Posted on Sep 25, 2017
Capt Brandon Charters
32.9K
319
119
23
23
0
Cde34d17
I know we all entered MEPS before we really knew what the military life was going to be like. What is your MEPS story?
Posted in these groups: Tumblr static tumblr mtb09amgp11s0247uo1 1280 Military Life1024px smiley.svg Humor
Avatar feed
Responses: 65
MSgt Marshall Schiller
25
25
0
September, 1969, and I was enlisting in the Marine Corps. The Army Staff Sergeant who was telling everyone how to fill out their paper work made this announcement:
"Listen up! The Marines are taking draftees this month. How do we select those going to the Marine Corps? Mess up anything on this paperwork, and you'd better start learning the words to the Marine Corps Hymn!"
(25)
Comment
(0)
SGT Mark Halmrast
SGT Mark Halmrast
>1 y
Can see it
(0)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
MSG Preventive Medicine Specialist
15
15
0
On my very first visit/physical for the Army, the doctor was clicking a flashlight on and off, he said to me "bend over and spread the cheeks."
(15)
Comment
(0)
MSG Preventive Medicine Specialist
MSG (Join to see)
>1 y
SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" - And that is actually what he said. Didn't even look at me as he said it. Just sat at his desk clicking the flashlight
(1)
Reply
(0)
MSG John Wawroski
MSG John Wawroski
>1 y
A group of us were standing side by side in T shirts and underwear. Doc said "drop your drawers and spread your cheeks' remembered to this day
(2)
Reply
(0)
SFC Joseph Weber
SFC Joseph Weber
>1 y
MSG John Wawroski - same thing happened. There were five of us all bent down together. We were nervously chuckleing and cutting our eyes back and forth to look at each other. Then a female nurse pushed aside one of the fold up barrier things, looked around the room, left. We all nearly collapsed with the giggles. Kansas City MEPS October 1983.
(2)
Reply
(0)
SR Curtis Barronton
SR Curtis Barronton
5 y
That's the only memory of meps that stuck
(1)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
CPT Lawrence Cable
14
14
0
My favorite memory was leaving MEPS. My second favorite memory was leaving the Reception Station at Ft Jackson.
(14)
Comment
(0)
CPT Lawrence Cable
CPT Lawrence Cable
>1 y
Of the humorous things, about the only thing that comes close is that is when the big 6'4" Gunnery Sergeant came in, handed us a sheet of paper and told us basically to confess all our sins and wrong doings. The kid next to me started writing furiously, I had to look since this guy looked like he just came from bible school. He was writing down that he took money from his mom's purse, had smoked pot five times , he had stolen a candy bar, etc. Being a service brat and have been around this a bit more, I asked him what the hell he was doing. I had to explain that they REALLY only wanted to know about stuff like have you been arrested, have you been kicked out of school for drug use, are you a habitual homosexual (before DADT). In other words, are there any official files on you because of some crap you have done in the past. If not, throw that piece of paper away.
If you had admitted to smoking pot at the time, it would have gotten you drug tested and sent home. I don't even think it was a disqualification if you flunked it, you just had to test clean before you shipped.
(0)
Reply
(0)
2LT Commissioned Officer Candidate
2LT (Join to see)
>1 y
MEPS was bad, but reception was a whole other monster. That’s where I learned how to fall asleep standing up.
(0)
Reply
(0)
SFC Vito Deiure
SFC Vito Deiure
5 y
One of my favorite times in my Military career was also leaving the 120 AG BN (Rec). You think you hated Reception, being there a total of 3-5 days. Try being there for 3 years. I was stationed at FT. J. and assigned there almost the entire time. We got the SAME EXACT Questions, from 30 (soon-to-be) Soldiers per platoon, from 3-6 (even more during the Summer Rush) Platoons per Day/ 5 Days a week. I can't even begin to tell you how many times a day, much less in the 3 years I was assigned there, I've been asked THE SAME EXACT QUESTIONS, OVER AND OVER AGAIN!!! IF BCT was tough, or hard, or scary, or do DS "beat us up", or do I have to do push ups/sit ups/ run or do the shots hurt or....... ARGHHHHH!!! BTW, I always answered YES.

Funny side note. I was there when we transitioned from the OLD HUGE GREEN ID Cards to the New CAC cards (I know that's redundant). On the back was a weird pattern looking bar-code looking thing. Now you old farts need to think back a little but you remember those wavy line posters where you cross your eyes and you'd see a 3-D picture of a lion or Eiffel Tower or whatever. Well when the Privates were constantly asking a million questions and I wanted them to shut up for a minute. I would tell them that the bar-code thingy was a way to verify if the ID was real or not. If they saw their name pop out in 3-D it was real. If not, then it was a fake or defective. I was an evil shit but it shut 'em up for up to and hour at a time. FUN TIMES!

But I did enjoy working there with my few Permanent Party counter parts
(0)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small

Join nearly 2 million former and current members of the US military, just like you.

close