Hi All! I have a lot of questions. I am a 30 y/o female, prior AF for 5 years. (E-4) I am scheduled to go to MEPS on Tuesday. I am told by my recruiter that I go to MEPS, pass my physcial and then he has to submit some kind of prior service waiver. Once that gets done, I go back up to MEPS and meet with a counselor to "negotiate my contract." I have a BUNCH of questions about the process and WTC.

1) When I go to MEPS to meet with the counselor, it appears (from reading other posts) that I can actually really negotiate things. (like station, rank, bonuses, and jobs.) Is that correct?

2) If I dont like what they have to offer me, I can just turn everything down and walk away?

3) If I like what I am offered, do I swear in right then and there?

4) And then what? Do I wait for orders to go to WTC? I am interested in Quick Ship, and since I am going in August, is there a possibility for a quick ship bonus?

5) Do people get shipped to WTC and then wait forever for thier class to start while they are there? If so, what do they do in the mean time?

6) Are they crazy strict there like they are in basic training? I have a small child and want to be able to keep in contact with home. Will that be possible?

7) I have read on a few different websites that I guess you go to Fort Sill to be processed and then maybe go to NM? I really dont care where, Im just curious....and excited.

8) How long is WTC -- considering I pass everything when I am supposed to.

Im sorry, that I am so full of questions, my recruiter hasnt really been much of a help. He doesnt even know where or how long WTC is.

Any answers that you can provide would be AWSOME! Im getting excited, but want to know what Im walking into so that I dont get blind-sided.

Thanks!!!!

Sarah

1) Negotiating Rank is really a grade waiver. It will determine if you can be brought back at your prior rank, or based on your past military/civilian experience, if you get dropped down a rank or two. Anything can be negotiated...it's a contract. Somnetimes, you just won't be able to get what you want without waiting a long time....

2) There's nothing forcing you to sign anything. Doing research and going in with Plan A,B, and C...will get you close. If you don't like what they have to say/offer, then make the decision to get up and leave. The councelor, may or may not, elect to go the extra mile and get on the phone...

3)My two experiences is that you swear in, the same day you sign off on your contract.

4)You'll need to ask for QS when you get to MEPs. Although it may not be available and/or you may have to leave much quicker than you can prepare.

5)Sometimes they wait. The idea is 4-10 days inprocessing and uniform issue. You'll sit waiting, but will be able to volunteer for duties...(i.e. :cleaning)

6) There are two threads (one by DSvargas, the other by Ninjadrill) they will answer every WTC specific question you have.

7) Ft. Sill and Santa Fe offer WTC classes. Which one you go to will depend on your ship date.

8) 4 weeks and a couple of days...


Good Luck

Thank you so much!

Sarah , you will go to New mexico fo WTC.
All females come here.

5) You will go to Ft Silly. Yes theres a chance you can get stuck there for a long time, especially females going into Regular Army. Santa Fe/WSMR is the only WTC program that will take females and they can only take 40ish per class. National Guard and Army Reserve have priority since the money for their orders comes out of a different pocket.

6) Its pretty lame, especially during Ft Sill and Stallion Range. Ft Sill is garbage because all the cadre there are also running boot camp platoons and during what little free time they are allowed they have to deal with "babysitting WTC" This ****es them off in general, plus they are used to acting like drill sergeants even on the best of days.

Once you get into the actual WTC you can only use the phone 2100-2200 but Im sure youll find times/places to sneak calls in here and there.

Thank you so much for everything!

So, just so that I understand this right, I will go to Ft. Sill to inprocess and hang out until my WTC class is available.

So would the still QS me since I would just be hanging out at Ft Sill? -- or does that make a QS out of the question?

What do I do while I'm there? CQ duty and stuff?

Thanks Again!

Sarah

Oh thats great advice , Leva, great.
trying to set a soldier up for failure, trying to sneak calls.
all She has to do is ask a cadre , As you Know , and we will let her use one of ours. Get caught with your phone and see what happens.
JEEZ

sp1d3r1, you ain't gonna do anything to them anyway! They are grown folk! Ha! Dust 'em off all day!

I know Battle , I know...
Im just a big soft hearted soul. I will give them some cookies and milk before i tuck them in at night too.

I give out peppermints and stuff. Even tuck them into bed at night!!

You know the brigade commander here is trying to open up a entire battalion of WTC? Gonna start training females too. The whole post is gonna go back to mixed-gender training by next summer. I got 5 months left on the trail and on to another chapter. How about you?

I brought this program here from Ft Knox.
It has been 3 trying and rewarding years. I will keep on til i can go back on REAL active duty. Do you know if they take old guys? LOL
I wouldnt mind going to DS school. I think I have a good start for the Round Brown, dont you?

quote:

Originally posted by sp1d3r1:
I brought this program here from Ft Knox.
It has been 3 trying and rewarding years. I will keep on til i can go back on REAL active duty. Do you know if they take old guys? LOL
I wouldnt mind going to DS school. I think I have a good start for the Round Brown, dont you?

1981 Wow! Rare to see someone on duty that went to basic before me.

quote:

Originally posted by sp1d3r1:
Oh thats great advice , Leva, great.
trying to set a soldier up for failure, trying to sneak calls.
all She has to do is ask a cadre , As you Know , and we will let her use one of ours. Get caught with your phone and see what happens.
JEEZ

Oh get a grip. People in our company used the phone, smoked, slept, shammed and even had sex (in sante fe on soldier's time at the parade field) the whole time. No one had a cell phone taken, even when they were found on shakedowns at the ranges.

The days are 18 hours long and many of us had families on the east coast. Sorry but my kids are in bed by then. Cadre only lets you use the phone during the day for something important and certainly not every day which is exactly how often I needed to connect with my loved ones.

Do whatever you like but the reality is WTC crams 2 months of bootcamp into 1 month. Theres only so many hours in the day and cadre just doesnt have any extra time to waste smoking people. Hell there were plenty of times Id rather have been getting smoked than sitting thru power point presentations ad nauseum.

quote:

The days are 18 hours long and many of us had families on the east coast. Sorry but my kids are in bed by then. Cadre only lets you use the phone during the day for something important and certainly not every day which is exactly how often I needed to connect with my loved ones.

Awwww, long days, no phone. Breaks my heart. I know you must think the army is a terrible place for not having a daycare for you while you were here.
I Know exactly what the Cadre do out here,
take it for what its worth,But this is the Army, not a social program. As for what was done in Santa Fe is on The cadre in Santa Fe.

quote:

Originally posted by sp1d3r1:
Awwww, long days, no phone. Breaks my heart. I know you must think the army is a terrible place for not having a daycare for you while you were here.
I Know exactly what the Cadre do out here,
take it for what its worth,But this is the Army, not a social program. As for what was done in Santa Fe is on The cadre in Santa Fe.

If you are cadre at Ft Sill then you are a drill sergeant / wannabe DS. Everyone here already knows that DS's and boot camp enviornments are NOT an accurate representation of regular Army life. So how about dropping the tough guy act? It's not impressing anyone.

The Army for the most part is filled with regular people, with regular priorities such as loving their families and persuing happiness. Sure we have to get tough when the chips are down, but even civilians have to do that, albeit under different working conditions.

Boot camp is just a silly game the military forces you to go through so you have something to favorably compare every tough situation you face in the future. I couldnt begin to count the times Ive said to myself, "Eh I got through boot camp I can easily get through (insert tough problem here)." But thats as far as it goes. Everyone here has already been through boot camp once, I doubt many people need the refresher course in BS. IMO WTC should be a gentleman's course where we learn the differences between the Army and the other branches.

If cadre would have spent all the time they wasted telling us how we are piles of garbage on PT, EVERYONE would have left WTC in excellent shape.

But hey let's face facts, most of the cadre at FT Sill and Sante Fe/WSMR were not in good shape themseleves. Level 2-3 combative instructors shouldn't have huge beer guts. I find it highly hypocritical for an E6 that is obviously far out of height / weight standards to yell at a student E6 to run faster.

....Cease Fire!....

Everyone is given the time at WTC to decide what they have learned and what they can take from it. Since you have been through WTC, is there anything positive that you can share with us, that will HELP other's, intending on going through the program? If not, it might be best if your time is spent improving the deficiencies you have noted. For example, what can you do to encourage E-6's (with beer guts) to tactically remind them about 'leadership by example'? What can you do to show how positive reinforcement can be an inspirational way of getting your men to do what you want them to do? And the last time I was in BC...there were no bullets flying by or IED's going off. I never once had to see my battle buddy, that I was just talking too, staring blankly with half his face missing....Seems to me that while after 20 years of being a civilian, I can 'remember' what being in uniform was like, i can't possibly know that I still have the reactions necessary, to act with an aggressive intention of fulfilling the duty, when things don't go according to plan. That's what this is about. It's a kick in the a$$ to get us to remember what we probably have forgotten...I really wish you well with your career, but I seriously hope I don't ever have to rely on you doing your duty.

Wow! Someone is very salty about WTC, the Army, and some of his own issues. It's gonna be okay. We get a lot of this kind of stuff from WTC soldiers. Been given a second chance by the Army to serve their country and have nothing but negative "cancer" to spread around. Thanks!

If your family can't survive or feel the love you have for them without speaking to them every friggin day, then you are in the wrong profession.

Gentlemen's course, are you serious? 75% of the people who come through WTC, SHOULD GO TO BASIC COMBAT TRAINING. Ask the cadre / DS about that one.

By the way, we don't owe you anything so stop acting like we did you a disservice by treating you like a soldier.

11113214 i have alot to say about your neg. comments but wont because your probably would't read them. I for 1 havn't yet been through wtc yet but looking forward to it but as for the cadres go i bet there doing the best job they can with what they have. I also am glad the army is giving me another chance in serving my country. I have 3 kids a wife 2 dogs and everyone loves what im about to do and arre with me 100%

quote:

Originally posted by brndnvargas:
Wow! Someone is very salty about WTC, the Army, and some of his own issues. It's gonna be okay. We get a lot of this kind of stuff from WTC soldiers. Been given a second chance by the Army to serve their country and have nothing but negative "cancer" to spread around. Thanks!

If your family can't survive or feel the love you have for them without speaking to them every friggin day, then you are in the wrong profession.

Gentlemen's course, are you serious? 75% of the people who come through WTC, SHOULD GO TO BASIC COMBAT TRAINING. Ask the cadre / DS about that one.

By the way, we don't owe you anything so stop acting like we did you a disservice by treating you like a soldier.

Treating someone like garbage =! treating someone like a professional soldier. That stuff is all just part of the games that are played in boot camp and boot camp only.

Look, I respect the cadre that are part of the WTC program for the most part. It was really only a few bad eggs that were out of control. Maybe you are one of the decent ones, who knows.

Its the loud minority, like the e6 at Ft Sill who told our company he hoped the soldier, who accidentally brushed up against a female in a crowded stairwell, that his kids should die and choke on their own blood while he watched.

If that dude would have said that crap to me one or both of us would have gone to jail and or the hospital. But I guess thats all part of the Army "experience" right?

quote:

Originally posted by 11113214:
Treating someone like garbage =! treating someone like a professional soldier. That stuff is all just part of the games that are played in boot camp and boot camp only.

Look, I respect the cadre that are part of the WTC program for the most part. It was really only a few bad eggs that were out of control. Maybe you are one of the decent ones, who knows.

Its the loud minority, like the e6 at Ft Sill who told our company he hoped the soldier, who accidentally brushed up against a female in a crowded stairwell, that his kids should die and choke on their own blood while he watched.

If that dude would have said that crap to me one or both of us would have gone to jail and or the hospital. But I guess thats all part of the Army "experience" right?

By the way you're talking, I'd bet both my boots during a combat load 20k ruck march that you didn't serve on a line unit. When I was in, things were MUCH easier going combat-wise than they are now. Even back then, in garrison, there were times that it was necessary to fall back into the groove of the life of basic training. When my unit was preparing to go to Bosnia, for practically the entire month beforehand we were working 12-16 hour days, including weekend time. It's part of the life and maintaining discipline for a soldier who is expected to perform in combat. In today's Army, that's every soldier that wears a uniform.

As for the vulgar comment, I would agree that it was unprofessional. However, it wasn't directed at you and didn't involve you. If the soldier it was told to didn't like, he should have (at a later, more appropriate time) approached the person who said it in a professional manner. Maybe the soldier it was directed at just blew it off and it was no big deal to him or her. If you'd get so fired up about somebody saying that to you that you'd have to get into a physical confrontation, then maybe you should seriously consider anger management courses. Frankly, actions like that (or even saying you'd do it) shows me how terribly unprofessional of a soldier you are.

When I get to WTC in a couple weeks, I don't care who's yelling at me to go faster. I'm going to give it my best regardless and take extra motivation in whatever form it comes in. If that person weighs 35 lbs more than me and doesn't fit the Army's standards, it doesn't matter to me. First of all, it's likely that that person, even with a gut, can do better than I can in the run at this point. Second, whether or not they're faster than I am, that person was put into that position to train me as best as possible, even if that means "treating me like garbage." The bottom line is that when I come out the other side, I'm going to be a better soldier than when I went in. THAT is what WTC is all about. I feel sorry for you if that's not what you got out of it.