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Will one visit to MEPS cover all Services?

Lore

We should work on your sense of humor, brother.
I have done a good bit of searching and have not yet found a clear answer on this, so any qualified opinion would be welcome:

Does one trip to MEPS cover, or suffice for, the requirements of all Services?

My situation: I am currently forming an application for Navy OCS for SNA/SNFO. I have progressed to the point that I am being scheduled for MEPS... HOWEVER, some things have come to light recently that make me believe that OCS (more specifically the Navy) will not be my ultimate course of action. Probably 97% sure about that.

I still want to fly, so instead I am very seriously pursuing my local Air National Guard fighter wing for a pilot slot. Competition is much greater than for OCS, but all in all, it will probably be the better decision for my family. I will still need to go to MEPS for the ANG, so I figure that I might as well just do it now and get it over with. I have not yet begun a process with the local ANG recruiter, though I have spoken with them and it is my impression that you do not necessarily go through a recruiter for a pilot slot... much of the application is put together by oneself.

When I go to MEPS, I will be classified as an Officer Candidate(?) for the Navy, but will that designation have any effect on this same MEPS visit covering the required visit for the ANG? Should I tell anyone in particular that I will be applying for a Guard (officer) slot also? Or when it comes time to go to MEPS for the Guard, I can just tell them I already went, they can look up my results and everything will be good?

Many thanks for the help here.
 

VoodooNova

Well-Known Member
None
I believe they can ask for the medical information from the Navy from your MEPS trip. The Marine OSO was able to use my MEPS physical when I started the process for Marine OCS, but I'm not sure if that was because of their connection to the Navy or if all services can do the same thing.
 

Lore

We should work on your sense of humor, brother.
Thank you. Appreciate your insight. I figured it was sort of "public info" within the armed forces, but I didn't know if there were specific paperwork designations that needed to be considered.
 

LFDtoUSMC

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
This was just my experience, as with everything YMMV. And I hope it does.

In my case, one service did not want to give the file to the other service at a different MEPS branch. It took about 5 months of calling the recruiters office and hearing, "Nope, no word yet. Call back next week." and I began to get take matters into my own hands. Another 1.5 months and numerous phone calls later between the two different service liaisons at two separate MEPS branches, one Navy Chief finally listened to what the problem actually was and helped me out big time and got the ball rolling. He said something along the lines of, "Well that's just f*****g stupid. Hold on." He came back about 5 minutes later, got a few more details and about 1 week later the record magically appeared where it was needed. I was asked a few times along the way how I got phone numbers for certain offices because they had never had an applicant call and the line was supposedly secure (though I don't buy that).

Good luck with whichever path you choose.
 

Lore

We should work on your sense of humor, brother.
Thanks a lot for your experience. The least I can do with that is to be aware and know that it can happen. That is helpful.

I did call the local ANG recruiter today and posed this question. The response I got from her was that there were no differences in requirements or paperwork from going to MEPS for a Navy Officer or a Guard Officer, so all the Guard would do is call over to obtain my record. Hopefully it goes as smoothly as that.
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
This was just my experience, as with everything YMMV. And I hope it does.

In my case, one service did not want to give the file to the other service at a different MEPS branch. It took about 5 months of calling the recruiters office and hearing, "Nope, no word yet. Call back next week." and I began to get take matters into my own hands. Another 1.5 months and numerous phone calls later between the two different service liaisons at two separate MEPS branches, one Navy Chief finally listened to what the problem actually was and helped me out big time and got the ball rolling. He said something along the lines of, "Well that's just f*****g stupid. Hold on." He came back about 5 minutes later, got a few more details and about 1 week later the record magically appeared where it was needed. I was asked a few times along the way how I got phone numbers for certain offices because they had never had an applicant call and the line was supposedly secure (though I don't buy that).

Good luck with whichever path you choose.

you were jerked around, one service does not "give" it to another it is pulled, once a signed request (by the applicant) is given to MEPS the record is released and the service that did have it no longer has a right to have it without a new 680, what I have seen a few times is a recruiter has the 680 that is signed with a blank date, then when he or she gets word that another service has requested the record they put that days date on the form and send it in since the most current 680 takes precedent. We caught an Army recruiter doing this, not sure what happened to him.
 

mickistopheles

Active Member
I applied for the Air Force as well and only had to go to MEPS once. My OR just had to file a request. It ended up taking a little more effort than that, but we got it without too much trouble.
 

Lore

We should work on your sense of humor, brother.
you were jerked around, one service does not "give" it to another it is pulled, once a signed request (by the applicant) is given to MEPS the record is released and the service that did have it no longer has a right to have it without a new 680, what I have seen a few times is a recruiter has the 680 that is signed with a blank date, then when he or she gets word that another service has requested the record they put that days date on the form and send it in since the most current 680 takes precedent. We caught an Army recruiter doing this, not sure what happened to him.

So... it is not "public info" in the manner that I thought. Rather, my MEPS record will be in the care of the Navy, until it is requested by the ANG/AF, in which case it transfers to their custody.

The Army recruiter was holding the blank request form to block/supersede the request of any other service, thereby protecting his recruit for himself? Correct? It seems like this would generally be a problem more common among enlisted recruits as opposed to officer recruits, but I really have no experience to back that up. I guess it depends on each individual recruiter though.

It is highly unlikely based on my timetable that the ANG/AF will be requesting my file before I actually file my application for Navy OCS. However, I have not yet told my Navy OR that I am pursuing the ANG. I probably should, and will at some point, in the interest of full disclosure and so they are not surprised when they see a request for the MEPS record come across their desk. They seem to be pretty amicable people and should understand my situation if I explain it respectfully.
 
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exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
So... it is not "public info" in the manner that I thought. Rather, my MEPS record will be in the care of the Navy, until it is requested by the ANG/AF, in which case it transfers to their custody.

The Army recruiter was holding the blank request form to block/supersede the request of any other service, thereby protecting his recruit for himself? Correct? It seems like this would generally be a problem more common among enlisted recruits as opposed to officer recruits, but I really have no experience to back that up. I guess it depends on each individual recruiter though.

It is highly unlikely based on my timetable that the ANG/AF will be requesting my file before I actually file my application for Navy OCS. However, I have not yet told my Navy OR that I am pursuing the ANG. I probably should, and will at some point, in the interest of full disclosure and so they are not surprised when they see a request for the MEPS record come across their desk. They seem to be pretty amicable people and should understand my situation if I explain it respectfully.

It is not public info, the physical belongs to MEPS and MEPS keeps a copy for 2 years whether a person joins or not. The record is "loaned out" to a service and if a person joins then a copy becomes part of his medical file for that service. In the case of the USN once you get a PQ letter we really don't deal with MEPS anymore.

not sure why the Army recruiter did that, maybe just to be a jerk, wouldn't be the first time.

see above, you will get a PQ letter from the USN before you apply, so then the USN won't need access to your MEPS file.
 

Lore

We should work on your sense of humor, brother.
In the case of the USN once you get a PQ letter we really don't deal with MEPS anymore
.... you will get a PQ letter from the USN before you apply, so then the USN won't need access to your MEPS file.

But the Navy/my OR is still made aware that another service is requesting my MEPS file, correct? Even after I get my PQ and my application is sent and the Navy theoretically doesn't care about it anymore.

I suppose the answer to that might not really matter, since I can't control any of it, but it just nice to know the process of these things.
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
But the Navy/my OR is still made aware that another service is requesting my MEPS file, correct? Even after I get my PQ and my application is sent and the Navy theoretically doesn't care about it anymore.

I suppose the answer to that might not really matter, since I can't control any of it, but it just nice to know the process of these things.

No they aren't, unless they currently have the file and MEPS comes to get it, but once you have the PQ no one cares.
 

navy2014

Member
I'm not sure if this changes what others have said about services requesting the files from MEPS / the loaning system, but the first thing that I did at MEPS was go to a classroom in a group to fill out lots of paperwork. The first form had a question about which services you're applying to--all 4 branches and national guard were options, I think. The only reason I remember this is because, for some reason, the Navy and the Air Force were pre-checked on mine, so I had to go out and get mine fixed to make it Navy-only.

Again, not sure if checking all your possible options would change anything for you, but it seemed relevant.
 

Lore

We should work on your sense of humor, brother.
Again, not sure if checking all your possible options would change anything for you, but it seemed relevant.

I am not sure about that either, but thanks for letting me know. While it is tempting to check the Guard too, I will probably just keep everything Navy related, since I was told that a visit under the Navy will get me everything I need for the Guard too. Don't want to cause any unnecessary problems while I am there.
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
I'm not sure if this changes what others have said about services requesting the files from MEPS / the loaning system, but the first thing that I did at MEPS was go to a classroom in a group to fill out lots of paperwork. The first form had a question about which services you're applying to--all 4 branches and national guard were options, I think. The only reason I remember this is because, for some reason, the Navy and the Air Force were pre-checked on mine, so I had to go out and get mine fixed to make it Navy-only.

Again, not sure if checking all your possible options would change anything for you, but it seemed relevant.

The boxes are there to be check for the service you are processing for (who signed you up for MEPS)
 
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