So, I received the call I would finally be going to MEPS on the 4th of July. I was floating on the river (something my family always does) for over 5 hours. I get back to my car, check my phone and immediately notice a text from my recruiter. He said he finally had all my waivers/paperwork cleared and if I was ready, I'd head to MEPS on 18 July. Of course I said yes! But, with exactly two weeks to go, I immediately realized I needed to lose 8 pounds to be at max weight, and 13 to be at the 5 under my recruiter wanted. It was time to buckle down. I literally survived off of tuna (straight from the can) and water for those two weeks. Actually, 11 days. My recruiter gave me an amazeballs diet to get the last few pounds off. I would lose a max of 5 lbs in those 3 days, and would eat the weirdest stuff. Now, I'm a girl and we generally don't share our weight, but I honestly will share everything with you. Nothing to be ashamed of, we all have our things. My recruiter measured me at 5'1", which meant max weight was 145. I had JUST finished my period (TMI, I know), so I was still a little bloated and had gained a few pounds. I was at the highest I've ever been, 153. EEEEEKKKK!! I had my work cut out for me, but I managed it! My recruiter measured me again roughly a week, give or take, before MEPS. I was somehow 5'1" 7/8, so he was hoping they'd give me 5'2" for an extra 5 lbs, just in case.
Anyway, that's the little bit of background I will give you into this. It actually plays a significant part in this story.
So MEPS. Right. We departed on a Tuesday around 2:15, 2:30 ish for our closest MEPS. It generally takes 30-45 mins to get there. However, we got stuck behind the WORST drivers doing 50 in a 70. We ended up arriving at the hotel around 3:30ish. Oh, another thing, another guy in my DEP came with us. Anyway, we got there, went into the MEPS arrival room, got our room keys, checked in, blah blah blah. We were on separate floors, of course, but I was directly above his room. We went and got settled in our room, and I realized I didn't have a roomie. I was rather excited about it at first, but then.....well, more on that later. =]
After getting settled in, we went to dinner at 1700. He had a couple of rolls, while I had a spinach salad. When I say that, I literally mean it. Only spinach leaves. I hate dressing, so I never eat it anyway. But I ate it just to satisfy myself, since that wouldn't add any weight to me. We decided we would meet in the fitness room a little later. I piddled around in my room a bit longer, and Skyped (from my phone, I had forgotten my laptop) my sister in law and her husband. They gave me a few pointers, of course and just told me to stay calm. After that, my fellow DEPper and I met in the fitness room. I had on 6, yes SIX layers of clothes. We both needed to sweat off as much weight as possible, so we took it pretty easy, not wanting to stress our bodies. He went harder than I did, because my knee had started to feel a little sore. I did the stationary bike for about a mile, then alternated walking/running on the treadmill for about a mile. I then went and sat outside in allllll of my clothes in about 98* heat. It sucked, but you gotta do what you gotta do. We had a briefing later that evening at 2030, so it was about 1800 at this point. I decided to run to the ice machine to fill up my bag/bucket so I could ice my knee. I didn't take anything for it, not wanting to jeopardize anything. I sat in the room with that ice on my knee until roughly 2015. I went and met my AF buddies I had made in the MEPS room, and just hung out until the briefing. It was over pretty fast, so we all decided to hit the fitness room one last time. (For privacy purposes, we're going to call my fellow DEPper John.) John and I stayed a bit longer than the other AF guys, then went back to our rooms. I took a shower, and decided that sitting in that tiny bathroom with the door shut and shower on full blast hot water was like my own version of a sauna. I sat in there like that for about 10 minutes, then got up and got dressed. Almost as soon as I was dressed, my roomie walked in! She was going into the Navy Reserves, I learned. (The reason I was excited about getting a roomie at the end was because there were about 6 creepers lurking the halls/property of the hotel, and wouldn't leave me alone, so I felt better having another person in the room.) Anyway, we chatted for a bit, and then went to bed late, around 2300. Next thing I know, I hear the foghorn alarm of my iPhone blaring. That meant it was 0330, and time to get up and start getting ready for the day. We both got dressed, did our hair and full make-up (a feat in itself at that hour), packed up, and headed to the check-out. Breakfast was being served, and smelled oh so delicious! Of course, I didn't eat OR drink anything at all. All in the name of the Air Force. All the people (about 25 or less) processing that day met in the front of the hotel as soon as they finished eating. We all waited around for about 15 minutes before the bus was ready to be loaded.
We arrived at the MEPS around 0600, when a soldier came onto the bus and called role. He then explained the rules and regulations of the MEPS, and then we went inside. (I have to add, it felt oddly what BMT may feel like. Minus the yelling/scrambling/overall fear) We had to put our bags through the x-ray machine, put all metallic items in the bin, and walk through a metal detector. Just like an airport. We then were directed to metal lockers to place our bags in (keep in mind that you absolutely are not allowed to leave anything at the hotel, as you won't be going back, and are checking out). We did that, were sent to a large waiting area, and waited for our liaisons. The AF liaison was the first to walk through, not even 5 minutes after we had sat down. He briefed us on what would be happening, and how he expected the 4 of us to behave. We then did the lift test, where you lift 3 different amounts above your head. Easy peasy. We filled out a small survey, and wrote in letters in the corner. Those letters are a code that states how much you're able to lift. He then printed out a label with our name and branch, that we had to have on all day. Anyway, from here, it gets a little blurry. There was so much going on, and so many people going in different directions, I hardly remember anything. First, I think I processed at the control desk, where they took a few fingerprints, and a picture. I was then sent to Medical to start on my physical. I think I did the hearing test first. Tip: hold your breath as much as possible when doing this. It keeps from hearing the LOUD whooshing sound as you're straining to hear the light beeps. After that, I had my BP and pulse taken. My pulse was a 96, because of my nerves. My BP wasn't bad, 105/78. After that, came the interview with the doctor. The doctor I had was very nice, as was the entire staff at my MEPS. They truly tried to make you feel comfortable, since they knew how you were feeling. Best experience ever. Anyway, he asked me the basics, "Ever done drugs?" "Piercings, tattoos, etc.?" It was very quick. And painless. Hahaha!
I'm going to end this post here, since I have a few errands to run right fast. I'll post the rest tonight, I'm about halfway through! Happy Reading!
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