Today I reported to my friendly neighborhood Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) to take the ASVAB. "The ASVAB is a multiple-aptitude battery that measures developed abilities and helps predict future academic and occupational success in the military." The test is broken up into about 10 sections to include Math Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Auto & Shop, and Word Knowledge.
Anyway, I arrived with my recruiter and was filed in, given a name tag with my ID bar-code on it, and instructed to sit and wait for further instructions. When my name was finally called, I was told to walk down the hallway, make a right, and stand in front of the tiny window. Someone would arrive shortly to retrieve me. I did as I was told, and was retrieved by a Marine who gave me more one line orders and showed me to my computer station.
The test was basic, at best. I am allotted 3 hours to complete it, and I was done in just under an hour. I got my scores, and called my recruiter to let him know I was done. My AFQT (composite score) is a 97. Out of 99. Basically, I can do whatever I want to in the military. And that means a lot of enlistment bonus money :)
Today was an exercise in the unofficial motto of the Army: "Hurry up and wait."
Anyway, I arrived with my recruiter and was filed in, given a name tag with my ID bar-code on it, and instructed to sit and wait for further instructions. When my name was finally called, I was told to walk down the hallway, make a right, and stand in front of the tiny window. Someone would arrive shortly to retrieve me. I did as I was told, and was retrieved by a Marine who gave me more one line orders and showed me to my computer station.
The test was basic, at best. I am allotted 3 hours to complete it, and I was done in just under an hour. I got my scores, and called my recruiter to let him know I was done. My AFQT (composite score) is a 97. Out of 99. Basically, I can do whatever I want to in the military. And that means a lot of enlistment bonus money :)
Today was an exercise in the unofficial motto of the Army: "Hurry up and wait."
Let me start by saying that I did TONS of personal research before I set foot in the recruiter's office today. What kind of job I want, what benefits I was looking for, what I was getting myself in to, etc. Good stuff actually. I've just heard horror stories of people walking into the recruiter's office, getting beautiful pictures of the military painted for them, and getting promised lots of really unreasonable stuff. I wanted to be prepared, so I read basically everything I could find.
Honestly, the experience wasn't bad. I went to the Army recruiting depot in town with my sister, walked in and had the following conversation with a very nice Staff Sergeant:
Basically, the benefits I want come down to the following:
After his shock subsided he informed me that as long as I scored like that on the real ASVAB (which I have to take again because my high school one expired), I can qualify for any MOS I want. So he registered me to take the ASVAB at MEPS, located at Fort Gillem. I have to be at the depot at 1330 on Monday to be shuttled down to MEPS. It should be a piece of cake, and it'll give me a chance to scope out MEPS before I go for the physical. Details on that after Monday.
And of course, it wouldn't be a trip somewhere without free stuff. I scored an Army bag, Christy got a t0shirt, and we both got super cool bracelets! :)
For now, I'll leave you with this clip. Enjoy!
Honestly, the experience wasn't bad. I went to the Army recruiting depot in town with my sister, walked in and had the following conversation with a very nice Staff Sergeant:
SSgt: "Hi. Can I help you?"Basically I came in with a lot of questions. Mainly about my education. Even though I hate Georgia Tech, I still want my degree, and I would ultimately like to become an officer. So I asked about that particular path. I got lots of information about Basic Combat Training (BCT) and things I need to be able to do before then. I have to get a lot of paperwork to include my high school diploma and transcript, my college transcript, medical records of any surgeries, and a certified copy of my birth certificate.
Me: "Yes. I would like to speak to a recruiter."
SSgt: "Of course! Right this way! What can I do for you?"
Me: "I would like to enlist."
SSgt: "Well you've come to the right place!"
Basically, the benefits I want come down to the following:
- Advanced promotion to E-3
- Repayment in full of all student loans
- 100% tuition coverage at any university while in the Army
- Signing bonus up to $40,000
After his shock subsided he informed me that as long as I scored like that on the real ASVAB (which I have to take again because my high school one expired), I can qualify for any MOS I want. So he registered me to take the ASVAB at MEPS, located at Fort Gillem. I have to be at the depot at 1330 on Monday to be shuttled down to MEPS. It should be a piece of cake, and it'll give me a chance to scope out MEPS before I go for the physical. Details on that after Monday.
And of course, it wouldn't be a trip somewhere without free stuff. I scored an Army bag, Christy got a t0shirt, and we both got super cool bracelets! :)
For now, I'll leave you with this clip. Enjoy!