Military exams (MEPS)

Anyone in the military? How was you MEPS experience? I’ve recently heard different account depending on which MEPS facility they went to as to whether everything was done as a group(the physical exam and agility testing) or as an individual.

I have a friend who used to be in the Marines. You can tell it too. It's like she answers in third party or something. She refers to herself as this girl, or this Marine. She was in for four years. She works at the Highschool as a teachers aide.

We used to see each other sometimes on the playground because all three schools share the same playground. I thought I would clarify that. Well, some people may think the playground is a bar or something. I am a school nurse. Anyway, she was always friendly. I found out that she had been in the Marines because the recruiters were at the high school high school one day. She was telling me how she knew the recruiter who got her to sign up. She started telling me how hot he is.

Then she asked me if I wanted to hang out some day after work and get a drink or eat like at Chuy's. I was like sure and she said tonight? I was like okay. So we went to Chuy's. After a few drinks, I learned that she had been married before and it ended badly. She was really slamming him. Then she told me that she had thought about dating women. I told her that is what I did. Then I put 2+2 together and she was hitting on me. Anyway, we came back to my place and she stayed Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I asked her about what she had to go through to get in the Marines. She told me about the test and being weighed and having to do a physical fitness test every week.

I asked her about the physical to get in the Marines. She told me that the physical is all done in one day for all of the services. The women are in one big room and there are women nurses or whatever in there. They look over your body and you are in panties and bra. They ask you all sorts of questions and have you fill out papers. They take your blood pressure, temp, pulse/ox, check your eyes, do a hearing teat, make you squat and walk like a duck. That sounded funny but she said it was true. Just the thought of a bunch of women squatting and walking around like ducks had me laughing. She said you had all these stations to go to. One of them you had to wait on a bench outside a room. Then you would go in and hand them your papers. They would have you take your bra and panties off and get on a table.

She said the doctor was a creepy old guy. He did a breast exam then looked between her legs, put his fingers in her vagina and felt. Then the woman who was in there with him handed you tissues to wipe with and get dressed and go out. I asked about pap smears and no speculums and she said not until you get to your first duty station.

Okay I am really showing my age here, but waaaaaay back in the day MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) was Armed Forces Examining and Entrance Station (AFEES) .

So here’s what I recall from my Pre Induction Physical. We left town on a charter bus at 'O dark thirty'. The bus stopped about half way there for us to have breakfast paid by Uncle Sam. We arrived and got off the bus in front of the huge government office building where the AFEES took up the whole second floor. We were sent to a classroom where roll was called and we were directed to fill out a couple of forms and given a briefing on what was about to happen.

We were each given a stretchy bracelet with a numbered locker key and then told to go find the locker with the number on the key, strip down to skivvies only and shoes but no socks and to follow the certain colored line on the floor to the first station. Remembering it was funny that one guy had on cowboy boots.

So there we were with a clipboard with our paperwork and wearing only our shoes and undies going through each station. I recall the first station we were given the pee cup with a lid and label to take into a very large bathroom with many divided urinals and give your specimen and place it in a lab window. Back then nobody watched you pee. Actually there were more men than urinals so several went into a toilet stall so no chance of peeking there. After that height and weight in four lines. Next station BP and vitals which was done in 4 lines each with a medic. After each station you were told to follow a certain colored line to the next one. The rectal exam was only a visual where we were standing in a circle facing outward and told to 'drop trou' and bend over till you were tapped on the shoulder. As we were all young men I could only presume they were looking for hemorrhoids. If they did any agility testing it was done in group. The vision check was individual. The hearing test was also individual and you were in an enclosed cubicle. The genital and hernia check was individual and you had to wait outside that station until called and there were two exam rooms across the hall from each other.

The doctor in mine was a much older man and I knew he was a civilian by his shirt and tie under his lab coat. As I remember he was white haired, tall and portly with his stethoscope's ear tubes around his neck as all doctors did back then. He had me sit on the exam table and looked in my ears, down my throat, felt my lymph glands, listened to my heart, neck, lungs, had me take several breaths; had me lie on my back and listened to my abdomen and palpated me. Then he had me step off the table and face him as he sat on a stool and lower my briefs. He VERY FIRMLY rolled each testicle and squeezed hard enough to send a wave through my stomach. After he did the 'turn your head and cough' he pushed his finger hard way up into me and told me to bear down hard. That was the first time a doctor had ever examined my inguinal canals. At the last station you turned in your clipboard and picked up another colored line which took you back to the lockers to get dressed. As I recall no blood samples were taken.

We were each given a voucher for lunch in the cafeteria on the first floor. After lunch another briefing and we were dismissed to our lockers to get our coats and turn in the key; and then back to the charter bus for the ride back home. Not everybody went home tho. Some that were actually already drafted stayed and would spend the night there in a dorm and head out for basic training the next morning. As it turned out one of the guys with me who had been drafted flunked the physical and surprised his mom when my mom and I took him home from the bus depot.

Many years later I worked for an airline and chanced to work in the SATO office in that same government building where I left for basic training from which was then called MEPS. FYI the acronym SATO (Scheduled Airlines Traffic Office) was actually JAMTO waaaaaay back when I went in the Armed Forces (JAMTO - Joint Airline Military Traffic Office).

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Had the genital exam by 4 different medics then had to go to the second in charge physician for another that was very involved and spent a very long time feeling and searching my balls

After seeing the second in command physician, and him doing a very complete testicular examination he said go to the ear examination station, and I will be seeing you again. Went and did the hearing test, then sent for blood and urine test, then told to wait outside room 100. Guy came out of the room, said good luck, the doctor was the same one who was the second in command for that facility again, he took the clipboard with the physical form on it, looked at it, said stand and completely remove your briefs and stand here with your legs spread as wide as possible, spent a very long time feeling and searching my balls, said definitely quite concerned with what I'm feeling, have you had a testicular examination before? Said not since I was maybe 10. He said I'm gonna have you finish the last 2 stations and note to send you back to me.

Gonna try to finish this without my phone freezing up.

Went to the second to last station which was vision screening, then went to the dental screening, where the medic said to go to lunch and after lunch I need to go to room 100 again. Heard him say that to the guy I saw coming out of that room as well.

Had lunch sitting with him and he said guess he found something with you too huh? I said yeah he seems quite concerned. We finished the lunch which was basically a sandwich and drink. We both went back to room 100 and sat in the chairs outside, already was one other guy there so we took seats and waited. He went in and about 5 minutes later came out said thank God everything finished and I can go meet with my counselor to pick available positions. The guy I ate with went into the room, was in with the doctor for at least 15-20 minutes and heard the doctor say to go to room 102 and wait to be seen there and depending on what he determines you will either be finished and be going home with instructions to see your own physician and get a waiver or see the career counselor.

Room 102 had several guys sitting outside so he sat back in the chair and said good luck when I went in. Doctor looked at the report and said to me take off your briefs and stand in front of me, again examined and searched and was really squeezing my balls and said better get you on the table, write many notes, came and repeated his examination even longer, said one more thing stand and he held my balls while having me bend at the waist, then said let's have you squat, did that several times, he said put your briefs on, you need to wait by door 102, and be examined by that doctor and see what he says, I really think you need much further evaluation and will need to apply for a waiver but it is up to him. Spent quite a while writing notes then handed me the clipboard and said wait by 102.

Went to MEPS in 2003 in Knoxville, they had two doctors both ancient. A lot of stuff was done at stations, during the briefing we all took a breathalyzer, then the men and women were split into two groups. We were further split into two groups. My group did a vision test were we leaned into what looked like a microscope and I flat out couldn't see one of the vision charts without my glasses, next was a blood sample, then hearing test. After that all the men went into a large room where we stripped down to our underwear. For some reason they chose this moment to take our pulse and blood pressure.

After that we did movement exercises while the two doctors watched. At one point we spread our legs, bent over, and touched the floor. Next thing I feel is a hand going down my back (specifically over my spine. Once that's done we went back to the bench and we were called in one at a time to the doctor's office. Bear in mind I'm still in my underwear and being questioned over a few things. He then has me get on the exam table where he listened to my heart and lungs. He then had me lay down on my back with my feet flat while he listened to my bowel and then felt around it.

Next he had me get up and take my underwear off. I did the ol' turn your head and cough and then he had me turn around. He spread my cheeks and looked at my butt very closely. After that I got dressed and went back out.

Went to room 102, had a seat outside the door and waited. After about 25 minutes the guy I went to lunch with came out, said I'll wait here for you and see what we have to do next.

Doctor took my clipboard with the notes on it and went into the room, came out a few minutes later and asked me to come in the room. Had me squat several times while still wearing my briefs, he said take your briefs off completely and repeat that, then came to me and held my balls had me squat a few more times and said lay back on the table, very abnormal and have to determine what is going on

Laid on the table, he came and felt my balls, said spread your legs for me, spent a really long time feeling and probing, let's try another position, put my legs in stirrups and spent much longer searching, feeling, squeezing and probing my balls and scrotum, said I absolutely need to do a rectal examination on you with the abnormal findings so far. Felt around inside for what seemed like forever, then said put your briefs on and sit outside to the left of the door, need to review and determine the next step. Must have been with him for about 35 minutes

Went and sat in the chair to the left of the door, the guy that went in before me was in one of the chairs there as well, there were 3 guys on the right side of the door waiting to go in and see this doctor, one went in, came out with his clipboard and went somewhere else, then the doctor came out called the guy who was sitting next to me in, heard him asking a bunch of questions, heard him ask if he had a personal doctor and heard him say no, asked him a few other questions and he came out and sat back next to me.

Doctor had the next guy on the right go in, he came out with his clipboard and went on his way, then had me go in the room again, doctor asked a bunch of the same questions he asked the other guy, looked at my clipboard, said let me see something, drop your shoes and squat, said come in front of me and squat again, had a concerned look on his face, put on a glove, held my balls said squat again, said go sit back where you were, I said something wrong? He said definitely there's several problems that need very extensive examination, immediately.

Pre induction physical, 1968 Ft Hamilton. Stripped to undies (one kid reamed by sarge for not wearing underwear) in locker room, shoes left on. Grouped by threes, pee test first, another sarge yelling in the bathroom not to use a stall. Carry pee in the hand not holding plastic bag with wallet to first station. Rotated through eye tests and questioning by chain smoking doctor (Those knees will keep you out he says to one guy in my group. Kid says he is enlisting, gets a pass ) Drop undies and bend over, quick glance (no touching) We don’t hear him say we can leave until all three of us are done. Get dressed. Told there is no way we could fail the written exam as we would be kept until we passed it.

He finished with the other 3 guys who were waiting for him, they all came out with their clipboards and continued, he had the guy who was waiting with me go in again, heard him say to him to take off his underwear and lay up on the table, spent a long time with him, told him to go wait where he was, then came and got me, said come stand in front of the table, grabbed my crotch thru my briefs said squat, said again, said take off your underwear and squat again, did that 3 more times, he said lay on the table, worked on me for quite awhile, said I'm very concerned, your genital examination is by far very abnormal. Go wait outside where you were and I'll see what the next steps are, really want you further evaluated before you leave because it is not good

Could hear the doctor talking to someone on the phone asking when they would be at the facility, saying I have two guys who need you to do a full genitalia examination.

Heard him say you'll be here tomorrow, ok then. He came out and had the other guy go in with him, heard him saying that based on his examination and the other findings he needs to have the facility urologist completely examine him to even be able to consider the waiver process, and to want where he was and then be taken to the hotel to return for further examination tomorrow morning. He came and sat down and said looks like I have to stay at hotel again and finish tomorrow hopefully.

Doctor came out asked me to come in, said come stand by me and drop your shirts, I'm very concerned about what I'm feeling, felt my balls again, said gonna have you seen by the faculty urologist tomorrow and then hopefully can determine what needs to happen for you to be able to get a waiver, I can't say if you will get one or not but you definitely need to be examined much further, likely ultrasound of the testicles and prostate at the least. Especially the left testicle

We both were picked up by our recruiter, funny thing is it was the same one. Was told we would be sharing the room together if that is ok, we both said that's fine, given a voucher for dinner and breakfast at the hotel, was told we would be picked up and taken back to the facility for further medical evaluation and hopefully either get a waiver or need to be evaluated by your own physician if you have one or we will have to find one and then return if a waiver is possible. Being in the hotel room he asked if the examination made me horny, said very much so, he said me to always had a medical fetish, so the evening and night was quite enjoyable, then went back to the facility in the morning