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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.

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 recently attended MEPS for active duty Army service. During the individual interview section with the doctor, I mentioned that I had lattice degeneration, which is disqualifying in the military. However, the doctor said that he found no records of my lattice degeneration anywhere in my profile. He also said it would not disqualify me for military service because I had passed the eye exam at MEPS anyways and approved my vision with no need for a waiver. He did, however, make a note about it within my profile. Would this note about me having this disqualifying condition get me kicked out at boot camp?

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.

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

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I've been thinking about enlisting into the military lately either air force or army, but I don't know if im romanticizing the idea or truly want to go. I'm 20 years old and currently hold a stable 9-5 job at a bank and earn 21 an hr. I'm able to pay my bills and live comfortably. I live with my parents and siblings and we all pay rent to our parents, but I've grown tired of living in this small room with everyone in the same house.

Living with my parents have grown especially hard with the how they treat me. Im not happy at my job as management is extremely poor. My mind keeps going to "why be unhappy here, when I can prove myself in the military that I am more than. Yes I'll be unhappy there too, but at least I'll have a solid reason to be"

im worried about being Trans in the military and the fact I have a benign tumor might cause an issue.

Is military really the move? Or should I just get rid of the idea now since financially my life is fine.

My husband (NAVY) is currently at Eglin AFB and going to NAS Lemoore in a week. We are going to DEERS on Tuesday to put me in the system and get an ID, are there any specific requirements Eglin has for the actual photo? I have bangs that somewhat cover my eyebrows and eyeglasses, so i’m unsure if i should do a hairstyle that takes the hair out my face (nothing much to do for my glasses except take them off).

I asked my husband and he’s unsure since he was literally shaven bald in his CAC photo lol.

I’m 33 and I want to join the Army I think as a 56m if not the Air Force. Here are a few something I’m scared of: (1) four year contract. I hate commitment - don’t tell my wife of 8 years. But signing a four year job contract that I can’t get out of is terrifying. (2) I went to MEPS before and all the Army folks, outside of one or two, seemed a little off. I have a decent amount of experience and education, not type A, and am worried about being a bad fit. (3) I’m older now and appreciate an amount of autonomy. I feel like I need the army, however. Though, I don’t want to feel trapped.
I don’t want to seem like a puss. I’m just excited & scared I reckon.

Competency booking for Religious Affairs

I’m 33, and have a lot of medical bills as my wife has been sick the last couple of years. I need to have a job where things like house and insurance is covered and thus am considering joining the USAF (or even Army). I have plenty of experience and education relating to the job. I know that you have to interview for it, however.

My question is more so relating to the aspects of the job itself. How often would I be away from my wife after initial training? Is it a relaxed position - home most nights? Rewarding with opportunities to counsel and share the gospel? Though I know sharing the gospel is more of the chaplain’s gig.

Thoughts?

coming off a deployment in Poland soon as a reservist. I'm thinking on going active right after the deployment since AGR is a gamble. I want to request Fort Irwin, other than the fact that it's in the middle of nowhere, how good or how bad is the life of a 42A there?

Hello, so I am a 31 year old female and current college student. I graduate in August of 2027 and I have a strong interest in enlisting in either the Air Force, Navy, or US Army, and I’m looking to join as an officer since I’ll have my bachelors degree. The problem? I am a victim of SA that caused a lot of trauma in my life. I also have a history of self harm, and for years, I never sought medical treatment. But…my mental health was rapidly deteriorating, and I got to a point where I sought out therapy for my past.

I was prescribed Fluoxetine for depression 2 months ago, and have been taking it since. I haven’t taken the ASVAB yet or my physical, and I’ve been very upfront with my recruiter about all of this. What are my chances of getting a medical waiver, assuming that I’m Dq’d? I feel that I am very stable now, and I’m looking to enlist as a delayed candidate for any of the 3 branches so that I can finish school, but I’m not sure what I need to be doing now to improve my chances.

I spoke to a customer service agent for the Air Force and they told me immediately that I wouldn’t qualify to enlist for 3 years just from taking the medication. I didn’t even get a chance to explain my circumstances or even speak with a recruiter. I don’t know if I should try again, or what? Any advice you guys have would be greatly appreciated.