Military Vets/Currently Service: I need advice!

[Feared]

Re: Military Vets/Currently Service: I need advice!

Congrats, and good luck.

btw did they show you this vid when they were trying to get you signed?

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7zmME1byKFw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Darn you 20th century Fox, for removing all the good quality versions...

[AUChase]

Re: Military Vets/Currently Service: I need advice!

Good luck bro. Do they still do the duck walk at MEPS? I hope you enjoy the Navy.

Yeah they pretty much make you move your arms, do the duck walk thing, go from standing to your knees and back from your knees to standing without using hands and then walking on your heels.

Congrats, and good luck.

btw did they show you this vid when they were trying to get you signed?

<iframe height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7zmME1byKFw" frameBorder="0" width="420" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

Darn you 20th century Fox, for removing all the good quality versions...

Nope, they didn't show any videos.

After the medical portion, which was the worst, I spent most of my day watching How I Met Your Mother in the waiting room.

[oneamongthefence]

Yeah they pretty much make you move your arms, do the duck walk thing, go from standing to your knees and back from your knees to standing without using hands and then walking on your heels.




Nope, they didn't show any videos.

After the medical portion, which was the worst, I spent most of my day watching How I Met Your Mother in the waiting room.

No turn your head and cough?

From my fingers to your eyes...

[Rocky]

Re: Military Vets/Currently Service: I need advice!

Good luck...I'm a Captain in the Army. I've been to some crap places but met alot of good people. Let me know if you have any questions!

[seasprite]

Re: Military Vets/Currently Service: I need advice!

Good luck...I'm a Captain in the Army. I've been to some crap places but met alot of good people. Let me know if you have any questions!

Thank you for your service

[DonkeyJote]

Re: Military Vets/Currently Service: I need advice!

A big part of me wishes I'd have served. My dad did 20 years, and didn't want me or my sister to join after that, so that was part of the reason I never did, but I still sometimes wish I had done it anyway. So congrats on taking the leap.

[ubernoob]

Re: Military Vets/Currently Service: I need advice!

Get ready for the political game, especially at the enlisted level.

I'm sure Rocky can attest to this even at his level, get ready to do a lot of stuff that makes no sense. Your hands are tied in that regard.

Also, as a lower enlisted (even though you are going in at an older age than most people that will be your grade) be ready to be treated like you are an idiot. It's for the greater good. You will often wonder how some of these people made it through basic. I know after my time at SoI (USMC School of Infantry) we still had quite a few... less mentally proficient... people that were in my unit. The stories I have though from the both longest&shortest 4 years of my life. I had it a bit tougher than a lot of the other jobs, but the basics are still the same. Accept the fact that you will be treated like a child for a time, prove to everyone through your actions that you deserve more freedom & promotion and just do your best.

You'll get out of the military what you put in, more so than anything else I've done in my life.

[AUChase]

Re: Military Vets/Currently Service: I need advice!

I hve mentioned it before, but my girlfriend (who I actually met at MEPS) has been extremely helpful. Her dad is a retired Chief in the Navy and he's been trying to help me with any questions.

It's weird, her family has really embraced me over the past few weeks and she says they have nver been like that wth anyone before. They seem genuinely interested in helping without me even asking. This girl is beyond smart. She's going in as a Cryptologic Linquist and scored 116 on her DLAB.

She's been pushing me like crazy to run and been really helpful.

Thanks for the tips and advice, guys!

[Gotmadskillzson]

Re: Military Vets/Currently Service: I need advice!

Man......you might have to marry this woman. She seems so awesome. I would so hate for you to lose touch with her because of boot camp and A School.

[AUChase]

Re: Military Vets/Currently Service: I need advice!

Man......you might have to marry this woman. She seems so awesome. I would so hate for you to lose touch with her because of boot camp and A School.

I'm in a weird place these days. A place that's un familiar and leaves me feeling stupid sometimes.. lol.

I've fallen for this girl like I'm a dumb 16 years old kid in HS. We really do connect on a level I didn't think was possible, considering the girls from this town I have dated. It's one of those things that's tough to put into words.

[AUChase]

Re: Military Vets/Currently Service: I need advice!

Update:

I went back to Montgomery for my second time Monday night and stayed in the hotel over night and then back to MEPS again Tuesday morning.

I went on a day where the majority of people were shipping out so I was in with them with their final check with the doctor and weigh ins.

I weighed 226 when I first went to MEPS and they diagnosed me with hypertension (irregular heartbeat) along with high blood pressure. So that was two red flags that disqualified me.

I didn't let it stop me. I cut sweets, sodas, fried foods, and the majority of my alcohol for a month and start running more. I dropped from 226 down to 208 and weighed in right at 208 Tuesday morning.

My blood pressure had to be checked three consecutive days by a qualified person, so I got my step mom to do it for me. MEPS accepted the form and the waiver on their end, but the doctor in Nashville still has to approve it.

He approved my weight loss and bmi (total bmi was 22 when I was there the first time and when I returned) so I'm good there.

I had to make three written statements on my physical activity, blood pressure, and pulse. We decided to chalk the high blood pressure up to just being nervous. Now we are waiting for the doctor in Nashville to say yes, no, or I have to see a specialist first.

They are helping me any way they can at MEPS because they see I'm trying to fix things, especially dropping 18 pounds in less than a month.

I should know something by tomorrow at the latest.

I'm hoping the doctor just says yes, because I did the three day check and things were okay. If he does, I'll make one final trip to MEPS to talk jobs. If I have to see a specialist, I'll be back in montgomery a third time to see a specialist and if things are good then back again a fourth time. I really don't want to go through that. I'm tired of waiting and sitting all day in lobbies in the unknown.

It was an interesting day, considering most people were shipping out.. It was good for me to see a bunch of positive spirits about everything.

So.. all that's stopping me is one final waiver for having high blood pressure on my first trip to MEPS.. let's hope he just says yes. I have had really bad luck with a lot of things over the past few years. I haven't mentioned much of it on here, but I really have. I need something positive to happen.

[dickey1331]

Hopefully he says yes. When I was in Mayport for TSTA I talked to a few Navy guys and it was interesting to see how much was different and the same with their boats.

[AUChase]

Re: Military Vets/Currently Service: I need advice!

MEPS and getting a small taste of the military has opened my eyes to a lot all ready. I think just meeting a bunch of people enlisting and hearing different thoughts and opinions has done a lot for me. I can't really talk to any of my family about what's going on in my head these days. They can't relate to anything on my mind really. It sucks, but I've always been sort of distant with the majority of my family, except for my very immediate fam.. nothing new.

For example, I haven't heard from any of them much since they found out I was enlisting, except my mom, dad, sister, and grandmothers.

I jumped head first into all of this at first, but having to come back to MEPS a second time really gave me time to think about things every more and helped me reassure myself that it's really what I want to do.

The money they spend putting us up in nice *** hotels is a little much, honestly. I stayed in a ridiculous hotel last night. The roof had a full gym, running track, pool, hot tub, etc. There were rich people and conference rooms everywhere. I asked for a glass of water at dinner and they brought it to me in a small wine glass with a lemon.. that's how they serve every drink, even tea..

Some of the stereotypes are non existant. There were two really attractive girls shipping out for the Marines.. last time most girls are going Air Force or reserve and a few to the Navy.

[BatsareBugs]

Re: Military Vets/Currently Service: I need advice!

It's kind of interesting seeing someone else go through a similar process I was in last year. I was the DEP program for 9 months and before that spent 2 months between my application and job offer.

[Crimsontide27]

Re: Military Vets/Currently Service: I need advice!

MEPS and getting a small taste of the military has opened my eyes to a lot all ready. I think just meeting a bunch of people enlisting and hearing different thoughts and opinions has done a lot for me. I can't really talk to any of my family about what's going on in my head these days. They can't relate to anything on my mind really. It sucks, but I've always been sort of distant with the majority of my family, except for my very immediate fam.. nothing new.

For example, I haven't heard from any of them much since they found out I was enlisting, except my mom, dad, sister, and grandmothers.

I jumped head first into all of this at first, but having to come back to MEPS a second time really gave me time to think about things every more and helped me reassure myself that it's really what I want to do.

The money they spend putting us up in nice *** hotels is a little much, honestly. I stayed in a ridiculous hotel last night. The roof had a full gym, running track, pool, hot tub, etc. There were rich people and conference rooms everywhere. I asked for a glass of water at dinner and they brought it to me in a small wine glass with a lemon.. that's how they serve every drink, even tea..

Some of the stereotypes are non existant. There were two really attractive girls shipping out for the Marines.. last time most girls are going Air Force or reserve and a few to the Navy.

Youll hear many stories, some true...some not. Youll hear everything from this is the greatest experience of someones life down to it was the very worst experience of anyones life and it could all be true from their perspective.

MEPS is certainly not the military though. They do everything they can to be nice to you and get you to sign on the dotted line and swear your allegience and oath and what not then you are shipped out for the fun to begin.

Depending on what branch, what training facility, what MOS you pick...what Battalion / Company / Platoon / Squad you are in could all have a direct influence on your time in service.

About the cost of hotels....they offer the goverment per diem rate to soliders in situations like these and when they are on active orders. So depending on where you are at...even if the hotel you are staying in is $1000 a night, the govt most likely paid around $140ish for it. We stayed at the Peabody for 2 nights in Memphis for less than $100 a night for example.