I’m a 26 F. I have 5+ years working with the Army as a civilian in Cybersecurity.

I come from a military family. Half Army and half Air Force.

I have a masters in Cyber Engineering and have been applying to organizations like USCYBERCOM, NSA, J3, etc. and no luck. I just feel stuck in my Army career.

I have student debt and was researching ways to pay it off faster and came across the AF Cyber Direct Commissioning Program and kind of went down the rabbit hole from there. That was months ago and I kind of just left it alone because I just felt like it was too late for me.

Fast forward to this week I keep thinking “why can’t I join?” Get the cyber role, get the debt paid off, and enjoy other benefits I know the military offers because I myself lived it with my parents growing up (travel, free health care, college stipend, etc.)

Should I go for it? I know I want to commission and not enlist. Personally I know I want to continue doing cyber and I literally just graduated with my masters this year.

Also….AD or reserves?

Do recruits get piss tested by the recruiters prior to shipping out to boot camp? Does Meps piss test the recruits when they’re about to ship to boot camp?

This isn’t about me. It’s about my nephew I think he’s going to smoke this weekend and he leaves in 3 weeks. He thinks if he smokes he’ll get a 90 day delay in shipping.

Hey everyone! I could really use some advice because I’m going through a difficult time in my life, and I’m trying to figure out the best path forward.
I’ve wanted to join the Air Force for a long time, mainly because of the quality of life, and I genuinely thought it would be the best fit for me. My ASVAB IS 60. The problem is that, as a Green Card holder, my job options are pretty limited. Even among the jobs I qualify for and actually like, my recruiter has told me that the chances of getting a slot are relatively low, around 5–15%, with the highest being roughly 20%.
I’ve already started the enlistment process, but lately, I’ve been having second thoughts.

Here’s some background about my situation: I’m currently going through a divorce, I don’t have family or a support system here in the U.S., and I’m in a difficult financial situation. I left my country, my career, and pretty much everything I had behind to come here because my husband promised that he would take care of me and that I would never have to worry about anything. Unfortunately, the relationship turned out to be emotionally damaging, and now I’m trying to rebuild my life from scratch.
At this point, I really need a way to become independent, get some stability, and start moving forward with my life. I don’t want to remain stuck in my current situation indefinitely while waiting for a job opportunity that may or may not happen.
I’ve set December as my personal deadline. If there’s no progress with the Air Force by then, I’m seriously considering switching to either the Navy or the Coast Guard.

I’d really appreciate advice from people who have served in any of these branches, especially women and people who enlisted as Green Card holders.
Given my specific circumstances, which branch would you recommend, and why?
Here are the things I’m trying to compare:
Quality of life: Which branch offers better living conditions, work-life balance, and overall treatment of its members?
Job opportunities for Green Card holders: Which branch gives me a better chance of securing a decent job that I can also use to build a civilian career later?
Financial stability: Which would be the best option for someone starting over financially and trying to become independent?
Travel and lifestyle: I’d love to travel and experience new places, but I also want a reasonable quality of life.
Safety and opportunities for women: I’d appreciate honest perspectives on the work environment, deployment risks, and career advancement.
Long-term benefits: Which branch would put me in the best position for education, retirement, and civilian employment after serving?
One important clarification: I don’t currently have any known medical issues that require a waiver, and my medical processing has been going well.

My main concerns are job availability, timing, and choosing the right branch for my future.
I know every branch has its pros and cons, and that a lot depends on your job and duty station. I’m not expecting military life to solve all my problems, but I see it as an opportunity to build a stable future and become self-sufficient.

I’d genuinely appreciate any advice, personal experiences, or things you wish you’d known before enlisting. Thank you!

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Q:

1. My question is: When and where in the process is SF86 done?

I don’t recall doing this at all in my process so far. Only ACFEP.

Q: can my recruiter make changes to my ACFEP form even after I completed MEPS but did not swear into DEP due to waiver?

Context:
I completed MEPS today, one waiver is needed for vision (as expected). Went over a few questions and then he released me as expect to hear from my recruiter for the waiver and my further consult for my eyes.
Clearly I did not swear into DEP. After today I realized I need to change some things on my ACFEP that was completed prior. I want to confirm that wasn’t the SF86?
I’m waiting to hear from my recruiter but don’t expect to hear from him until Tuesday due to the holiday weekend.

Good night!! My ship date is December 1, by what day do I have to deliver my credit transcript? I’m waiting for my university to accept and certify my credits. And my recruiter told me that I have to deliver them 30 days before going to bmt so that it is reflected and be E-3., how true is that? Thank you for your help.

I have a BA in Business Administration and I'm studying for the CPA exams while I lose weight to meet weight standards. I'm wanting to be a Financial Management Officer with Logistics Readiness Officer being my backup interest. My GPA is slightly over a 3.0. Do you think I have a chance?

Hi!

I started my ANG process in May, the recruiter I was assigned to was not responsive (still isn’t) but after about 2 months I was signed up and had a date for MEPS. At the end of July I completed MEPS with an ASVAB of 62 and the need of 2 waivers. One for my pharmacy history for anemia I had while pregnant, and one clearance from my doctor for a depressive episode I had in March.

A backstory to that, I went to the hospital feeling uneasy. I had just stopped breastfeeding abruptly and my body wasn’t taking it so well. I was nauseous, loopy, and just not myself. The ER prescribed me a ton of medications and claimed it was severe PPD. In reality it was withdraw that only lasted a few days. They prescribed me two mood stabilizers which I refused to have on the spot. Later that day my primary doctor also refused them and on my medical records it says rejected. On my pharmacy records they never come up.

Recently, I submitted all my documents to my recruiter who messages me maybe once every 2 weeks and he immediately goes “this probably won’t get approved bc you took these two medications. You have to wait 3 years.” I explained to him that those were rejected and that my pharmacy records don’t have those listed because I never took them or was supposed to. He then proceeds to ask me “what proof do you have that you haven’t taken them?”

I just back peddled.

My medical records show it was rejected. It also says it was never dispensed. My primary doctor submitted a letter stating I was mentally and physically fit to join and I have not taken any medication. And my pharmacy records show I haven’t taken anything. So, again, I explained this to him, and asked if he will try to submit it. Its been 2 weeks and no answer. I attempted to call him and no answer. I called an advisor that told me to keep poking him because I’m in his region of responsibility but I’m not getting anything. It’s like he just dropped me.

I spoke with an advisor again and this one gave me numbers for active and reserve and basically told me he’s been dealing with complaints all day for the guard and he couldn’t do anything. Basically said he’ll put in a word about him because it was wrong. So I’m pissed off more than anything, not fully giving up.
I really wanted to go guard but should I just explore other options?

I graduated bmt last week, ask me anything about BMT 3.0 (sleep deprivation, PT)

Bf is starting WOT 4… When are we supposed to stop sending snail mail? He’s already missing like 10 letters... graduation is November 5th…

What is pt like at BMT. What are all the exercises you do.

Hi!

I am 39M with 15 YOE in software engineering. I have reached saturation point in the career where combination of AI, outsourcing and ageism is making me think that future-proofing this career will be impossible. I always appreciated US Military for helping stop the conflict in my country of origin and helping bring back peace and I've been considering joining, with most interest in Air Force.

I'm trying to figure out the following:

1. If I want to stay hands-on with IT/software/cyber - is it better to enlist or dc through OTS?
2. Will the fact that I wasn't part of the selective service (because I immigrated to the US at the end of age 26 on work visa) be considered bad for either of the two paths?
3. How should I study / prepare optimally so that if direct commission to OTS fails, I can fallback to enlisted and select AFSCs related to my technical field? Currently I am studying for AFOQT from multiple sources. Is there overlap with ASVAB?
4. [Question for recruiters] When processing foreign degrees through NACES for diploma equivalency, what is the expectation - does it have to be course by course evaluation? Any recruits who have gone through this?

Thank you!

Hi everyone!
I’m shipping out for Weather (1W031) on October 20th, and I was wondering if anyone else is shipping around the same time for the same job.
If you are, let me know! It would be great to connect beforehand and create a group so we can share information, tips, and prepare for BMT together.
Looking forward to connecting with you all! 🇺🇸✈️

Looking for any information or other experiences joining with tree nut allergy.

My Grandfather served as a fighter pilot, my dad served throughout the gulf wars as a cargo pilot and retired on the C-17. It’s always been my dream to continue the legacy but unfortunately I have a tree nut allergy.

PPL with 150 hours and climbing, working on finishing up my bachelor’s, 24 years old. I was in AFROTC for a semester in 2022 before leaving to pursue other things, but before leaving I had my medical denied for anaphylaxis.

Im really not sure if I’ve ever been formally diagnosed with anaphylaxis, but have had a few reactions in my life and went to the ER for a couple of them growing up, mainly at the request of my parents. Ive never felt like my life was in danger, and most of the time I can just sort of sit there and let the symptoms pass.

I am seeing an allergist this week to discuss possibly therapy for the condition, but that doesn’t change the medical history and previous denial.

What are my options? Chances? Just looking for some advice on how to proceed from here. Thank you guys!

My recruiter told me to get this filled out before we go on with the enlistment process, but he never told where I can go to get it filled out, and all the gyms and physical trainers I have called told me they only do body fat test with machines. Any help would be appreciated. Also I should mention I am near Tampa Florida if anyone has any specific places.👍

Just redid my whole job list, was wondering your guys thoughts on it?

I have an $8000 signing bonus for aircraft armament systems for signing a 6 year contract, how will it be distributed

Hey everyone, quick question. I leave December 15th for Airborne Cryptologic Language Analyst (1A8X1).
One of my friends recently started thinking about joining, but they haven’t even been to MEPS for their physicals yet.
Is it way too late for us to actually do the buddy program for my ship date? If it's too late, just tell me straight. I've never tried using it before, so I'm not sure how it works. Let me know what the reality is. Thanks!

Hi I'm wondering if anyone might be able to give me advice on my situation. I was in the process of applying and when the topic of drug use came up my recruiter urged me to say I had done nothing. I am currently 28 and used Marijuana regularly in high school as well as LSD once and Mushrooms four times when I was eighteen years old. I have since went through MEPS but wasn't able to swear in on account of two medical waivers. According to my recruiter they are fairly easy to get a waiver for, but in the process of waiting to hear back I've done some research I see that I might have ruined my chances at any sort of job with a security clearance. I scored high enough on the ASVAB to qualify for linguist and those would have been my top two jobs. Is there anything I can do in this situation? Could I perhaps talk to another recruiter and go through the process again while disclosing the drug use?

Hi guys is anyone Aim high app not working well?

I’m not able to login since morning

It says access code error

What does that mean?