r/AirForceRecruits

I am REALLY leaning towards security forces. I really like the idea of the panama schedule. I used to work at Home Depot and they would always schedule me for like 12 days in a row. with 1 day off and then another 2 or 3 days in a row with another day off. Also out of all of the air force jobs minus anything to do with RPA's it is the one that i am the most interested in. I am totally fine with working 12 hour shifts. Used to do it in the spring and summer at home depot all of the time for the ot and I am used to being on my feet all day lifting heavy shit. Another reason why I am leaning towards security forces is that they can basically go anywhere.

I will be sharing my journey to OTS through a series of posts in with the hope that I can make things a little easier for anyone just starting out or already working through the process.

For some background, I started the OTS process in back in February 2025 and I graduated from college in December 2025. I’m going for the CSO slot and at this point I’m just waiting until July for the board's decision.

I plan on sharing the order of steps, how I prepared for and took the AFOQT and TBAS, what the results mean since that information is public, and how I prepared for the commander interview as well as other details. Everything I share is based on my own experience, so it may not look the same for everyone. Please feel free to ask questions.

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1. The process takes longer than you think.

Even if you’re proactive, things move slowly. There are a lot of points where you’re just waiting, and it’s normal.

For context, I started this process with under a year left in college. I thought I could line things up for the September 2025 board and go to OTS shortly after graduating. That didn’t happen. I’ve since moved to a different state and picked up a job while I wait.

If I could do it again, I would put myself in the mindset that this is a long process and that I need to plan my life accordingly. Don’t put everything on hold waiting for OTS. Set yourself up with a job, a place to live, and something stable while you work through it.

2. Getting in touch with any Air Force personnel or department is not easy.

It’s not always a quick “reach out and get a response” situation. You almost always need to follow up and sometimes, you need to be really annoying about it depending on the recruiters in your area.

I mean calling again. Emailing again. Pushing until you get an answer. Otherwise, you could lose weeks or even months for no reason.

A lot of these offices are understaffed and dealing with a huge number of applicants, so you need to make it hard for them to forget about you. There is a difference between being disrespectful and being persistent. Learn that difference early, because being persistent can be the only reason anything moves.

3. Say goodbye to planning ahead (kind of).

I learned pretty quickly that this process does not allow you to plan ahead. You can only control so much and a lot of the timeline is completely out of your hands.

You still need to have a long-term goal, but this process really forces you to focus on the next step in front of you. Keep the big picture in mind, but don't get too attached to a specific timeline because it will most likely change.

Hi everyone! I got a letter from the Air Force a while ago notifying me that I was rejected from enlisting due to “F99 - Mental disorder, not otherwise specified.”

Part of the letter states,

“We understand the impact that this decision has on you, but in accordance with the Secretary of Defense priorities and National Strategy directives, we must ensure a medically fit and agile force to support the Air Force's global combat mission, which includes worldwide capabilities. Some conditions that may seem relatively mild and stable in a civilian setting have shown to worsen in the military environment, which could lead to adverse consequences for both your own health and to the military mission.

At this time, your condition has not demonstrated an appropriate period of stability to provide a waiver. However, if after August 2026, you have remained medically stable and have not developed any new conditions, we would consider another review of your waiver. If the required period of stability is met, waiver resubmission must contain current (within 3 months of submission) clinical encounter notes from your treating provider (not just a memo from the provider) documenting current status for the condition” verbatim. #watdatmean

Anyways, I sought therapy through Kaiser and explained my whole enlistment situation. After an intake appointment with a therapist, I called the company to book another session and they told me that the therapist had archived me because she did not think her skillset/expertise were the right fit for my situation.

Has this happened to anyone else? And how should I explain my enlistment situation to a new therapist so this doesn’t happen again? Am I approaching this the wrong way?

I also told my recruiter everything that happened, and he hasn’t responded in weeks so I’m not sure how to move forward from here either.

Just got selected for the HPSP scholarship and had a quick question about the medical prescreen timeline.

I understand the prescreen is mainly to catch any red flags in your medical history. I was fully transparent and listed my childhood asthma and LASIK surgery (done 3 years ago, no complications).

For those who’ve been through this process. How long did it take for your prescreen to get approved before being sent to MEPS?

Appreciate any insight!

Hey everyone,

I’m an LPR (Croatian citizen), booked a 1D731R, and shipping to Air Force BMT in June 2026. My situation is a bit unique and I’m looking for advice from anyone who has gone through the accelerated naturalization process at Lackland.

The Facts

Residency: I’ve lived in Japan for the last 14 years

Family: Wife is a U.S. citizen (dual Japanese), two kids (one born just this week).

Naturalization: Planning to do the expedited naturalization during BMT.

The Conflict: My recruiter says I don't need foreign police certificates from Croatia or Japan for the naturalization/security clearance process. He says he’s never seen anyone need them.

My Concern:

Because I’ve been OCONUS for over a decade, I’m worried that the USCIS officer or the DCSA investigator will hit me with a “Request for Evidence” (RFE) because they can’t run a standard domestic background check on my last 14 years. I already have old certs from my Green Card process, but they are over a year old now.

My Questions:

For those who were LPR recruits living abroad for a long time: Did USCIS ask for updated foreign police clearances during your BMT interview?

Did your security clearance (SF-86) get hung up because of your foreign residence?

Should I listen to my recruiter and "just ship," or should I bring fresh, translated police certs in my folder as insurance?

Thanks in advance for the help!

So my recruiter has told me I have to wait 36 months before I can enlist because MEPS flagged me for a “anxiety disorder”. Little backstory, back in summer 2024 I was going through some tough times, got laid off and had a child to take care of, so I went to my doctor and told them I was having trouble sleeping due to my anxiety for worrying about how I will support my family. The doctor prescribed me a medication for the sleeping problem and also noted that I was suffering from anxiety in my medical records (really regret telling them that). I never used the medication because of the side effects but bought it anyways just in case. I ended up solving my sleeping issue by myself through taking hot showers, reading before bed, meditation and not having my phone in the same room.

More importantly, I’m not depressed or suffering from anxiety. In the fall of 2024 I secured employment and have been taking care of my child and myself since then. I’ve had no breakdowns or sleeping disorder episodes since then. I never went back to my doctor to do a re-evaluation of my mental health, as I didn’t believe I needed it, but now I’m thinking I will need to do so anyways just to clear the air.

My question is that, do I really need to wait 36 months before I can join now? Can I qualify for a waiver for this? My ASVAB score was pretty good and I was cleared physically for everything else just this minor episode from 2024 that seems to be holding me back now.

Appreciate y’all’s input and hope you have a blessed weekend Airmen!

I’m 10 days away from leaving. A 31 year old male. I’m not a super strong runner. Doing 2 miles in 24-25 minutes. Do you think I’ll be able to make the cut at Bmt for the final pt test with the training they give?

Hello,

Simply put wondering if anyone here has been ghosted by recruiters, that or are they all bad with communication?

In contact with 2 recruiters

1. AF National Guard

2. AF Reserves

Im on a somewhat longer journey due to some medication i need to be off of, however the guidance was honestly poor on next steps, and both recruiters have just left me hanging basically.

I’m leaving for basic training soon and I have a handgun, but I don’t have any family out here who can hold it for me. What are my legal options for storing or transferring it before I leave?

Got a call yesterday for May 12, any 2W0X1 guys in here? Not particularly excited for the job but it’s okay :,) hahah

Hi there. I am planning on visiting a recruiter in the next few months about enlisting in the Reserves but am mildly concerned about a medical disclosure.

When I was 8 I was diagnosed with epilepsy and was briefly medicated before being taken off the drug because I developed a reaction to it. Fast forward seven years and in that time I never once had a documented seizure. That year, I was officially told I no longer had epilepsy. To my knowledge, I haven’t had any seizures since I was 8 (22 now).

Is this something I should disclose to a recruiter? If I did not disclose it, would it be revealed during MEPS/a search of my health records? Would it require a waiver or would I be disqualified from joining?

*note: I know I should tell the recruiter but given I haven’t had any issues in many years, I don’t want to create a problem for myself if it’s not necessary.

Thanks for the feedback!

Hello, today I swore in at my recruiter’s office after signing a couple more forms. I went to MEPS in early February, got my waiver for my knee a couple weeks ago, and am officially in the DEP. I made a job list about a month prior to MEPS in January, but aside from that, nothing. When I was at the office today, I had no indication of my job or ship date, which I’m sure is common, but it just leads me to ask: how is my job determined from here? Is there anything else to it, or when will I know?

I’m leaving soon and I really want to take my laptop with me. I don’t have anyone to ship it for me in the state I’m currently residing in. My recruiter told me that I can’t and that it’s a very bad idea. The thing is, my laptop is expensive af and I’m scared to ship it to my friend’s house. I know that it can get damaged in BMT, but I would rather have it damaged than stolen. or i’m risking being smoked for that and draw unnecessary attention?

Otw to my tech school as I write this! Drop questions while my mind is fresh.

im graduated apirl 8-9 from the 322nd tsq, omw to Sheppard now