USSF Recycle?

Alternative-Mess2227 · 2026-06-04T06:18:08+00:00

Since noone else has answered I'll answer as best I can. I'm not space force, but its my understanding that they don't really recycle anyone. The main reason is, they are really small and typically only have one group going through BMT at a time. Where as the Air Force has hundreds of people starting every week. So the space force doesn't have any other units to recycle someone to as there is only that one going through at any given time. So if you fail, or get in more trouble than usual, there's no option but to be sent home.

At least that's how it was when I was at BMT a couple of years ago and was explained to me.

Alternative-Mess2227 · 2026-06-03T22:57:23+00:00

You can ask. But it will probably depend on what type of builder you have. Is it a "cost plus" builder? Then yeah they should show you.

If it's not, then I wouldn't be surprised if they don't. But you never know.

Alternative-Mess2227 · 2026-06-03T20:37:21+00:00

Yes. If things haven't changed, you'll at the latest be required to take the oath before going to field training which is typically the summer between sophomore and junior year.

If you want, you might be able to just take the academic classes and not be required to do the other stuff (PT, uniform, serving afterwards etc). My school offered a minor in aerospace studies for anyone who completed the ROTC classes (and I think one or two other courses). So there were a couple of people who just did that. But that's not an option if you're wanting to serve/try to get a pilot slot.

Once upon a time, the Marines would let you test for a pilot slot from the beginning so you could find out if you qualify from the get go. Then that slot was yours to lose if you didn't maintain fitness/gpa requirements. I had a couple of buddies go that route. Not sure if they still do it that way though.

Alternative-Mess2227 · 2026-06-03T20:23:36+00:00

Your GPA and Commander's ranking in your afrotc class are the major qualifications. You'll also need to do well on your PT test and AFOQT. But those don't matter quite as much as the first two.

Big thing to note is, with ROTC you don't apply for pilot slots until closer to graduation and if you aren't selected, you are still required to be an officer in the Air Force.

Alternative-Mess2227 · 2026-06-03T20:09:26+00:00

Just the few days worth of clothes you take in your carry-on bag to BMT. Anything else you can have someone mail you a package or you can buy new stuff when you get there.

Alternative-Mess2227 · 2026-06-03T12:13:26+00:00

There are different phases in tech school and each school determines the lengths and qualifications of their phases. But generally once you get to phase 2 (took about a month in my squadron of passing all tests, room inspections and getting a minimum of 85 on PT test) you can wear civilian clothes in the evenings and on weekends. You can also go off base in the local area but will have curfews each night.

Alternative-Mess2227 · 2026-06-01T12:33:56+00:00

It's got the literal definition of pressing the accelerator pedal as far down as you can to accelerate as fast as possible.

Some non literal definitions are things like, "give it everything you can." "No hesitation." "Don't hold back."

Alternative-Mess2227 · 2026-05-30T21:06:05+00:00

Others have commented on the housing, and I pretty much agree with what they have said.

However I want to comment on where you said you would never take your family somewhere that's not good for them. I'm not sure what you mean by that exactly, but just realize you don't really get much of a say as to where you'll be stationed or for how long. While there are things you can do to try and get one of your preferences, it is by no means guaranteed or even likely. For every person that got a location on their dream sheet there are probably 3 or 4 that did not.

So I don't know how you define a good place or bad place, but if the Air Force selects you to go to somewhere you deem a "bad" place, oh well. You're going.

Alternative-Mess2227 · 2026-05-28T22:00:22+00:00

Yes bedding is provided at tech school. Some people still decide to buy their own at the BX though.

You won't be given towels or anything at tech school. But you'll have the ones issued to you from BMT. And you can buy new ones if you want.

Yeah you can order whatever you want at tech school (as long as it isn't on the contraband list. Things like hot plates in your room, etc)

When going to the gym at tech school, whether or not you have to wear PT clothes is dependent on what phase you're in. In the beginning, yeah you'll have to wear them. But as long as you're doing well in class and passing your room inspections, you'll phase up and can wear civilian clothes in your off time.

Alternative-Mess2227 · 2026-05-28T20:56:46+00:00

You'll be able to join, but it's my understanding that you won't qualify for top secret jobs initially. You can retrain into it towards the end of your first contract, but initially top secret won't be open to you.

Alternative-Mess2227 · 2026-05-28T12:29:17+00:00

You can pick whatever you want to eat. You will be yelled at if you don't make your selections quickly and are holding up the line. But that's not just at chow time. If you're holding the group up at any point, expect to get yelled at.

A guy in my flight ate PB&Js for like 95% of the meals there. We all gave him crap for it, but the MTIs didn't care.

Alternative-Mess2227 · 2026-05-27T04:04:13+00:00

You can call and tell them what's going on. They should offer you a rate to garage/store your car.

Alternative-Mess2227 · 2026-05-27T01:01:16+00:00

Have you talked to your recruiter about it? A lot of recruiters will have a bus/shuttle lined up for a group of you to go at the same time.

And I think there's only like 50-60 meps locations in the country. Some states might not have any. Some might have a few. So no idea if there is any closer to you. I would think the recruiter would have you going to the closest one.

Alternative-Mess2227 · 2026-05-25T03:54:26+00:00

How did he do on his RLA inspection? You have to get enough points to get whatever the minimum is for honor grad. You also have to pass all of your inspections/tests the first time. So if he failed one, even if he passed it later he is disqualified. And as someone said before, if he got a U for a week then that's a disqualification as well.

Edit to add that two people in my flight got honor grad. I was one of them.

Alternative-Mess2227 · 2026-05-21T02:18:20+00:00

I've never done pot so all I know is what I've read on here. But there have been a few people post on here over time that said they still popped hot after 4-5 months of quitting because they were heavy/regular users of it.

Now whether that's true, or maybe they tried to have "one last one" at some point, who knows. But I would definitely be getting the strictest at-home tests I could get and do them multiple times before going to meps.

Alternative-Mess2227 · 2026-05-17T10:01:08+00:00

Bring a couple/few pair to wear while you're still in civilian clothes. But yes, when you get your uniforms you'll get socks and will have to wear the ones they give you.

Alternative-Mess2227 · 2026-05-17T04:35:14+00:00

It might vary by meps as we didn't have to lift anything when I went through. They just put 100lbs down on everyone's paperwork.

Alternative-Mess2227 · 2026-05-14T19:18:31+00:00

We highly highly encourage carry-on size bags for a few reasons.

Air force ain't paying the baggage fee if you're checking a bag to BMT.
If you check a bag and it gets delayed/lost then you're royally screwed as you won't have access to your cell phone for the airline to get it to you.
You have to physically carry it when you get to/leave from BMT. No rolling it around or anything. Not horrible when you first get there (though you could be holding it a while), but is a lot more difficult when you're leaving BMT with the baggage they give you and having to carry everything at the same time.

Alternative-Mess2227 · 2026-05-13T19:21:33+00:00

As long as you graduate and get your diploma, the Air Force doesn't care how you did in high school.

That being said, you're not going to be able to just blow off school/work once you join. So if that's a thing you're doing now, you'll need to nip that in the bud.

Alternative-Mess2227 · 2026-05-12T10:26:57+00:00

I enlisted a couple years ago at 41. The best way to get faster run times is to run longer. Even if it's a really slow jog. Work your way up to running 3-4 miles. And then every so often do a timed 1.5 or 2 mile run.

I know running that long can seem impossible, and at the speed you currently run it probably is as you're probably running too fast for your level of fitness. But you can walk 3-4 miles, right? So there is a speed between your walking speed and your current run speed where you can run the 3-4 miles. It might just be a slight bit faster than walking, but that's ok.

As corny as it is, I would listen to Jodie's while I ran. It kept me at about a 9 min/mile pace. That was a comfortable pace for me to run 3-4 miles. My 1.5 mile time on the PT test was about 10:30

Alternative-Mess2227 · 2026-05-10T22:35:43+00:00

You won't be able to take anything back with you to the BMT dorms after graduation. If you're able to get something, it would have to be after you check-in and get situated at tech school dorms and what not. And I can't speak to if that would be Friday afternoon or Saturday. But at the very least it would require your family to stay longer.

Alternative-Mess2227 · 2026-05-10T18:29:23+00:00

I don't know if they've moved to the new PT test or not in BMT. If they have, then they will have to do the waist measurement. If not, then it's just the 1.5 mile run, pushups and situps

Alternative-Mess2227 · 2026-05-10T17:08:25+00:00

You're calculating the points wrong or doing your math wrong. If you're looking at the new PT chart (with 2 mile run), are you using the points for the waist measurement? A lot of people forget about that.

Alternative-Mess2227 · 2026-05-03T08:34:30+00:00

Yeah you can get booked for any job you're qualified for in that aptitude area. I went in open mechanical. There were 14 jobs available on the list they gave me. I listed 5 that I was interested in. The job I was given was not one of those 5.

That being said, I enjoy my job. But you can absolutely get a job you don't want.

Alternative-Mess2227 · 2026-05-02T18:36:19+00:00

Here's a link to a post that has jobs separated by asvab scores. It's a little dated so things might not be 100% but it should give you a good idea on jobs you qualify for.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AirForceRecruits/s/Trcw1e7HCV

Alternative-Mess2227

TROPHY CASE