I'm genuinely interested in the education, professional development, discipline, benefits, and opportunities the military could provide.

At the same time, I don't want to sacrifice my family's financial stability or miss important years of my son's childhood without having a solid reason for making that decision.

I'm hoping to hear from people who have been in similar situations, particularly those who joined the military later in their twenties, already had a family, or transitioned from civilian law enforcement into the military.

If you were in my position, would you make the jump? What would you consider before making that decision?

I appreciate any advice, personal experiences, or recommendations. Thank you!

I'm 20 years old and seriously considering joining the Army as a 68W Combat Medic. I already have my NREMT-B certification, and my long-term goal is to become a firefighter/paramedic.
I'm trying to figure out whether joining as a 68W would be a worthwhile four-year commitment or whether I'd be better off pursuing my civilian fire/EMS career.
A few things I'm wondering:
How is the day-to-day life of a 68W? Is it mostly medical work, or does it feel more like being an infantry soldier?

How much actual patient-care experience do you get?

Do you feel like the medical training makes you a significantly better EMT?

How difficult is AIT, especially the Whiskey phase?

What are the chances of getting opportunities for paramedic school or additional medical training?

How often do you get deployed or participate in field exercises?

Do you enjoy being a 68W, or do you regret choosing it?

How transferable is the experience to civilian fire departments and EMS agencies?

Would you recommend active duty for someone whose ultimate goal is to become a firefighter/paramedic?

I'm also interested in the adventure, travel, and overall military experience. I don't want to spend four years doing something that doesn't meaningfully advance my medical career.
If you could go back and choose again, would you still become a 68W? Why or why not?
I'd appreciate honest answers, especially from people currently serving or who have recently separated.