r/Militaryfaq

Hello everyone I’m a 21m trying to join coastguard. I wanted to join for the betterment of my wife and son as well as to do law enforcement later on.

My only issue is that all the way up until now I’ve been lying about my drug use(weed) as I was worried my waiver for depression as a minor would not be approved since they both happened during the same time frame.

When I was in high school I smoked 5 times to be exact and stopped before 18 when I got my first real job. Only a handful of people know ,about 5 friends and my parents which I’m sure of wouldn’t snitch on me. I haven’t turned in my sf86 just yet.

I want to do what’s right and come clean and make things right as I shouldn’t have lied in the first place which was entirely my decision. But I also want to what’s best for my family as me enlisting would dramatically improve our life for the better and bring us out of poverty.

I’m absolutely shattered by my decision and know I have screwed up. Any advice on what to expect or what to do would be greatly appreciated.

I'm interested joining any branch except the marines once I graduate highschool. Both education and Healthcare are expensive, and I think the structure found in daily life in the military will help me. I've been specifically thinking about foreign language analysis.

However, I've been diagnosed with both autism along with hypotonia since I was a toddler and anxiety since I was around 10. I know I could definitely get waivers for those, especially since not many people have been joining these past years compared to the last few decades.

My main worry is that im currently prescribed with both Fluoxetine and Clonidine. Those are both disqualifying to my knowledge, even with waivers. Plus, you have to wait a long time after stopping the meds before you can join.

Its also worth noting that I'm also transgender with diagnosed gender dysphoria, which as of now entirely prevents me from joining. However, I graduate highschool in 2028, and plan on helping around my family's house until a Democrat is elected, which I feel is likely to be in 2028. So its not something I'm too worried about. (No arguing in the comments please, this is just relevant to my situation)

So I'd like to ask, how likely is it for me to even be able to enlist? If it is possible, which branch would be the most doable?

Edit since I forgot: I also currently have an IEP, and I heard having one of those above 14 could be a cause for trouble.

Edit 2: I'd also like to mention that clonidine is only for sleep and attention issues not severe enough to warrant an adhd diagnosis. I can probably get off of it without problem. Fluoxetine could be not helping or even be making my anxiety worse. I heard you can be given meds while on active duty, you just cant enter while you're on them.

Also if you're curious on what hypotonia is, that's just the medical term for low muscle tone, which leads to pretty bad stamina and balance. It shouldn't be too big of an issue considering my case is mild, I have years before I join, and can do cardio + other exercises to prepare.

I am thinking about joining the military. I was thinking of the army or air force. I was thinking air force because of the better quality of life, but i dont want to wait months so i thought about army. The jobs i thought about for army were 12M,31k,15T so far. I know 12M and 31K are very rare so 15T was my next option, it sounds like a very cool and fun job cuz i know u can go crew chief. For air force i thought loadmaster and firefighter. I don’t know which job or branch to choose. I want a fun cool job that i enjoy but also a decent work life balance to have free time to my self.

if I were an E-4 11B in the 82nd Airborne and had already completed sniper training and was actively serving in a sniper, then decided to volunteer for the 75th Ranger Regiment, what would happen after I passed RASP 1?

Would I potentially be able to go directly into a sniper position in the Regiment because of my previous experience and qualifications, or would I initially be assigned as a regular 11B/rifleman and have to earn a sniper position within the Regiment?

I’m 22 and seriously considering making a major career change, and I’d really appreciate some honest advice from people who have actually served.
Right now I work remotely in Medicare insurance. The job is good, I’m grateful for it, and honestly I don’t hate it. But I spend most of my day staring at a computer screen, and lately I’ve been feeling like I’m lacking a sense of purpose.
I want to make a real, physical impact on people’s lives and consistently challenge myself to become the best version of myself—physically, mentally, and morally.
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Growing up, my uncle was in the Air Force, and I actually lived with him for a short period of time. He used to show me different careers on the Air Force website, and some of them stuck with me. Being an F-22 pilot was one of my childhood dream jobs, along with TACP and PJ.
Obviously, those were dreams I had as a kid, and now that I’m older I’m trying to be realistic. I’ve never been the biggest, strongest, smartest, or fastest person in the room. What I do know about myself is that I don’t quit easily, and if I tell myself I’m going to accomplish something, I follow through.
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Part of me regrets not joining earlier. I’m 22 now, and I keep thinking that if I don’t at least try, I might look back years from now and wonder what would have happened if I had taken the leap. My biggest problem right now is getting good information. I’d like to talk to a recruiter, but the recruiting offices around me are only open while I’m working. I also don’t really want my first exposure to the military to be a sales pitch about why someone’s branch is the best.
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I want honest opinions from people who have been there.
So if you were 22 again and in my position:
Would you stay in the civilian workforce or take the leap and join?
If you’d join:
What branch would you choose?
What jobs would you pursue?
Would you recommend trying for SOF immediately or starting somewhere else?
How would you approach recruiters?
What do you wish you knew before signing your contract?
Is pursuing something like PJ/TACP/SR actually attainable or am I overthinking?
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Thank yall in advance for answers cause right now I only have my uncle who’s in the airforce and my other buddy who’s in the army mainly helping me decide. I just want some others opinions. If I were to join my dream would still be to become a PJ, TACP, or SR. But my more attainable jobs that I think I’d like would be civil affairs in the army or a RPA pilot in the airforce and maybe being a SERE specialist.

I only completed high school with like 1 year of college but dropped out and got my insurance license

My name is Jessica I’m a 29 year old female and I have 3 kids all under the age of 6. My 6 yr old is staying with a relative to go to a good school district so I don’t have guardianship of her but I have my two boys (2yr. 4yr) I am married but the relationship isn’t good and I’m leaning towards divorce but He is a good father. He has said he would watch the kids while I went to basic training if that’s what I decided to do. Ihave had a horrible life growing up so I don’t have a lot of options, resources or support. Joining the military is something I 100% WANT but it’s also my only option to make something of myself also. I have no legal charges or anything I don’t get into trouble. I tried going back to school but due to a turbulent life growing up I found myself homeless at 18 when I first started college and they failed me for all classes I didn’t attend and dropped my GPA so I no longer get financial aid and would have to pay out of pocket for it. Ihave 8 days to drop my classes or try to file an appeal with The Board Of Education (I’ve tried before and they denied me and I have 30 days for them to reach a decision) I don’t have 30 days to wait I only have 8 and it’s a gamble if they will accept the appeal or not. I’m leaning more on joining the Navy, but I’m sure it has its price as well. Any advice or anything that can help is greatly appreciated. Idk what to do with my life but I want better! If you have joined with kids please let me know what the hardest part was or what challenges nobody told you about. Thank you anyone and everyone who responds!!!!!

Just quit and been clean for a week now, I don’t smoke heavy amounts of weed and only buy weed pens from my dispo shop around the corner that only contain 2 grams of oil, now that I wanna join the military, I have been researching for how long I should wait until I can go to MEPS

Some say two months, others say more, of course I will be honest with my recruiter so he can push it back if anything, but I wanna know how many I should realistically wait even though I smoked basically nothing since it’s oil and not a herb. You get high but I doubt it’s in your metabolism for long, since am not smoking grams in one session, just small does of a 2 gram.

Give some advice for a bozo 18 yr old.

Title?

Even with 368

Hi I’m 22 & I graduate with my bachelors this upcoming Spring. I was planning on trying to commission into the Air Force as a civilian but I had a question about a past mistake I made. When i was 19-20 I was working with LAPD and made a claim against a Sgt for sexual harassment. That said Sgt then made a counterclaim against me for falsifying time one day (which sadly I did do, I know it’s dumb but I wasn’t thinking about the consequences then when it happened). An investigation opened up and they closed the case as sustained and marked my employee packet as me being a dishonest person. I guess my question is how hard would it be for me to actually commission if I wanted to or is there absolutely no possibility of me doing so?

Defeated. I got DQ due to “suicidal attempt” on my record. It was from 2023.
In the doctor’s notes they state “I am unsure if this was a SA.” Regardless, I’ve already filled out the forms and spoken to the hospital to amend my record.
Should I wait it out and see if I can get a waiver once it’s amended, or would I have better luck with the Navy or Army?

I’ve already been accepted into OTS, and I’ve been completely upfront with my recruiter about everything. He told me that what I have should be waivable, but I also know that waivers are handled on a case-by-case basis. I’m not worried about the paperwork or the process itself—I’m more just looking to see if anyone else has been through something similar and can share their experience.

I went to therapy for a total of four months, with my last session being about 34 months ago—so almost three years. In total, I had seven sessions, and the final one was just to let my therapist know I was doing really well. The reason I went was because my grandmother became very ill and nearly went septic, and around the same time, my newly adopted cat also almost died. I was living with my grandmother at the time, and I felt a lot of fear and responsibility about possibly losing her. I had never lost anyone close to me or even a pet before, so I sought therapy mainly to learn healthy grief coping skills, since my grandmother is very open about death and actually encouraged me to talk to someone in case she passed.

During that time, I was prescribed gabapentin, which is not an SSRI, and it was only meant to be taken as needed. My therapist mentioned it might take a few weeks to start working, so I probably took it for about three to four weeks just to see if it would help with my anxiety around my grandmother’s health. I didn't really use it after that. My therapist did give me a second bottle before I went back to school, in case my grandmother passed while I was away, but I never touched that one and eventually threw it away when I cleaned out my room. I’m not entirely sure what my therapist’s notes say, but I assume they mention anxiety or depression—though I want to be clear that all of it was strictly situational and tied to grief.

Before that four-month period and after it ended, I have never had any other mental health struggles. I also want to emphasize that I have never had any suicidal thoughts or thoughts of self-harm—this was purely about grief and learning to handle the emotions that came with it. None of this ever affected my schoolwork or my job. In fact, during that same time, I was working as a lifeguard and even saved a few kids from drowning, so I was still fully functioning and performing well in high-stress situations.

Since that time in my life, my grandmother has gone through chemo, I’ve had a few childhood pets pass away, and I’m currently helping one of my cats through chemo as well. I never crashed hard mentally again because I truly learned so much from therapy. I see life differently now, and I understand that grief is an unfortunate part of it. Honestly, in a way, I feel like going through that made me more suitable to wear the uniform—being able to handle grief well is such an important skill in the military, even if they might not see it that way right away.

I have no problem with needing a waiver or gathering whatever paperwork is required. If MEPS wants me to see a doctor for a current evaluation, I’d gladly do that too. My old therapist did say she would write a note in my medical records confirming that this was situational, but she couldn’t give me an official "all clear" unless I scheduled a new session with her, since we haven’t spoken in three years. I mentioned that to my recruiter, and he told me to just wait and see what the MEPS team asks for.

So my main question is—has anyone here gone through a waiver process for something like this? Specifically, situational therapy for grief, no ongoing issues, no medication in years, and a solid track record of functioning well since then? I’d really appreciate hearing any experiences or advice. Thanks in advance.

Prior service Active E-6 trying to go from guard to active again. I am 4 months from ETS and trying to figure out if I should extend and attempt a 368 or fully ETS and try coming back in as a prior service applicant. I have heard mixed things from different recruiters on whether or not I will need to take a MEPS physical if I am green on MEDPROS. The main concerns I have about the medical screening are:

1. Cystic acne resulting in accutane over a decade ago that had been dealt with and now minor acne treatment for small spots.

2. Two documented concussions

3. Gilbert’s syndrome.

4. Childhood asthma with AFAIK no prescriptions past age 13.

I am also concerned about potential for keeping my MOS if I fully ETS instead of pushing the 368. My state tends to take >6 months to return 368s.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

19f, trying to enlist in the U.S Army right now. Covid screwed my entire BH history at age 15. With the help of my recruiter, I had FFDE done and was met with success. However, MEPS found that my gender dysphoria was mistakenly listed as active. I am not currently Transgender or Transexual, nor did I ever have any interest in medication or hormone therapy. I had stated I wanted to use different pronouns at age 15.

How likely would a waiver be approved? To reiterate , I am NOT transgender, but I have history of gender dysphoria. Very distinct difference despite there is next to no public information from the DOW. a bit worried.

...I cant tell you how much I want to drop kick my past self, I was so close to joining. Right now, I'm working minimum wage at a factory full time as a machine operator. I need a change of scenery fast.

Hi, I need help understanding if my decision could be wrong. I’m 26 and got my Bachelors in Kinesiology but wanted to continue my education towards PTD (Physical Therapy Doctorate) or pursue another Bachelors in a technical field.

I originally wanted join the air force but was told my cross tattoo needed at least half a inch gone to meet guidelines, so I’ve considered the Army due to the timeframe it would take for that part of the tattoo to not be visible.

Part of me feels like I should go Active Duty for one contract and the other part says keep going and choose Guard. I keep getting told that I should just do a 4 yr active duty contract because of disability being harder to achieve, along benefits being longer to obtain. But I’m also told that it’s harder to go from Guard to Active if I don’t like it. My gpa overall is a 2.9, but my Bachelors gpa was a 3.3. Just need clarification on how you guys chose your route, and where you happy with it.

(Note: My goal is not disability it’s using the funding of my tuition being paid and setting myself up financially)

I am 17 and hoping to enlist next month.
I was diagnosed with asthma at age 3. I continued receiving prescriptions for an inhaler until last December, when I realized I wanted to join the Army. I have not experienced any asthma symptoms since I was 11 or 12, but my mom continued picking up the prescription. I have also passed a pulmonary function test.
Would I be able to get a waiver for this?

I’m 18, a senior in high school. My plan was to take as many DC classes as possible before graduation. However, those classes have been discontinued. So, I’ve been considering graduating early and joining the military to obtain my green card. Then, I’d attend a public college for two years to complete most of my requirements and finish the remaining two years at a private college. However, I’ve been informed that I must already have a green card to enlisting in the military. I’ve tried dating to marry and obtain a green card through that route, but it hasn’t been successful either.

Is there anything I can do? I just feel lost and that everything I’ve done has been pointless…

29, out of shape, smooth brained but not too much of an idiot.

I wear glasses and I've had surgery on my right foot. All 4 metatarsals we're mangled except my big toe. I weigh 290 and I haven't been active besides my 9-5 in hazmat.

I don't mind being the "old man" or being under someone younger. I've been in the field long enough to stfu and do my job.

I would love to use this opportunity to pursue more education and an opportunity to better myself. I'm all about trying to do better.

Any advice or pointers you could give me? How likely am I to pass the recruitment if I talk to a recruiter? I feel like i may not be up to par so a bit nervous I'll get turned away at the door.

Ok so backstory
I enlisted when I was 17 because of my environment no general drive to do something
Do to that living situation.

I only made it 8 weeks into us army BCT
I called it quits do to several issues of which are now not an issue.
I will discuss them with recruiters or people trying to help but it’s a lot and I’m still not sure how to give a short and to the point version of things
I got an els (general under honorable conditions) RE3 sep code JGA
I have deep regrets about leaving things unfinished,failing myself,and failing those around me those that believed in me
2 years later I still can’t shake it
I’m willing to do what it takes and however long it takes.

IF there is any recruiters who specialize in this
Or are otherwise willing to help me

Vets or service members actively serving
Ik some of you will want to shame me that’s fine

But if on the off chance some of you have advice I would be grateful for any.

Thank you.

Edit:I’m aware that I am eligible for Reenlistment in both the us army and navy
I’m willing to do either
And willing to do reserve or active for either as well.

I was born in America but lived my whole life in Brazil. Just turned 18 and discovered about the Selective Service System. For the next two years, I will be living in Brazil, but once I turn 20, I will move to the US to college. However, the website to register for the selective service is not available in Brazil. It simply won't open, I've searched online and discovered that others had similar problems.

But I was wondering, since I won't be living in the US for the next two years, can I just register when I turn 20, when I move there and be able to access the website? Does it make any differences if I register now or in two years?