For those of you who do not know, I have recently started my journey into the U.S. Air Force! So during the course of time, I thought I would update you guys on what exactly happens when you enlist and etc. I don't regret my decision to join whatsoever, however I know there were a lot of questions unanswered prior to joining and will attempt to walk you through what it's like through my experiences.
It starts with going to your first Meps visit, it will be a little different depending where you are located but the concept is the same. Early April of this year I was scheduled so this is quite recent for those planning on going.
Things to do before you leave: Clean your ears real good, take a backpack with a change of clothes etc. and something to read!!! (I made that mistake, but you only need it for the hotel because you can't use it in meps) and remember your papers!!!!!
It was a pretty long ride there to LA which is the city my meps station was located. I was dropped off at the hotel first, I did go with someone in my group, but the friend I had a ride with got split up because he had to take the ASVAB at the station while I had already taken the paper version during high school. The hotel was really nice for me including free diner and free breakfast. A lot of different branches of military recruits there as well (who will be going to meps with you), I got to know them because I knew it was going to be a long day. Get ready to wake up at like 3 in the morning for breakfast, and then run to the bus for meps and (try) to beat everyone there afterwards! The quicker you are, the faster it will go. It will still feel really long though. We shortly arrived at meps and lined up in 4 lines in front of the center. First you go through all their metal detectors then you have to store your belongings in a secure room (backpack etc.) and wait for your branch officers to arrive. Mine being Air Force there weren't very many recruits compared to the other branches as far as my visit went.
You get your ID sticker etc. and line up stairs where you will be spending the majority of the day in (my physical tests room etc. was all upstairs) you get your blood pressure taken, you have a listening test with some big uncomfortable headphones, you take the eye exam/reading aloud test, urine sample for drugs, your body looked at by a trained doctor, and last but not least the duck walk (and other exercises, not hard, more like stretches and wasn't as bad as it seemed). After that you get to have free lunch! Hurry up though you don't want to keep the officers waiting downstairs! You then finally take a weightlifting test (up to 100, from ground to over your shoulders) then pick your jobs from a list of what you are qualified for (I had to choose 10 jobs and an aptitude)! You do not get your choice right there and then. You have to wait months to get what job you are chosen for ((remember, if you didn't pick it, you don't have to accept that job)(and you could end up getting a job that week as well)) but regardless of situation, you get your first swear in, which makes the whole hurry up and wait experience of your first meps visit well worth it!
How it went for me: It took me 4 months to hear what AFSC I was chosen for, (for which I am currently on month 5 in DEP) I can't wait for basic training in January (makes my total DEP wait time 10 months) but well worth the wait seeing that I was chosen to got to tech school for Air Traffic Controlling. For now going to the monthly DEP meetings which are fun, all I got was an AF T-shirt while I hear tons of other things from other people getting all sorts of cool stuff, but I'm not worried. We have had 1 pizza party due to the whole DEP group I am in being able to pass the minimum requirements for basic training. We usually still do the run, pushups, and situps, but this last meeting was football and lunges. It really depend on what your recruiter feels like. I was able to meet the requirement by just following these plans
One Hundred Push-ups Program.
Two Hundred Sit-ups Program.
Couch to 5k (visual)
Feel free to ask any questions and I will gladly answer!
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