So this post is a bit behind on the "updating" part, but I'll catch you all up. So we're passed the point where I told my parents, talked to the counsler and practically set a date to talk to a recruiter. That was last Sunday and Monday. Now skip to Tuesday.
I'm in 3rd period guidance again and getting ready to leave to finish an art project and ask Mrs. Boder (the secretary) if she had heard back yet from the recruiter she had said she would e-mail. I didn't even think she'd have a response yet! Or at least not a very final one.
Then she tells me something along the lines of (I can't remember exactly), "Well he said he'd come in and talk to you but he's teaching a class and might not be able to so I don't know whats going on."
Me: "Uh.. You mean TODAY?" "Yes."
Well alrighty then. But you know what, I wasn't even that shocked. My first thoughts were "I knew this was gonna happen and I should have brought my notebook with questions in!" Seriously. So Mrs. Boder says she guessed since he had yet to come in he probably wouldn't until later in the week. So that was that and I left to finish my art project.
Then one of the people that works in there with me that period (her name is Samantha, too, actually) comes to the class and says they are here to talk to me and I need to come back to the guidance office NOW. Ha... So I hurry up and scrub the glue off of my hands and shove my measly collage onto the drying rack and head back with her to the office while telling her all about my goals for a military life.
We get there, I meet with SGT. Wagner from active duty and another SGT. from reserves (I can't remember his name... whoops) and we talked for maybe 15 minutes or so. It wasn't anything big just a general meeting and some questions and what I was looking for type of thing. But, especially because I'm only 17, we couldn't do anything further until my parents met with me and SGT. Wagner and we basically had the same meeting I had just had but longer and with my parents allowed to be involved. So SGT. Wagner tells me to talk to my parents and call that day to set up a time that was good for us.
So my dad called that night and set the appt. for Friday (last Friday, the 23rd, remember this all happened on Tuesday the 27th). Also, at the meeting, my club I've been doing at school got mentioned and they were very interested in it and talked about how they'd been wanting to do Army clubs in schools and here I am already doing it! Score for me.
And the SGT. from the reserves was all "what if someone came to your meeting and talked to you about what it does mean to have that support" and all and of course I said that'd be awesome! Then they wanted to come to our next meeting- which was the next day on Wed! I was ecstatic and so excited.
So then Wednesday comes and the meeting was crazy and there were plenty of problems but to keep this very long story slightly shorter it comes down to this- it was awesome, and they (the Army via SGT. Wagner and SGT. Christophel who came with SGT. Wagner) want to be really involved and help our club out in any way possible- keep coming to the meetings, giving us cool stuff to show our support (like shirts, hats, wristbands, etc.) and the students, particularly one girl whose mother is in the military, surprised me with their want to get involved too! It was just plain amazing and I was extremely happy. Also note- again 3rd period guidance roles around that morning and right at the end a SGT. walked in and I wasn't really paying attention but I caught a few words of his conversation with Mrs. Boder and realized they were talking about, guess who, me! So I walk over and come to find out SGT. Castle (the guy who had come in) is my ACTUAL recruiter, not SGT. Wagner. He was who was teaching a class and SGT. Wagner was just filling in for him. He was who I'd meet with my parents.
So Thursday goes by and nothing happens but waiting and Friday comes and after I get out of school my parents pick me up and we head over to the recruiting office to meet with SGT. Castle/Wagner/Christophel (they work as a team and all help out. I kinda have 3 recruiters lol!). So we talk for about an hour and a half, mostly with SGT. Wagner because SGt. Castle was doing stuff although he was right there (it was just like an open rectangular room when you walked in with their desks and a fourth empty one and they were all sitting right there and randomly commenting in lol. I loved it). So we answer some more questions and SGT. Wagner talks a lot to my parents and trys to give them that.. expert advice they needed to hear to calm them down about the whole thing.
And towards the end I was like... "So if I said I was sure right now and didn't want more time to consider this, when could I take the ASVAB?" And so we set it up for the following Wed. (yesterday, the 28th). So I study a bit and have moments of "I'll do great" (few of those lol) and plenty of "OHMYGOD I'M GOING TO FAIL EVEN THOUGH THATS IMPOSSIBLE!" But I took it and guess what... I did great!
My AFQT score is a 77. That is the score made up of the four main subjects (word knowledge, arithmatic reasoning, mathmatics knowledge, and paragraph comprehension) that is added up in some way I don't know to get the 77. This test isn't "out of something." There is no pass or fail and you aren't marked off for getting things wrong. It isn't a knowledge test- memorizing things- it is a skills test- what you can do. As I've said a hundred times already while explaining all of this. So that 77 means I'm in the 77th percentile. I scored better than 77% of people who have taken the test!
This score is what determines whether or not you may enlist in the military at all. You have to get at least a score of 31 and once you get towards 50 is when job options start opening up (as your scores determine what job catergories you qualify for and therefore the MOS, or job, you will sign for). From what I found online a while back I had to score a 95 in two different job catergories to get the job I want, which is Combat Documentation/Production Specialist, and my lowest job cat. score was like.. 104 and in neither of those anyway. So I qualify, I just have to get lucky from here on out. Its a hard job to find openings for.
From this point on I have to wait on SGT. Castle to make some phone calls and do some paperwork, and then we can meet again and go over my job options and set a date for my physical. After that... its signing papers!
I'm really excited and cannot wait. :)
I thought the test was the hardest part until I shipped out, but really, figuirng out all the details of my contract is going to worry me. I don't want to get jipped, ya know? Which I know SGT. Castle wouldn't let happen to me (or SGT. Chistophel and SGT. Wagner for that matter I'd guess) but still, it is worrying. Its a big decision and I don't want to screw anything up!
Also, that physical... eesh. I'm looking forward to that! Oh wait... no... I'm not. Tons of paper work and questions, lots and lots and LOTS of waiting around, tests, and invasion of privacy. Gotta love it.
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