[Xanthos]

Gentry, you'll be fine. Just whatever happens, if its what you want, don't give up on it.

I've been trying to get into the Army for 33 months now. I started the initial enlistment process in October of 2006 and finally made it through MEPS on 07MAR2007 because the CMO passed me even though I was underweight. He thought I would do fine at basic and that I would put on some weight there for sure.

Well, because my initial ship date for basic wasn't until 02JAN2008 (I received ammended orders in December for 04JAN) by the time I got back to MEPS, there was a new CMO. He disagreed with the other CMO, and failed me on the inspection (I had gained weight since I had enlisted, but not enough to be fully in weight standards. I was 107 when I enlisted, 114 when I went to ship, and my minimum is 120).

Spent 10 months fighting with my body to gain weight and finally passed a weigh in at the october drill. The SGTs were supposed to start looking for a ship date for me at that point (and SGT Brooks, the SGT in charge of getting the ship dates, even said she put in the request. She gave me some cock-and-bull story about there being no empty seats for my AIT and that she was waiting for one to open. I offered to change my MOS). I badgered them about it about once a week from then until february, when I got a call from 1SG Templin, my company 1SG, who told me that he had found out that (and he didn't give a reason) my ship date request had never even been submitted. At that point, we had 13 days until my 24 months TIS and mandatory discharge. He and MAJ Reid did everything they could, but they couldn't find me a slot on that short notice. I signed my discharge paperwork a few days later.

I'm now officially classified as RE3 - "Individuals who are not qualified for continued Army service, but the disqualification is waiverable. Ineligible for enlistment unless a waiver is granted."

So now not only am I having to fight with my weight trying to get back in, but I'm having to fight against that as well.

But, its what I want to do - I want to do career national guard. Have since Katrina hit.
- X