In becoming a Soldier there are several steps it takes. Whether it be just in-processing or initial entry training there are multiple steps. Speaking as a Soldier myself, I have a great knowledge of what it takes to become a proud American Soldier. There are 5 initial steps to becoming a Soldier or even a trainee. The following steps are: taking the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), meet with a recruiter and establish a career choice before going to MEPS, pass the MEPS physical examination, take the oath of enlistment, report for basic combat training on your ship date. The final steps to becoming a soldier are completing basic combat training (BCT) and advanced individual training (AIT). These steps will all be further …show more content…
At MEPS you will be given an extremely strenuous physical examination. The MEPS exam consists of several exams. Your height and weight measurements will be taken these are extremely important because if you are overweight it could be harmful to your health, if you are overweight you will be given a tape test which measures the percentage of body weight. You will get your hearing and vision examined, if you wear glasses it is important to bring them with you on the day that you go to get your MEPS physical. There will be blood, alcohol, and drug tests given also, the blood tests are one of the most important test that MEPS administers because it can determine if someone is carrying HIV which is a very harmful disease and can infect others, if someone has this infection they will be terminated due to illness. Urine tests will be administered to everyone on the day of shipping to MEPS to see if they have any STD’s and to test for blood sugar and other things, for women urine tests are also used for pregnancy test. If a female is determined to be pregnant she can not ship to basic training until after having her baby. The last thing you will be asked to do on this day is to demonstrate several muscle and joint maneuvers to make sure that you have no bone deficiencies. Within the same day of going to MEPS and getting all of these tests at the end of the day you will take the oath of enlistment and officially become a future Soldier. You will also receive your contract. MEPS is the most crucial time in a future Soldiers enlistment