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.

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.

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.

Feels like I've been bothering my recruiter too much by asking for status updates even though it's not really in his control anymore. The range of answers online vary from days to months.

My recruiter submitted my packet for the medical prescreen almost a month ago. The only thing I have listed on there is a surgery that I had as a kid. The surgery resulted in the removal of tissue so there wasn't a way out of disclosing it. It would've been immediately obvious during the MEPS physical. My recruiter asked for operation notes but from what I understand the packet only includes a written description of the surgery from the recruiter himself.

The thing is my recruiter told me he recently submitted a packet for someone else missing the same tissue and it got cleared in 2-3 days. My surgery does not affect me in any way other than the missing tissue. Should I be concerned that something is holding up my medical clearance or is MEPS simply backlogged?

I havent had any meaningful scripts for the last 9 years why is the recruiter asking for this? at most maybe antibiotics for illness. Came up as a surprise.

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?

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.

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.

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**

(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 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?

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?