Army Drops Requirement for High School Diploma Amid Recruiting Crisis

[Leao2005]

@Son Goku

-I do have college credits. I have a two year degree in Business Management.

-I was on anti-depressants , Prozac and something else back in July 2021 and stopped taking them in September 2021. Don't know if that will be an issue for the air force. Took it for social anxiety but discontinued taking it because of too many side effects.

-Am currently taking 10 MG of Amlodipine for high blood pressure.

I would say try

 

[Son Goku]

I cant lie, I still want to join the AF myself. Im not :flabbysick: either. I should’ve signed up when @semicko82 was talking about it years ago. I only have 1 more year before my window closes, but I don’t know if it’s worth upending my whole life to enlist. On the other hand, I don’t want to think about this years down the line and wonder what if.

I've seen folks come in at 39, it is what it is. If you don't have kids or a spouse they're still gonna make you live in the dorms though.


Nothing wrong with joining but it's prolly best to have a reason: need a job, wanna serve your country, GI Bill, something. Joining just to join so you don't say "I wonder what if" prolly isn't the strongest reason, and there will be situations where you're gonna need to have a "Why?" to get you through.


If you can pass the physical, won't need waivers, and aren't picky or unrealistic about your AFSC, go talk to a recruiter. Maybe you join the Guard: still get the same benefits, they have full-time positions available, and you won't have to move if you join in your state.

 

[Son Goku]

I would say try

Last time I checked (several vets have talked to him about this before) he wasn't quite ready yet physically. If a recruiter doesn't think he can pass the PT standards, they prolly won't send him to MEPS and his journey ends before it begins.

If he can barely pass but gets hurt in Basic, he won't make it depending on what he breaks.

Dude needed to do a whole 360 physically to have a chance at making it.

(There's also the job thing but that's less cut and dry.)

 

[Swirv]

I've seen folks come in at 39, it is what it is. If you don't have kids or a spouse they're still gonna make you live in the dorms though.


Nothing wrong with joining but it's prolly best to have a reason: need a job, wanna serve your country, GI Bill, something. Joining just to join so you don't say "I wonder what if" prolly isn't the strongest reason, and there will be situations where you're gonna need to have a "Why?" to get you through.


If you can pass the physical, won't need waivers, and aren't picky or unrealistic about your AFSC, go talk to a recruiter. Maybe you join the Guard: still get the same benefits, they have full-time positions available, and you won't have to move if you join in your state.

Food for thought.

 

[Dave24]

Last time I checked (several vets have talked to him about this before) he wasn't quite ready yet physically. If a recruiter doesn't think he can pass the PT standards, they prolly won't send him to MEPS and his journey ends before it begins.

If he can barely pass but gets hurt in Basic, he won't make it depending on what he breaks.

Dude needed to do a whole 360 physically to have a chance at making it.

(There's also the job thing but that's less cut and dry.)

In your opinion should I lie and not mention using anti-depressants in the past or should I be honest and see if I can get a waiver?

 

[Leao2005]

Last time I checked (several vets have talked to him about this before) he wasn't quite ready yet physically. If a recruiter doesn't think he can pass the PT standards, they prolly won't send him to MEPS and his journey ends before it begins.

If he can barely pass but gets hurt in Basic, he won't make it depending on what he breaks.

Dude needed to do a whole 360 physically to have a chance at making it.

(There's also the job thing but that's less cut and dry.)

he will be fine if he runs once a week for two months

 

[TreySav]

@Son Goku

-I do have college credits. I have a two year degree in Business Management.

-I was on anti-depressants , Prozac and something else back in July 2021 and stopped taking them in September 2021. Don't know if that will be an issue for the air force. Took it for social anxiety but discontinued taking it because of too many side effects.

-Am currently taking 10 MG of Amlodipine for high blood pressure.

Tell them about the degree but keep everything else to yourself. Google the ACFT and practice similar exercises

 

[NatiboyB]

military brehs what’s y’all take on this?

Anyone who can score that on their assessment would likely graduate high school anyone so it’s not really an issue.

 

[Son Goku]

In your opinion should I lie and not mention using anti-depressants in the past or should I be honest and see if I can get a waiver?

We've been over this before. And at the end of the day of course, it's your life and your career.


I personally would not lie, especially with the type of jobs you seem to want, because I know what they'll do if they find out, especially in Basic: they're gonna boot your ass up outta Hogwarts faster than you can say "Gryffindor".

See my story in the other threads about old buddy with the cyber job that didn't make it halfway through for lying about what he didn't smoke.

The ironic thing is that there are people wearing the uniform that did harder drugs that spice and they were upfront about it while he wasn't and now he's permanently ineligible for any future service.


Also, there's no guarantee that you'd even need a waiver: I'm not an Air Force MEPS doc so I can't tell you for sure that your would. Accession standards are not the same as retention standards.


A recruiter would prolly explain all of this to you (especially if you just so happened to get one from a medical field) if they were more confident that you could pass through MEPS.

 

[Son Goku]

Tell them about the degree but keep everything else to yourself. Google the ACFT and practice similar exercises

Also a way to go, although him having blood pressure will prolly get uncovered at MEPS (and then he'll need to lie when they ask if he was ever on meds for it).

Best case scenario he gets away with the lie and makes it through Basic without having a stroke.

 

[EARFQUAKE]

We already got dummies with HS and bachelor's degrees in; this will only make things 10x worse

 

[Son Goku]

he will be fine if he runs once a week for two months

Yeah there is only one recruiter in my area. The recruiter said i need to be at 186 pounds to join the air force based on my height. To take the asvab in his office if i can get to 200 lbs i will be allowed to take the practice asvab.

Breh said he was too heavy for the recruiter to even send him to MEPS to take the ASVAB. Running once a week for eight weeks ain't finna cut it.

 

[Son Goku]

We already got dummies with HS and bachelor's degrees in; this will only make things 10x worse

It's a good thing they "Army proof" shyt.

 

[Swirv]

Last time I checked (several vets have talked to him about this before) he wasn't quite ready yet physically. If a recruiter doesn't think he can pass the PT standards, they prolly won't send him to MEPS and his journey ends before it begins.

If he can barely pass but gets hurt in Basic, he won't make it depending on what he breaks.

Dude needed to do a whole 360 physically to have a chance at making it.

(There's also the job thing but that's less cut and dry.)

How often do you see ANG people get deployed?

 

[Son Goku]

How often do you see ANG people get deployed?

Last time I was in the desert over half my squadron was ANG, including both command teams.

ANG folks go out as much as they want. Hell, they had more TDYs than the AD cats since they were pulling both CONUS and OCONUS missions.