The Process of Joining the Air Force

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There are many men and women who dream of joining the Air Force and other branches of the military. Needless to say, it takes strong individuals—both mentally and physically—to server their country as members of the military. Because of this, candidates who wish to be a part of the Air Force have to meet several requirements and be able to demonstrate his or her ability to serve.

During the selection process for new airmen, the higher ups take many things into consideration and require prospective airmen to go through a recruitment process which is comprised of the following steps:

1. Meet with a Recruiter. During the selection process, the military has the right to reject you at any point. The first and foremost aspect of the selection process is a meeting with a recruiter, who has the authority to deem you fit or unfit to move forward in the process. If you want to make a good impression, try making a list of the jobs you are interested in within the Air Force prior to the meeting. Also, make sure that you bring all the required paperwork.

2. Pass Medical Qualification. After the meeting with the recruiter, you will be required to go through a complete medical examination, for which you would head to the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS). Make sure that you disclose everything regarding your medical history, as you can be terminated from the enlistment process if you are later found to have been dishonest.

3. Take Mental Ability Test. During the MEPS visit, you will also be required to undergo a mental aptitude test, which would enable the military to record your mental suitability and aptitude. To better prepare, be sure to study for the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), which ranks your ability for specific jobs in the Air Force.

4. Undergo Criminal Background Check. It is vital for you to disclose any criminal history or traffic infractions that you have received, once you’re in the MEPS. They will check your criminal background in a very thorough manner, so make sure that you avoid any sort of trouble if you want to join the Air Force.

5. Choose a Job. Once you have passed all of these steps, you will then be able to pick a job from the list provided by the Air force. The Air force is quite picky when it comes to job selection because of the low level of job vacancies. Because of this, you may want to keep an open mind and select a job that you feel will be the best fit for you.

6. Take Physical Fitness Test. It is mandatory that each candidate takes a physical fitness test before training begins. Start preparing and training for the fitness test beforehand so as to keep yourself in a fit condition even before you head off to meet the recruiter. This means maintaining a healthy weight and diet, running, and lifting. The basic training program is similar to the program found in The Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook.