My MEPS experience, hopefully your inspiration
So I just thought I'd share my MEPS experience with you guys, primarily for those who've not yet DEP'ed in. For me, the thought of MEPS was daunting
It's going to be a long post but this is pretty much happened to me from start to finish
You get to fill out all those nice forms, hope you score high on the ASVAB and then... yeah more paperwork.
For me I went to the San Jose MEPS, spent 2 days total before I got to oath in. I'll recount everything that happened so that you can have a clearer picture of what will or might happen while you're there.
I got there around 3 30 pm, and mulled around in the Freedom's club lounge(pretty much a big room where you get a short briefing on policy and find out your room mate if you haven't already, also there's lots of big tv's with PS3 so you can kill some time before and after the brief) gotta be up in your room by 10 though.
Even sooner would be good, seeing as it is you only get around 5 and a half hours sleep. Wake up call 3:45 am. Best to get all the sleep you can, it's going to be a LONG day(15 hours for me)
When you get to MEPS(Military Entrance Processing Station) you're gonna wait outside for about 20 minutes before they let you in and run you through a metal detector for weapons and xray your bags. From this point on you leave your sweatshirt and bag in the storage room.
Then you're off to the Marines Liason where they start off by telling you that if you've been on drugs in the last 40 days you should pack up and leave before you get discharged never to return. 0 Tolerance policy on drugs.
After this is said, you're called in one by one and given the first round of questions... Have you ever been on Ritalin, inhaler, seen a psychiatrist, etc.
Then you're off to the front desk to have your picture taken several times before you go into a small room with all the other branches applicants. here there will be 2 power point presentations. Here is when I first found out really how long the day was going to be. You also start filling out paperwork. Make damn sure that the papers you fill out and sign are exactly the same as whats in your file. You may be disqualified for fraud enlistment if there's discrepancies.
You'll also be taking a breathalyzer, if you're stupid enough to drink before MEPS don't bother finishing this post, don't even bother joining.
Then you get to take the ASVAB, take it VERY seriously as it will determine the jobs you are qualified to do.
You'll also be taking a UA(urine analysis) and blood sample which both get sent off to labs, don't go to MEPS and **** hot, you're just ****ing yourself. Also, don't plan on joining the USMC if you're a druggy. That doesn't uphold the values and integrity of the Corps.
You'll be taking a hearing and sight test too right after.
After all this you go strip down and wait in a room with a bunch of guys from all the branches. It is here that you take your physical, ya know where the doc holds your nuts, checks your lungs, looks at your ass.... the works.
If you make it through this physical screening you get to go to one last interview, this is your time to come clean abotu anything you may have lied or withheld. If you don't... well now you got yourself a nice hole to dig out of or live in.
When all this is said and done its a little bit more paperwork, signing your contract and waiting.
Then you get to Oath in, at the ceremony there will be the service member that gave you the first orders at the beginning of the morning while you waited outside, hes going to ask for a volunteer to call the room to attention when the Sgt comes in( I got to do this, very proud of it) that will read you the oath and have you repeat it, he will ask you your job and maybe something else. When all is said and done, you have oathed in. Great job and you should be proud of yourself as I am of myself.
