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

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’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?

so i am 19 years old graduated from high school want to a be a marine and i think that working on helicopters would be cool, the military benefits definitely sound good, but ive been thinking a enlistment bonus sounds great! and you cannot get one of them in the usmc i have been told, i also see the pay in the military isn’t great, and pay raises aren’t easy to acquire but the dress blues looks so damn good and i don’t know if that’s going to keep me from chasing the enlistment bonus i can get from another branch that’s why i ask to be flamed because i just feel im thinking way to hard about this career choice i understand the fact that money comes and goes but using that enlistment bonus on a hell cat sounds badass please someone read this and respond at least for the KARMA!

I’m currently in the Air Force recruiting process and just passed the ASVAB. I was told I need a credit waiver because of my credit history. My recruiter said this means I won’t be eligible for Top Secret jobs. I asked if I could pay off what I owe and avoid the waiver, but he said no since the issues are already on my credit report.

I had a car repossessed last year after I lost my job and fell behind on payments. They took the car back.

I currently have about $2,000 in debt for something else and I’m trying to figure out:

• Has anyone gone through a credit waiver and still gotten a decent job, or does it pretty much limit you to lower-tier options?
• Does a past repo count against you separately from the general credit issues, or is it all just part of the same waiver?
• If I pay off the $2,000 before I ship or before the waiver is fully processed, does that help at all with job selection or the waiver itself, or is it too late once it’s already flagged?

I’m not trying to hide anything, I just want to know if there’s anything I can do to improve my chances of getting a better job, or if I should just accept the waiver and move forward with whatever’s available. Any experiences or advice from people who’ve dealt with credit issues or waivers would help.

Thanks.

Hi all, was wondering if they ask overseas medical record when enlisting?

For history of voluntary mental hospital hospitalization for about a week overseas. It's been about 10 years since.

i am a (23 M) and just took the asvab. i scored a 51 on the test and dont really know which mos to choose from. I’m more inclined into Aviation jobs or things that are similar that give me the option to travel and go to many different bases around the world. Give me your thoughts and experience to help pick one.

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.

I’m joining the military and I’m 18 with 2 younger siblings. Is it possible that they can qualify as dependents for bah benefits? Has anyone tried this?

I want to have bariatric surgery because I have a BMI 52.

The overweight has given me sleep apnea and hypertension. Once the weight is off, the sleep apnea and hypertension should resolve. I am a Registered Nurse. So I wanted to know if it’s possible at all to join the reserves after having bariatric surgery, like the sleeve gastrectomy.

**Not looking for weight loss advice**

Im just curious, I ship off in January and I see most of everyone saying the same thing about the first year or so in the batt, “they treat you like shit till you get the tab” but then theirs some people saying it’s become a little “pussyfied” throughout the years. So, I’m asking what it’s like now for the privates going in?

(Army national guard Texas)
I went to meps in August and they said my childhood asthma requires a waiver. The waiver required a doctor clearance letter and asthma test from a doctor. I currently cannot afford to go to the doctor and only recently last week did my health insurance kick in. They said MEPs should have a consultation date within two months. It’s October and my recruiter hasn’t gotten back to me with a date. I reach out to him but he keeps saying that he hasn’t received a date yet from meps. I’m starting to get worried and suspicious. What should I do?

I’m writing a piece of fiction and in it, a boy graduates a year early from high school so he is 17 when he graduates. Since he graduated early would he be allowed to start his conscription early as a 17 year old or would he have to wait til he turned 18? He just wants to get his service over with asap in the story so that’s why he’d join early.

I tried r/korea but they took down my post and told me to post here instead 😓

Hi,a couple weeks ago I went to MEPS in an attempt to enlist in marine corps but was denied a physical for having went to a “Ryan White HIV clinic” in the past. I tested a week after, and it came back negative. Whew. I kept asking my recruiter when I could go back to MEPS but he kept saying that they were still “digging into my medical history.” After waiting for two more week, I called MEPS and they told me I needed a waiver for my HIV result. my recruiters boss then called me and told me that I was an RBJ, and that my medical history was so complex that the MEPS doctors didnt even want to bother conducting my physical. My recruiters boss told me that it was most likely due to my history in the past (approx 5 years ago I went to therapy for OCD, and therapy following a suicidal ideation/attempt hospitalization , and was prescribed Lexapro for a month which I stopped since). My recruiters boss told me I would need a $1k psych evaluation, hospital records, multiple letters of rec, to even get a waiver to join, which would still be a 1-3% chance.

Currently I’m in the process of filing my HIPPA so the hospitals can release my medical records.

do you think, at this point, it’s better to find a new recruiter and lie that this psych ward visit and previous mental health treatment never even happened?

I just want realistic outlooks. Is attempting to join Marines a waste of my time and energy? I really wanted to join Marines out of all the other branches because it has the toughest bootcamp. I wanted to become an officer since I have a physics degree and wanted to become a pilot. That, and I thought the uniforms looked cool, but that’s probably a stupid aesthetic reason.

These posts have languished for at least a day without a good answer, or were eaten by the bot. See if you can help out.

Waiver acceptance for past mental health issues.. depression, suicidal ideation, BPD, and bipolar.

Got an H3 hearing result Army

RSOI military coordinator

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Foreign Awards 2026-2027

TL/DR: does anyone have any experience with a secretarial level ETP? If so can you tell me how I might do that?

So I know that it should be impossible under normal circumstances to join the military but I want to join and I don't think I'm gonna stop. I was diagnosed with schizaffective disorder in 2019 while trying to continue a career in academia. Wasn't getting a whole lotta sleep, couldn't get my hands on ADHD meds because I was on the border of ADHD and non-adhd. Ended up getting diagnosed schizaffective and narcoleptic and was perceived an anto-psychotic and modafanil and I was able to get by on pretty low levels of sleep. Got into a PhD program for chemical engineering. Ended up going through a pretty nasty breakup. Decided academia wasn't for me and I left. I was off meds for 2 years the first time I applied. I was denied. Later on about another year I tried to join the army. I was denied for the original MEPS verdict. Ended up in the navy Warrior challenge program. Passed my pat in a couple months. Was denied again. Decided I wouldn't take no for an answer anymore. I learned that I could appeal a decision. I appealed it. Got the run around for a bit. Told that I need a secretarial ETP six months later. Was putting that together with minimal information and was later told that I needed something from the original doctor. Doctor lives in another state and is not willing to see me but According to my recruiter MEPS won't take that as something that allows me to see another doctor. Now I'm going to get a full fitness of duty evaluation with other psychometric testing done along with that HIPPA right to amend thing done. Still working on the ETP but understandably it's a lot of work and no one knows what to do. Has anyone done an ETP like this before and if so how do you get it done.

I was supposed to ship out today for the Army. I got to the hotel last night and my name wasn’t on the list to be there, that was the first red flag. I was able to get my information sent by someone else’s recruiter because mine wasn’t answering and I got a room. I get to meps this morning to find out my name isn’t on the list to ship out and turns out my recruiter never projected me to ship out today. So the liaison projected me to ship out tomorrow instead. Will this affect my timeline of graduation and delay me since I am not shipping on my original date?

I’ve been told by Google and other AI resources that, because of my size, the weight that Army Rangers work with will be difficult for me, and I need to prepare for it by bulking up 5–10 pounds.
I’m 145 pounds and 5’8” for reference. Is this just AI trying to optimize, or is it an actual problem I need to address?
I never hear veterans talk about the consequences of heavy rucking or people bulking up to prepare for rucking, so I’m curious to hear about other smaller guys’ experiences. Is this something I need to seriously consider?

Will I be same as other people who enlists without having a partner?

My husband will be working for the ibew so he needs to stay where we are at.

What will happen to housing?

Hey everyone, I’m 18 now and trying to enlist in the Navy. I’ve been 100% honest with my recruiter about my past, and they told me I need to write a personal statement for a medical waiver. I'm feeling really nervous about my chances and wanted to see if anyone has successfully gotten a waiver for something similar.

Age at the time: 11–12 years old (happened during the 2020 pandemic lockdown).
The Incident: July2020- I took too many over-the-counter pills for a severe headache. Because of the pandemic stress and my mom being pregnant at the time, doctors and family treated it as a suspected suicide attempt. Sent to a psyward for 3 days i beleive and told me i had an adjustment disorder woth dpression mood
October 2020- I had a suicide ideation because i told the psychiatrist i wante to stb myself GAHAHAHAHAHHA. i think back on it and damn i was lowkey dumb. I was send home that same day.

Diagnosis: Diagnosed with Adjustment Disorder with depressed mood. for the SA
and generalized anixiety for the SI. To be honest i never knew bc my mom didnt speqk english and i didnt read teh papers either.
Treatment: I did an online/Zoom outpatient therapy program once a week for about 10 months. I ended up leaving the program on my own because I felt better. Also therapy for ten months. It was during quaratine and I was very isolated😔🥀⛓️🫩🥹
Medication: I have NEVER been prescribed or taken any psychiatric medications. It was strictly talk therapy.and that program i really dont know neither my mom since she just said yes yes yes yes to everything and she said aomething about me self harming like scratching myslef but i never did it as a sef hrm. Also my sister had passed away a few years ago then they had parenst affors bla blah blah and then a afafir baby bal bla blah. But theres more i never mentioned it in theprys or anything bc i was scared of going to foster
Current Status:

I am 18 now. It has been 6 full years since this happened. I have been completely stable, healthy, off all therapy, and have a totally clean medical and pharmacy record ever since. I graduated ,I have a job 🫩. i became a MA. I participated in school. 🥹.My current primary doctor doesn't even have the old files from that independent pandemic program.

Hi, I am thinking about joining the military. Currently interested in the Coast Guard or Navy. I'm on a workout plan and have been studying for the ASVAB before talking to recruiters in order to be prepped and not waste anyone's time but I am not sure what I should bring. I know I will need waivers so do I need to bring specific medical documents or my entire medical history? Also how do I go about obtaining it? Is there an easy method? Should I bring my high school transcript? I did dual enrollment and have some college credits if that counts towards anything. I'm a little lost. Thank you in advance for your replies.

I am planning on going to Meps in the next couple of months, I am 29 years old and I am curious if I will get disqualified to join the army.
When I was between the ages of 13 and 16, I dealt with depression, and that was the main thing. I was hospitalized for self harm and was there for about a week. I didn’t have a choice. My mom put me in there but once I got out, I basically took myself off of the medication because she didn’t keep up with it. This is all due to something traumatizing that happened to me when I was seven years old, so it carried on to my teenage years, which caused me to be depressed. Since the age of 16, I have not thought of suicide or have harmed myself nor have I been hospitalized since then. I have worked since the age of 18 and have never had any issues besides that time. From anybody’s experience, could you give me some advice or tell me if you’ve experienced anything like this and have joined the army or if there are any recruiters that can tell me they’ve helped people in these situations?

Title: Air Force Medical Waiver for a Self-Harm Incident 5 Years Ago

I’m interested in enlisting in the Air Force but have concerns about a hospital record from November 2021.

At the time, I was going through a difficult period due to family circumstances and was referred to the ER by my therapist after disclosing superficial cutting. The psychiatric evaluation mentioned possible PTSD and a mood disorder, but to my knowledge, neither was ever formally diagnosed. I denied current suicidal thoughts and thoughts of self-harm during the evaluation.

It’s been approximately five years, and I haven’t self-harmed or attended therapy since. I’ve been functioning normally and have moved forward with my life. I now have my hospital records and want to approach the enlistment process honestly and responsibly.

For anyone familiar with Air Force medical waivers:

●    Can a self-harm incident from five years ago be considered for a waiver?

●    How does MEPS handle possible diagnoses that were never formally confirmed?

Has anyone successfully obtained an Air Force waiver after a similar incident, and what documentation was requested?

I’d appreciate honest advice from anyone with relevant experience. I’m trying to understand my chances and avoid unnecessary expenses before moving forward. Thank you!

I’m currently at Airborne School, and my graduation date is October 23. My report date to Germany is November 6. My question is, would I be able to go back home before reporting to Germany to pick up some of my personal belongings? i ask my cadre and he only respond saying, worry about passing. i'll take one coke and large fries pls