Well, today I saw (metaphorically) off some of my friends for BMT. It kinda sucks. Of course, they're all members of my BMT group on Facebook. I actually got to meet one of them, though! He lives about an hour away from me, and we did a public swear in together a few weeks ago at a baseball game. I was SO excited to get to meet him!
I feel like one of those creepers that you see in the movies. Haha! But these guys have become some of my best friends, even if it's just over Facebook. One day, we'll all meet up. I know it! The Air Force isn't that big. =]
All day long I was just a ball of nerves. I honestly felt like I was going to MEPS, swearing in, waiting around at the airport, riding the bus and everything. They kept me, and our group, updated throughout their whole day. I was even up at 4 this morning!! I'm so happy for them, and excited. I know at this exact moment they're having their "Holy shit, what did I just get myself into?!" moments, but that'll fade within the next few days/weeks. These people, they've got what it takes. I have no doubt about that.
Now, it's a little past midnight, and they're all probably still playing pick 'em ups, or hearing their MTI's running into their dorms screaming at them to wake up and stand at attention. I'm actually hoping to receive a phone call tonight, or whenever they're allowed to make that first phone call, from one of the people in the group! I was more than willing to be their support system. Nobody should have to go through something like BMT and not have anyone to share their experiences with, or their fears. They didn't really want to call their family because they're not all too close by any means. They wanted to act like it was no big deal, which was actually quite believable. However, I can read people quite well! The call could come in 5 seconds from now, or at 2 a.m., or tomorrow morning. Who knows? Hopefully, I'll be awake to answer it, or at least hear my phone ringing in my sleep.
I'm down to 1 person in the September group that is one of my close friends. And she's leaving next week! We actually don't live too awfully far from each other, and were able to meet up this past weekend at an Air Show at our closest AFB! It was awesome! I feel like these next 2 months are just going to drag by so slow. I'm down to 55 days (54 til MEPS!). I'll get to speak with my 4thers for a few days before I leave, but the 11thers will be graduating the week I arrive. =[ It sucks so bad! I won't even get to talk to them before I leave! Of course we still have letter-writing, but still. No more awkward ooVoo sessions, no more random, ADD posts, no more dimple, no more cats, no more Batman. Nothing.
This all seems so weird to me! I had a "Holy Shit!" moment earlier today. I think it was due to the fact that my friends were all experiencing their ship day, after talking about it for months and months. They were actually at MEPS. They actually swore into Active Duty. They actually flew to San Antonio. They actually loaded onto a bus, and drove onto Lackland AFB where they're currently flipping out. This will be me in less than 2 months.
I don't really know how to react to it, honestly. I'm still 100% positive this is what I want to do. I'm meant to do it. No questions there. But, can I do it? Do I actually have what it takes to become an American Airman? I've always known it would be hard. I've always known that I'm going to have so many struggles along the way, but they really got put into perspective for me today. I'm not worried about the PT portion of BMT too much. I can definitely run like no one's business right now, so with another 55 days of prep, I'll be good to go. Push ups...meh. I can do 12 now, though!! Graduating standards are only 18, so if I can't come up with 6 more in 4 months, something's wrong there. I can do 32 sit ups. The only reason they're that low is because the last time I timed myself, I got incredibly tired for some reason around 22ish, and slowed wayyyy down. All of that will be a breeze. But it's the mind games. Not the ones played by the MTI's. I know what they're trying to accomplish with those. They must break you down, to build you back up as an Airman. Someone worthy of defending our great country. Someone that will not falter, and will not fail. Failure has never been an option for me. Now more than ever, I want to succeed. I must succeed.
I have a tendency to over think and over analyze everything. I'm also OCD. Not like, not able to function properly, but things must be a certain way. I must do them a certain way. It's weird. I've always been a very logical person, and I like to think I have more common sense than the average person. So, when I combine those two things, it gets bad. Well, in regards to BMT.
This is how I see it: A 22 year old, 5'2", 135 pound, Southern girl with no college education, got married at 19, has never been independent her whole adult life, is about to embark upon the toughest journey less than 1% of Americans take. Of that 1%, only .01% are Air Force (at least, so I've been told). She has 3 years worth of management experience under her belt, has dealt with enough stupid people to last anyone a lifetime, and has handled the stresses of young marriage, crazy work schedules, stalkers, debt, poverty, growing up without a father, being a full time student and employee at the same time, being the perfect housewife and all. So how does that relate to the Air Force? These things are definitely a symbol of an overcomer, but, can she overcome Basic Military Training? Where MTI's don't care who you are, who your parents are, what your feelings are, if you're tired, scared, have the sniffles, anything. Can she do it?
I guess that's my food for thought. It's probably what every DEPper has felt at some time or another, but it's still tough to deal with. I want this more than anything, and I hope that that kind of determination I have will be my light when it all seems so dark. It will guide me home.
"And the only solution was to stand and fight.
And my body was loose and I was set alight.
But, she came over me like some holy rite.
And although I was burning, you're the only light,
Only if for a night."
-Florence + The Machine "Only If For A Night"
Showing posts with label America. Show all posts
Showing posts with label America. Show all posts
12 September 2012
18 August 2012
Marriage in the Military
Hey guys, I've been wanting to post about this for a while. It's something I'm going through, and I'm sure some of you are. If not, you probably will eventually!!
Whether you're in the DEP, operational, or a milspouse, you know this is a big deal. Joining any branch of service is a life-changing event. Once you're in, you can't get out just because your spouse doesn't want you to be in anymore. There's a lot more to it than that. But, if you're lucky enough to marry someone who is in the Military, whether it's your branch or not, they'll understand what you're going through. They understand the need you feel to serve your country, and they definitely understand Service before Self. It's hard, but with the right people, you can make it work.
When you initially make the decision to speak with a recruiter, you're probably already pretty set on joining. It was that way with me, I researched everything I could for a few weeks before I spoke with mine, and I talked to my husband about it. He said he was fine with it, so a few days later I called my recruiter and we got it started. Over the course of my enlistment process, he's gone back and forth on whether he's for it or not. Please remember in this post, I'm not trying to make my husband out to be a bad person. Every person is entitled to their opinions, he just doesn't want to leave his family and everything behind. Don't get me wrong, my husband loves his country, and is very thankful to all those serving. I mean, his sister and his brother-in-law are currently serving! He's had other family members in various branches, so he knows. He wanted to join the Marines for the longest time. I was always a selfish person, and didn't want him to. Granted, he wanted to do something along the lines of Infantry, and surely you all can understand why I felt that way. A wife worries about her husband constantly, and the fact that he was wanting to do something so...dangerous...at a point where we were right in the middle of this current war, was terrifying to me. But, around the end of last year/beginning of this year, a friend changed my mind. I have a former co-worker who is in the National Guard, and he was deployed to Afghanistan for a year not long ago. I think he returned home about a year ago. Well, we spoke for a while on this, and he went so in depth on everything, and really made me understand what it's like. You'd think that would scare me more, but actually knowing what's going on, made it better. So I told him I'd be okay with it. I asked if he wanted me to look into everything for him, and possibly contact a recruiter. He said sure! So I got it going for him, and even went to speak with the recruiter myself (since it's the Marines, and we know that they're known for being smack dab in the middle of a combat zone). We set up a time for my husband to go speak with him alone, and was done. Oh, I should mention my husband knew about that beforehand, haha!
Well, when the day came for him to go talk to him, he flipped out. He decided that I was trying to push him into it, and he didn't want to. I said okay, that's fine. I was kinda pushing him into it, because I thought it was something he really wanted to do, but I was wrong, I guess. So I let it go. That was probably mid-January. Well, I realized several months later, I really wasn't going anywhere with my life, at least career-wise, so I started looking into Cosmetology School, and other different jobs. Well, when I was doing a job search through Monster, I think, I noticed the National Guard had actually listed jobs! I though it was cute! But it got me thinking.....my SIL is in the AF, and we're almost the same person. She's stubborn, independent, and a go-getter. I figured if she could survive basic training, then so could I. That wasn't meant to be derogatory in any way, haha! So I talked to her about it first, then started doing my own research...and now, here we are. I officially swore into the DEP 1 month ago today. The things it took to get here were ridiculous, and I can't imagine backing out now. I want this so badly, I want to make a difference. I want to serve my country. This is my calling in life, as cheesy as that sounds. I never felt so...right about something.
So where we are with is, is here: I'm in the Air Force (minus the important stuff like BMT, Tech School, you know =] ). My husband doesn't want to move, and isn't going to move. Therefore, we're stuck. Unless I choose to switch to Reserves, then I'll have to move. I don't want to be RES, it's great for those who do, though! I just feel my calling is to be AD. I don't know where to go from here. He doesn't want to leave his family, which is definitely understandable, but when we got married, we agreed to be each other's number 2 (God First). In a Christian marriage, you enter into it as one flesh. You agree to leave your father, brother, sister, mother, cousin, aunt, uncle all of them behind. Well, not behind, just farther down your list of priorities. As a non-married person, you probably put your parents before your boyfriend/girlfriend, and that's fine. But, when you get married, your spouse is your everything. You are supposed to support them in all they do, no matter what. I've always supported his every decision, even before we were married. I know I'm asking a lot, but I just feel he should have given it more thought before deciding against it. So, it looks as if it's coming to an end, and I hate it. It makes me sick.
I love him more than life itself, but what do I do? Do I deny this calling I have, or stay in my small town, resenting the fact I didn't get to do what I was meant to do?
You have to be a very strong, united front, to be able to survive a military marriage. With the imminent chances of deployment (not just to Iraq or Afghanistan, but anywhere), the strenuous work, the strict rules and regulations, and the hard core values of the Air Force (primarily, Service Before Self), it's a very hard thing to cope with as a civilian. You can't really understand the need or the want to do it all.
My advice is this: be 100% sure that this is what you want. Getting to the point of swearing in, then the arrival at BMT, you have to want this more than anything. Yes, anything. My recruiter has always said this. You have to want it more than your spouse, your parents, school, work, all of it. You can't go into BMT not being 100%, or you're destined to fail. Before talking with a recruiter, you should be at least 75% sure this is what you want. After, you should be 100%, or just don't go on with the process. You won't make it. And if you're married, you have to make sure your spouse is at the same level as you, in regards to going through with it. If they're not, you'll be where I am: a crossroad. It's definitely not a fun place, and it's hard to choose. You have to do what is best for you, and follow through. You won't always have the opportunity to join, with the cuts all the branches are making, and the constant chance of getting injured, aging, etc. You have to act now. It's kinda like having kids; you're not getting any younger.
If you have any questions, suggestions, advice, anything, feel free to post. This is a very sensitive subject, and it always requires full attention. Don't go into marriage, the military, or anything half-heartedly. They're all serious commitments, and breaking that commitment has huge repercussions. Not just on you, but everyone around you. Thanks for reading!
"Sometimes bad things happen in life to open up your eyes to the good things you weren't paying attention to before." ---- I saw this on my friends FB status just now, so I thought I'd add this in =]
Whether you're in the DEP, operational, or a milspouse, you know this is a big deal. Joining any branch of service is a life-changing event. Once you're in, you can't get out just because your spouse doesn't want you to be in anymore. There's a lot more to it than that. But, if you're lucky enough to marry someone who is in the Military, whether it's your branch or not, they'll understand what you're going through. They understand the need you feel to serve your country, and they definitely understand Service before Self. It's hard, but with the right people, you can make it work.
When you initially make the decision to speak with a recruiter, you're probably already pretty set on joining. It was that way with me, I researched everything I could for a few weeks before I spoke with mine, and I talked to my husband about it. He said he was fine with it, so a few days later I called my recruiter and we got it started. Over the course of my enlistment process, he's gone back and forth on whether he's for it or not. Please remember in this post, I'm not trying to make my husband out to be a bad person. Every person is entitled to their opinions, he just doesn't want to leave his family and everything behind. Don't get me wrong, my husband loves his country, and is very thankful to all those serving. I mean, his sister and his brother-in-law are currently serving! He's had other family members in various branches, so he knows. He wanted to join the Marines for the longest time. I was always a selfish person, and didn't want him to. Granted, he wanted to do something along the lines of Infantry, and surely you all can understand why I felt that way. A wife worries about her husband constantly, and the fact that he was wanting to do something so...dangerous...at a point where we were right in the middle of this current war, was terrifying to me. But, around the end of last year/beginning of this year, a friend changed my mind. I have a former co-worker who is in the National Guard, and he was deployed to Afghanistan for a year not long ago. I think he returned home about a year ago. Well, we spoke for a while on this, and he went so in depth on everything, and really made me understand what it's like. You'd think that would scare me more, but actually knowing what's going on, made it better. So I told him I'd be okay with it. I asked if he wanted me to look into everything for him, and possibly contact a recruiter. He said sure! So I got it going for him, and even went to speak with the recruiter myself (since it's the Marines, and we know that they're known for being smack dab in the middle of a combat zone). We set up a time for my husband to go speak with him alone, and was done. Oh, I should mention my husband knew about that beforehand, haha!
Well, when the day came for him to go talk to him, he flipped out. He decided that I was trying to push him into it, and he didn't want to. I said okay, that's fine. I was kinda pushing him into it, because I thought it was something he really wanted to do, but I was wrong, I guess. So I let it go. That was probably mid-January. Well, I realized several months later, I really wasn't going anywhere with my life, at least career-wise, so I started looking into Cosmetology School, and other different jobs. Well, when I was doing a job search through Monster, I think, I noticed the National Guard had actually listed jobs! I though it was cute! But it got me thinking.....my SIL is in the AF, and we're almost the same person. She's stubborn, independent, and a go-getter. I figured if she could survive basic training, then so could I. That wasn't meant to be derogatory in any way, haha! So I talked to her about it first, then started doing my own research...and now, here we are. I officially swore into the DEP 1 month ago today. The things it took to get here were ridiculous, and I can't imagine backing out now. I want this so badly, I want to make a difference. I want to serve my country. This is my calling in life, as cheesy as that sounds. I never felt so...right about something.
So where we are with is, is here: I'm in the Air Force (minus the important stuff like BMT, Tech School, you know =] ). My husband doesn't want to move, and isn't going to move. Therefore, we're stuck. Unless I choose to switch to Reserves, then I'll have to move. I don't want to be RES, it's great for those who do, though! I just feel my calling is to be AD. I don't know where to go from here. He doesn't want to leave his family, which is definitely understandable, but when we got married, we agreed to be each other's number 2 (God First). In a Christian marriage, you enter into it as one flesh. You agree to leave your father, brother, sister, mother, cousin, aunt, uncle all of them behind. Well, not behind, just farther down your list of priorities. As a non-married person, you probably put your parents before your boyfriend/girlfriend, and that's fine. But, when you get married, your spouse is your everything. You are supposed to support them in all they do, no matter what. I've always supported his every decision, even before we were married. I know I'm asking a lot, but I just feel he should have given it more thought before deciding against it. So, it looks as if it's coming to an end, and I hate it. It makes me sick.
I love him more than life itself, but what do I do? Do I deny this calling I have, or stay in my small town, resenting the fact I didn't get to do what I was meant to do?
You have to be a very strong, united front, to be able to survive a military marriage. With the imminent chances of deployment (not just to Iraq or Afghanistan, but anywhere), the strenuous work, the strict rules and regulations, and the hard core values of the Air Force (primarily, Service Before Self), it's a very hard thing to cope with as a civilian. You can't really understand the need or the want to do it all.
My advice is this: be 100% sure that this is what you want. Getting to the point of swearing in, then the arrival at BMT, you have to want this more than anything. Yes, anything. My recruiter has always said this. You have to want it more than your spouse, your parents, school, work, all of it. You can't go into BMT not being 100%, or you're destined to fail. Before talking with a recruiter, you should be at least 75% sure this is what you want. After, you should be 100%, or just don't go on with the process. You won't make it. And if you're married, you have to make sure your spouse is at the same level as you, in regards to going through with it. If they're not, you'll be where I am: a crossroad. It's definitely not a fun place, and it's hard to choose. You have to do what is best for you, and follow through. You won't always have the opportunity to join, with the cuts all the branches are making, and the constant chance of getting injured, aging, etc. You have to act now. It's kinda like having kids; you're not getting any younger.
If you have any questions, suggestions, advice, anything, feel free to post. This is a very sensitive subject, and it always requires full attention. Don't go into marriage, the military, or anything half-heartedly. They're all serious commitments, and breaking that commitment has huge repercussions. Not just on you, but everyone around you. Thanks for reading!
"Sometimes bad things happen in life to open up your eyes to the good things you weren't paying attention to before." ---- I saw this on my friends FB status just now, so I thought I'd add this in =]
16 August 2012
Interview With An Airman
I decided to conduct this interview with my sister-in-law, Jessica, to give a little insight into BMT/Tech School/Operational life. If you're on any of the FB BMT groups, you've already talked with several people that are operational. I like hearing from multiple people, because everyone has a different experience. Also, she's my sister-in-law, I trust her. She knows me, and knows how I'd probably handle a lot of the situations that arise during the course of my training. I have to say, she's been incredibly patient with me! Before I went to MEPS, I was calling/Skyping/messaging her all of the time. I swear, she must've been ready to kill herself haha! But, without her (and her hubby!) I wouldn't have been anywhere near prepared mentally for MEPS. I Skyped them that night at the hotel, and they just told me to relax, it wouldn't be that bad. She's a wonderful person, and can offer more information for those of you wondering about enlisting, BMT, Tech School, or life as an Airman and a mom/wife. (Shoutout to my super adorable, brains-eating nephew, Misha!! Auntie loves you!) Read away!!!
Q: What's your name and rank?
Jessica, A1C (Airman First Class/E3)
Tell us a little about yourself (why you joined, etc.)
I am 23. I live in Japan with my husband who is also active duty and I just had my first son, Misha. I am going to school and I just finished all my credits for my Community College of the Air Force degree. I am also just a few classes away from my Bachelors in accounting. I joined because my husband and I wanted to raise our family in a military lifestyle. Also, I like change.
Q: What is your AFSC?
1P0X1, Aircrew Flight Equipment
Q: RES/ANG/AD?
Active Duty
Q: When did you go through BMT/Tech School?
Basic: March 8, 2011-May 6, 2011
Tech: June 9, 2011-August 28, 2011
Q: What was your dorm duty?
Latrine crew
Q: Compared to the list on this blog, what would you recommend/not recommend packing for BMT?
Pack make-up, real bra, comfortable underwear, flat iron, good razors, watch, stationery, NO GUM, stamps (lots of them), and definitely shower shoes.
Q: What did you do to prepare yourself for BMT?
I watched a lot of videos, talked to my sister and cousin who were both in the Air Force.
Q: Did you ever have a 341 pulled? If so, for what?
Not in basic, but I did in tech school for not stopping my SMU (small marching unit) at a street. I did get in A LOT of trouble in basic for writing letters before they said we could. Don’t do that. =]
Q: What is PT like at BMT?
It’s a lot of fun. You run three days a week. You run thirty minutes together, then thirty minutes of continuous running/sprints. The other days, you do push-ups, sit-ups, and other calisthenics.
Q: What was the best thing/experience that happened to you while there?
The best thing was seeing my husband (he was three weeks ahead of me). Other than that, the O-course was amazing. It was the funnest thing I have experienced in my life.
Q: What was the worst thing/experience that happened to you while there?
Getting sick was horrible. Everyone gets sick, but you’re already tired and rundown – it just makes it worse. Also, I didn’t pin my hands while doing a left face and I had to stand in the middle of the squadron by myself and do a left face while everyone walked by and looked at me. Also, my flight forgot about me and another MTI took pity on me and told me to go back to them.
Q: What is the best advice you could give to any future trainee to survive BMT?
Do what you’re told. Don’t be annoying. Be quiet. STUDY! Never assume that an MTI is talking to you. If they yell, “Hey You!” walk the other way.
Q: What's operational life like compared to the world of BMT?
It’s way different. Laid back; I bullshit with my boss (MSgt) all the time. NCOs are less scary. I do miss BMT a lot. It would be a lot of fun to go back.
Again, another big thank you to Jess for taking time out to answer these questions! If you guys have any more, feel free to comment, and she'd be happy to help you out! If she forgets to check, I'll remind her ;] Thanks for reading!
Q: What's your name and rank?
Jessica, A1C (Airman First Class/E3)
Tell us a little about yourself (why you joined, etc.)
I am 23. I live in Japan with my husband who is also active duty and I just had my first son, Misha. I am going to school and I just finished all my credits for my Community College of the Air Force degree. I am also just a few classes away from my Bachelors in accounting. I joined because my husband and I wanted to raise our family in a military lifestyle. Also, I like change.
Q: What is your AFSC?
1P0X1, Aircrew Flight Equipment
Q: RES/ANG/AD?
Active Duty
Q: When did you go through BMT/Tech School?
Basic: March 8, 2011-May 6, 2011
Tech: June 9, 2011-August 28, 2011
Q: What was your dorm duty?
Latrine crew
Q: Compared to the list on this blog, what would you recommend/not recommend packing for BMT?
Pack make-up, real bra, comfortable underwear, flat iron, good razors, watch, stationery, NO GUM, stamps (lots of them), and definitely shower shoes.
Q: What did you do to prepare yourself for BMT?
I watched a lot of videos, talked to my sister and cousin who were both in the Air Force.
Q: Did you ever have a 341 pulled? If so, for what?
Not in basic, but I did in tech school for not stopping my SMU (small marching unit) at a street. I did get in A LOT of trouble in basic for writing letters before they said we could. Don’t do that. =]
Q: What is PT like at BMT?
It’s a lot of fun. You run three days a week. You run thirty minutes together, then thirty minutes of continuous running/sprints. The other days, you do push-ups, sit-ups, and other calisthenics.
Q: What was the best thing/experience that happened to you while there?
The best thing was seeing my husband (he was three weeks ahead of me). Other than that, the O-course was amazing. It was the funnest thing I have experienced in my life.
Q: What was the worst thing/experience that happened to you while there?
Getting sick was horrible. Everyone gets sick, but you’re already tired and rundown – it just makes it worse. Also, I didn’t pin my hands while doing a left face and I had to stand in the middle of the squadron by myself and do a left face while everyone walked by and looked at me. Also, my flight forgot about me and another MTI took pity on me and told me to go back to them.
Q: What is the best advice you could give to any future trainee to survive BMT?
Do what you’re told. Don’t be annoying. Be quiet. STUDY! Never assume that an MTI is talking to you. If they yell, “Hey You!” walk the other way.
Q: What's operational life like compared to the world of BMT?
It’s way different. Laid back; I bullshit with my boss (MSgt) all the time. NCOs are less scary. I do miss BMT a lot. It would be a lot of fun to go back.
Again, another big thank you to Jess for taking time out to answer these questions! If you guys have any more, feel free to comment, and she'd be happy to help you out! If she forgets to check, I'll remind her ;] Thanks for reading!
24 July 2012
MEPS, MEPS and more MEPS.
Okay, final MEPS post! Hopefully....
So, we left off at the end of the medical exam. Well, I processed out of there, and went and met with my liaison. He was somehow surprised I finished before the 3 guys. Maybe because there was a whopping total of 3 females, and a bajillion males. Anyway. He had to pull up some files to go back over, and I had to verify, of course. Then, we made my contract! This consisted of making a list of jobs (Max of 10), and picking an Aptitude Area. As with anything, more is better! Try to pick the max total of jobs. But, don't list something you don't want! You may just end up with it! When doing this, your liaison will present you with a list of alllll the jobs you qualify for. Mine was roughly 5 pages. When picking your aptitude area, look and see what category most of the jobs you listed fall under. Or (if you want something quickly), ask which Aptitude Area your squadron gets the most of. That'll really help. I was torn between General and Administrative. I ended up picking Gen, because it's apparently rather difficult to get Admin, considering there's only about 5 jobs or so total.
So my list was made, my contract was drawn up, and that meant lunch time! They had announced over the intercom it was ready, about 20 minutes before I left his office. Make sure you eat at this point! It had been roughly 7 hours that I had been awake, and hadn't eaten. I demolished my sandwich. Anyway, I ate lunch, went back to my liaison, and he sent me to the control desk to find out where to go next. I went and did another interview with a DoD employee, then was fingerprinted. This is tricky, as your fingers can't be wet, this includes sweaty!! Mine didn't take nearly as long as some, maybe 10 minutes. She printed off some copies, told me to take them to my liaison and say I was ready to swear in! When I went back to his office, I was pleastanly surprised to see my recruiter there!! We instantly started talking about that I made weight and all that good stuff. I handed over my prints to my liaison, and he told me to sit in the waiting area.
Of course, I figured since I hadn't waited long all day, it'd be the same process. WRONG. I waited for close to 2ish hours before I was able to swear in! They had to assemble a group of people, and I was farther ahead than those left that hadn't sworn in. I was bored out of my mind! And the exhaustion was getting to me! I had been so full of nerves/excitement up until that point, I wasn't tired. But it was getting close to 1500, and I'd been up roughly 12 hours with about 3.5 hours of sleep the night before. Finally I heard them call my name, along with 7 others. We were escorted back to the ceremony room, where a civilian instructed us on what to do. Luckily, I thought, my recruiter had already shown me how to stand at attention, rest and parade rest. This differs slightly branch to branch. The way I was taught, the AF rests their hands above their tailbone, while Marines for example, rest theirs on the small of their back. She corrected me, though. Oh, well. She explained a few more things, then the 8 of us (only one of my AF guys was with me! One was DQ'd and John was still waiting to be finger printed) patiently waited for the officer to come in. He was an Army Colonel, I believe. And he was so very nice, and inspirational. He gave us a fantastic speech about the Military, and then thanked us at the end. That was an awesome feeling; the first time I was thanked for my service, that I hadn't even provided yet! Anyway, we raised our right hands and repeated after the officer.
That was such a rush, such an indescribable feeling. I knew in that moment that I wasn't "signing my life away", I was willingly giving it to a greater cause; something bigger than all of us. I knew I was making the right choice, and was implementing what I was born to do. When you take the Oath of Enlistment for the first time, you'll understand why I can't elaborate. It's like explaining why you love your children. You get choked up, emotional, and know that it's just.....right. That particular feeling there, will override all negative feelings you have when you get to BMT. It will give you strength when you think you have none left, it will give you courage, faith, and so much more. It gives you life. I've been a completely different person since that day, only a short 6 days ago. But my life was eternally changed, and I couldn't be more thrilled.
So, we left off at the end of the medical exam. Well, I processed out of there, and went and met with my liaison. He was somehow surprised I finished before the 3 guys. Maybe because there was a whopping total of 3 females, and a bajillion males. Anyway. He had to pull up some files to go back over, and I had to verify, of course. Then, we made my contract! This consisted of making a list of jobs (Max of 10), and picking an Aptitude Area. As with anything, more is better! Try to pick the max total of jobs. But, don't list something you don't want! You may just end up with it! When doing this, your liaison will present you with a list of alllll the jobs you qualify for. Mine was roughly 5 pages. When picking your aptitude area, look and see what category most of the jobs you listed fall under. Or (if you want something quickly), ask which Aptitude Area your squadron gets the most of. That'll really help. I was torn between General and Administrative. I ended up picking Gen, because it's apparently rather difficult to get Admin, considering there's only about 5 jobs or so total.
So my list was made, my contract was drawn up, and that meant lunch time! They had announced over the intercom it was ready, about 20 minutes before I left his office. Make sure you eat at this point! It had been roughly 7 hours that I had been awake, and hadn't eaten. I demolished my sandwich. Anyway, I ate lunch, went back to my liaison, and he sent me to the control desk to find out where to go next. I went and did another interview with a DoD employee, then was fingerprinted. This is tricky, as your fingers can't be wet, this includes sweaty!! Mine didn't take nearly as long as some, maybe 10 minutes. She printed off some copies, told me to take them to my liaison and say I was ready to swear in! When I went back to his office, I was pleastanly surprised to see my recruiter there!! We instantly started talking about that I made weight and all that good stuff. I handed over my prints to my liaison, and he told me to sit in the waiting area.
Of course, I figured since I hadn't waited long all day, it'd be the same process. WRONG. I waited for close to 2ish hours before I was able to swear in! They had to assemble a group of people, and I was farther ahead than those left that hadn't sworn in. I was bored out of my mind! And the exhaustion was getting to me! I had been so full of nerves/excitement up until that point, I wasn't tired. But it was getting close to 1500, and I'd been up roughly 12 hours with about 3.5 hours of sleep the night before. Finally I heard them call my name, along with 7 others. We were escorted back to the ceremony room, where a civilian instructed us on what to do. Luckily, I thought, my recruiter had already shown me how to stand at attention, rest and parade rest. This differs slightly branch to branch. The way I was taught, the AF rests their hands above their tailbone, while Marines for example, rest theirs on the small of their back. She corrected me, though. Oh, well. She explained a few more things, then the 8 of us (only one of my AF guys was with me! One was DQ'd and John was still waiting to be finger printed) patiently waited for the officer to come in. He was an Army Colonel, I believe. And he was so very nice, and inspirational. He gave us a fantastic speech about the Military, and then thanked us at the end. That was an awesome feeling; the first time I was thanked for my service, that I hadn't even provided yet! Anyway, we raised our right hands and repeated after the officer.
That was such a rush, such an indescribable feeling. I knew in that moment that I wasn't "signing my life away", I was willingly giving it to a greater cause; something bigger than all of us. I knew I was making the right choice, and was implementing what I was born to do. When you take the Oath of Enlistment for the first time, you'll understand why I can't elaborate. It's like explaining why you love your children. You get choked up, emotional, and know that it's just.....right. That particular feeling there, will override all negative feelings you have when you get to BMT. It will give you strength when you think you have none left, it will give you courage, faith, and so much more. It gives you life. I've been a completely different person since that day, only a short 6 days ago. But my life was eternally changed, and I couldn't be more thrilled.
21 July 2012
MEPS Part Deux
Okay, where did we leave off? Oh, right. I headed to have my bloodwork done after the interview with the Doc. It was exactly like donating blood, except they just stick the needle in, pull some blood out really fast, then the needle is out. Basically painless. I'm a regular blood donor, so this didn't bother me. Anyhow. That was one of the easiest parts of the day! The technician (a TSGT in the AF, I believe) and I were discussing how cold it was. I said it was no good for my bladder. I had to go. She said that as soon as she did the next guy's blood, we'd do the urinalysis. Thank the heavens!!!
So, maybe 2 minutes passed, and she took me and one of the two other girls into the restroom. She didn't get right up in our business, like most people say. Then again, different MEPS have different personnel, so who knows? Well, she handed us each a cup, told us to fill it at least halfway, set it on the floor when we were finished, do our "thing" then pick the cup up. We had to keep it above waist level while carrying it over to the window. The tech in there did a pregnancy test, which I said there would be something wrong if mine was positive! As I mentioned earlier, I had just gotten off of my period, about 3 weeks previously, ha! Well, they did that then sent us on our way.
OH!! Somewhere in the middle of all of this, we went into a briefing. That's where we filled out our medical questionnaires, and they informed us of the rules for doing so. They also performed a breathalyzer, my first ever! It took about an hour or so.
So after the pee test, I went and took my vision test. I wear contacts, so I had to do 2 tests; one with contacts, one without. I did a basic test like at an eye doctor, then we moved to the depth perception and color blind tests. It actually seemed to take a while to do this, but probably because I had to do each twice. Bummer. Anyway, I finished that, and was directed into another room for *drumroll* the Underwear Olympics!! I almost feel like this topic needs its' very own post, but I won't do that. =] So I go into that room, where one of the other girls was already waiting. I sat beside her, and she told me she had been waiting in there for about 30 minutes or so. I was lucky enough to not wait any longer for anything for more than 5 minutes, other than swearing in, which I'll get to. So we waited on my roomie, since we were the only females. She arrived almost immediately. We went into the stalls located on the left side of the room, and undressed to our skivvies. No socks, though! Luckily, our tech knew how cold it was (even though she was in her ABU's!) so she provided 2 space heaters, which we flocked to like starving mice. She called us each up to get weighed and measured. I was first, of course. This was the moment I had been most nervous for, anxiously sweating about. I stepped on that scale and saw 142. Phew! I still had 3 pounds to spare! She had me step off the scale and stand against the wall to be measured. She measured me right at 5'2" like we had hoped for!! I knew from then on out, everything else would be a breeze. I didn't care that I had already passed all my other exams, this was the one I had been killing myself for for over two weeks. Sweet, sweet victory was mine. Back on track: she then weighed and measured the other two, then called us over to her little stand to inspect our tattoos/scars/birthmarks. Here's another mythbuster: They won't disqualify you for basic scars. I had heard this repeatedly. No matter what kind of scar, you'd be DQ'd. I found this to be appalling! How do they expect any person to not be a Jake Gyllenhall character, and not get scars?! It's called life! Of course, they do DQ for certain scars. If they could present a problem in the future, like if they're really big and deep or something. Cooking scars, scars from when you were 5 and fell off your bike and scraped your knee don't count. You can now relax. All tattoos have to be documented. If you have a full sleeve comprised of 27 tattoos, you have to go through each and every one (which you should have already done with your recruiter, but of course have to do it again to make sure you didn't add any). She had to document what it was, the size, and meaning of it. Mine are very simple, so it took just a couple of minutes.(Side note: I'm going to dedicate a post to tattoos and the Air Force.) Anyway, here comes the fun!!!
The Underwear Olympics
At this point, our tech brought the doctor in. We did a series of stretches/exercises so he could see what our range of motion is. Also, you were in your skivvies throughout the weighing/measuring and bodily identifiers. Anyway, he checked out our spine, bottoms of our feet, joint use, etc. They don't look too much into it if you have awful balance when doing this. They realize not everyone is an Olympic Gymnast. After we completed all of this, we did the infamous duckwalk. Oh, I would practice walking at least 5 paces on your tippy toes and heels if you can't already do this. Anyway, duckwalk. Right. The key to the duckwalk is to do exactly as they say. I was rather nervous about this just hearing about it, but it was SO easy. Firstly, you squat into like a backcatcher in baseball stance. Your butt should be resting our your heels. We could either place our hands on our waist, or in the crook of our hips. I opted for waist, because I felt like I was pushing down on my legs by putting them on the hips. You then begin to literally waddle. You MUST walk heel to toe while doing this. We only did 5 paces one way, turned around, 5 paces back, and turned around again before standing. No big deal, I promise. After that we did this weird thing where we got on our knees in a classic kneeling position, resting kind of on the toes. You had to roll back onto your heels, then roll your body up without balancing yourself on the floor, or your own body. I accidentally bounced up the first time, which you can't do. But I did get another try. You're not DQ'd for that either. That was it for the Underwear Olympics. Again, no big deal!
After that, the tech gave us dressing gowns and instructed us to put them on with the opening in the front. We walked into a smaller room connected to the room we were in for the female exam. I, again, was first. I guess because I was oldest and had "more experience" with these types of things. I was the only one of us all to have had a pap smear before. Weird. Anyway, when I entered the room, I walked over to the doctor so he could check my ears/eyes/nose. I also had to hold my nose and blow to pop my ears since I'm joining the AF. John didn't have to do this, though. Which I found odd. That took maybe 5 minutes, then I saddled up. (Because of the stirrups...get it? Maybe not...) The tech laid a sheet over me, and the doctor started the exam. He pressed on my tummy, which made me giggle because I'm ticklish. They laughed at me, too. =] Then was the "vaginal" exam. Basically all he did was lift the sheet to verify I was female. I counted, and it was less than 2 seconds. I kid you not! Then he did a standard breast exam, and I was done! I had passed my medical exam, and was ready to process out of there, and go to my liaison for job selection interview.
I think I'll now break this up into 3 parts. This is why I chose a blog instead of YouTube. You'd be watching this video for DAYS. =]
So, maybe 2 minutes passed, and she took me and one of the two other girls into the restroom. She didn't get right up in our business, like most people say. Then again, different MEPS have different personnel, so who knows? Well, she handed us each a cup, told us to fill it at least halfway, set it on the floor when we were finished, do our "thing" then pick the cup up. We had to keep it above waist level while carrying it over to the window. The tech in there did a pregnancy test, which I said there would be something wrong if mine was positive! As I mentioned earlier, I had just gotten off of my period, about 3 weeks previously, ha! Well, they did that then sent us on our way.
OH!! Somewhere in the middle of all of this, we went into a briefing. That's where we filled out our medical questionnaires, and they informed us of the rules for doing so. They also performed a breathalyzer, my first ever! It took about an hour or so.
So after the pee test, I went and took my vision test. I wear contacts, so I had to do 2 tests; one with contacts, one without. I did a basic test like at an eye doctor, then we moved to the depth perception and color blind tests. It actually seemed to take a while to do this, but probably because I had to do each twice. Bummer. Anyway, I finished that, and was directed into another room for *drumroll* the Underwear Olympics!! I almost feel like this topic needs its' very own post, but I won't do that. =] So I go into that room, where one of the other girls was already waiting. I sat beside her, and she told me she had been waiting in there for about 30 minutes or so. I was lucky enough to not wait any longer for anything for more than 5 minutes, other than swearing in, which I'll get to. So we waited on my roomie, since we were the only females. She arrived almost immediately. We went into the stalls located on the left side of the room, and undressed to our skivvies. No socks, though! Luckily, our tech knew how cold it was (even though she was in her ABU's!) so she provided 2 space heaters, which we flocked to like starving mice. She called us each up to get weighed and measured. I was first, of course. This was the moment I had been most nervous for, anxiously sweating about. I stepped on that scale and saw 142. Phew! I still had 3 pounds to spare! She had me step off the scale and stand against the wall to be measured. She measured me right at 5'2" like we had hoped for!! I knew from then on out, everything else would be a breeze. I didn't care that I had already passed all my other exams, this was the one I had been killing myself for for over two weeks. Sweet, sweet victory was mine. Back on track: she then weighed and measured the other two, then called us over to her little stand to inspect our tattoos/scars/birthmarks. Here's another mythbuster: They won't disqualify you for basic scars. I had heard this repeatedly. No matter what kind of scar, you'd be DQ'd. I found this to be appalling! How do they expect any person to not be a Jake Gyllenhall character, and not get scars?! It's called life! Of course, they do DQ for certain scars. If they could present a problem in the future, like if they're really big and deep or something. Cooking scars, scars from when you were 5 and fell off your bike and scraped your knee don't count. You can now relax. All tattoos have to be documented. If you have a full sleeve comprised of 27 tattoos, you have to go through each and every one (which you should have already done with your recruiter, but of course have to do it again to make sure you didn't add any). She had to document what it was, the size, and meaning of it. Mine are very simple, so it took just a couple of minutes.(Side note: I'm going to dedicate a post to tattoos and the Air Force.) Anyway, here comes the fun!!!
The Underwear Olympics
At this point, our tech brought the doctor in. We did a series of stretches/exercises so he could see what our range of motion is. Also, you were in your skivvies throughout the weighing/measuring and bodily identifiers. Anyway, he checked out our spine, bottoms of our feet, joint use, etc. They don't look too much into it if you have awful balance when doing this. They realize not everyone is an Olympic Gymnast. After we completed all of this, we did the infamous duckwalk. Oh, I would practice walking at least 5 paces on your tippy toes and heels if you can't already do this. Anyway, duckwalk. Right. The key to the duckwalk is to do exactly as they say. I was rather nervous about this just hearing about it, but it was SO easy. Firstly, you squat into like a backcatcher in baseball stance. Your butt should be resting our your heels. We could either place our hands on our waist, or in the crook of our hips. I opted for waist, because I felt like I was pushing down on my legs by putting them on the hips. You then begin to literally waddle. You MUST walk heel to toe while doing this. We only did 5 paces one way, turned around, 5 paces back, and turned around again before standing. No big deal, I promise. After that we did this weird thing where we got on our knees in a classic kneeling position, resting kind of on the toes. You had to roll back onto your heels, then roll your body up without balancing yourself on the floor, or your own body. I accidentally bounced up the first time, which you can't do. But I did get another try. You're not DQ'd for that either. That was it for the Underwear Olympics. Again, no big deal!
After that, the tech gave us dressing gowns and instructed us to put them on with the opening in the front. We walked into a smaller room connected to the room we were in for the female exam. I, again, was first. I guess because I was oldest and had "more experience" with these types of things. I was the only one of us all to have had a pap smear before. Weird. Anyway, when I entered the room, I walked over to the doctor so he could check my ears/eyes/nose. I also had to hold my nose and blow to pop my ears since I'm joining the AF. John didn't have to do this, though. Which I found odd. That took maybe 5 minutes, then I saddled up. (Because of the stirrups...get it? Maybe not...) The tech laid a sheet over me, and the doctor started the exam. He pressed on my tummy, which made me giggle because I'm ticklish. They laughed at me, too. =] Then was the "vaginal" exam. Basically all he did was lift the sheet to verify I was female. I counted, and it was less than 2 seconds. I kid you not! Then he did a standard breast exam, and I was done! I had passed my medical exam, and was ready to process out of there, and go to my liaison for job selection interview.
I think I'll now break this up into 3 parts. This is why I chose a blog instead of YouTube. You'd be watching this video for DAYS. =]
20 July 2012
MEPS
Okay, time for my longgg tale of my adventure to the MEPS. This was another video attempt (I broke it up into two parts) that took roughly an hour combined. Who wants to watch the same person talk for an hour?! Yeah. Anyway.
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!
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!
To Enlistment, and Beyond!
Hello, all!
I've decided it's about time I started documenting my journey through enlisting in the United States Air Force. I've attempted to make a few YouTube videos, but never uploaded them. I find myself talking for at least 12-45 minutes. No exaggerations here, folks. Anyway, let's get down to business.
I started the process of enlisting for AD (Active Duty, get used to the acronyms, it's all the military knows!) in early April, 2012. I had started thinking about it in mid-March. On my very first meeting with my recruiter, we went ahead and set up a date to take the ASVAB (I think I'm just going to make a page solely for acronyms. But this one means Armed Services Vocational and Aptitude Battery). I spoke with him a couple of times between those dates, then I headed across town at 1800 on a Tuesday to take a 3 hour test. We didn't start until 1900 ish, so I finally got my results around 2230. It was an exhausting night, but I more than qualified for the Air Force. My recommendations for studying for the ASVAB are to purchase the book, ASVAB for Dummies. It literally (figuratively) saved my life. I'm 22 years old, haven't been to college in 2 years, and been out of high school about 4 years. You could say I'm a little rusty. Anyhow, I bought it on my Kindle, for roughly $9, I don't remember exactly. I'm just kind of guessing =] I took it everywhere. I was reading bits of it on my break, walking into stores, walking out of stores, taking baths (I had to be careful on those!). You name it. The best study tips I found were to just concentrate on the parts of the exam that you needed to score the best in for the particular job(s) you wanted. I was dead set on getting Public Affairs when I first started. More on that later, though.
So, you've got your ASVAB test date, you've got your book, now what? Study, of course! But really, what now? Well, what I did was extensively research anything and everything Air Force. Luckily, my sister-in-law and her husband in currently AD. They just went through BMT and Tech School less than a year ago. She was able to give me TONS of info, it also doesn't hurt that we have the same recruiter! Anyway, I was watching videos, reading blogs, Googling, just absolutely going crazy. I was on my phone constantly looking things up (my laptop had been out of commission for a while, so I just got a new one about 3 weeks ago). www.airforce.com was my lifesaver. I was on that all day, every day. It was my homepage on my phone. It still is, and I've gotten a new once since then. It's even my home page on my laptop. Back to the ASVAB, though. Another great tool, is www.military.com where they have practice tests! They've got short versions, and the full length versions. Those actually helped out a lot. I got the same score every. single. time. on there. I ended up making like, 4-6 points higher on the real deal. Awesome sauce. Where do you go from here, though?
Your recruiter should be contacting you within 5 days (at least mine did!) to tell you your sub-scores. These include the General, Administrative, Electrical, and Mechanical aptitude areas. These are the areas I was talking about earlier that help determine what job(s) you qualify for! From there, you should be submitting all of your paperwork (DL, SS card, HS diploma, transcripts, BC, Marriage License, etc.) so your recruiter can prepare you for MEPS. From what I've heard through some friends, they all went to MEPS within a couple of weeks of initially meeting with a recruiter. Mine had been on extra overload starting like, a month after my ASVAB. He was literally doing two jobs at once, so he fell a bit behind. I was okay with that, because I get where he was coming from. I'm going to dedicate a whole post (possibly two) to my MEPS experience. So stay tuned for that!
A little about me, though....
As I said earlier, I'm 22. I'm also married! It'll be 3 years in December, but we've been together for 6, and were BFFs for 2.5 before that. Basically, I've been married to him like, half my life haha! He's very supportive of the military, and my decision to join, he just doesn't want to leave home. I'll pretty much leave it at that, since this is supposed to be an uplifting, informational place =] Let's just say, I have no idea where we'll be at in a year. Anyway....I have a sister, she's exactly 1 year and 2 weeks older than me. She's a super nerd. You can find her website at www.noobtheory.com and search Noob Theory on Facebook and like it! She is a master at physics and all things science. So is her husband. Weirdos. I just wanna make sure nothing blows up around me, and that's all the science I need. I love her, though. =] My mom had me laaaaate in life. Like, 38, late. She'll be 60 next month. Yikes, that's weird to think about! She raised us all by herself. My dad passed away when I was 3 years old of Bacterial (idk what different kinds there are of this) Meningitis. I also had an older sister who passed away 3 months after he did. She got the Ecoli virus, and her immune system couldn't fight it off. I got a tattoo that says A^2 (Asquared) because both of their names start with an A. It's on my left shoulder, close to my heart. My mom raised me to be a strong willed, independent, confident person that never lets anyone bully me, tell me I'm not good enough, or tell me my beliefs are wrong. I admire her so much for that. She truly is my hero.
I'm here to help every person I can go through the enlistment process of the Air Force! If you have any questions at all, I'm more than happy to answer. Although I haven't been to BMT, I know plenty of people who have. I can certainly ask them questions you may have, or might even answer them based off of what they've told me. As soon as I make it through BMT (whenever that will be!) I'll definitely update with everything I'm allowed to tell! =]
I've decided it's about time I started documenting my journey through enlisting in the United States Air Force. I've attempted to make a few YouTube videos, but never uploaded them. I find myself talking for at least 12-45 minutes. No exaggerations here, folks. Anyway, let's get down to business.
I started the process of enlisting for AD (Active Duty, get used to the acronyms, it's all the military knows!) in early April, 2012. I had started thinking about it in mid-March. On my very first meeting with my recruiter, we went ahead and set up a date to take the ASVAB (I think I'm just going to make a page solely for acronyms. But this one means Armed Services Vocational and Aptitude Battery). I spoke with him a couple of times between those dates, then I headed across town at 1800 on a Tuesday to take a 3 hour test. We didn't start until 1900 ish, so I finally got my results around 2230. It was an exhausting night, but I more than qualified for the Air Force. My recommendations for studying for the ASVAB are to purchase the book, ASVAB for Dummies. It literally (figuratively) saved my life. I'm 22 years old, haven't been to college in 2 years, and been out of high school about 4 years. You could say I'm a little rusty. Anyhow, I bought it on my Kindle, for roughly $9, I don't remember exactly. I'm just kind of guessing =] I took it everywhere. I was reading bits of it on my break, walking into stores, walking out of stores, taking baths (I had to be careful on those!). You name it. The best study tips I found were to just concentrate on the parts of the exam that you needed to score the best in for the particular job(s) you wanted. I was dead set on getting Public Affairs when I first started. More on that later, though. So, you've got your ASVAB test date, you've got your book, now what? Study, of course! But really, what now? Well, what I did was extensively research anything and everything Air Force. Luckily, my sister-in-law and her husband in currently AD. They just went through BMT and Tech School less than a year ago. She was able to give me TONS of info, it also doesn't hurt that we have the same recruiter! Anyway, I was watching videos, reading blogs, Googling, just absolutely going crazy. I was on my phone constantly looking things up (my laptop had been out of commission for a while, so I just got a new one about 3 weeks ago). www.airforce.com was my lifesaver. I was on that all day, every day. It was my homepage on my phone. It still is, and I've gotten a new once since then. It's even my home page on my laptop. Back to the ASVAB, though. Another great tool, is www.military.com where they have practice tests! They've got short versions, and the full length versions. Those actually helped out a lot. I got the same score every. single. time. on there. I ended up making like, 4-6 points higher on the real deal. Awesome sauce. Where do you go from here, though?
Your recruiter should be contacting you within 5 days (at least mine did!) to tell you your sub-scores. These include the General, Administrative, Electrical, and Mechanical aptitude areas. These are the areas I was talking about earlier that help determine what job(s) you qualify for! From there, you should be submitting all of your paperwork (DL, SS card, HS diploma, transcripts, BC, Marriage License, etc.) so your recruiter can prepare you for MEPS. From what I've heard through some friends, they all went to MEPS within a couple of weeks of initially meeting with a recruiter. Mine had been on extra overload starting like, a month after my ASVAB. He was literally doing two jobs at once, so he fell a bit behind. I was okay with that, because I get where he was coming from. I'm going to dedicate a whole post (possibly two) to my MEPS experience. So stay tuned for that!
A little about me, though....
As I said earlier, I'm 22. I'm also married! It'll be 3 years in December, but we've been together for 6, and were BFFs for 2.5 before that. Basically, I've been married to him like, half my life haha! He's very supportive of the military, and my decision to join, he just doesn't want to leave home. I'll pretty much leave it at that, since this is supposed to be an uplifting, informational place =] Let's just say, I have no idea where we'll be at in a year. Anyway....I have a sister, she's exactly 1 year and 2 weeks older than me. She's a super nerd. You can find her website at www.noobtheory.com and search Noob Theory on Facebook and like it! She is a master at physics and all things science. So is her husband. Weirdos. I just wanna make sure nothing blows up around me, and that's all the science I need. I love her, though. =] My mom had me laaaaate in life. Like, 38, late. She'll be 60 next month. Yikes, that's weird to think about! She raised us all by herself. My dad passed away when I was 3 years old of Bacterial (idk what different kinds there are of this) Meningitis. I also had an older sister who passed away 3 months after he did. She got the Ecoli virus, and her immune system couldn't fight it off. I got a tattoo that says A^2 (Asquared) because both of their names start with an A. It's on my left shoulder, close to my heart. My mom raised me to be a strong willed, independent, confident person that never lets anyone bully me, tell me I'm not good enough, or tell me my beliefs are wrong. I admire her so much for that. She truly is my hero.
I'm here to help every person I can go through the enlistment process of the Air Force! If you have any questions at all, I'm more than happy to answer. Although I haven't been to BMT, I know plenty of people who have. I can certainly ask them questions you may have, or might even answer them based off of what they've told me. As soon as I make it through BMT (whenever that will be!) I'll definitely update with everything I'm allowed to tell! =]
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