Just found out I leave Tuesday instead of the few months I thought I was waiting. Give me all the good advice so I can read it before meps lol. What should I pack? Anything helps wish me luck!
I used to scroll for hours trying to pick up any advice prior to my ship out date, so now it’s only fair to give any advice i picked up on. My flight earned commanders excellence and pacer forge excellence. I was also an Element Leader. Ask me anything!
A little about me:
28 yr old female
Job: 1N0X1 All Source Intelligence
Tech school: Goodfellow AFB
I am heading to MEPS next week and I am nervous for my ASVAB. I will be taking the electronic version of it. I recently graduated from college so people assume it will be a breeze but I studied business (marketing). I have not done math in years and even when I did I always had a calculator.
I have been studying the best that I can from “ASVAB for Dummies 2026/27” and my math memory is coming back, however, some practice questions in here seem pretty tough.
Anyways, I want to hear some experiences people have had with it. Anyone do better than they thought? If so, how did you prepare? Is there a better way to prepare in your opinion?
What was the hardest section/part for you?
Thanks all.
Long time lurker of the forum first time poster. Been interested in joining for awhile now. Took my asvab today and got an overall score of 70. I’m content with that considering I didn’t study. Just curious how the recruitment process has been for everyone else so far, has it been quick? How is your relationship with your recruiter? I only had one meeting and then one or two phone calls then I went to Meps by myself and took the asvab and I hope to go take the medical side of things next week if a slot is open
So long story short I've been in the process for a couple of months now, I did the ASVAB, Physical, got my medical waivers approved, and I am about to do my swearing in ceremony in a week. I was just offered a job by my recruiter which is Geospatial Intelligence which wasn't on my radar previously but looking more into it, I'm definitely interested of possibly doing it.
I hadn't received a job list by my recruiter so I did my own research based on the jobs I qualified for and found I was interested in either Fire Protection, Pest Management, or Diagnostic Imaging. I know that jobs aren't guaranteed and its based on the needs of the air force but I was hoping to at least make a top 10 of the ones I would want. So my question was should I ask for a job list again (I initially asked but he seemed pretty adamant on me taking this job) or should I just go ahead and accept it.
Some other notes I really want to join the Air Force and was hoping to get a job that sent me to basic the fastest which seems to be Geospatial Intelligence currently.
I’m currently in the process of enlisting in the Air Force. I spoke with my friend in the Air Force and they highly recommended that I switch to apply as an officer.
I’ve always heard how competitive the process is, so when he was adamant on me applying as an officer it threw me off.
Now I’m not sure what to do. My current recruiter is awesome, but I also don’t want to miss any better opportunities.
I’m trying to shoot for honor grad when I go to BMT. One of the things I’m worried about is my 341 getting pull because I’ve seen videos say it’s super common and they’ll do it for almost anything. I know it’s obviously some exaggeration but I just wanted to know if it’s something I should be worried about?
I’m still waiting for my financial waiver to be approved (should be soon). Haven’t taken MEPS yet but I will be taking the EDPT test within the next month. Any insight on the jobs listed would be great, I just want to know what to expect or any info you may have!
I'm shipping soon and I have been watching JOIs every night to get better at quickly following orders while under pressure but wondering what else I could be doing.
Ever since I’ve wanted to join the military I’ve always been interested in EOD and Loadmaster. Now that I am actually going through with it I am doing more research to prepare myself for what I need to be prepared for job wise and I’ve learned that Loadmaster was put into a category with 2 other jobs under “Mobility force aviation” and I learned that you have no choice in which job they put you in boom, loadmaster, and I think the other one was engineer if I’m not mistaken.
My main question is if anyone was able to “shred out” into another job under Mobility force aviation specifically loadmaster under any aircraft? I heard about FTA but I’m not sure about any of it if anyone had anymore information they would be willing to spill the beans to me for because if it’s not easy to “shredout” I do not want to put it down for my job options
I'm making this post because I used to watch this subreddit obsessively while I was in the DEP, and I wanted to make a post when I got out of MEPS, but that ended up not happening. This post isn't meant as a warning; I just wanted to talk about my experience.
I was first interested in joining the AF after my junior year of high school. After I ended up failing my second semester, I was looking for ways to still be able to chase my dream of computer science despite my college admissions failures. After doing a lot of research, I was set on enlisting and trying for a Cyber job.
I drove myself to my local recruiting station, and two months later, I was at home taking the PICAT. Despite guessing on half of the engineering section, I managed to get a 99/99, and I had to spend 10 minutes convincing my recruiter I didn't cheat. MEPS went well until I sat down with the doctor, and the system flagged me for ADHD(which I had been expecting) and a voluntary survey I took during a particularly shitty time in high school. I tried to argue my case, but she told me I’d still need a waiver for the ADHD diagnosis I had. After getting a waiver and a second round at MEPS, I was through, and it was just a matter of waiting for a call.
Out of the top jobs I put down, there was one that stood out to me(1B4X1), but from what I could see, the chances of getting it were a long shot. For some reason, it required a specific test(EDPT) that was described to me as an “IQ test, but easier.” It was confusing at first, and I was convinced I had put up an abysmal performance. When the result came back as a 76(I had needed a 75), I was able to breathe a sigh of relief and try not to think about what that said about my intelligence. You can imagine my shock when I got a call on a random Tuesday evening that I had been picked up for cyber warfare operations in the Space Force. My ship date was set for the Summer I graduated from high school.
I spent the remainder of my Senior year coasting as I waited. I had to get interviewed for a security clearance, but other than some questions about my ADHD(which I already had a waiver for), it was smooth sailing. Fast forward to three weeks before I was supposed to ship out, and my plans were completely upended. After a night of partying, I was walking home from my friend's house, and in the darkness, I tripped and sprained my ankle. I didn't even realize it at first, and I limped myself home, but the next day, to my horror, I realized my ankle was massively swollen. I was convinced I had ruined my life. I spent the next two weeks frantically doing everything I could to make the swelling go down. I had it constantly iced and elevated, and I even started going to a PT out of desperation.
Four days before my ship date, I got hit with a sucker punch of a call that made the stress of the past 3 weeks feel like a weekend vacation. My recruiter unceremoniously informed me that due to my Security Clearance not clearing(because of Adhd medication that was on my prescription records from a few months in High School), I was no longer eligible for my job, and my ship date was canceled. This ended up upending my life pretty hard, and I was left scrambling and trying to figure out what I was going to do with my life.
I’m not posting this to complain about what happened. The needs of the Air Force and all that. I’ve been at community college for two years now, and things are no longer as depressing(I’m writing this post after all). However, to people who are planning their life around the Air Force, I'm hoping this emphasizes the importance of having a backup plan and not letting something like this ruin your life.
My mother works in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in my home country (I’m an immigrant and LPR with a green card) and there’s fear that she might offer an avenue for me to get influenced by the foreign government. Our relationship is purely filial and she and I don’t talk about anything of the sort regarding anything risky. I want to prove this so I can join the Air Force cause I’d be heartbroken if my mother’s avenue of a living ends up being a factor for ruining my future goals. What do I do ? Any help is greatly appreciated.
Hi guys, took the Picat and ASVAB and got a 99. I wanted to give some advice because I scoured Reddit before I took my exam.
To preface, I finished high school, am almost done with college, and math has always been my strongest subject.
I recommend ASVAB for dummies for overall content. I used it to refresh my knowledge on certain math formulas and science. I also did all of the practice tests within that book. It helped me learn the necessary basics for mechanical and technical sections of the exam.
I also utilized Gemini to create mock exams. This was an awesome tool and helped me become familiar with difficult topics.
Grammar hero was AWESOME. I watched the majority of his videos from the past year and made sure I understood all of the content in them.
Prior to starting this process, I had no knowledge on electronics, auto, or shop, and limited on mechanical. After 3 weeks of studying using these methods, I was able to score high across all sections.
I hope this helps :)
Hey y’all, I went to the recruitment office on Monday, and while there the recruiter told me about MHS Genesis. My question is
When I was 12, I admitted to my friend that I was having suicidal ideations, and he went to the middle school counselor. My parents got involved and I spent about a week in a psychiatric hospital. While there, they diagnosed me with MDD, GAD, ADHD, and an undiagnosable personality disorder. I lied a lot because I just wanted to get out of the hospital and they took my lying as a sign of a personality disorder, most likely ASPD.
After that week, over the course of the next 2 years, I was in and out of mental hospitals because my parents wanted me to get the help I “needed”. I was 14 when I last was admitted for a long term inpatient stay, for about 2.5 months. I was put on a plethora of medications, and those continued on and off until the beginning of this year when I stopped taking my medications.
I’ve never attempted suicide, but I was told by Google and ChatGPT that this mental health history could be a disqualification once I get to MEPS. I’m worried about this, but I’ve had other people tell me (some who have served) that I’ll be okay since my last hospitalization was when I was 14, and I’m turning 23 this August.
Any ideas from y’all? What are my chances of getting disqualified from serving?
Edit to add: under the advice of my dad, who also served in the army and marine corps, I didn’t disclose any of this to the recruiter or on my questionnaire
Just got back from meps. I need 2-3 waivers.
The first is for IBS, which I didn’t know I was formally diagnosed with. In 2025, I was dealing with constipation. The GI doctor (which I visited Oct 2025) thought it might be IBS, and prescribed me a trial of Linzess. However, I found out that the constipation was a result of too much fiber. I was eating 1-2 Quest bars a day (18 g of fiber each) plus a bunch of fruits and vegetables. This isn’t an issue for me anymore, and I never continued with the medication. I’m planning on meeting with the doctor in 2 weeks to get a note clarifying it was a misdiagnosis, is that okay?
The second is for irregular menstrual cycles. I didn’t have my period from August 2025-February 2026 because I was unknowingly over exercising and under eating. I went to the OB and ended up going on birth control for a couple weeks, but I stopped. I’ve had 2 normal menstrual cycles. Idk how that waiver process will go.
The last is kind of up the air. They left my psych portion open and it is in a 5 day review because it was in my record that I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. I didn’t even know. The depression was noted for early 2019, but the only thing I can find in my record is 1 positive depression screening in mid 2020. The anxiety is because I was nervous about the mysterious constipation so the doctor wrote that I have anxiety. There might be some other earlier notes about me being nervous, but I’m not sure.
Does anyone have any advice on this stuff?
TLDR: I know it’s very AFSC dependent, but what sort of expectations are there about using personal devices for communicating or completing work related tasks?
I’ll preface by stating that I know all if not most AFSCs (especially those that require a TS clearance) prohibit any (sensitive or not) work data to exist on any non-sanctioned devices.
More so for non-TS AFSCs, how is this done in practice? What I’m getting at specifically is that we all know smartphones and tablets can do a lot when it comes to productivity and connectivity, especially when paired with other machines, tools, or programs (some non Air Force examples: John Deere machinery app, GPS app companion, Camera companion, Project management tasks tracker, etc.).
Is there an expectation you’ll just download the app on your own phone (if you have one) and use it to do your job?
And regarding communication, is your phone the end all, be all for communication (how else would a supervisor get a hold of somebody)? I understand that if somebody is on-call at a specific location, then an office phone or a Teams ping might be used instead.
I bring this topic up because my old job (small company) was very much like
> “We respect your personal and work life balance, so don’t use your personal devices for work”
but in reality it was actually like
> “Well, we need you to set up 2FA authentication to log into this account so use your phone to download this app and/or provide your personal phone number. Also, sorry but we don’t have the budget to provide a work smartphone for you”.
and
> "Where's John? We need to ask him something"
> "John's out in the field right now"
> "Call his phone, it's important"
Ultimately it was hard to push back because literally everybody but the CEO was using their personal devices for work even though we weren’t supposed to.
I think what I might end up doing is buying a refurbished, older model iPhone or Android and getting the cheapest phone plan so that I can designate that as my work phone and keep it entirely separate from my personal phone. It will suck having to pay out of pocket for a work phone but the peace of mind that I would get will be worth it. TIA for any insight.
Hello I'm shipping out in July my ship-out date but I'm nervous about the intense summer heat in Texas. what was your experience shipping out in the summer ?
Hey everyone, I just finished my Air Force physical at MEPS. Everything went fine except for my eyes, and I got temporarily disqualified pending a waiver/consult process.
I’m trying to figure out what happens next and how long this whole process usually takes. How long did it take you guys to get the eye consult scheduled, get the waiver approved, and actually get into DEP?
Also, after the waiver gets approved, what are the next steps? Do you go straight into DEP after that, or is there more waiting/paperwork?
Just trying to get a rough timeline from people who’ve been through it already. Thanks. Im about a -4.6 -4.5