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MEPS is a common topic in this forum, but I was unsure what it was all about. When I went to join, in 1970, it was a pretty simple process. Talked to a recruiter in Salem, Oregon. Reported to someplace in Portland where I had a short physical, then got onboard a PSA jet to San Diego and off to boot camp. It was a pretty quick process. I guess in the Vietnam days, since the draft went away the previous year, the military was desperate for warm bodies and took just about everyone who walked through the front doors.
Reading the stories here about MEPS and the trials everyone seems to go through; it was quite confusing to me. In these days of self-isolation due to the virus, I've been watching a lot of YouTube videos. They are more interesting than anything else on television. Every subject under the sun has a video or two. After watching a few videos about the Combat Action Ribbon, a link came up about experiences in OCS, (Officer Candidate School). Those were interesting...and those forward linked some young lady explaining about her process of going through MEPS.
Her video was more along the lines of what one should expect when going through MEPS, (she was an officer candidate and a bit older than the normal inductee - even had a baby). Whoe-whee, what a process! No wonder so many have so many issues. I guess it needs to be done these days, but what a complicated ordeal.
There seems to be a much greater emphasis these days on physical training and fitness. Wasn't a thing when I went through boot camp. I actually thought boot camp was pretty easy, (physically). (But then, I ran the high hurdles and cross-country in high school and was an avid cyclist, (back when nobody rode bicycles). So, I guess I was reasonably fit.)
Those who aspire to join the military these days must really want to. The process is lengthy and complicated. My best advice for those who want to join up . . . keep your nose clean.
I went through in 1990, it was called MEPS even back then. I found the process very easy.
Went to the recruiter, he set me up to take the ASVAB.
Recruiter slow leaked the whole thing, I called him, “Dude, what was my ASVAB result?” (I obviously didn’t call him dude, but I thought it)
He called me back, congrats, you scored really well. I’ll be in touch.
Recruiter continued to slow leak it, I called him again, “Dude, what’s the next step?”
He finally called me back, set me up with an appointment at MEPS.
I drove all the way out to Dallas, did half a day of medical checks. Most memorable was “duck walking”. Imagine about 30 guys, all lined up in their underwear, duck walking from one end of the room to the other. Checking knees, I guess?
Anyway, passed that whole thing. Back in 1990, nobody had even heard of Adderal and ADD, so everybody was fine, I guess?
Recruiter still slow leaking the whole thing, “Dude, when am I leaving for basic?”
He finally calls me back, tells me to show up at MEPS at 0400 on a certain day.
Most memorable about that was most people were there for the Army and Navy, a handful of us for the USAF and USMC. I still remember these two NCOs from the USMC, they came to see us all before we got in the van to go to DFW airport. They asked, “Where are the Marine recruits?” Two guys raised their hands, and these NCOs asked, “Are you happy to be going to the Island?” They said yes. The NCOs then started yelling at them for a solid 5 minutes straight. I heard language I had never heard before. I remember thinking to myself, “Good call not joining the Marines”.
Anyway, got dropped off at DFW, flew to San Antonio, got picked up and bussed to Lackland, ate a quick (and very disgusting) meal at the DFAC (it was called the chow hall back in the day, but that’s offensive now, I guess). I still remember, it was spaghetti, the absolute worst thing I had ever eaten in my life up to that point. Little did I know, I’d have much worse many times throughout my deployed career, but I digress.
Then finished chow, and bussed to the squadron where we commenced a one hour “pick ‘em up and put ‘em down” drill while being yelled out by dudes who in my opinion, seemed to care too much, lol!
Anyway 3 decades later, after an amazing 20+ year career, I’m still at it as a defense contractor working on base. Joining the military was the best decision I ever made by far, and it’s not even close.
To any young people out there, if you want to get your life on track, all you have to do is join up. It’s that easy. Of course, there are minimum standards that have to be met and MEPS will help you with all of that.
I went through Marine Corps boot camp during Vietnam and it was an entirely different situation. The armed forces were having problems meeting enlistment quotas. The best and brightest so to speak were not enlisting or avoiding the draft with medical or college deferments.
We had what was officially called Project 100,000 or unofficially McNamara’s Morons. People with medical problems or low IQ’s. One recruit in our platoon could not read or write and signed his name with an X that was witnessed and signed by another person.
In boot camp some illiterate recruits attended school to learn the basics of reading and writing. There were cases of drill instructors in the Army and Marine Corps having people take tests or rifle qualification for these people. And they went directly into the infantry where they had the highest casualty rates of any group in Vietnam.
AFEES (Armed Forces Entrance and Examination Station) had a name changed to MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) around 1982. Some say it was to minimize the confusion over the exchange acronym of AAFES.
I joined the Army back in 1980 and thought the process was pretty straight forward... The only thing I really remember was that I was a dumb@zz kid, so if it was all jacked-up, I didn't know any better, which made me a prime candidate for the Army!!
And it didn't get any better when I arrived at Fort Knox!!
I joined the navy in '63, right out of high school.
It was the first time in my life I had ever played on a level playing field where people with good families and good social connections did not have an advantage. And I thrived.
I scored well, and of the 9 years on active duty I spent 2 of them in electronics school. I served in the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and the Pacific. I spent 6 months temporarily attached to a Colombian ship, another 6 months attached to a Philippine ship, went to Vietnam on a minesweeper, and ended as a crewman on the world's largest hydrofoil.
I still talk about it to this day.... It was the greatest adventure of my life.
When I joined the US Navy in 1961, prior to enlisting we were given an all day battery of written tests. Based on one's scores (which followed you during your service), you were given choices/recommendations for "ratings" (jobs so to speak). I score high and could have picked most anything but my scores leaned toward the engineering side. I chose Electricians Mate. You then were sworn in and sent to Boot Camp.
The guarantee was that after Boot Camp you would be sent to that selected ratings Class A School. Upon graduation you were given that rating/job code.. In my case it was Electricians Mate. If you failed A School, you went to the "Fleet" and filled whatever basic jobs they had available.
While in Electrician Mates School, I volunteered for Submarine School. Same deal. If you flunked school, off the the Fleet you went but in a job based on your rating such as an Electricians Mate.
There were also some general jobs that did not require a specific rating to fill.
I went through in 1990, it was called MEPS even back then. I found the process very easy.
Went to the recruiter, he set me up to take the ASVAB.
Recruiter slow leaked the whole thing, I called him, “Dude, what was my ASVAB result?” (I obviously didn’t call him dude, but I thought it)
He called me back, congrats, you scored really well. I’ll be in touch.
Recruiter continued to slow leak it, I called him again, “Dude, what’s the next step?”
He finally called me back, set me up with an appointment at MEPS.
I drove all the way out to Dallas, did half a day of medical checks. Most memorable was “duck walking”. Imagine about 30 guys, all lined up in their underwear, duck walking from one end of the room to the other. Checking knees, I guess?
Anyway, passed that whole thing. Back in 1990, nobody had even heard of Adderal and ADD, so everybody was fine, I guess?
Recruiter still slow leaking the whole thing, “Dude, when am I leaving for basic?”
He finally calls me back, tells me to show up at MEPS at 0400 on a certain day.
Most memorable about that was most people were there for the Army and Navy, a handful of us for the USAF and USMC. I still remember these two NCOs from the USMC, they came to see us all before we got in the van to go to DFW airport. They asked, “Where are the Marine recruits?” Two guys raised their hands, and these NCOs asked, “Are you happy to be going to the Island?” They said yes. The NCOs then started yelling at them for a solid 5 minutes straight. I heard language I had never heard before. I remember thinking to myself, “Good call not joining the Marines”.
Anyway, got dropped off at DFW, flew to San Antonio, got picked up and bussed to Lackland, ate a quick (and very disgusting) meal at the DFAC (it was called the chow hall back in the day, but that’s offensive now, I guess). I still remember, it was spaghetti, the absolute worst thing I had ever eaten in my life up to that point. Little did I know, I’d have much worse many times throughout my deployed career, but I digress.
Then finished chow, and bussed to the squadron where we commenced a one hour “pick ‘em up and put ‘em down” drill while being yelled out by dudes who in my opinion, seemed to care too much, lol!
Anyway 3 decades later, after an amazing 20+ year career, I’m still at it as a defense contractor working on base. Joining the military was the best decision I ever made by far, and it’s not even close.
To any young people out there, if you want to get your life on track, all you have to do is join up. It’s that easy. Of course, there are minimum standards that have to be met and MEPS will help you with all of that.
When I went in the AF in 1976, we had several recruits who were deficient in reading and writing. After basic, they were sent for additional classes and as far as I know, given low-skilled jobs. I guess it takes all kinds to keep the services operating.
Just before we were shipped out for basic, we reported to a center in Montgomery - all branches were represented. That’s where our final medical checks occurred. I’ll never forget being in a room with 40 guys, told to drop our underwear, bend over and “spread ‘em”.
WK91 - after a year of tech school, I was assigned to Wilford Hall, the 1,000 bed hospital at Lackland. After we got off work on the 3-11 shift, it wasn’t uncommon to go to basic side of the base for what we called, “dinner and a floor show”. This of course was the same chow hall where the basics got their first meal. I don’t recall food being that bad at all but the floor show never failed to deliver. Lol
Your second comment is spot-on. When I went in, I had no money for college and it wasn’t my family’s responsibility to pay for it. It would have been a waste of money - I was immature and would have flunked out. No doubt. Even after I got out and went to school, it was beyond tough due to my major but, I stuck it out, survived, eventually earned a masters and...just retired after 35 years with the same company. The USAF gave me that boost I needed.
...I stuck it out, survived, eventually earned a masters and...just retired after 35 years with the same company. The USAF gave me that boost I needed.
Same here, but 34 years and the Navy. At Boot Camp graduation, my mom told all of us that "the Navy did in twelve weeks what I've been trying to do for 18 years". Even though I felt like I was four years behind my peers until sometime in my 50's, most of us go into the military as boys/girls and come out as men/women.
Same here, but 34 years and the Navy. At Boot Camp graduation, my mom told all of us that "the Navy did in twelve weeks what I've been trying to do for 18 years". Even though I felt like I was four years behind my peers until sometime in my 50's, most of us go into the military as boys/girls and come out as men/women.
Agreed. I always wondered where I’d be in not for the four years in the service. Luckily, I never dwelled on it.
One day I was in the elevator and there were two guys that worked for us already on it. One guy was an agent, the other was the GM for the group we employed for services. Both were about the same age, about a decade ahead of me in age. The agent had lost his hand in Vietnam and the other guy never served. He did however tour with a USO band and played around the world during that same period.
When the door opened, the GM went his way and boy, did his agent unload at on him. He was clearly resentful of this guy and the advantage he gained by not serving. Both were good guys but I never looked at the GM the same again.
I met Rick Romney once during a veteran’s day event some years ago. He was our DA here in Maricopa Co. Dood looked at me square in the eyes and thanked me for my service. That shook me up....a Vietnam vet, a Marine who lost both legs just above the knees... thanking me. I didn’t feel like I earned that compared to him.
I always knew the military was a good option assuming your body and mind survives. I was lucky that there were no conflicts during my period. In my job, I saw enough death and injury even without that.
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