#1 rule, disregard everything your recruiter tells you. When you get to MEPS and they put your contract down on the table in front of you, READ it, UNDERSTAND it, and DO NOT SIGN it until you like it. The recruiter doesn’t write your contract.
Kyle Davy Amen. I went through MEPS twice, because the Army lied to me about guaranteeing me a position as a linguist. So, I said "no thanks" to the Army and left, which surprised them. The second time through MEPS was for the USAF, and they kept their word.
Me and my wife both tried meps but they went full retard on us and failed us both on false pretenses i have always been an athlete and she has always been an academic. I got almost 70 on asvab practice test and she got 70+ on hers. When we got our real asvab i got the same score as practice because it was pretty much the same and she failed hers she told me first she got the test that was similar to the practice so she was like yes! Ima ace this and then it randomly switched and they gave her a fixed test she said unless you're an engineer you wouldn't have passed it. But she passed her physical and i didn't because of suspected heart problems when i had been to multiple doctors with ekg and echo and all told me i was damn near perfect. Its hard for us to not believe we got set up for failure. Afterwards our recruiters had their jaws on the floor when we told them everything they were so pissed even the recruiters had to admit that we got set up by some staff that they didn't get along with. Meps was a nightmare for us but results may vary the most frustrating part is i know people from my former high school that don't know left from right and aren't in physical shape and got in.
You gotta get em on that phone to get you a slot. My recruiter told me 11x and it wasn’t in place at meps. Liaison from the army office hopped on the phone for me 20 minutes waiting for someone to pick up I had 11x and airborne in my contract. I leave for Benning August 25th.
As a prior service marine going back in shortly, the first thing I tell everyone who mentions joining is do your own research, even with prior service they almost pulled the wool over my eyes by telling me I had to retain my same mos, but upon doing my own research I found that I’m eligible to retrain into almost anything
Some of our specialforces/ cover operations would use them. not common place but for any operaton you may need to blend in its better to use thier weapons(id rather an reliable weapon like an ak than an ar anyway but thats beside the point).
My recruiter was nothing but a homie. I walked in not knowing anything and just wanting infantry cause i didnt know my options. I walked out with an EOD contract. 3 years later and i couldnt be more thankful that my recruiter showed me there were more options.
yepp i walked in wanting anything probably 11X spent 8 months with recruiters (never asked questions only did PT with them) mainly looked at 3 of my options 14 series with huge bonus recruiter was pushing, 25 series with option 4 (airborne) option and the 35 series that i took cause it seemed mentally hard. after volunteering for being a paratrooper and potentially Ranger (which i quit process) I was so happy I didn't pick Infantry. Just worse for me.
Same my recruiter actually prepared me for everything that was about to come my way, he didn’t promise me a nice car or hella money, he was straight uo
Being a recruiter is not an easy job, each branches have their own quota to be met, and they said that they worked for 7 days a week you gonna have to sacrifice your time with your family including yours
Matt Ward He’s an officer now you don’t really want to become a recruiter it’s a very easy job in the military compared to other jobs in the military a lot of recruiters become overweight they don’t stay up on PT
lol I went to a navy recruiter first. The recruiter told me that the Army would've been better for me, I didn't question it I just went with it. Now here I am loving the Army. Already over a year in as a 25U in Alaska. I'm really loving it.
I’m an army Recruiter. I have to say you are right in this video. I have a lot of kids come in and just say “tell me about the army”. I’m probably one of the most honest recruiters out there bc I want all of my recruits to understand fully what they are getting into. I never sell them on a job bc I know it may not be there when they pick and that is a great way to lose a recruit. But if more people watch this video then maybe they will come in with a better mindset. Keep up the good work
Blue Flame 1% extremy difficult and you must be in tip top shape and have extreme mental toughness and the fact that u even care about your “chance” of even making it shows me that youre just considering it. and that attitude alone is what will destroy you and hold u back. if its what u wanna do, just do it. but dont ever let a statistic stop or determine your life
Well can I talk to you one on one because I have so many questions and curious about some things because I have family who has been in the military and wasn't given everything he was promised.
Can u tell me more? If u could email me at smalltimothy19@gmail.com or reply to this comment that would be great. I am thinking of joining myself and would like to know more about basic as well as other things
I was really scared and nervous to go and meet my recruiter for the first time. I didn't know what I wanted to do AT ALL. But, he helped me and I felt comfortable after.
If the recruiter tells you that a certain MOS isn't available, leave. Just remember, the Army has missed it's recruiting goal for the year. Power is in your hands right now, not theirs.
Janglenutter Thanks for this, my recruiter kept budging me to take the jobs he wanted me to do, and I almost became a god damn bandmaster. I know what I want to do and won’t let them change my mind.
Elvis White then he lied because you can’t become a Bandmaster until you’ve done at last one contract as a Bandsmen and then audition for an open spot.
Austin Padgett I want infantry but the recruiter tells me that their are no infantry mos at the moment . He wants me to pick Missile defense , but I’m not not interested in it .
I treated talking to my recruiter like I was at Best Buy or something. Took a lot of the edge out of my nerves when I realized I don't have to sign to anything at the recruiter like I don't have to buy anything at the store. "Apple or Microsoft?" ≈ Army or Air Force, etc? "What's the difference between these models?" ≈ What's the difference between these MOS? "4K or 1080p?" ≈ What does that actually mean? "Target has it cheaper, can you price match?" ≈ Why should I join you, what do you offer?
Feels like army has some bad recruiters. I talked to Marines and they were straight up with me. They simply didn’t have the jobs I wanted. I talked to Air Force but I didn’t know the stigma Air Force had until I looked into joining the military lol. I don’t want to be called a pussy the rest of my life for going AF. The army recruiter was really pushy and I eventually blocked his ass. Went back to marines and almost signed up until I scored an 80 something on the practice test. The recruiter was really surprised and told me to go talk to his navy friend. I went into the navy office and talked to him a bit. Found out there’s a lot of cool jobs available in the navy. The officer then came and talked to me. She was the one that convinced me to join. I really wanted to be a marine but hopefully I can still fight along side Marines as a corpsman
Not really man. The recruiter I talk to was a actually a pretty cool guy he listened to me. He explained everything. He didn't peer pressure me or try to trick me into anything. He was professional about everything that he informed me with
He is spot on with what he talks about. In the Navy we call it a school. In the army we call it call AIT. I won't say my recruiter lied to me because I don't think he did. However, I don't think he was forthcoming with all the information. I joined in 2001 before September 11. So my career in the military is probably different from what the people in the last few years are experiencing. Just know that your recruiter is in a job himself. A MOS or rate himself. His job at the end of the day is to get people to join. When I did the enlisted back in early 2000 my recruiter asked me to wait a month to help make his quota. For those of you that don't understand this it just means that before September 11, 2001. Getting into the military was easy but recruiters had a hard time getting people to join. I joined during this time frame. After I join the influx that happened was crazy. I have a friend who was A recruiter for five years about 2005 to 2010. What he told me during this time was that he had no problems meeting his monthly requirements of getting people in because of the economy during the 2008 recession, and people who had nowhere to go. Just be very diligent and do your homework before you sign up. Because I can tell you from experience, what you see in the movies and on commercials is not with the military is
And what is it exactly do I see on TV? my whole life I've been told that I couldn't cut it in the military and all I know is that it's hard work possibly dying and people yelling at you. even if it's not as good as a recruiter sells you on it I had no idea that they were supposed to pay for school or give you benefits or anything like that, I was thinking it was like volunteer firefighting like you don't even get paid to do it. You just join up and get trained and go to war. I didn't even know that you had occupations, and career skills.
Excellent video sir I'm 26 years old been in the work a day life my entire life now. Did a year in the Marine Corps delayed entry program through high school and failed a class just before graduation. Got my diploma shortly after but fell into the work force and never had that same motivation. Currently going through the steps of joining with the army and I feel being older, looking back, I agree with many of these points. I can see how a large percentage of recruits, only being 17 18, heck even 16 may not know the right perspective to take in the experience. I am a very high test score in great shape, except for years of smoking, and my recruiter kept pointing out that I didn't have many questions. Reason being, is that I've been on my own my entire adult life, worked hard, paid bills, had ups and downs, and know exactly what I am looking for. I have been watching your videos since I first started talking with my recruiter and have not heard anything surprising, rather found at a reassurance that I am in the correct mindset. You make excellent videos and I would recommend them to be a mandate to be watched by any new recruit going into any branch of the service.
I'm 26 and in the workforce too as a Security Guard, for 2yrs now. I've been working on getting back in shape for almost a year now, since I've been talking to my recruiter. It's hard. Half of it is due to my schedule always changing and the other half was me being a bit lazy and letting life get me down. But I'm not anymore. Hope you get in. 😊
Oleg i never said they lie. I said they are biased/one sided. If you don't ask them they wont tell you. [It's like you are girlfriend or wife found out you had ex's and they say you lied to her. But she never asked.]
I luckily got a good recruiter, hes sold be some bs to try and get me to sign faster but he is honest on most things other than that, and he'll give you the down sides to it
I feel lucky to know my recruiter outside of the military. I’ve heard many recruiter horror stories about people getting screwed over because of what their recruiters told them
Oh no kidding. I went Navy, where I they put two jobs in front of me and asked me to look them over and I had to pick one. Both of which were kind of low on the totem pole... Whereas I later found out that with my score, I could have slid into Intelligence or Cryptographer. Yet at MEPS, it was "These are the jobs you qualify for." Anyhow, I'm weighing out my options and looking over the jobs presented to me in order to choose one, where after ten minutes, they're getting pissed because it's taking me too long to decide. Despite that when I was asking them about the jobs, none of them were said job, nor did they really say anything about them. Then I get into Boot camp and all these guys are E-3s already. Due to having college credits or having done JROTC in high school... Both of which I had and my recruiter knew it. Yet there I was, an E-1. There was also a test I could have taken on the book he gave me, which could have bumped me up as well... Upon bringing this up to him, his response was "Nah, don't worry about that, just refer people." So there were E-3s in my boot camp division who were there and had done that as well. The worst one. Was hearing "Yes, I got E-3 because my recruiter just hooked me up, he was really cool." Out of the 83 guys in my Boot Camp division, I was one of like three who graduated with nothing on their sleeve. Though it's more than just the rank, he fucked me out of almost three grand. In addition to the whole job thing.
When I go to talk to a recruiter my dad will come with me because he’s a colonel so he will out rank everyone their so the recruiter can’t push me around
DONT LET THE RECRUITER RUSH YOU!!!! On my first attempt to go to the army, my recruiter basically rushed me and didn't give me time to think about anything. I got to meps and I was so nervous and felt so rushed that I bombed it and got sent home. Don't be afraid to tell your recruiter to slow down Abit if you're not at 100% sure about the army like me
"Do I get to eat whatever I want?" "Yeah sure" "Do I get to hang out and have fun with my buddies?" "All the time" "Do I get to have the biggest gun and best rifles in the army?" "Why not?" "Do I get to be promoted to special forces when I join?" "Absolutely" "Is training camp hard?" "Nah it's really easy you just relax all the time" "Do I get free benefits when I get out?" "Yeah guaranteed" "Do I make a lot of money?" "A ton" "Can I visit my parents and have vacations whenever I want?" "Anytime anywhere" "Are you sure about all this?" "Yeah absolutely I would never lie, now shut up and sign here so I can get you on the bus already"
I went to a recruiter very recently from him calling me. I went in with 5 different mos's selected which he was fairly happy to see I did my research over things. He showed me all the benefits and was straight up honest with everything I asked and would be doing plus he didn't sugar coat anything. From all that I'm going to be a 19D which was one of the ones I picked myself and I'm already going to be enlisted next week. I'm super excited to start this journey next year and to serve my country!
what's the warrant officer flight training program like these days? Seems like a pretty awesome gig if you have the college degree and can get through the intensive multi school program. Are selection rates still really high?
I recently went through the process (shipping out as a PFC 17c on May 15th). I happily didn't make any of these mistakes. One additional common mistake I see js people not seeming to realize is that if you're not completely sure about joining, you can just tell your recruiter and set up an appointment in the future. You can honestly back out any time before you sign your contract. If the job you want currently has no open positions, you can just go home and wait for it to re-open and have your recruiter call you when it's open. My suggestion is research, research, research. If something in your research is uncertain, write down the question and ask your recruiter. Research benefits, research MEPS procedures, research jobs, research ASVAB, research BCT, research classes, research promotion possibilities, and so on and so forth. Matt is absolutely excellent at helping out with just about everything you'll ever need to know. Every MOS (job) is online with a description of what they do. They'll list the ASVAB requirements (and additional testing requirements if necessary), what you'll do, what bonuses (if any) that you'll get, and so on. You can also find out where you can potentially get posted when deployed. I'd suggest listing all the jobs you'd be happy with doing. Not just okay with doing; happy with doing. My recruiter was and is a great dude (and the rest of the recruiters at the office are great too). He got me through the process of being certain about things and was very patient about any questions or concerns I had. He answered truthfully at every step of the way. I actually wish that recruits could like rate their recruiter after like a month of deployment and that could incentivise more recruiters to be like mine and not like the horror stories I hear all the time. I've always been interested in the tech/software side of things and learned that this dude was in 25-series (Sig Intel). On the list of about 10 to 12 MOS's I'd be happy with, 25-series popped up on there like 2-3 times. While my recruiter was biased towards that specific MOS (especially his own), he wasn't trying to push it or anything. I hope all of you future recruits have as good of a recruiter and recruitment process as I did, a better MEPS physical process than me, and have a good, happy, and successful military career.
I went into this video very skeptical about what points you would try to make but I am impressed. I've been in Recruiting for 11 years (3 USAREC and 8 Army National Guard) and you're mostly spot on. I dont agree with the "used car salesman" comparison but understand it. Recruiters, good Recruiters know the impact they have on those they work with. They represent what the Military is and need to conduct themselves accordingly. From first phone call to final ETS a good Recruiter will be one of that applicant/Soldiers go to resources for all things Military. They are guiding young men and women through a truly life changing decision and that shouldn't be taken lightly. No Recruiter should ever bad mouth another branch or claim one is better than another. Everyone I've ever worked with, trained, and supervised knew to be an educator first and foremost. They should support someone's decision to join a different branch if it truly makes sense for them. This builds trust with the Recruiter and applicant and and ensures the applicant is joining the branch that is right for THEM, not right for the Recruiter. And it also helps remove that dirty stigma of "used car salesman". No ill-will I totally get it. Some are shady. I would also add that you need to know that there is a process involved. We can't lock in a certain job until you take the ASVAB and MEPS medical. Then, and only then, can you be told what you qualify for (MOS', benefits, incentives etc.) Along with the process involved- expect to be asked invasive questions about your past. Medical history, legal trouble, debt, education, job experience etc. Be honest, Recruiters don't care about your blemished past, we need to know these things. I rambled there but overall great, informative video. 👍👍 P.S. we're always looking for new Recruiters up here in the Northeast if you're interested. You'd probably be good at it.
Ok straight to the point: top to bottom or safest to near death, also based on absvab scores. 1. Coast Guard 2. Air force 3. Navy 4. Army 5. Marine Corps
you can put national guard above coast guard even tho its still the army i joined the army and all my friends either joined the airforce or the national guard all of them are pussies and i tell them that straight up too lol
To add to what Matt said in the video, I would suggest that you make sure that you are speaking with the senior recruiter in the office that you visit. There are times when recruiters have never even been operational in the MOS for which they were trained. They come straight out of AIT to the recruiters office, so if you're speaking to an E5 or below they probably don't have much experience in the real military world.
Talking to a marine recruiter tomorrow. I first considered the military path when I was in like 7th grade, and now its happening now that I'm nearly 18. edit: I just got back from seeing my recruiter. I doubled the average score on the ASVAB and all I need is for my father to speak to the recruiter himself. (since I'm still 17) Guys I watched countless videos on how to talk to a Marine recruiter, and none of them couldve prepared me for the actual experience. They want to know as much as they can about *you* So be ready to go in depth about your personal values and be ready to learn about what you will learn in your military future.
Extremely great advice, one of the most helpful videos so far. I just wish I could get more ideas of “what to ask”, and “how to ask” the recruiters because this phase of joining the military is exactly where I’m at. I’m definitely subscribed to your videos, appreciate the time you’ve taken to guide future soldiers
Even now, years later, I think fondly of my AF recruiter. This man worked with me for 6 months to meet the weight requirement to join, he walked me through the list of jobs I could get, gave me honest upsides and downsides to each one so I could pick and choose whatever was best for me, was honest that he couldnt promise me anything, but told me what to make sure was in my contract (also making sure I understood that if it wasnt in the contract, it wasnt going to happen). The army recruiter that also worked there however, I will always despise. This dude was there for those 6 months ignoring my presence entirely. Then the day, literally the day that i was going to mepps to sign up, he yanked me into his office to try and give me the hard sell about the army and how I needed to sign with them instead. I sat there and waited patiently till my AF recruiter came in to drive me up then walked out the door. We laughed about it the whole way there. What a scum bag.
Matthew Stone i just came from benning in March . Be ready for some hell. It sucks in the beginning but it’s really not that bad. The hardest phase is black phase
Perks of being my recruiters first recruit who was also marines for 14 years before. I had a great experience and he asked what I wanted, and was honest. Wasn’t pushy and went with everything that I wanted, encouraged me to talk to other branches. Now going to basic August 9th and I’m in as a 91b!
I told my recruiter I wanted information and laid my expectations on the table. Totally chill sessions came after that. No b.s. on either party. Shipping out in October with a dope MOS to follow.
I was recruited back in November of 2017. I told my Recruiter that I wasn’t sure if I wanted reServes or active. I told him that I wanted a combat arms job but I wasn’t sure which job. I came across combat engineer in the reserves, and cav scout and infantry in active duty. He told me a lot of different things about the jobs. I finally decided Infantry in active duty. 11x is the mos you will have before you go down to Infantry osut. You’ll either be an 11b or an 11c. They told me that if your good at math you’ll be an 11c. And if you aren’t then you’ll be an 11b. That was a complete lie. It all depends on how many bravos or Charlie’s they need, you could be either or, ASVAB doesn’t matter so if you sign up for infantry you don’t get to pick if your an 11b or an 11c, you’re given That contract out of the blue. It’s literally computer generated. I originally wanted 11b, and got into an 11b when I was in basic which really made me happy. I was also told that you get 3 top picks where you wanted to go, after you graduate basic training. That’s not true at all. Atleast for me. I was called into my drill sergeants office and he asked me some questions, just entering some information into the computer to get a sponsor(a future duty station) He then told me what duty station im headed to. You get no picks on where you want to go, the army decides for you, atleast that’s how it was for me. Its literally entering information into a computer and then it spitting out something random.
I think, not certain, but think, the way it worked in the AF was, you had that list of preferred bases, then they go and check where there are openings for your job available and if one of your choices is on that list, great! If not, you go wherever you are needed.
50/50 on the fence. Talking to a recruiter for 2+ hours yesterday for the Army. Tested and going for next tests monday. What I am most curious about is the space force wing however, my family has needs. Haven't fully made my mind up but this has me thinking I should talk to other branches as well.
my recruiters let me click on the job i wanted, and told me that i have to make the choice of job. They did that and told me that if my job isn't something I wanted it was my fault that it is that way. They gave me the idea of it is my choice to make in terms of my future and they weren't going to pressure me into anything. All in all they were really chill and great guys.
I have a good Army recruiter now, but I experienced this with some AF recruiters in the past. Glad I didn't sign up to be a plumber. Thanks for the video 💛
Just went through the process with the Army. My recommendations: 1. Do some research. Talk to people in the service about their experience, especially if they do the job you're interested in. 2. Dress to impress. Wear Khakis and a polo when you meet your recruiter, you're not getting a job at Mickey D's. 3. Bring a pen and notebook, write stuff down and do some research after you meet with a recruiter. 4. Be on time. Show that you want this job. So many of the kids going through the process have no clue what they're getting into.
I got the run arounds. I have four years of JROTC so I knew what I was signing for. I began to notice the way the recruiters began to interact with other young men and women. I was placed aside while they tried other tactics to recruit them. That made me so angry. A friend in the military finally told me that I am too short.
This video is spot on! If it's not in your contract, DO NOT COUNT ON IT. PERIOD. At least with the Army. You owe recruiters a whole lot of jack and shit. In my experience the lowest level recruiters, the Sgt and SSG's aren't even the ones you gotta worry about, it's the guys above them, those in charge of the station and down at MEPS especially! Don't let the overwhelming and exhausting nature of MEPS effect your judgement. Don't sign unless it's exactly what you want, in line with your research, goals, and dreams. I know I repeated some of what Matt said, but it can't be repeated enough.
Going in with what you want in mind is great advice. Me and my friend went in knowing exactly what MOS we wanted (Or close enough), and the recruiter was basically just helping us get through meps. Definitely don't go in with just an idea either, lock down the MOS the best you can too! For example, my friend wanted a RTO type position (I'm going 68W), and my recruiter was a 68W. So she suggested 25C or 25U, which is not an RTO position. He ended up going 13F after doing his own research. So do your own research guys! Recruiters don't know everything and don't settle for something you don't want that will be at minimum the next 4 years of your life.
If your recruiters do not have the job that you want, leave and come back a month later, if not again, repeat. This was advice from an RDC at great lakes that was given to Sea Cadets (me being one of them) that were thinking about joining the military, another piece of advice I would give to teenagers is to join a program such as the US Naval Sea Cadet Corps or Civil Air Patrol, depending on how well you perform in these programs. Cadets can get a higher pay grade enlisting in the military once they are older. One cadet that left my division will start as a E3 due to his experience in this program, and another cadet that aged out will start as a E2 in the Army National Guard.
I made that mistake going into the Navy, I wanted to be a Diver and barely missed the asvab score, I simply said no to all the choices they gave me and they got my recruiter on the phone who convinced me to take one of the 3 offers none where my 2nd choice (MP) I took one and never got the opportunity in the navy to become a Diver, however i did get temp orders to work with as a MP for a year which was the best year I had. I have no doubt had I been a Diver I would have made a career of it.
Pacific Wonderland aww man that sucks. How come you didn’t retest on the asvab and then reclass with reenlistment came up? Were you just done with the military at the point?
I got really lucky with my recruiter because first of all he was only a month in the job, respected my mos choice (mechanics), and he the dude is fricken jacked so I look forward training with him
Hey, Matt, im meeting with a recruiter tomorrow, I am scared af. Thank you for this video. But I’m scared imma be a push over, how can i have my own opinions and be my own person without being rude to the recruiter? How would i avoid being a push over while being polite and respectful? Thank you . Your videos are very helpful
My recruiter was honestly a great guy. He wasn't just in recruiting to get as many recruits as he can. He actually was interested in making sure I went in doing something I'd like to do and not making a bunch of bullshit stuff up to get a contract. Luckily I found out about him from a few of my friends who got recruited from him.
I spoke to recruiters about 2 months ago, I wasn’t comfortable to ship yet and wanted to take my time even though I took the ASVAB. They got extremely aggressive contacting me even though I explained to them I was not ready yet several times, and the entire office started calling me several times a week. It got very annoying I wish they weren’t so aggressive. It really paid off that I knew the questions to ask and what to pay attention- largely due to your videos! Thanks dude :)
I am enlisting in the Navy. The funny thing is that I have seen several videos about lies recruiters tell. My Navy recruiter was very transparent. He is one of the good recruiters. He asked me what I wanted to do. He told me the military across the branches have the same benefits. The recruiter's honesty is what brought me on board.
I enlisted in May 1998. When I walked away from the recruiter office I knew exactly what I wanted to , had a plan to get there, and my recruiter still to this day is one my great friends.
I read mine and wasn’t expecting a bonus but glad I found out about that. Only issue regarding my paperwork was just a incorrect phone number other than that it was great
My recruiter was really blunt with me and any question I had he was able to answer. He never sugar coated it for me. He was extremely helpful so I'm grateful towards him I leave Monday for the marine corps it's exciting and nerve wracking
You are correct sir! The Air Force was not liking what I want to do and showed me the worst case scenarios of having a low ASVAB score (keep in mind this was just inquiry). He pointed out to what seem to be a maintenance category like cleaning aircrafts/oil/ office work, etc. I got the boring stuff. Still looking at other branches without pressure.
Words of wisdom. Research the branches and jobs offered by each branch. Once you contact a Marine recruiter your done. You will be bombarded by phone calls 24/7. Even if your not interested. If you think I’m kidding check it out for yourself. No branches are making their recruiting numbers for the year. Everyone is desperate. Good luck 👍
I talked to the local national guard recruiter and he was really straight forward. I told him it’s between this and active Air Force. He took me to take the asvab on my 17th birthday and I looked over the jobs and I decided I wanted to go Air Force. He said he understood since he’s close to my family and they’re all retired Air Force. I enlisted 28 days after my 17th and now just waiting on my job in DEP for the Air Force. Just be straight forward with the recruiters and do your research so you don’t get lied too.
My army recruiter kept rushing me- literally said next week on Thursday is MEPS....not enough time to study for asvab or gain the weight needed for the army..I sent a polite email explaining that the process is too quick and to cancel the meps. Also, I don’t want to do meps until my college transcripts arrive in my hands through the mail with a contract that says I am going to be an e4 officer.
The recruiter branch near me were all pretty chill with each other and actually recommended that I should go to each branch gets the pros, cons, benefits, payment, and information and then make a decision best for me.
My recruiters were squared away. I met them my junior year of high school. went to the office to talk, talk, talk, talk and talk lol. They knew what I wanted to do. I wanted a combat MOS they saw I was combat material. these guys in my opinion they were the best.
Wish I got this info before I went to boot camp ! I was a pushover and picked a mos he wanted me in. I got a 70 on my asvab And he told me I had three jobs to chose from . Bullshit ! But I still believed him . Unfortunately I got injured in boot camp and had to be discharge . Rejoining in 6 months ( I have to wait 6 months mandatory to rejoin ) . Definitely going in with my research this time . I’ll wait for my mos if I have too ! I would of spent 4 years in a mos I never wanted in the 1st place ..Good luck to everyone and make sure you 100% physically ready . I ran two months , 2 miles every other day and thought It was going to make up for being a couch potato my whole life and not doing sports . Get your body ready ! Unfortunately mine wasn’t and I got a stress fracture in week 6 . Watched everyone graduate while I stood back . It’s more physical then you think . Ask your recruiter to give you a mock PT test . You will pass with flying colors and coast by in boot camp if you pass your 1st pt test . Only 3 people in my platoon past there 1st pt test ..3!
I said to the recruiter "The idea of infantry is cool, but my dad said that it's not a good long-term job because they are just grunts in the end. I don't think I'd choose that" Recruiter- "I spent most of my career in the infantry" Me, embarrassed- "Oh" Recruiter- "Your dad's right"
Best recruiter story I heard was by a comedian named Mike Warnke. I think he was lying, but it's still a good story. This is 1968, and he is enlisting in the navy. The recruiter convinces him that he wants to be a hospital corpsman , visions of nurses and clean white rooms and so on. What the recruiter DIDN'T tell him is that Navy hospital corpsman also act as combat medics for the Marines. So he spent his two year hitch walking all over the RVN with a Marine platoon instead. Recruiters can be sneaky. I think Warnke was lying about his service, but it probably happened for-real to someone back in the day. And the lesson -- know what you want when you step in the door -- still holds true.
Im not even mad of selecting my recruiter, he was a straight up guy, he told me cons and pros, he made me retake the asvab because he thought I wouldn’t like the jobs I was qualified(and he was right). Lets see how much I get in my asvab in a few weeks
Thanks for all the great info, Matt! I think I’ll be going to talk to a recruiter, for the first time, in the next week or so. (Texas Army National Guard) Your videos have given me the confidence to know how to get what I’m looking for out of the interaction.
Anytime I asked my recruiter anything, he answered "LOL, too easy" and when I did some research that suggested it was not indeed, too easy, and asked him about it, the answer became "OK, so actually". Always do your own research folks, trust but verify.
@@ajaxkills9303 I'm going infantry bc that's what I feel called to do. Have always loved shooting cleaning disassembling guns and the thought of being deployed excites me. I'm not scared of dying I have God in my heart and I'm not afraid. I love busting my ass and working hard. Grew up running around in the woods in camo playing paintball and having missions against an opposing teams and the adrenaline rush is just amazing. And yes I know paintball is nothing like being shot but the rush is the same.
Look, this is one situation: The Recrutier said, you -could- qualified to be a personal man or data processing technician and after signing the contract and sended to basic, they told him: 1. You need to stay 4 years on service, not 2 like original said 2. The school is closed, you didn’t get it on writing! 3 You’re not citizen yet! But you can be a cook or hospital corpsman, they offer you the stuff nobody wants
i went in wanting to do, and being told i definitely would get 68W (medical) but after going through MEPS the position filled up and got talked into getting my contract written for 11X (infantry). I leave for training in 1 month and i'm not worried about the training but i'm scared shitless about what will come after.
My recruiter is amazing but he didnt know the route I wanted to go so it's been a learning experience for both of us to do smp so my advice is to make sure you know your options and know what you want
Im 17 and Going to talk to a recruiter later in the month and I have previously spoken to one some of them are not always like that , but great video💯💪🏽
#1 rule, disregard everything your recruiter tells you.
When you get to MEPS and they put your contract down on the table in front of you, READ it, UNDERSTAND it, and DO NOT SIGN it until you like it.
The recruiter doesn’t write your contract.
ClingClong why comment this ?
@ClingClong are you hi ?
ClingClong What would happen to the USA if everyone followed your advice??
ClingClong I don’t think you know what a colony is lol
@Northern Wealth Anarchy Perimeter Ha I can't fall for bait anymore
If you don't have it in writing then it isn't guaranteed.
Kyle Davy Amen. I went through MEPS twice, because the Army lied to me about guaranteeing me a position as a linguist. So, I said "no thanks" to the Army and left, which surprised them. The second time through MEPS was for the USAF, and they kept their word.
cool story bro :)
Me and my wife both tried meps but they went full retard on us and failed us both on false pretenses i have always been an athlete and she has always been an academic. I got almost 70 on asvab practice test and she got 70+ on hers. When we got our real asvab i got the same score as practice because it was pretty much the same and she failed hers she told me first she got the test that was similar to the practice so she was like yes! Ima ace this and then it randomly switched and they gave her a fixed test she said unless you're an engineer you wouldn't have passed it. But she passed her physical and i didn't because of suspected heart problems when i had been to multiple doctors with ekg and echo and all told me i was damn near perfect. Its hard for us to not believe we got set up for failure. Afterwards our recruiters had their jaws on the floor when we told them everything they were so pissed even the recruiters had to admit that we got set up by some staff that they didn't get along with. Meps was a nightmare for us but results may vary the most frustrating part is i know people from my former high school that don't know left from right and aren't in physical shape and got in.
You gotta get em on that phone to get you a slot. My recruiter told me 11x and it wasn’t in place at meps. Liaison from the army office hopped on the phone for me 20 minutes waiting for someone to pick up I had 11x and airborne in my contract. I leave for Benning August 25th.
@@traptrap6875 how’s your experience so far. I’m wanting to go 11b and airborne.
1. Talk to Former Military/Active Veteran
2. Look Up What you want to do
3. Go to recruiter
4. Stand your ground
As a prior service marine going back in shortly, the first thing I tell everyone who mentions joining is do your own research, even with prior service they almost pulled the wool over my eyes by telling me I had to retain my same mos, but upon doing my own research I found that I’m eligible to retrain into almost anything
Oh hell yeah! Do this people.
This guy I know asked his recruiter if he would get an AK. The recruiter said yes and this guy believed him.
lol
Richard Noggin lool
lmaoooooooooooo
apply palm of hand directly to forehead
Some of our specialforces/ cover operations would use them. not common place but for any operaton you may need to blend in its better to use thier weapons(id rather an reliable weapon like an ak than an ar anyway but thats beside the point).
My recruiter was nothing but a homie. I walked in not knowing anything and just wanting infantry cause i didnt know my options. I walked out with an EOD contract. 3 years later and i couldnt be more thankful that my recruiter showed me there were more options.
yepp i walked in wanting anything probably 11X
spent 8 months with recruiters (never asked questions only did PT with them)
mainly looked at 3 of my options 14 series with huge bonus recruiter was pushing, 25 series with option 4 (airborne) option and the 35 series that i took cause it seemed mentally hard.
after volunteering for being a paratrooper and potentially Ranger (which i quit process) I was so happy I didn't pick Infantry. Just worse for me.
What’s it like wearing the bomb suit?
@@headhoncho7457 hot, heavy
You at Carson?
Same my recruiter actually prepared me for everything that was about to come my way, he didn’t promise me a nice car or hella money, he was straight uo
Another major error: DO NOT sign anything unless and until you know it's what you want to do.
Why don't you become a recruiter ? Dude you help people from all over the world
If I became a recruiter then I would have to recruit. I don't wanna do that. lol I just want to help people who want to join and/or learn more
@@MattWard89 good day, I am very interested in joining.
@@MattWard89 NAAAA
Being a recruiter is not an easy job, each branches have their own quota to be met, and they said that they worked for 7 days a week you gonna have to sacrifice your time with your family including yours
Matt Ward He’s an officer now you don’t really want to become a recruiter it’s a very easy job in the military compared to other jobs in the military a lot of recruiters become overweight they don’t stay up on PT
lol I went to a navy recruiter first. The recruiter told me that the Army would've been better for me, I didn't question it I just went with it. Now here I am loving the Army. Already over a year in as a 25U in Alaska. I'm really loving it.
BzG_Commo hey i’ve been looking at 25Q what do you know about it
BzG_Commo just finished my first week at Gordon loving the army.
Ethan Albert hey i live in alaska
Good for you man
i just signed as a 25U
I’m an army Recruiter. I have to say you are right in this video. I have a lot of kids come in and just say “tell me about the army”. I’m probably one of the most honest recruiters out there bc I want all of my recruits to understand fully what they are getting into. I never sell them on a job bc I know it may not be there when they pick and that is a great way to lose a recruit. But if more people watch this video then maybe they will come in with a better mindset. Keep up the good work
Josh Trumbower help me
Josh Trumbower what are my odds to try out for green berets sfas
No different than the rest of the real world. What job you THINK you'll be doing isn't usually what your doing lol.
Blue Flame 1% extremy difficult and you must be in tip top shape and have extreme mental toughness and the fact that u even care about your “chance” of even making it shows me that youre just considering it. and that attitude alone is what will destroy you and hold u back. if its what u wanna do, just do it. but dont ever let a statistic stop or determine your life
Well can I talk to you one on one because I have so many questions and curious about some things because I have family who has been in the military and wasn't given everything he was promised.
I leave in two days for Basic. Wish me luck!
Update: graduated! What a crazy, amazing, eye opening experience.
Can u tell me more? If u could email me at smalltimothy19@gmail.com or reply to this comment that would be great. I am thinking of joining myself and would like to know more about basic as well as other things
Congratulations! Soldier are you now in AIT?
praying for u in jesus christ name. let me know how it goes lauren
@@blader4eva324 she dosent have a phone
I was really scared and nervous to go and meet my recruiter for the first time. I didn't know what I wanted to do AT ALL. But, he helped me and I felt comfortable after.
My recruiters favorite thing to say to me when I bring up something is "I think you're just over thinking things man."
If the recruiter tells you that a certain MOS isn't available, leave. Just remember, the Army has missed it's recruiting goal for the year. Power is in your hands right now, not theirs.
Janglenutter Thanks for this, my recruiter kept budging me to take the jobs he wanted me to do, and I almost became a god damn bandmaster. I know what I want to do and won’t let them change my mind.
Elvis White bandmaster Imao
Wanted to be an MP. Going in as an EOD. Not even mad.
Elvis White then he lied because you can’t become a Bandmaster until you’ve done at last one contract as a Bandsmen and then audition for an open spot.
I walked in wanting uav specialist and walked out with infantry 😂
Austin Padgett I want infantry but the recruiter tells me that their are no infantry mos at the moment . He wants me to pick Missile defense , but I’m not not interested in it .
ImRambo then wait until there's an infantry job open if that's what you want to do
that is pretty weird.. and rather stupid no?
Ouch!
Why the heck did you sign then???
LOL i was talking with a recruiter recently and my gut was telling me to treat this like a car salesmen.
Watching this vid confirmed that for me.
I treated talking to my recruiter like I was at Best Buy or something. Took a lot of the edge out of my nerves when I realized I don't have to sign to anything at the recruiter like I don't have to buy anything at the store.
"Apple or Microsoft?" ≈ Army or Air Force, etc?
"What's the difference between these models?" ≈ What's the difference between these MOS?
"4K or 1080p?" ≈ What does that actually mean?
"Target has it cheaper, can you price match?" ≈ Why should I join you, what do you offer?
Darth Armageddon it’s more similar to choosing the stripper for the lap dance... “fat ass but shitty attitude”
This is surprisingly accurate.
They like to peer pressure you
Herbert Master mine was actually very respectful and listened to me when I didn't want to rush into the process and he didnt
Big facts
General Glitter Lucky lol
Feels like army has some bad recruiters. I talked to Marines and they were straight up with me. They simply didn’t have the jobs I wanted. I talked to Air Force but I didn’t know the stigma Air Force had until I looked into joining the military lol. I don’t want to be called a pussy the rest of my life for going AF. The army recruiter was really pushy and I eventually blocked his ass. Went back to marines and almost signed up until I scored an 80 something on the practice test. The recruiter was really surprised and told me to go talk to his navy friend. I went into the navy office and talked to him a bit. Found out there’s a lot of cool jobs available in the navy. The officer then came and talked to me. She was the one that convinced me to join. I really wanted to be a marine but hopefully I can still fight along side Marines as a corpsman
Not really man. The recruiter I talk to was a actually a pretty cool guy he listened to me. He explained everything. He didn't peer pressure me or try to trick me into anything. He was professional about everything that he informed me with
I honestly just took a sigh of relief having talked to a couple recruiters today and not doing anything described here.
He is spot on with what he talks about. In the Navy we call it a school. In the army we call it call AIT. I won't say my recruiter lied to me because I don't think he did. However, I don't think he was forthcoming with all the information. I joined in 2001 before September 11. So my career in the military is probably different from what the people in the last few years are experiencing. Just know that your recruiter is in a job himself. A MOS or rate himself. His job at the end of the day is to get people to join. When I did the enlisted back in early 2000 my recruiter asked me to wait a month to help make his quota. For those of you that don't understand this it just means that before September 11, 2001. Getting into the military was easy but recruiters had a hard time getting people to join. I joined during this time frame. After I join the influx that happened was crazy. I have a friend who was A recruiter for five years about 2005 to 2010. What he told me during this time was that he had no problems meeting his monthly requirements of getting people in because of the economy during the 2008 recession, and people who had nowhere to go. Just be very diligent and do your homework before you sign up. Because I can tell you from experience, what you see in the movies and on commercials is not with the military is
And what is it exactly do I see on TV?
my whole life I've been told that I couldn't cut it in the military and all I know is that it's hard work possibly dying and people yelling at you.
even if it's not as good as a recruiter sells you on it I had no idea that they were supposed to pay for school or give you benefits or anything like that, I was thinking it was like volunteer firefighting like you don't even get paid to do it. You just join up and get trained and go to war. I didn't even know that you had occupations, and career skills.
Excellent video sir I'm 26 years old been in the work a day life my entire life now. Did a year in the Marine Corps delayed entry program through high school and failed a class just before graduation. Got my diploma shortly after but fell into the work force and never had that same motivation. Currently going through the steps of joining with the army and I feel being older, looking back, I agree with many of these points. I can see how a large percentage of recruits, only being 17 18, heck even 16 may not know the right perspective to take in the experience. I am a very high test score in great shape, except for years of smoking, and my recruiter kept pointing out that I didn't have many questions. Reason being, is that I've been on my own my entire adult life, worked hard, paid bills, had ups and downs, and know exactly what I am looking for. I have been watching your videos since I first started talking with my recruiter and have not heard anything surprising, rather found at a reassurance that I am in the correct mindset. You make excellent videos and I would recommend them to be a mandate to be watched by any new recruit going into any branch of the service.
Glad to hear you are getting to join now :) good luck to you and thank you man, I appreciate that!
I'm 26 and in the workforce too as a Security Guard, for 2yrs now. I've been working on getting back in shape for almost a year now, since I've been talking to my recruiter. It's hard. Half of it is due to my schedule always changing and the other half was me being a bit lazy and letting life get me down. But I'm not anymore. Hope you get in. 😊
Dora Trevino I feel you. I’m in the same boat myself!
Recruiters are biased. So don't expect that they will tell u any downside of any program.
except marines, they do not lie
Oleg i never said they lie. I said they are biased/one sided. If you don't ask them they wont tell you. [It's like you are girlfriend or wife found out you had ex's and they say you lied to her. But she never asked.]
CAPTAIN TUFA omission and commission brother, both are lies.
De Wees My recruiter has been straight with me so far
I luckily got a good recruiter, hes sold be some bs to try and get me to sign faster but he is honest on most things other than that, and he'll give you the down sides to it
I feel lucky to know my recruiter outside of the military. I’ve heard many recruiter horror stories about people getting screwed over because of what their recruiters told them
Oh no kidding. I went Navy, where I they put two jobs in front of me and asked me to look them over and I had to pick one. Both of which were kind of low on the totem pole... Whereas I later found out that with my score, I could have slid into Intelligence or Cryptographer. Yet at MEPS, it was "These are the jobs you qualify for."
Anyhow, I'm weighing out my options and looking over the jobs presented to me in order to choose one, where after ten minutes, they're getting pissed because it's taking me too long to decide. Despite that when I was asking them about the jobs, none of them were said job, nor did they really say anything about them.
Then I get into Boot camp and all these guys are E-3s already. Due to having college credits or having done JROTC in high school... Both of which I had and my recruiter knew it. Yet there I was, an E-1. There was also a test I could have taken on the book he gave me, which could have bumped me up as well... Upon bringing this up to him, his response was "Nah, don't worry about that, just refer people." So there were E-3s in my boot camp division who were there and had done that as well. The worst one. Was hearing "Yes, I got E-3 because my recruiter just hooked me up, he was really cool." Out of the 83 guys in my Boot Camp division, I was one of like three who graduated with nothing on their sleeve. Though it's more than just the rank, he fucked me out of almost three grand. In addition to the whole job thing.
When I go to talk to a recruiter my dad will come with me because he’s a colonel so he will out rank everyone their so the recruiter can’t push me around
I heard about one guy who was the son of some rich guy... Walked in with his family's lawyer.
If your father is not in uniform, he can't do much.
How’d this go
My recruiter is picking me up tomorrow, thanks for the tips 😉
Doctor Nobody what are they picking you up for?
@@angelcastillo3100 I'm assuming MEPS. My recruiter is picking me up in literally 8 days for MEPS.
And if some people don’t have cars, the recruiter will drive to you
DONT LET THE RECRUITER RUSH YOU!!!! On my first attempt to go to the army, my recruiter basically rushed me and didn't give me time to think about anything. I got to meps and I was so nervous and felt so rushed that I bombed it and got sent home. Don't be afraid to tell your recruiter to slow down Abit if you're not at 100% sure about the army like me
If u could still answer why where u denied at MEPS?
@@fjo9492maybe blood pressure because of how nervous they were
"Do I get to eat whatever I want?"
"Yeah sure"
"Do I get to hang out and have fun with my buddies?"
"All the time"
"Do I get to have the biggest gun and best rifles in the army?"
"Why not?"
"Do I get to be promoted to special forces when I join?"
"Absolutely"
"Is training camp hard?"
"Nah it's really easy you just relax all the time"
"Do I get free benefits when I get out?"
"Yeah guaranteed"
"Do I make a lot of money?"
"A ton"
"Can I visit my parents and have vacations whenever I want?"
"Anytime anywhere"
"Are you sure about all this?"
"Yeah absolutely I would never lie, now shut up and sign here so I can get you on the bus already"
Lmao
I went to a recruiter very recently from him calling me. I went in with 5 different mos's selected which he was fairly happy to see I did my research over things. He showed me all the benefits and was straight up honest with everything I asked and would be doing plus he didn't sugar coat anything. From all that I'm going to be a 19D which was one of the ones I picked myself and I'm already going to be enlisted next week. I'm super excited to start this journey next year and to serve my country!
I'm a recruiter in upstate NY 😎 let's set up an appointment after you watch this video
what's the warrant officer flight training program like these days? Seems like a pretty awesome gig if you have the college degree and can get through the intensive multi school program.
Are selection rates still really high?
I recently went through the process (shipping out as a PFC 17c on May 15th). I happily didn't make any of these mistakes.
One additional common mistake I see js people not seeming to realize is that if you're not completely sure about joining, you can just tell your recruiter and set up an appointment in the future. You can honestly back out any time before you sign your contract. If the job you want currently has no open positions, you can just go home and wait for it to re-open and have your recruiter call you when it's open.
My suggestion is research, research, research. If something in your research is uncertain, write down the question and ask your recruiter.
Research benefits, research MEPS procedures, research jobs, research ASVAB, research BCT, research classes, research promotion possibilities, and so on and so forth. Matt is absolutely excellent at helping out with just about everything you'll ever need to know.
Every MOS (job) is online with a description of what they do. They'll list the ASVAB requirements (and additional testing requirements if necessary), what you'll do, what bonuses (if any) that you'll get, and so on. You can also find out where you can potentially get posted when deployed.
I'd suggest listing all the jobs you'd be happy with doing. Not just okay with doing; happy with doing.
My recruiter was and is a great dude (and the rest of the recruiters at the office are great too). He got me through the process of being certain about things and was very patient about any questions or concerns I had. He answered truthfully at every step of the way. I actually wish that recruits could like rate their recruiter after like a month of deployment and that could incentivise more recruiters to be like mine and not like the horror stories I hear all the time.
I've always been interested in the tech/software side of things and learned that this dude was in 25-series (Sig Intel). On the list of about 10 to 12 MOS's I'd be happy with, 25-series popped up on there like 2-3 times. While my recruiter was biased towards that specific MOS (especially his own), he wasn't trying to push it or anything.
I hope all of you future recruits have as good of a recruiter and recruitment process as I did, a better MEPS physical process than me, and have a good, happy, and successful military career.
DistantRed Not a PFC until ya graduate killer
Fly Low not unless you got someone to join there guy
How do you like 17C? I'm getting ready to go to BCT and have already passed all the requirements for it.
I swore in about an hour ago. 11X. Can’t wait to start the journey!
u will regret it, former army soilder here
IXKE CZbanana
spotted the civ
IXKE CZbanana *soldier
How has it been I want to be 11X to
I was going to try for 11x but then I figured Marine Force Recon was a better fit.
I went into this video very skeptical about what points you would try to make but I am impressed. I've been in Recruiting for 11 years (3 USAREC and 8 Army National Guard) and you're mostly spot on.
I dont agree with the "used car salesman" comparison but understand it. Recruiters, good Recruiters know the impact they have on those they work with. They represent what the Military is and need to conduct themselves accordingly. From first phone call to final ETS a good Recruiter will be one of that applicant/Soldiers go to resources for all things Military. They are guiding young men and women through a truly life changing decision and that shouldn't be taken lightly.
No Recruiter should ever bad mouth another branch or claim one is better than another. Everyone I've ever worked with, trained, and supervised knew to be an educator first and foremost. They should support someone's decision to join a different branch if it truly makes sense for them. This builds trust with the Recruiter and applicant and and ensures the applicant is joining the branch that is right for THEM, not right for the Recruiter. And it also helps remove that dirty stigma of "used car salesman". No ill-will I totally get it. Some are shady.
I would also add that you need to know that there is a process involved. We can't lock in a certain job until you take the ASVAB and MEPS medical. Then, and only then, can you be told what you qualify for (MOS', benefits, incentives etc.)
Along with the process involved- expect to be asked invasive questions about your past. Medical history, legal trouble, debt, education, job experience etc. Be honest, Recruiters don't care about your blemished past, we need to know these things.
I rambled there but overall great, informative video. 👍👍
P.S. we're always looking for new Recruiters up here in the Northeast if you're interested. You'd probably be good at it.
Ok straight to the point: top to bottom or safest to near death, also based on absvab scores.
1. Coast Guard
2. Air force
3. Navy
4. Army
5. Marine Corps
you can put national guard above coast guard even tho its still the army i joined the army and all my friends either joined the airforce or the national guard all of them are pussies and i tell them that straight up too lol
Marines have all the training that the other branches have they deploy with the Navy
Ethan Clarke I want to be a marine when I get older (Evan though I'm 12)
@ Man of Action "also based on absvab scores"!
Ethan Clarke join reservist. U never do combat that i know of
To add to what Matt said in the video, I would suggest that you make sure that you are speaking with the senior recruiter in the office that you visit. There are times when recruiters have never even been operational in the MOS for which they were trained. They come straight out of AIT to the recruiters office, so if you're speaking to an E5 or below they probably don't have much experience in the real military world.
Talking to a marine recruiter tomorrow.
I first considered the military path when I was in like 7th grade, and now its happening now that I'm nearly 18.
edit: I just got back from seeing my recruiter. I doubled the average score on the ASVAB and all I need is for my father to speak to the recruiter himself. (since I'm still 17)
Guys I watched countless videos on how to talk to a Marine recruiter, and none of them couldve prepared me for the actual experience. They want to know as much as they can about *you* So be ready to go in depth about your personal values and be ready to learn about what you will learn in your military future.
@blueberry juice I wish you good luck!
Leaving for Navy Meps in an hour
How did it go
Red Jack He died. DEAD.-
R.I.P🥺
R.I.P.
SHIB MEPs is harsh, wouldn’t be surprised
Taking the ASVAB Monday can't wait been studying so long math sucks lol
how did u do?
Extremely great advice, one of the most helpful videos so far. I just wish I could get more ideas of “what to ask”, and “how to ask” the recruiters because this phase of joining the military is exactly where I’m at. I’m definitely subscribed to your videos, appreciate the time you’ve taken to guide future soldiers
Even now, years later, I think fondly of my AF recruiter. This man worked with me for 6 months to meet the weight requirement to join, he walked me through the list of jobs I could get, gave me honest upsides and downsides to each one so I could pick and choose whatever was best for me, was honest that he couldnt promise me anything, but told me what to make sure was in my contract (also making sure I understood that if it wasnt in the contract, it wasnt going to happen). The army recruiter that also worked there however, I will always despise. This dude was there for those 6 months ignoring my presence entirely. Then the day, literally the day that i was going to mepps to sign up, he yanked me into his office to try and give me the hard sell about the army and how I needed to sign with them instead. I sat there and waited patiently till my AF recruiter came in to drive me up then walked out the door. We laughed about it the whole way there. What a scum bag.
I leave for fort benning Monday 😅. Pray for me lmao. 4 months of hell
I’ll see you soon lol I leave April 30th
Pickle what’s your mos and name brother?
Pickle also leaving for fort benning on April 30th. 11x guess I'll be seeing you there man
Are you Infantry?
Matthew Stone i just came from benning in March . Be ready for some hell. It sucks in the beginning but it’s really not that bad. The hardest phase is black phase
Perks of being my recruiters first recruit who was also marines for 14 years before. I had a great experience and he asked what I wanted, and was honest. Wasn’t pushy and went with everything that I wanted, encouraged me to talk to other branches. Now going to basic August 9th and I’m in as a 91b!
I told my recruiter I wanted information and laid my expectations on the table. Totally chill sessions came after that. No b.s. on either party. Shipping out in October with a dope MOS to follow.
I was recruited back in November of 2017. I told my Recruiter that I wasn’t sure if I wanted reServes or active. I told him that I wanted a combat arms job but I wasn’t sure which job. I came across combat engineer in the reserves, and cav scout and infantry in active duty. He told me a lot of different things about the jobs. I finally decided Infantry in active duty. 11x is the mos you will have before you go down to Infantry osut. You’ll either be an 11b or an 11c. They told me that if your good at math you’ll be an 11c. And if you aren’t then you’ll be an 11b. That was a complete lie. It all depends on how many bravos or Charlie’s they need, you could be either or, ASVAB doesn’t matter so if you sign up for infantry you don’t get to pick if your an 11b or an 11c, you’re given That contract out of the blue. It’s literally computer generated. I originally wanted 11b, and got into an 11b when I was in basic which really made me happy. I was also told that you get 3 top picks where you wanted to go, after you graduate basic training. That’s not true at all. Atleast for me. I was called into my drill sergeants office and he asked me some questions, just entering some information into the computer to get a sponsor(a future duty station) He then told me what duty station im headed to. You get no picks on where you want to go, the army decides for you, atleast that’s how it was for me. Its literally entering information into a computer and then it spitting out something random.
I think, not certain, but think, the way it worked in the AF was, you had that list of preferred bases, then they go and check where there are openings for your job available and if one of your choices is on that list, great! If not, you go wherever you are needed.
My recruiter was great. After months of work, finally got the go from MEPS. I love that woman. Find out when I'm shipping this week.
50/50 on the fence. Talking to a recruiter for 2+ hours yesterday for the Army. Tested and going for next tests monday. What I am most curious about is the space force wing however, my family has needs. Haven't fully made my mind up but this has me thinking I should talk to other branches as well.
my recruiters let me click on the job i wanted, and told me that i have to make the choice of job. They did that and told me that if my job isn't something I wanted it was my fault that it is that way. They gave me the idea of it is my choice to make in terms of my future and they weren't going to pressure me into anything. All in all they were really chill and great guys.
I have a good Army recruiter now, but I experienced this with some AF recruiters in the past. Glad I didn't sign up to be a plumber. Thanks for the video 💛
Just went through the process with the Army. My recommendations:
1. Do some research. Talk to people in the service about their experience, especially if they do the job you're interested in.
2. Dress to impress. Wear Khakis and a polo when you meet your recruiter, you're not getting a job at Mickey D's.
3. Bring a pen and notebook, write stuff down and do some research after you meet with a recruiter.
4. Be on time. Show that you want this job.
So many of the kids going through the process have no clue what they're getting into.
Mark Wedgeworth it ain’t a job interview they don’t care what you look like, I’ve seen some homeless looking dude joining
Nuclear_King Right. Tf was this dude on?
I got the run arounds. I have four years of JROTC so I knew what I was signing for. I began to notice the way the recruiters began to interact with other young men and women. I was placed aside while they tried other tactics to recruit them. That made me so angry. A friend in the military finally told me that I am too short.
I heard “don’t ask a car smellsman” 😂😂 @4:13
This video is spot on! If it's not in your contract, DO NOT COUNT ON IT. PERIOD. At least with the Army. You owe recruiters a whole lot of jack and shit. In my experience the lowest level recruiters, the Sgt and SSG's aren't even the ones you gotta worry about, it's the guys above them, those in charge of the station and down at MEPS especially! Don't let the overwhelming and exhausting nature of MEPS effect your judgement. Don't sign unless it's exactly what you want, in line with your research, goals, and dreams. I know I repeated some of what Matt said, but it can't be repeated enough.
I swore in 3 days ago with 11x and airborne in my contract I leave July 17th your videos have really helped me with not going into this head first
Congrats on being an 11C
level1samurai not going to be a 11c bud
Brent Perry Better be a good shot.
@@brentperry9270 lol you dont have a choice
Going in with what you want in mind is great advice. Me and my friend went in knowing exactly what MOS we wanted (Or close enough), and the recruiter was basically just helping us get through meps.
Definitely don't go in with just an idea either, lock down the MOS the best you can too! For example, my friend wanted a RTO type position (I'm going 68W), and my recruiter was a 68W. So she suggested 25C or 25U, which is not an RTO position. He ended up going 13F after doing his own research. So do your own research guys! Recruiters don't know everything and don't settle for something you don't want that will be at minimum the next 4 years of your life.
If your recruiters do not have the job that you want, leave and come back a month later, if not again, repeat. This was advice from an RDC at great lakes that was given to Sea Cadets (me being one of them) that were thinking about joining the military, another piece of advice I would give to teenagers is to join a program such as the US Naval Sea Cadet Corps or Civil Air Patrol, depending on how well you perform in these programs. Cadets can get a higher pay grade enlisting in the military once they are older. One cadet that left my division will start as a E3 due to his experience in this program, and another cadet that aged out will start as a E2 in the Army National Guard.
I made that mistake going into the Navy, I wanted to be a Diver and barely missed the asvab score, I simply said no to all the choices they gave me and they got my recruiter on the phone who convinced me to take one of the 3 offers none where my 2nd choice (MP) I took one and never got the opportunity in the navy to become a Diver, however i did get temp orders to work with as a MP for a year which was the best year I had. I have no doubt had I been a Diver I would have made a career of it.
Pacific Wonderland aww man that sucks. How come you didn’t retest on the asvab and then reclass with reenlistment came up? Were you just done with the military at the point?
I got really lucky with my recruiter because first of all he was only a month in the job, respected my mos choice (mechanics), and he the dude is fricken jacked so I look forward training with him
Hey, Matt, im meeting with a recruiter tomorrow, I am scared af. Thank you for this video. But I’m scared imma be a push over, how can i have my own opinions and be my own person without being rude to the recruiter? How would i avoid being a push over while being polite and respectful?
Thank you . Your videos are very helpful
Unabashedlyluckynerd A How did it go? Any updates? Tips?
I walked into the recruitment office last Wednesday 8 days later I’m sworn in and waiting to be shipped out to BCT😅
My recruiter was honestly a great guy. He wasn't just in recruiting to get as many recruits as he can. He actually was interested in making sure I went in doing something I'd like to do and not making a bunch of bullshit stuff up to get a contract. Luckily I found out about him from a few of my friends who got recruited from him.
I spoke to recruiters about 2 months ago, I wasn’t comfortable to ship yet and wanted to take my time even though I took the ASVAB. They got extremely aggressive contacting me even though I explained to them I was not ready yet several times, and the entire office started calling me several times a week. It got very annoying I wish they weren’t so aggressive. It really paid off that I knew the questions to ask and what to pay attention- largely due to your videos! Thanks dude :)
Thank God I had such a good recruiter. My recruiter was soo clear with what he was saying and didn't try to get me into some boring truck driving job
I am enlisting in the Navy. The funny thing is that I have seen several videos about lies recruiters tell. My Navy recruiter was very transparent. He is one of the good recruiters. He asked me what I wanted to do. He told me the military across the branches have the same benefits. The recruiter's honesty is what brought me on board.
I enlisted in May 1998. When I walked away from the recruiter office I knew exactly what I wanted to , had a plan to get there, and my recruiter still to this day is one my great friends.
I love our local recruiters they’re more like friends to us than telling us what to do. They just give us the facts
I read mine and wasn’t expecting a bonus but glad I found out about that. Only issue regarding my paperwork was just a incorrect phone number other than that it was great
My recruiter was really blunt with me and any question I had he was able to answer. He never sugar coated it for me. He was extremely helpful so I'm grateful towards him I leave Monday for the marine corps it's exciting and nerve wracking
You are correct sir! The Air Force was not liking what I want to do and showed me the worst case scenarios of having a low ASVAB score (keep in mind this was just inquiry). He pointed out to what seem to be a maintenance category like cleaning aircrafts/oil/ office work, etc. I got the boring stuff. Still looking at other branches without pressure.
My dog has selective hearing can he join the army
"My friend has flat feet can he join"
Me trying to not get rejected right away
Lose the flag dude. they lost. hundreds of years ago.
@@mikaelmoshe64 its a profile picture shekelstein chill out
@@mikaelmoshe64 I agree, 1865 was hundreds of years ago, as in multiple hundreds of years ago
Words of wisdom. Research the branches and jobs offered by each branch. Once you contact a Marine recruiter your done. You will be bombarded by phone calls 24/7. Even if your not interested. If you think I’m kidding check it out for yourself. No branches are making their recruiting numbers for the year. Everyone is desperate. Good luck 👍
40k right around the corner your killing it bro
I talked to the local national guard recruiter and he was really straight forward. I told him it’s between this and active Air Force. He took me to take the asvab on my 17th birthday and I looked over the jobs and I decided I wanted to go Air Force. He said he understood since he’s close to my family and they’re all retired Air Force. I enlisted 28 days after my 17th and now just waiting on my job in DEP for the Air Force. Just be straight forward with the recruiters and do your research so you don’t get lied too.
My army recruiter kept rushing me- literally said next week on Thursday is MEPS....not enough time to study for asvab or gain the weight needed for the army..I sent a polite email explaining that the process is too quick and to cancel the meps. Also, I don’t want to do meps until my college transcripts arrive in my hands through the mail with a contract that says I am going to be an e4 officer.
Matt i needed this video Last Week talk to recuiter last saturday would have been nice to gets some tips behand but don't worry it went okay
I've sworn into the guard and i ship out next month
MultiDisturbed666 same here
Ayy I swore into the guard but ship out this August
Anemone Spotted awesome
Dude, guard is the bottom of the food chain lol
Ethan Clarke no disrespect of any branch will be tolerated here
The recruiter branch near me were all pretty chill with each other and actually recommended that I should go to each branch gets the pros, cons, benefits, payment, and information and then make a decision best for me.
I deploy for Fort Sill in August, working
out everyday and don’t know what to expect, your videos have helped me out tremendously
Imagine you personally know the recruiter that would be mad sick
My recruiters were squared away. I met them my junior year of high school. went to the office to talk, talk, talk, talk and talk lol. They knew what I wanted to do. I wanted a combat MOS they saw I was combat material. these guys in my opinion they were the best.
Wish I got this info before I went to boot camp ! I was a pushover and picked a mos he wanted me in. I got a 70 on my asvab And he told me I had three jobs to chose from . Bullshit ! But I still believed him . Unfortunately I got injured in boot camp and had to be discharge . Rejoining in 6 months ( I have to wait 6 months mandatory to rejoin ) . Definitely going in with my research this time . I’ll wait for my mos if I have too ! I would of spent 4 years in a mos I never wanted in the 1st place ..Good luck to everyone and make sure you 100% physically ready . I ran two months , 2 miles every other day and thought It was going to make up for being a couch potato my whole life and not doing sports . Get your body ready ! Unfortunately mine wasn’t and I got a stress fracture in week 6 . Watched everyone graduate while I stood back . It’s more physical then you think . Ask your recruiter to give you a mock PT test . You will pass with flying colors and coast by in boot camp if you pass your 1st pt test . Only 3 people in my platoon past there 1st pt test ..3!
I said to the recruiter "The idea of infantry is cool, but my dad said that it's not a good long-term job because they are just grunts in the end. I don't think I'd choose that"
Recruiter- "I spent most of my career in the infantry"
Me, embarrassed- "Oh"
Recruiter- "Your dad's right"
Best recruiter story I heard was by a comedian named Mike Warnke. I think he was lying, but it's still a good story.
This is 1968, and he is enlisting in the navy.
The recruiter convinces him that he wants to be a hospital corpsman , visions of nurses and clean white rooms and so on.
What the recruiter DIDN'T tell him is that Navy hospital corpsman also act as combat medics for the Marines. So he spent his two year hitch walking all over the RVN with a Marine platoon instead.
Recruiters can be sneaky.
I think Warnke was lying about his service, but it probably happened for-real to someone back in the day. And the lesson -- know what you want when you step in the door -- still holds true.
Im not even mad of selecting my recruiter, he was a straight up guy, he told me cons and pros, he made me retake the asvab because he thought I wouldn’t like the jobs I was qualified(and he was right). Lets see how much I get in my asvab in a few weeks
Thanks for all the great info, Matt! I think I’ll be going to talk to a recruiter, for the first time, in the next week or so. (Texas Army National Guard) Your videos have given me the confidence to know how to get what I’m looking for out of the interaction.
JT Folstad how old are you?
I actually have a recruiter coming to my house today at 18:15 and I’ll definitely keep this video in mind
Anytime I asked my recruiter anything, he answered "LOL, too easy" and when I did some research that suggested it was not indeed, too easy, and asked him about it, the answer became "OK, so actually". Always do your own research folks, trust but verify.
The army recruiter got me in contact with the marines bc I couldn’t decide which one I wanted to do. Now the marine is coming to my school tomorrow
I want to go into ranger school when im older and I've been striving to get as far as i can and learn as much as i can on my free time
I was infantry,I recommend any trade but infantry.
Why
@@reelsteelesharkfishing6329 because it's a hard and dangerous job IED or being shot at.. but I wanna go infantry just for the fun of it.
@@ajaxkills9303 I'm going infantry bc that's what I feel called to do. Have always loved shooting cleaning disassembling guns and the thought of being deployed excites me. I'm not scared of dying I have God in my heart and I'm not afraid. I love busting my ass and working hard. Grew up running around in the woods in camo playing paintball and having missions against an opposing teams and the adrenaline rush is just amazing. And yes I know paintball is nothing like being shot but the rush is the same.
12b it is
@@reelsteelesharkfishing6329 similar deal here
The recruiting station I go to, for the Navy, have been very honest and it have been very beneficial for making my decision on what I want to achieve.
Look, this is one situation: The Recrutier said, you -could- qualified to be a personal man or data processing technician and after signing the contract and sended to basic, they told him: 1. You need to stay 4 years on service, not 2 like original said 2. The school is closed, you didn’t get it on writing! 3 You’re not citizen yet! But you can be a cook or hospital corpsman, they offer you the stuff nobody wants
I have watched several of these videos. Super salty about not getting Airborne, lol.
i went in wanting to do, and being told i definitely would get 68W (medical) but after going through MEPS the position filled up and got talked into getting my contract written for 11X (infantry). I leave for training in 1 month and i'm not worried about the training but i'm scared shitless about what will come after.
Update? Hope all is well brother
My recruiter is amazing but he didnt know the route I wanted to go so it's been a learning experience for both of us to do smp so my advice is to make sure you know your options and know what you want
Love you so much keep up the great work 🇺🇸🇺🇸
I got meeting with my recruiter next week , and now I got some ideas thx man
Im 17 and Going to talk to a recruiter later in the month and I have previously spoken to one some of them are not always like that , but great video💯💪🏽
I planned on setting up a meet time soon glad I seen this video ty for all the work u put into helping us out that don't know and looking for answers
What if you have THC in your system when going to the recruiting office will they help you get clean before going to MEPS?
Workout, drink water, lots of water, drink so much water you get tired of water, sweat. When you get to MEPS the answer of the day is NO.
SSgt knows me enough to do what’s best at this point. I’ve been in the DEP for almost a year now. I ship Monday.
Devon Funk good luck man
Don’t put all your eggs into one basket! Visit all branches. See who will get you what you want. And get it in writing!
They lie about the bonuses
DECLINER REXLETE how so?
KilvGamer lol join an you'll find out
proudly served-flw i Will, but it's good to know before right?
If it's guaranteed in writing then it's for sure
Myles F well they pay off school but you will have to oay off the interest, so should set up pymts before you go in to pay the interest ea month...