What the Recruiter Never Told You

TejanoRey · 09-28-2004, 07:00 AM

Here is some info that might benefit those who will in the future attend our Armed Services. It might answer many questions.

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What the Recruiter Never Told You

From Rod Powers,Your Guide to U.S. Military.

Introduction

Let me preface this series by saying I have lots and lots of friends who are military recruiters. Recruiting isn't a bad job, as long as you remember to wash your hands afterward (Just kidding, folks!).

A majority of military recruiters are hard-working, honest folks, even if you wouldn't want one to marry your sister/brother/daughter/son (Just kidding, again! Jeez, you guys sure are touchy!).

As I was saying, while a majority of military recruiters are hard-working, honest, and dedicated, there are some (and I emphasize some) recruiters who are tempted to bend the truth, and/or downright lie, and/or blatantly cheat in order to sign up a recruit. It happens often enough where we've all heard "horror stories" about military recruiters. So, why do some recruiters do this?

It's because of the way the recruiting system is set up. It's a numbers game, pure and simple. Recruiters are judged by their superiors primarily upon the number of recruits they get to sign up. Sign up large numbers, and you're judged to be a good recruiter. Fail to sign up the minimum number assigned to you (known as "making mission"), and you can find your career at a dead-end. This policy pressures some recruiters to adopt unethical practices in order to "make mission."

So, you ask, "why don't the services put a stop to this?" Easier said, than done. Each of the services have recruiting regulations which make it a crime for recruiters to lie, cheat, or knowingly process applicants that they know are ineligible for enlistment. Recruiters are punished when they are caught violating the standards. However, the key phrase is "when they are caught." Not that easy to do, as there are usually no witnesses. It becomes a "he said/he said" type of deal.

I should also mention here that, in many cases, "lies" told by a recruiter are actually cases of selected listening by recruits. A recruiter may say, "Many of our bases now have single rooms for most people," and the applicant may hear, "You are definitely not going to have a roommate."

Anyway, enough "recruiter-bashing." As I've said, most recruiters are honest. The purpose of this series is not to run down military recruiters, but rather inform potential recruits the truth about joining the military; the benefits and disadvantages of joining the military, whether for a four-year enlistment, or a 30-year military career. The subject matter of this series necessitates that the "tone" be somewhat critical, or negative. I don't mean it that way. I spent 23 years in the Air Force and enjoyed every minute of it. My primary profession today is to manage this web site and research/write about the United States Military. Both of my daughters are happily serving in the Air Force. I love the military and every aspect of it.

However, the military is not for everyone. Fully 40 percent of recruits who enlist in the military today will not complete their full term of service. While many discharges will be for reasons beyond the recruit's control, such as medical problems that develop after joining the military, as a First Sergeant for 11 years, I found that a significant number of the involuntary discharges we imposed on first-term recruits was because they simply stopped trying -- they discovered that the military wasn't what they thought it was going to be. Many of them told me that the military wasn't even close to what their recruiters told them it was going to be (either the recruiter lied to them, or they were guilty of "selective listening.") This series is intended to "save" some of that 40 percent by letting potential recruits know up front, just what they are signing up for. Let's get on with the show!

Part 1 -- Choosing a Military Service
Part 2 -- Meeting the Recruiter
Part 3 -- The Enlistment Process and Job Selection
Part 4 -- Enlistment Contracts and Enlistment Incentives
Part 5 -- Military Pay
Part 6 -- Housing, Housing Allowance, and Barracks
Part 7 -- Chow Halls and Food Allowance
Part 8 -- Education Programs
Part 9 -- Leave (Vacation), and Job Training
Part 10 -- Assignments
Part 11 -- Promotions
Part 12 -- Military Medical Care
Part 13 -- Commissaries and Exchanges
Part 14 -- Morale, Welfare, & Recreation (MWR) Activities

TejanoRey · 09-28-2004, 07:01 AM

Should I Join the Military?

First and foremost, you should decide if you should even join the military. As I said, the military is not for everyone, and some people find that out too late. Ask yourself why you want to join the military? Do you need a job? Do you want to serve your country? Are you thinking of making the military a career, or just do a term or two? Is it for the college benefits? Is it to learn a trade? Do you want to travel the World for awhile? Just need some time to "mature?"

Before you join, recognize the fact that a stint in the military is not civilian employment. It's not just like having a regular job. You can't just up and quit anytime you want to (See article, Getting Out of the Military). You can go to jail just for being late for work. (Granted, it's unlikely that a commander would impose nonjudicial punishment, or court-martial action the first time you are late for work, but it would be entirely legal for him/her to do so -- See Article 86 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).) No matter how high your rank, no matter which service you join, there will always be someone telling you what to do, and when to do it. Many times you won't like or agree with your orders, but you take a solemn oath to "obey the orders of the President of the United States and the lawful orders of those appointed over you." Disobeying those orders can have serious consequences. If you can't live with this simple fact, save yourself and the government some valuable time and money, and don't enlist.

In a civilian job, if you don't like your boss, or don't like the job, you can simply quit. Not so, in the military. I get email all the time from recruits who just graduated basic training and/or technical school (job training), asking how they can "quit" the military. The short answer is that you can't -- unless it is for a valid hardship reason (i.e., someone in your immediate family is terminally ill, and your presence is required). The military can throw you out for several reasons, but you can't simply quit because you don't like it. If the military decides to throw you out (discharge you), the consequences of the discharge (depending on the type of discharge you're granted) can follow you the rest of your life.

If you like to smoke a joint once in a while, don't join. The military uses random, no-notice urinalysises, and -- if you're found positive, you may very well go to jail (as well as being discharged). The DOD urinalysis test can find THC in your urine for three weeks after you've smoked a joint.

The military is allowed to discriminate by gender. If you're a woman, know that there are some jobs and positions which are not open to you (most in the Marines, fewest in the Coast Guard -- in fact, all ratings are open to women in the Coast Guard). In fact, the Navy even limits the number of women they will allow to enlist. This is because there are only so-many berths on ships that have been designated for women, and if the Navy allows too many women in at one time, they wind up with an inbalance of those serving on sea duty.

If you're homosexual, or bisexual, understand up front that you may not engage in homosexual activity while in the service (on or off duty), and you may not tell anyone of your homosexuality. To do so will result in an immediate discharge. While the military will not ask about your sexual preferences, neither are you allowed to tell anyone else that you are homosexual or bi-sexual while you are in the military. This is the infamous "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

Part 1 -- Deciding Which Military Service to Join

In today's military, expect to spend a significant time away from "home." The average Navy enlisted person can spend a significant amount of time each year at sea. On any given day, 40 percent of Navy personnel are assigned to a ship or submarine, and 35 to 45 percent of those ships will be deployed to sea (2003 statistics). Depending on your Air Force AFSC (job), and duty assignment, you may find yourself spending up to seven months out of every year deployed to such garden spots as Kosovo, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Turkey. The Army deploys a significant amount of folks to beautiful downtown Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Kosovo. The Marines are also scattered around (although not in as great numbers as the other services). Recently, however, the Marines have been taking their turn in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, unlike the Army (and like the Navy), a Marine may find him/herself spending significants amount of time deployed to sea on Navy and Marine Ships. Even if you elect to join the National Guard or Reserves, these branches now spend a significant amount of time deployed to areas such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo, and the Gulf (See National Guard and Reserves Mobilized).

Which Service Should I Join?

Next, you'll need to decide which service you are interested in. Sometimes, you'll know this in advance. Perhaps you had a friend or relative who served or are serving in a particular branch of the military and you want to follow in their footsteps. You should give this matter much study. Each of the services are different, and some people may be more suited (based upon qualifications, temperament, and/or interests) for one service vs. another. Make sure you select a service that YOU are interested in joining, based upon YOUR interests. Don't join a service just because someone else liked it, or expects you to. It's your life, your interests, your decision.

The Marines are, without argument, the most "military" of all the services. If you join the Marines, expect to eat, sleep, and breath "The Corps," 24 hours per day, seven days per week. All Marines are considered a "rifleman" first, and whatever other MOS (Job) they hold second. This is attributable to the high level of marksmanship training that all Marines receive. The Army is probably the second most "military." Many Army Combat Arms units, such as the elite Rangers, are just as intense and "gung ho" as the Corps. The Navy, while not as "rigid" as the Marines and Army, has many deep-set customs and traditions which are immobile. For the "gung-ho" sailor, the Navy possesses, probably the best-known special operations force -- the Navy SEALs. The Air Force, tied with the Coast Guard, as the "least military" service, also has it's share of "gung ho," in the the elite Combat Controllers and Air Force Pararescue forces. For more information, see Special Operations Forces.

(Note: Recruiters see lots of folks who want to enlist and serve in one of these elite fields. The truth of the matter is that most people who apply for the "elite" programs wash out due to the very rigorous training requirements. If you enlist to become one of these "elites," and you wash out of training, you don't get to quit. You'll be required to serve the remainder of your enlistment contract in a different job).

If you like shooting (a lot), and want a complete change of lifestyle, to include a deeply ingrained pride of service, commitment, and sense of loyalty, the Marine Corps may be just what you're looking for. This may be a minor point, but it is very telling: When you ask an airman what he does, he will respond, "I'm in the Air Force." When you ask a sailor what she does, she'll respond, "I'm in the Navy." If you ask a Marine what he does, he'll say "I am a Marine."

If you want a little more flexibility in your lifestyle, but still want a strong sense of being in the military, the Army may be for you. If you like to crawl through the mud and blow things up, using the latest and greatest of "blowing up toys," consider one of the Army's combat arms branches. You'll likely get all the time "in the field," that you want.

The Navy is probably the best place for those who like to travel -- a lot. There are few ratings (jobs) in the Navy that won't spend a significant amount of time at sea. This might be great if you are single, but might be something you'll want to think about if you have a family.

Part 1 -- Deciding Which Military Service to Join

The Coast Guard has the advantage of having a real, "peacetime" mission, in active law enforcement, rescue, and ocean safety. On the "down side," the Coast Guard only has 23 enlisted jobs to choose from, and you usually cannot get a "guaranteed job" at the time of enlistment. On the plus side, pretty much all of those jobs directly relate to the civilian job market. Additonally, with fewer jobs, the Coast Guard doesn't "specialize" as much as the other services, and one may get a wider range of experience within a specific job.

Of all the services, the Air Force is probably the most (but not exactly) like having a regular job. The Air Force is, in my opinion, far ahead of the other services in many "qualify of life" issues such as dormitories and base housing units. If these things are important to you, then the Air Force should be something you look into. However, in terms of educational requirements and overall ASVAB (Armed Forces Vocational Appitude Battery) scores, the Air Force (tied with the Coast Guard) is the hardest service to get into. For details, see Minimum Required ASVAB Scores.

National Guard and Reserves. All of the services have a reserve component and two of the services (Army and Air Force) have a related National Guard, as well. The primary purpose of the Reserves and National Guard is to provide a reserve force to supplement the active duty forces when needed. The biggest difference between the Reserves and National Guard is that the Reserves belong to the federal government, while the National Guard belongs to the individual state government. While both the Reserves and the National Guard can be called to active duty by the Federal Government, under the authority of the President, individual state governors can also call out their National Guard units to assist in individual state emergencies.

Following basic training and job training, members of the Reserves and National Guard drill (perform duties) one weekend each month, and two weeks every year. However, it's become more and common to activate Guard and Reserve units to supplement active duty deployments to such garden spots as Iraq, Kuwait, Bosnia, and Kosovo. In fact, as I write this paragraph (May 2004), 171,917 Guard and Reserve members have been mobilized in support of such deployments (See Guard/Reserve Mobilized for current figures). For an overview of the services, and their basic functions, see U.S. Military 101.

There are also differences in education benefits, assignments, job guarantees, and education programs, and enlistment/re-enlistment bonuses, which we'll discuss in the later parts of this series. Once you've decided what service(s) you're interested in, you may wish to make appointments and talk to the recruiters of all of the services that interest you. Don't begin the enlistment qualification process, however, until you're fairly sure what service you want to join. It's unfair to make a recruiter do all the work to pre-qualify you, set you up for testing and medical, then back out and join a different service, instead.

TejanoRey · 09-28-2004, 07:02 AM

Part 2 -- Meeting the Recruiter

Continued from Part 1

As I said in Part 1, if you are unsure of which service to join, you may want to visit recruiters from all of the services. If you do this, tell the recruiter, up front, that you are visiting all of the recruiters before you make any decision.

It's often a good idea to bring a parent or relative (or better yet, someone who has served in the military) with you for your first visit. However, make sure it's someone you're comfortable with. The recruiter is going to ask you many personal questions during that first interview (Have you ever used drugs?), just to make sure he knows your basic qualifications and whether or not he can afford to spend his/her valuable time with you. If you don't want your parents to hear the truthful answer to these questions, you're probably better off going alone. It's a good idea to prepare a list of questions to ask, in advance.

Be as specific as possible. While most recruiters will not lie to you, remember that the recruiter lives or dies by the number of people he/she can recruit. He or she may not volunteer information which may chase away a potential quota. It's up to you to ask pointed, specific, no-nonsense questions, and expect direct answers. Be very suspicious of any unclear, or vague answers. Always press for specifics. If in doubt, ask the recruiter to put the information in writing, and sign it, or to show you in the regulations, guides, or pamphlets that what he/she is saying is true.

In most cases, you don't want to ask too many questions about specific military jobs. With the exception of the National Guard and Reserves, and Marine Corps, recruiters have absolutely nothing to do with job selections (more on that later). Rather, focus your questions on the general advantages of that particular service (length of basic training, leave (vacation), medical care, barracks/dormitory/housing conditions, education benefits, etc).

Common Courtesy

Recruiters are busy animals. In fact, recruiters put more hours on-the-job than just about any person in the military. Regardless of what you've heard, recruiters do not get a monetary bonus for signing people up. They get their regular paycheck, whether you enlist or not. If you drop by without an appointment, don't be surprised if your recruiter isn't there. He might be taking someone to MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) on that day. She might be speaking at a high school or college. He might be at the recruiting squadron (branch, division), taking care of paperwork, or going through a training class. She might be at an applicant's house, trying to calm jittery parents. He might be taking a few days of well-deserved leave (vacation).

Don't waste a recruiter's time. They simply can't afford to spend time with those not serious about enlisting, or not qualified to enlist. Don't make an appointment, then fail to show up. Don't cancel an appointment at the last minute. Treat the recruiter with the same courtesy that you would give if you were at a meeting with the hiring director for a civilian job. If you were trying to get a job with Microsoft™, you most certainly would not walk in dressed as a bum, or make an appointment, just to cancel it at the last minute.

Part 2 -- Meeting the Recruiter

What Your Recruiter Has to Put up With

The following was provided by By USAFNCO1, an Air Force Recruiter, and a a member of our Message Forum: Recruiting is a tough job regardless of branch. You either have very good times or very bad ones. We call it peaks and valleys. Without doubt, you will work your tail off trying to find "qualified" applicants. There are tons that want to join but the majority do not meet the standards. You will soon realize just how unhealthy most of our youth are or how a large portion lack a lot in the morals category. When you find the qualified ones you will put forth every effort to take care of them just like they are your own kids if you want to be successful.

The hours vary depending on others schedules. You have to meet your applicants or their families schedules to succeed. I have worked many days from 0500-2300 hours (5:00 AM to 11:00 PM) to make this happen. On average when I recruited enlisted I worked a 70 hour work week. There were times when it was less but that was not counted on. You will drive countless miles to perform your job.

The majority of the public seems to think all recruiters are bad due to a few bad apples. Be prepared to prove yourself at all times. You will also have applicants who make accusations against you at times due to their own lack of honor. Document everything and keep copies as long as you are a recruiter.

Typically the northern tier states are harder to recruit (been there done that) but regardless of where you go it will be a challenge 24-7. If you can honestly say you will do the right thing and work hard without supervision directly over your shoulder, you will succeed. If you can handle enormous amounts of stress, then you will succeed. If not, then think of another specialty.

Civilian Recruiters?

That's right. If you're joining the Army, your recruiter may be a civilian, not a soldier.

As part of the FY 2001 Defense Appropriations act, Congress mandated that the Department of Defense (DOD) test the concept of using civilians, instead of military members, to recruit people to join the military. DOD decided that the Army will be the service that conducts this multi-year test.

In February 2002, the Army awarded two civilian companies contracts totaling $172.4 million to hire and manage recruiters for 10 different areas across the nation. The civilians will recruit for the active Army and reserve components in Jackson, Miss.; Oklahoma City; Dayton, Ohio; the Delmarva Peninsula or Eastern Shore of Delaware; Tacoma, Wash.; Harrisburg, Pa.; Wilmington, N.C.; Salt Lake City, Utah; Granite City and Homewood, Ill.

For more details, see Civilian Recruiters.

Getting Down to Basics

Sooner or later, you're going to have to stop shopping, and decide on which military service you want to join. During your "shopping trips," you may have met a recruiter who really impressed you, and/or you may have met a recruiter that left you cold. It's important that you not choose your military service based upon your perception of the recruiter's quality. Each of the services have outstanding recruiters, and each of the services have recruiters who shouldn't be recruiting. Don't judge the military service based upon whether or not the recruiter impressed you. Choose your service based upon your interests, not whether or not the recruiter was kind enough to buy you lunch at McDonalds.

Once you make your decision, make an appointment with the recruiter for the service you want to join. The first thing the recruiter is going to do is to "pre-qualify" you. The recruiter will ask you a bunch of questions to see if you qualify for military service. These will be questions about age, citizenship or immigration status, education level, criminal history, drug abuse history, and medical conditions. The recruiter may weigh you, and ask to see personal paperwork (birth certificate, high school diploma, social security card, etc.).

It's important that you be truthful with the recruiter. It's also very important that you not allow the recruiter to encourage, advise, or even hint that you lie about any of this important information. It is a felony to give false information or withhold required information on any military recruiting paperwork. (See I Cannot Tell a Lie for detailed information about possible consequences).

Part 2 -- Meeting the Recruiter

Remember, there is no RIGHT to join the United States Military. The recruiter uses the information you give to determine whether or not you are qualified to join, based upon Department of Defense (DOD) and individual service standards. Those standards exist for reasons. It is not up to you, or the recruiter to decide which standards are valid and which ones are not. It is much better to be disqualified for enlistment in the first place and never join, then it is to lie about it, go through basic training, have the lie discovered, then get thrown out of the military (possibly with an administrative discharge that will follow you for the rest of your life).

In addition to the pre-qualification questions, the recruiter may ask you to take a sample Armed Forces Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test. This is a computerized ASVAB "mini-test," with representative questions in the four areas of the ASVAB which determine the overall ASVAB Score (AFQT Score). These areas are Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Mathematics Knowledge, and Arithmetic Reasoning. This "mini-test" has a pretty good reputation for estimating what you're AFQT score is going to be when you take the full-blown test. Some recruiting commands have policies that will preclude scheduling the applicant for the actual ASVAB, unless they achieve a designated minimum score on this "practice" ASVAB.

Of particular importance is the medical questionnaire (there are actually two of them -- the first one is completed in the recruiter's office, and the second one is completed at MEPS when you take your physical). It costs the military a lot of time and money to process the medical physical. If medical pre-screen in the recruiter's office finds anything questionable, the recruiter must get permission from the medical officials at MEPS to even schedule you for a physical. Just as there is no right to join the military, neither do you have the right to have a physical. If the MEPS medical official determines (from the pre-screening questionnaire) that you are not medically qualified, they can simply refuse to allow you to take the physical. If this happens, you're pretty much dead in the water, as far as enlistment is concerned, as waivers are generally not granted in such cases, nor is there any workable avenue of appeal.

What if You Don't Meet the Standards?

Even if you don't meet the standards, sometimes criminal history, minor drug abuse, and medical conditions can be waived. Whether or not a condition can be waived is not up to the recruiter. It's up to superiors in his/her command (exactly how high up the chain of command depends on what the waiver is for), who make decisions based upon current law, regulations, and policy. Some things can't be waived, and the recruiter can tell you this, straight up front.

Part 2 -- Meeting the Recruiter

There is simply no way to even guess whether or not a waiver will be approved, even if someone has gotten a waiver for the same condition in the past, or -- conversely -- if nobody has ever gotten a waiver for the condition in the past. Each and every waiver is evaluated INDIVIDUALLY, using SEVERAL individual factors, including but not limited to:

Is the condition progressive?
Is the condition subject to aggravation by military service?
Will the condition preclude satisfactory completion of prescribed training and subsequent military duty?
Will the condition constitute an undue hazard to the examine or to others, particularly under combat conditions?
Is the recruit *EXCEPTIONALLY* qualified, otherwise? (ASVAB scores, etc.)
How are current recruiting goals? How bad does that particular branch of the service need this particular applicant at this particular point-in-time? Generally, when the services are doing well in their recruiting efforts, fewer waivers are considered. During years when the services are having a tough time finding enough qualified applicants to meet their quotas, they are more generous in the waiver approval arena.

I have seen waivers approved for a specific condition, only to see a waiver disapproved for the same condition, by the same service, just a few weeks later.

Remember, each of the services have their own standards and policies when it comes to processing recruiting waivers. If you don't qualify for one service, it's possible that another service would agree to process and approve a waiver.

In general, the Air Force has the reputation for approving the fewest waivers, followed by the Marine Corps, the Navy/Coast Guard, and finally the Army. Because National Guard recruiting policies can differ greatly from state-to-state, many times the National Guard will approve a waiver that the active duty and reserve forces won't even consider. Once the "pre-qualification" is done, the recruiter then knows whether or not he/she can start processing you for enlistment.

TejanoRey · 09-28-2004, 07:03 AM

Part 3 -- Enlistment Process and Job Selection

Continued from Part 2

Once the recruiter has "pre-determined" your qualifications for enlistment (or gotten permission from his/her superiors to process you, in the event a waiver is required), you'll start the enlistment process.

This begins with filling out a bunch of forms, that the recruiter will send to MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station), where the real processing is done.

The Armed Forces Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)

While this test is usually accomplished at MEPS, that's not always the case, so it deserves separate mention.

There are three ways to take the ASVAB to qualify for military service (and military job qualification):

High School. Results of ASVAB Tests taken in high school (Vocational ASVAB Program) can be used for military accession, if the test was taken less than two years before, and the scores achieved on the test are high enough to qualify for military service.

Paper ASVAB Test. Most people take the computerized ASVAB at MEPs, as part of their overall military processing, but it is possible to schedule to take the paper version of the test in the local area. MEPS has a traveling team, called the Mobile Examination Team (MET) that gives the ASVAB on a scheduled basis at designated locations (usually National Guard Armories). The recruiter can schedule applicants to take the paper version of the ASVAB through the MET.

Computerized Version at MEPS. Most people, however, take the computerized version of the ASVAB when they go to MEPS for their physical examination/enlistment processing. Quite often, the ASVAB is given on the afternoon before processing, then the recruit spends the night in a military-contract hotel, and undergoes the medical physical/enlistment processing on the next day.

The Trip to MEPS

The recruiter will schedule your trip to MEPS, and will arrange transportation to and from (sometimes the recruiter him/herself will drive you to MEPS, but they are not allowed to accompany you through the MEPS process).

The visit to MEPS is two-phased: Part of the process does not belong to any individual service. It's a joint-service operation, that attempts to determine whether or not you are qualified for the military. This includes the medical examination, and the testing (ASVAB, DLAB, etc.) portions of MEPS.

Once the "joint-service" part of MEPS determines your qualifications, you're turned over the the enlistment processing part of MEPS. This part of MEPS is not "joint-service," and is staffed by members of the Recruiting Command for the military service you are there to process for. This portion includes the Job Counselors, Security Clearance Managers, and the personnel who prepare the enlistment paperwork/contracts. (See The MEPS Experience for more detailed information).

Job Qualifications

As I said previously, your recruiter has absolutely nothing to do with military job qualifications or determination. With the exception of the National Guard, Reserves, and the Marine Corps, this process is done at MEPS, by "Job Counselors. For the Guard and Reserves, recruiters work directly with Guard/Reserve bases in the local area, trying to fill specific job vacancies in those units, so they have more to do with the job selection process. Marine Corps recruiters work with recruits to fill job or enlistment program quotas that are given to them from their headquarters.

To get the job of your choice requires two things: (1) There must be an available vacancy for the job, and (2) you must be qualified for the job. Availability is "luck of the draw." The services forecast what jobs will have vacancies at specific times during the recruiting year ("vacancies" are determined not only by whether the skill is needed, but also, whether/when there are available training dates for that job). For example, even if the service you're trying to join needs linguists very badly, and you qualify for the job, if all the school dates are already reserved at the Defense Language Institute for the foreseeable future, you're probably not going to be able to get that job.

Part 3 -- Enlistment Process and Job Selection

Job Qualification. Job qualification is based on several factors. Most significant, are your ASVAB "line scores." The services have assigned minimum ASVAB line scores to each enlisted job. They've learned, though years of experience that these specific score requirements are what an applicant needs in order to successfully make it through the training for that job. ASVAB line score requirements for specific military enlisted jobs can be found in our Enlisted Job Description pages.

In addition to ASVAB line scores, many jobs require the applicant to qualify for a Security Clearance. Therefore, if the applicant has anything in their background that may prevent approval of a clearance, the MEPS job counselors are unlikely to allow the applicant to reserve that job. Some jobs require additional testing. For example, any job that requires one to learn a foreign language, requires a passing score on the Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB).

Different jobs have different physical requirements. When one goes through their medical examination at MEPS, one is assigned a Physical Profile, which is a series of numbers that indicates the member's medical condition in designated medical areas. In order to reserve a job, one must meet the minimum physical profile required for that job.

Some jobs, especially those designated as "direct ground combat" jobs are restricted, by law, to males only. Some jobs (especially in the Army and Air Force), require a minimum lifting ability, which must be demonstrated before the job can be reserved for the recruit.

"Guaranteed" Jobs. A word about "Guaranteed Jobs." It's important that you understand what a "guaranteed job" is in the military. If you have a "guaranteed job" in your enlistment contract, it does not mean you will get that job, come Hell or high water. There may be reasons, after you enlist, that you can't get the job that your enlistment contract "guarantees." What happens in that case, depends on the situation.

In general, if you can't get the job due to something beyond your control (such as the service phased out the job, or downsized the job, or made a mistake and discovered that you don't qualify for the job, or you are denied a security clearance -- not due to giving false information), then you will be given the choice of applying for a discharge, or choosing a new job from a list of available jobs that you qualify for. In this case, the choice is yours (It should be noted that while these situations have been known to happen, they occur rarely).

On the other hand, if you fail to qualify for the job due to a reason within your control (you fail in training, you get into trouble, or you give false information on your security clearance application and are denied a security clearance), the choice is not yours. The military will decide whether to discharge you (throw you out), or to retain you and retrain you into a job that you qualify for. In this case it's the military's choice.

Each of the services have different policies/procedures when it comes to "guaranteed jobs."

Army. In the Army, an enlisted job is called an "MOS," or "Military Occupation Specialty." The Army is the only service that offers a guaranteed job (MOS) to everyone. The Army has no such thing as an "open" or "undesignated" enlistment. However, the MOS's offered to you, might not be the one(s) you wanted. It depends upon your qualifications and what jobs have current/projected openings. If the job you want is not available, your only choices are to choose a different job, or not enlist. On the negative side, of all of the services, the Army has the worst reputation for working soldiers in jobs that have nothing to do with what their MOS is. Over the years, I've met dozens of soldiers who were (for example) assigned to drive trucks in the motor-pool, even though their MOS's had nothing to do with vehicles. Last year, the Stars & Stripes Newspaper published a feature article about an Army Armored Company deployed to Kosovo (without armor) to man security checkpoints. Within the article, many soldiers were complaining that they were deployed to perform a non-armor mission.

Part 3 -- Enlistment Process and Job Selection

Air Force. The Air Force calls their enlisted jobs "Air Force Specialty Codes," or "AFSCs." The Air Force has two enlistment options: Guaranteed Job, and Guaranteed Aptitude Area. Under the "Guaranteed Job" program, the applicant is guaranteed training in a specific AFSC (Air Force Job). Under the Guaranteed Aptitude program, the applicant is guaranteed that he/she will be selected for a job that falls into one of the designated aptitude areas. The Air Force has divided all of their jobs into four aptitude areas (General, Electronic, Mechanical, and Administrative). It is unfortunate, but true that a majority of Air Force jobs (approximately 60 percent) are are reserved for individuals joining under the Guaranteed Aptitude program. Therefore, many of the available jobs are not released to the Air Force Jobs Counselor. Instead, they are "reserved" and offered to recruits in basic training, who enlisted under the Guaranteed Aptitude Program.

If one enlists in the Guaranteed Aptitude Program, they will meet with a job counselor around the 2nd week of basic training. The job counselor will give them a list of all the AVAILABLE jobs that they qualify for (medical, moral history, ASVAB scores). Understand that not all Air Force jobs within the aptitude area will be on the list. Only the jobs that have open school seats at that particular point in time. When you receive the list of choices, you have one week to consider it, then you return to the job counselor and give your top 8 choices (from the list). Everyone else in the same week of training, who enlisted in the same aptitude program will also have a list that looks exactly like yours. They will be making choices, as well. The job counselors give each applicant a "rating," which is derived from their ASVAB scores, medical qualifications, and moral (criminal/drug history) qualifications. If, for example, there is a job that has five openings and six people put it down as there first choice, they take the five highest rated and give them the slots and the sixth person, they go to their second choice (of course, that "second choice" may also be someone else's first choice, which would affect whether or not the person would get the slot, depending on how many are available, and how many placed it high on their list).

Individuals generally will then find out which job they've been selected for, around the 5th week of training, right after returning from "Warrior Week."

For the Air Force, there is one other option, the "QWL." The "QWL" is the Qualified Waiting List. If the job you want (and are qualified for) is not available, you can ask to be placed on the QWL for the job. Then, if the job becomes available, it can be assigned to you. The disadvantages are that some jobs simply never become available through MEPS (only through basic training), and sometimes, when a job becomes available, it's because someone else dropped out at the last minute, so you may only have a day or two notice before you have to ship out to basic training. It's not wise to count on the "QWL." It is generally used only when one is exceptionally-well qualified for a specific job, and it's not currently available. An example would be someone who is certified as an EMT (emergency medical technician), wishing to enlist in a medical specialty.

The Air Force will -- at times -- work someone outside of the job they were trained in. This usually happens when someone does something that results in temporary disqualification from their normal job, or if someone volunteers for a special job or project. For example, in some squadrons, there may be a "team" of three or four volunteers to form the squadron "small computer team." These individuals would be volunteers from within the squadron, to install and maintain small computers or the small computer network within the squadron. Many of the larger Air Force squadrons have such volunteer teams.

Navy. The Navy calls their enlisted jobs "ratings." The Navy offers two programs: Guaranteed Job, and Undesignated Seaman. While both programs are available, most enlist under the Guaranteed Job program. Again, whether or not you will be offered the job you want depends upon your qualifications, and the needs of the service. Undesignated Seaman can "strike" for a job after basic training. The Navy also has some "special" enlistment programs whereby you can enlist knowing what "area" you are going into, but not your specific rating (job). An example would be the Nuclear Program. These programs generally require higher ASVAB line scores, and require a longer service commitment, but offer accelerated promotions, greater training opportunities, and higher enlistment bonuses.

Part 3 -- Enlistment Process and Job Selection

Marines. Like the Army, enlisted jobs in the Marine Corps are called "MOS's." The Marines also offer two programs: Guaranteed Job, and general field. Very, very few Marine applicants get a guaranteed job (mostly those with college degrees or high ASVAB scores, applying for certain, designated technical specialties). It's been my experience that a majority of Marines are enlisted in a general field (such as Avionics), and will have their actual job (MOS) designated during basic training. One must remember, in the Marines, one is expected to want to be a MARINE, first & foremost. MOS (job) is a distant second.

Coast Guard. Like the Navy, enlisted jobs in the Coast Guard are referred to as "ratings." Of all of the services, the Coast Guard offers the fewest guaranteed jobs. One normally enlists in the Coast Guard, undesignated, then "strikes" for a job after a period of on-the-job training in "basic coastguardmanship" at their first duty station. A few schools (and therefore jobs) are offered during basic training. While this system may seem (on the surface) disadvantageous, there is something to be said about having the chance to spend some time scoping out the situation "on the job," before deciding what job you're going to "strike" for.

As well as offering the fewest guaranteed jobs, the Coast Guard has the fewest overall jobs (about 23) of any of the services. On the plus side, for the most part, all of the Coast Guard jobs directly relate to a civilian occupation. Additionally, with so few job categories, Coast Guard personnel "specialize" less than the other services. As one Coast Guard member told me, in a 20 year career in the Electronic Tech (ET) rating, he's worked on communications from radio to satellite communications, radar, all forms of navigational equipment, lighthouses, telephone, computers, crypto, and electronic warfare. Those would be spread out over several different MOS/AFSC/Ratings in the other services.

Reserves and National Guard. The Army National Guard and Air National Guard, as well as the reserve forces of all the branches give "guaranteed jobs" to everyone who enlists. This is because, unlike the active duty forces, who recruit for available slots all over the world, Guard and Reserve recruiters recruit for specific unit vacancies in their local areas. Therefore, when you enlist in the Guard or Reserves, you enlist into a specific job slot in a specific Reserve or Guard squadron/division/company, etc.

Avoiding becoming Job-Locked

Regardless of what some of the military recruiting commercials on TV indicate, the military is not a job-placement agency. When you get to MEPS, you may find that you don't qualify for the job you wanted, or you may find out that the job you want is simply not available. This is especially true for jobs that everyone wants (like computer programming), or jobs that only have a few people assigned. For example, the Air Force has over 22,000 Security Forces (cops) assigned. Compare that to the 285 physical therapist specialists authorized, and you can see that the chances of jobs being open for Security Forces is several dozens of times greater than openings for physical therapists.

While you are under no obligation to enlist when you go to MEPS, going through the entire process, without enlisting wastes your time, wastes the recruiter's time, and wastes the time/resources of MEPS. If you are focused on only one or two job possibilities, you are likely to be disappointed. Recruiters call this "job-locked," and some recruiters will refuse to send a recruit to MEPS unless the recruit is serious about enlisting, even if the job(s) the recruit wants is not available.

Part 3 -- Enlistment Process and Job Selection

Retraining/

The Recruiter and/or Job Counselor may tell you that if you don't like a job, you can apply to re-train at a later time. This may or may not be true. Each of the services have different requirements when it comes to retraining. In the Army and Air Force, one must usually serve a minimum amount of time (usually 36 months for a 4-year enlistment) and agree to re-enlist to be eligible for retraining. In the Navy and Marines, one must usually serve at least 24 months in the rating/MOS before re-training will be considered. Even then, approval is based upon individual circumstances, and the needs of the service. For all of the services, if the job you are serving in is extremely short-manned, or if the job you want to re-train into is over-manned, your retraining application is not likely to be approved.

Delayed Enlistment Program (DEP)

Once the job counselors have helped you determine what job/enlistment program you are going to enlist in, they will complete the paperwork, and you'll sign an enlistment contract (and take an oath), enlisting you in the DEP (Delayed Enlistment Program). The DEP is a "holding status" while you are waiting for your scheduled shipping date to basic training. When you enlist in the DEP, you are actually in the military. You are enlisted in the inactive reserves, and are legally (and morally) bound by your enlistment contract. (Note: The National Guard does not have DEP. When you sign on the dotted line in the National Guard, you immediately become a member of your National Guard Unit. Some units even allow you to drill and receive pay before you've even attended basic training).

One final thing about the DEP some recruiters may not want you to know: In this program, you enlist, and "promise" to ship out for boot camp on the designated date. This is a binding contract, and if the military wanted to, they could prosecute you for not shipping out on the date specified on the contract. However, current regulations and policies require the military services to discharge you from the DEP, if -- at any time before shipping out -- you apply to be released from the contract (the request should be in writing and should state the reason you wish to be discharged from the DEP). If a recruiter tells you that you will go to jail if you back out of DEP, he/she's lying to you. If he/she tells you that you will never be able to enlist again, he/she is lying to you. If they tell you that you will be "blacklisted," he/she is lying to you. If he/she tells you that you will be given a "general" discharge, he/she is lying to you. In fact, the only bad consequences to dropping out of the DEP, is that if you later want to enlist in that same service, it will be on THEIR terms, not yours. Most services have policies that require a waiver processing for recruits who previously dropped out of DEP of their service. Because of this, many programs (such as guaranteed job) may not be available, should you change you mind (Note: This doesn't apply if you drop out of the DEP of one service, then join a different service). That being said, if you request a discharge from the DEP, expect your recruiter to be (justifiably) angry. He/she's invested several hours of his/her valuable time in your enlistment, and the military has spent a significant amount of time and funds in your tests and medical physical. Additionally, if you drop out, you're no longer filling a "slot" that must be filled, and the recruiter must now try and find someone to fill that slot. Don't enlist in the DEP unless you are 100% sure you want to join the military. See The Delayed Enlistment Program for more detailed information.

TejanoRey · 09-28-2004, 07:04 AM

Part 4 -- Enlistment Contracts and Enlistment Incentives

Continued from Part 3

Enlistment Contracts

All of the services use the same enlistment contract -- Department of Defense Form 4/1. This is the contract that is used for military enlistments and re-enlistments. Of all the paperwork you signed during the process to join the military, this is the most important document.

If you enlist on active duty, you'll actually sign two enlistment contracts. The first one places you in the Delayed Enlistment Program (DEP). The DEP is actually the INACTIVE RESERVES (inactive reserve members do not perform weekend drills, such as active members of the Reserves, nor do they receive any pay -- however, technically, they can be called to active duty in times of emergency: Note: There has NEVER been a case where a member in the DEP has been involuntarily called to active duty). When your time in the DEP is up, and it's time to go onto active duty and ship out to basic training, you are discharged from the inactive reserves and sign a new enlistment contract to enlist on active duty.