What is the order of things when enlisting? I hate walking in and knowing jack squat about anything. I am 5'5" and working on getting in shape. Once I hit the weight weight requirement what happens next? I've done so much research that my brain hurts. Having someone explain it would help.
Thanks ya'll

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ipscone,

One of you wannabes that recentley enlisted and have current information handle this one.

Before you head down to MEPS, your recruiter will have a lot of required paperwork you will have to fill out including: a medical pre-screen, disclosure of criminal history and you'll have to cite offenses if any, you'll have to declare any illegal drug history you may have, take a urinalysis,sign over the rights for the Marine Corps to investigate your background at their discretion, write a paragraph about why you're joining the Marine Corps. Your recruiter will have to take any pictures of tattoo's you may have, he'll take pictures of you in PT gear ( this may only apply to applicants who have tattoo's on their upper arms,sides or legs in places that would not be seen in PT gear, but I could be wrong. Either way, ALL tattoo's have to be documented) you'll have to fill out information explaining what your tattoo's mean if you have any. I'm going into the Reserves so I had to take a specific job, if you're going active you may have contract negotiations before you go. You'll most likely have a short conversation with the station commander if he is not present.

You're recruiter will then drive you to the hotel you'll be staying at until it's time to process in at MEPS*

Once at MEPS you'll receive information about how to act while you're at the hotel. They will give you ONE wake up call at 4:00 a.m. If you miss it then you miss the bus.( my bus left about fifteen minutes after the wake up call) While at the hotel you'll receive a meal ticket for dinner that night, and breakfast the next morning. The hotel I went to had a small game room for the applicants and we just pretty much hung out until the 10 p.m. curfew.

Here's how it went for me at MEPS( you're experience shouldn't be too dissimilar):

5:00 a.m.- arrive at MEPS location and briefed before allowed to enter building. Place bags in storage then meet with Marine Corps liaison. He will take copies or high school diploma, birth certificate, driver's liscense, etc. Given Identification cards to fill out with your name, etc.

6:00 a.m. another briefing.

6:30 a.m. collect folder from front desk and begin proccessing. Stand in line at another desk to make sure they gave you the correct paperwork to fill out. They take your picture at this point, though I'm not sure what for.

7:00 a.m. meet with the doctor who ask you some questions. Then onto medical where, again, you are briefed. Then you will take a breathalyser test and complete a comphrensive medical questionairre.

8:00 a.m. begin medical testing: blood pressure, eyes, ears, blood, urinalysis, physical( they will take your height/weight or body fat if you are overweight. If you are over weight and body fat they have an accession weight table. Talk to your recruiter about that if you haven't and are not meeting requirements yet. They will run you through numerous mobility/joint tests like duck walking, walking on the balls of your feet, clenching your fist, etc. Then you go to the doctor who administers the " private" test, checks your heart, lungs, hernia's, etc. Basically that part is just a sports physical.)

10 a.m.- swearing in begins. Chances are you will not make the first cut as you will still have alot of work to complete.

What you will most likely be doing, if you have completed medical check by then( don't hold your breath to be done with it by ten. I only had 15 guys there with me the day I went and it was still 11:30 before I got done with medical), is meeting with your liaisons to confirm whether or not waivers need to be submitted. I don't know exactly how medical waiver's work, but I had to get a waiver for previous marijuanna use, and two tattoo's. ( I kid you not, it took longer to get the waiver's for my tattoo's than it did to get them inked on me. lol)

You will eat lunch around this time.

You will also sign your SF-86 form, confirm past drug use once again, I had to do two pullups. (If you can't do any I don't think they will decline too accept you as there were a few with me that day that couldn't do any but were still allowed to process)You will also look at the " record" they have of the information you've submitted to ensure it is correct.

If you are going active you will have contract negotiations around this time. If you're going Reserve they will have to call the Reserve unit you want to join and make sure there is a vacancy.

As my recruiter told me: this is the point where you don't sign the contract unless you are getting what you want IN WRITING! This works for ship date and job ( which can be changed while in DEP) but it is mainly for incentives, if any are offered.

1 p.m. you will talk to a counselor who will set up information such as where you want your funds to go in the case you are unable to obtain them. ( If you were killed in service for example)

1:30 p.m. you will be screened for your criminal background check. They will take your fingerprints, etc.

Seeing how at my MEPS enlistment ceremonies were only held at the top of every hour, it could be anywhere from around 2 to 4 before you actually get to swear in. I didn't get to swear in until 3, granted I had tattoo waivers that were not approved until about 2:30 ( they were submitted around 11:30). Once you swear in you are taken into a room and finalize your contract. Then you meet again with your liaison's who go over any concerns you may still have and give you a copy of your contract( which should include ship date, job, etc.) From what I can tell, your contract gives you a broad overveiw of what can happen to you while you are in the military: being called up from the IRR, extended, etc. It also explains some of the military's policies. Read everything before you sign just to make sure you know what's happening. I've known Depper's who didn't even know there was a thing such as the " Military Service Obligation" until they'd been in DEP for a month or more.

After you swear in they may ask you to complete a survey about how your experience at MEPS was. Do it, because it's only polite. MEPS can be a long, tiring day but they do everything that can to make it comfortable for you.

Once all that's over you're free to go. If you drove to MEPS then you check out and leave, otherwise you'll have to wait for your recruiter to pick you up. Your parents are allowed to come to MEPS and watch you swear in, just set this up ahead of time with your parents and recruiter if you wish for that to happen. As far as I know, you can ride home with them as long as you notify the staff at MEPS.

*If you need to take the ASVAB then your recruiter will take you to MEPS in the afternoon the day before you process in and you'll take it at that time. MEPS will provide your ride back to the hotel. If you do not take it the afternoon before you're scheduled to process in then you will take it first thing upon arrival that morning.

It's a long day. Just be ready to get briefed every time you see a new face, walk into a new room, before you take each test, etc. It's all worth it once you get a copy of your contract though. You will sign a ton of paperwork( I still remember signing RIK20090323 on what seemed like at least a couple hundred thousand peices of paper. lol) Above all BE HONEST about everything. If you get confused about a question then make sure you ask. If your recruiter does his job then there should be no snags at MEPS, given he should know ahead of time if there is anything that needs to be taken care of and would prohibit you from processing at the current time.

What to take with you:
High School Diploma
Birth Certificate
Social Security Card
If you know ahead of time that you may have a condition which will require MEPS to do a more thorough screening ( say you were on prescription medication for allergies a few years back) then bring a doctor's note with you if at all possible.

What to wear:
Nice shirt: a polo shirt is fine. Tucked in.
Nice pants: Khaki or blue jeans are fine. Nothing to baggy though.
Don't wear a hat.
Look professional.

Say " Yes,sir" and " No, ma'am" etc.

You're swearing into DEP the first visit to MEPS, but it doesn't change the fact that MEPS personale are the first people you will encounter in your military career. Start it off right.

* Just a note about your contract. I have spoken to poolee's that have " blank" contracts which do not list their ship date or MOS or either. It did not cause them any complications as Recruiting command had their information on record. Your recruiter should be able to access that information fi you need it. It was explained to me at MEPS that nothing is concrete until you swear into active duty the day you ship out. Like my liaison told me " DEP doesn't mean you're in the Marines yet."


I hope this answered your questions. Good luck!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Poolee_Key,

Well I guess this pretty well covers the MEPS process. Given all the questions we receive, why not make this the official response and have Poolee_Key post this as a thread?

Good job Pooleekey.

quote:

Originally posted by Deanosaur:
Well I guess this pretty well covers the MEPS process. Given all the questions we receive, why not make this the official response and have Poolee_Key post this as a thread?

Are you talking about making a " sticky" thread, Deanosaur? If so, do I need to do that or a moderator?

Great reply Poolee_Key...

I will make it a sticky. I'm going to change the title of the thread too and notify the author of the title change. If we are going to sticky it, the title should make sense.

So does everyone find out there ship date when at MEPS?

quote:

Originally posted by john9945:
So does everyone find out there ship date when at MEPS?

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Your ship date and MOS should be written into your contract. I was originally given a ship date of May 25th, 2009. But due to college I needed to get it pushed back, which my recruiter did. Your liaison will ( or should) explain the paperwork you will be signing with him. Either way, make sure you read everything before you initial it.

There was a thread in which Rigger51 explained how DEP worked. If I can get permission from the moderators I'll either "bump" that thread or try and link it with this one.

thanks a bunch poolee_key

that was exactly what i was asking for

Try to wear a plain solid color shirt. No sports attire either. If you can't do 2 pull ups, don't bother showing up until you can. You will just waste everyone's time.