When someone enlists in the military, regardless of branch, health care past is part of your enlistment procedure. Along with supplying a thorough healthcare historical past, the recruit ought to also undergo a thorough healthcare examination by a doctor at MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station).

You will discover several conditions that will disqualify another person from Army service. In the past, it was almost impossible to serve inside the Army if there had been a previous analysis of asthma. While recent asthma situations are normally not authorized, there has already been a lot more leniency granted in direction of those that suffered from asthma previously but are now not afflicted by the issue.

As of 2004, if the recruit has not had any asthma symptoms or been handled for asthma past his 13th birthday, he is commonly deemed to not have asthma by Army recruitment standards. He’ll be allowed to enlist via an enlistment procedure that is precisely the same as it is for someone who has never had asthma.

If he has experienced asthma signs or symptoms or been handled for asthma later than his 13th birthday, he may nevertheless be allowed to join but a medical waiver is going to be needed. Whether or not the waiver is granted is based on components including the severity of his asthma, when the last therapy or symptoms occurred and his standard prognosis together with the condition. The results of a pulmonary test or PFT may possibly also be employed in making the choice about a waiver. Any demanded screening will likely be supplied at no expense to the recruit.

In the event of a healthcare waiver, preceding medical records are going to be requested. They may request medical data at any time as a way to show that asthma has not been a problem since his 13th birthday. For this reason, it is imperative that the recruit is honest throughout the process about his medical historical past. Lying or otherwise misrepresenting his health care background can have serious outcomes when it is learned.

Some that have come to the United States legally from other international locations want to show their appreciation and satisfaction to make the U.S. their home by serving within the United States Army. Although it is feasible to serve, it isn’t without limitations and requirements that do not apply to United States citizens.

All people who joins the Army must either be a United States citizen or a legal immigrant. Authorized immigrants have to possess a green card and have entered the region legally in an attempt to develop into a legal immigrant on the United States.

Legal immigrants who’ve been residents of nations that are thought of to be hostile against the USA will require a waiver to be capable to join. If this is your predicament, speak with your recruiter about starting the waiver approach. The list of hostile international locations can be modified quite often as situations across the world evolve. However, the recruiting station must have an updated listing.

Legal immigrants will need to remember that their work opportunities throughout the Army will probably be limited. The Department of Defense won’t permit authorized immigrants to possess a security clearance within the Army. Due to the fact many Army jobs require at least a secret security clearance, authorized immigrants will only possess a small checklist of obtainable occupational specialties regardless of their ASVAB score. You can find work accessible inside the Army that doesn’t involve a security clearance although so it’s doable to nevertheless serve.

When speaking to your recruiter, take all documentation with you. This can speed up the enlistment approach and provide needed documents if a waiver becomes essential for enlistment. Take into account that the recruiter is not able to approve a waiver. Waivers are granted by those in his chain of command or at recruiting command.

The ASVAB, Armed Forces Vocational Aptitude Battery, is a test that all potential soldiers will take before entering the service. The test has nine areas of concentration – word knowledge, paragraph comprehension, arithmetic reasoning, mathematical knowledge, general science, auto and shop information, mechanical comprehension, electronics information and assembling objects.

There are three versions of the test, all of which can be used for recruiting purposes.

High School Version – This is given to high school juniors and seniors to measure aptitude. While it can be used for recruiting purposes, it does not have to be. Many use it as a general aptitude exam.
Paper Version for Recruiting – This is the test that a prospective soldier will be given when he goes to the recruiting station. The questions are different than those on the high school version.
CAT-ASVAB – This is the most commonly given to potential recruits as this is the computerized version of the ASVAB. Many score better on the computerized version than the paper version. With the CAT-ASVAB, the questions are weighted and the computer can deliver harder or easier questions based on whether previous questions were answered correctly or incorrectly.

There is not a score for the ASVAB. Many mistakenly will assign a score to the ASVAB (“I received a 92 on my ASVAB.”) But the score they are referring to is actually the AFQT (Armed Forces Qualifying Test). This score is derived from certain sections of the ASVAB – word knowledge, paragraph comprehension, arithmetic reasoning and mathematical comprehension. The AFQT score is a percentile score (on a scale of 99) that is based on a group of test takers who took the test in 2004.

The minimum score to qualify for the Army is 31, though waivers can be obtained if the score is lower. In order to qualify for incentives, such as enlistment bonuses, the minimum score if 50.

View minimum scores required for different Army MOS areas.

I assume if you’re reading this article that your husband has recently joined the Army or is at least thinking about it. In our case, my husband had picked almost every major in the book from the medical field to culinary arts to criminal justice. He was just never able to find what he wanted to do. He came home one day and said, “I’m thinking about joining the Army.” I just nodded, thinking it would pass in a few days. A few days later he told me he had talked to an Army recruiter and a few days after that he had a date set up for MEPS. At first I was a little shocked, then I set out to find all of the information I could.

Where Should You Look For Army Information?

So as a soon to be Army wife, where do you go for information? Your husband’s Army recruiter should be your first stop. In most cases, the recruiter will likely ask you, as the soon to be Army wife, to join in on one of their meetings. They are very aware of the fact that the wife can have a significant influence over whether or not he joins so they try to establish rapport in the beginning.

My husband had a female recruiter who gave us her home phone number and told me to call any time I had questions. While I tried not to bother her at home, I did bombard her with questions when we met. Ask them everything your little heart desires to know. This is the one time that you can ask whatever you want.

Ask the Right Questions

But, I will warn you to not completely trust everything the recruiter tells you. Now, this is in no way insinuating the Army recruiter is going to lie to you. But, as future Army wives, we have a tendency to hear what we want to hear. Try to be as open as possible, no matter if the answer is what you wanted to hear or not. As much as possible, ask specific questions. If you ask “Will I have contact with my husband during training?”, the answer will be yes. If you ask “How often and what kind of contact will I have with my husband while he’s in training?”, you will get a more realistic response.

Double Check the Information

Personally, I always visited www.goarmy.com and logged into their chat and asked the same questions I asked the recruiter. This way if there was a difference in the answer, I could address it then. I always felt the Army recruiters online were totally upfront because they have no stake in my husband.

The Eye Opening Conversation

One thing my husband’s recruiter was very upfront with me about was telling me that it was no easy job to be the spouse of a soldier, particularly with the career path my husband was choosing. She told me it would be hard, there would be days when I wanted him to quit, days when I questioned why we ever did this and days when I would just want to give up. But she said the one thing that needs to remain constant no matter what you are feeling is your support for him. He needs to know that you support him 100% and then some. While he is in training, that is his focus. If you try to remind him that you’re #1 and get his focus on you, his training will suffer.

That was a very eye opening conversation for me that gave me a lot to think about and a lot to talk about with my husband. In many ways you, as an Army wife, are joining the military too. The military is one of the few jobs that someone can choose that involves the entire family day in and day out. I took that conversation to heart and later learned that she was right on target. It helped to be prepared.

Utilize the services of your husband’s Army recruiter. That is why they are there. If you have questions, if you want clarification, if he wants a certain contract, it is your recruiter’s job to help you and your husband. Take advantage!

Once your husband has talked to his recruiter and has decided to join the Army, he will be assigned a date to go to MEPS. The role of MEPS is to “ensure that each new member of the Armed Forces: The Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard; meets the high mental, moral and medical standards required by the Department of Defense and the military services.”

There are 65 MEPS throughout the nation. The Army recruiter typically takes him to MEPS or the soldier can go by private vehicle and meet his recruiter there. While at MEPS, he will take the ASVAB, undergo a physical evaluation and submit paperwork for his background check.

What Will He Do At MEPS?

This is typically an all day event as they are processing future soldiers for all branches of service. There is a central room with televisions where you can wait if you choose to go with him (as I did). There were very few other Army wives or Army family members present. He had to be there very early in the morning and I went over to MEPS a little later in the morning. There is NOTHING to do other than watch television while you wait and you will be waiting by yourself. I did not even see my husband for the first few hours I was there.

After all of the testing, he will be led to a counselor that will help him choose his MOS (military occupational specialty). In layman’s terms, he is choosing his job that he will do while in the Army. There are a variety of jobs, most of which are dependent on the scores from the tests he just completed. Once his job has been chosen, he will be given a contract that lays out his MOS, any additional schooling (airborne, RIP, etc.) and his entrance date. Before he signs is the only time he has to negotiate any of this. My husband was holding out for a Ranger contract and refused to go in with anything else. When they brought us the contract, he was very excited. I was too until I saw that he was due to leave on our wedding anniversary. I asked for the date to be changed and they obliged. Be sure everything you and he want is in his contract BEFORE he signs.

Taking His Oath

After this is complete, he will be introduced to the Army by being taught how to stand at attention, at ease, etc. This is for the ceremony where he will recite the oath. They will allow you to go into the room and watch him during this and even let you take a picture after it is complete. The oath is as follows:

“I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me according to the regulations and the Uniformed Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”

What Is Next?

After this is complete, his recruiter will sign him out and he will be free to go. He is now part of DEP, which you can learn more about here. Your soldier will also more than likely return to MEPS when he leaves for basic training.

The Future Soldier Program first went by the name of Delayed Entry Program (DEP).

From the time your husband goes to MEPS and signs on the dotted line until he leaves for basic training, he is in Future Soldier program. The amount of time in the Army’s Future Soldier program can vary greatly depending on your soldier’s MOS (job).

My husband first went to MEPS in April and was in DEP (what it was referred to at that time) until the next October. There are certain standards that must be maintained while he is in the Army’s delayed entry program.

• He must keep in contact with his Army recruiter by phone every two weeks and in person every month.
• He has to keep his recruiter informed about everything that is going on with him. This includes any involvement with law enforcement (including speeding tickets) and any changes in his health.
• He should try to attend all Future Soldier functions. These will usually be held once a month. Some are just a get together for dinner while others may include PT tests. These functions are usually family friendly and will be a great opportunity for you to meet other Army wives.
• He should stay in shape and follow a physical training program to prepare for basic training. This includes staying within the weight guidelines.

There are also ways that he can earn his first promotion if he’s not entering as an E-3 while in Future Soldier. This can be accomplished by referring others to his recruiter. The referral must enroll in Future Soldier before your soldier leaves for basic training in order for the promotion to occur. Be sure to ask your recruiter about this option if you’d like more details about it.