The Military Entrance Processing Experience, Step by Step

The Military Entrance Processing Experience, Step by StepThe Military Entrance Processing Experience, Step by StepYouve walked into a military recruitment center and indicated your willingness to serve your country. A military recruiter has pre-screened you and determined that you are avalid candidate. You sign some paperwork. What happens next? Heres what happens, step by step, on Day 1 of your life in the U.S. military. Before Entry Processing Strictly speaking, youre leid in the military yet. Youre headed to a military entry processing station, or MEPS, where you will be accepted or disqualified for service. (As youll soon learn, the military has an acronym for everything.) The day will begin back in your recruiters office, where youll complete any leftover paperwork and get a briefing about what is to come. Then, the recruiter will drive you to the nearest MEPS or put you on a military shuttle that takes you there. If youre on a shuttle, youll find yourself in the company of military professionals as well as newbies like you who are on the move from any and every branch of the services. Some will likely be shippers, meaning that theyre headed for basic training. Arriving at MEPS As soon as you arrive, youll be escorted to the main control desk. There are two important rules to remember Dont wear anything on your head, not even a hat, sunglasses, or headphonesDont put your feet up on the chairs Otherwise, just use common sense. Youre in a federal building. Dont carry any weapons, dont use profane language, and most certainly do not harass your female counterparts waiting in line. At the desk, youll turn over some paperwork sent with you by the recruiter. The officer at the desk may also ask if you want to use the restroom. The answer is yes. You are about to take a long and important test. The ASVAB That test is the Armed Services Vocational AptitudeBattery (ASVB) and the room where it is taken is your first stop. Its a bit like the college entra nce SAT exams, except it covers more subject areas like electronics and car maintenance. Its no good trying to study for it. Its a test of general knowledge, and if you know nothing about car maintenance you might make it up in the math section. At the End of the Day Once youve completed the test, youll be put on a shuttle to a hotel. Youll be warned not to get drunk or cause trouble, but surely you dont need to hear that. Still, you can loosen up a little and make a friend to share dinner with later on. At the hotel, youll just tell the folks at the front desk that you are military, and theyll send you where you need to go. Youll probably have a roommate. While there, you are responsible for any room charges like movies or phone calls. The military picks up the tab for the room. Go get yourself some dinner, enjoy the company of those around you, and get some sleep. Your 430 a.m. wake-up call will come entirely too early. Day Two The shuttle back to MEPS will leave no later than 500 a.m. Once there, youll line up with everyone else in an entry area, be debriefed about entering the building, and then walk through metal detectors in single file. Be quiet. Even if you know the routine and youve been here before, be quiet. You dont want to annoy a Marine sergeant at dawn. The Liaison At this point, youll be assigned a liaison who will check you in with the branch of the services you are seeking to enter. Youll sign papers, get a nametag, and answer a few questions about your physical health and habits. Thats because you are about to undergo a physical. The Physical Thephysical examis just as important as the ASVAB. If you dont pass, you cant get in. There are waivers for certain ailments and none for others. This will be the most thorough physical exam you will ever take. All you can do now is answer all the questions with a clear yes or no and dont even think about prevaricating. Any yes answers will require medical documentation, and if you dont have it with you it will delay the process. Your recruiter knows this, so you should be carrying any documentation with you. They will test your hearing, vision, and depth perception, and theyll take blood and a urine sample. A doctor will check you out and ask you if youve ever done drugs. The last part of the physical is done in your skivvies. Sexy underwear is frowned upon, and if you wear it youll be given a pair of old-fashioned drawers, in the male or female version, as a substitute. Youll be weighed and measured, and theyll look at the arches in your feet. Then another doctor will watch you perform various exercises like arm circles, walk like a duck, and walk on tiptoes. The most intimate parts of the physical, you will be glad to know, will be conducted in private with just a doctor and a noncommissioned officer of your gender present. Thats about the extent of it, although the Air Force also requires recruits to lift weights. At this point, youll take your physical paperwo rk to the main control desk. Job Counseling Assuming youve passed both the aptitude test and the physical, you might continue on to job counseling then and there. You will be given time to review the available jobs and consider which ones you think are the best fit for you. Hopefully, youve done some research into military careers beforehand, and have some idea where you want to go. The counselor may have some ideas you hadnt thought of as well. By the end of the session, youll have a list of potential jobs in your order of preference. By the end of the day, youll be booked for a job, or put on a qualified and waiting list for the next available opening. The end of the day The end of the day may be the end of your MEPS experience, or not. You might find yourself staying over for another round of tests for a particular specialization youre interested in. Or you may find yourself heading off to Day 1 of your military career.