How to Enlist in the Air Force

Enlisting in the Air Force takes longer than most people expect. From your first recruiter meeting to the day you ship to Basic Military Training, the process typically runs three to twelve months. Knowing each step before you start puts you in control.

Step 1: Contact a Recruiter

Your first official step is finding an Air Force recruiter. Use the recruiter finder on airforce.com to locate the office nearest you.

The recruiter’s job is to determine whether you qualify and which jobs you can realistically pursue. They’ll ask about:

• Age (17-39, with parental consent for minors)
• Citizenship (U.S. citizen or permanent resident)
• Education (high school diploma required; GED applicants need a minimum AFQT of 65)
• Prior legal history (some offenses are waiverable, others are not)
• Medical history

Be honest. Recruiter conversations are not binding, and any issue that surfaces at the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) will disqualify you regardless of what you discussed earlier.

Step 2: Take the ASVAB

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is your qualifying exam. The Air Force requires a minimum AFQT score of 36 for active duty enlistment. The AFQT is derived from four ASVAB subtests: Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematics Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, and Word Knowledge.

Your score does more than qualify you. It determines which career fields you can access. Air Force jobs use line score composites (MAGE, ELEC, MECH, ADMI, GEND) built from different combinations of ASVAB subtests. A 3D1X2 Cyber Systems Operations specialist, for example, requires a minimum ELEC composite of 70. A 4N0X1 Aerospace Medical Technician requires a GEND composite of 44.

Higher scores open more options. Preparing before you test is worth the time it takes.

The ASVAB is given at a MEPS location or at a recruiter-arranged testing site. You can take it before or after your MEPS visit, but most applicants test at MEPS on their first trip.

Step 3: MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station)

MEPS is where your eligibility is confirmed. The Air Force uses MEPS facilities across the country, and you’ll likely spend one to two days there. The physical examination is thorough.

What happens at MEPS:

• Full physical exam: vision, hearing, blood pressure, orthopedic evaluation, drug screening, blood work
• Review of medical history documentation
• ASVAB testing (if not already completed)
• Job selection and contract signing (if you pass)
• Oath of Enlistment (if you’re shipping immediately or entering the Delayed Entry Program)

The physical disqualifies more applicants than any other step. Common disqualifying conditions include flat feet, prior surgeries, certain prescription medication histories, and prior mental health treatment. Some conditions can be waived; others cannot. The Air Force Medical Standards are stricter than some other branches.

What to bring to MEPS:

• Valid government-issued photo ID (driver’s license, state ID, or passport)
• Social Security card (original, not a laminated copy)
• Certified birth certificate
• Medical records for any prior treatment, surgery, or prescription, including mental health treatment and hospitalization
• Eyeglasses or contacts and your corrective lens prescription
• High school diploma or college transcripts
• Court documentation for any prior arrests or charges, even dismissed ones

Do not bring electronics, excessive cash, or anything that cannot pass through security screening. MEPS facilities typically arrange lodging the night before your appointment, your recruiter will coordinate this. Arrive rested. The day is long.

The Oath of Enlistment

If you pass the MEPS physical and sign your enlistment contract, you will raise your right hand and take the Oath of Enlistment before a commissioned officer. The oath reads:

“I, [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”

Taking the oath is the moment you formally become a member of the United States Air Force. If you are entering the Delayed Entry Program, you take the oath at MEPS and then take it a second time when you ship to BMT. Both oaths are binding.

Step 4: Job Selection

If you pass MEPS, a guidance counselor will present available job openings. These are pulled from real-time vacancy listings across Air Force career fields.

You will not always get your first choice. Job availability depends on the Air Force’s current manning needs, your test scores, and your medical/security clearance eligibility. Some jobs require additional screening: a Single Scope Background Investigation for Top Secret clearance, a special access program background check, or a polygraph.

A few points to keep in mind:

• You can request specific jobs, but the counselor can only offer what’s open
• If your top choice isn’t available, ask about holding for a later ship date when that job may open
• Signing a contract commits you to a specific AFSC (Air Force Specialty Code), not just a general field
• Read your contract carefully before signing; the terms are binding

Your job assignment, ship date, and enlistment length will all be documented in your enlistment contract.

Step 5: The Delayed Entry Program (DEP)

Most new enlistees don’t ship to Basic Military Training immediately after MEPS. Instead, they enter the Delayed Entry Program (DEP), which holds your spot for up to 365 days while you wait for a training seat to open.

During DEP you are technically a member of the Inactive Ready Reserve and have limited obligations. Your recruiter will likely ask you to:

• Attend monthly DEP meetings or check-ins
• Stay physically fit and within the weight standards documented in your contract
• Maintain your enlistment eligibility (no new legal issues, no major medical changes, no significant weight gain)
• Notify your recruiter immediately if anything changes, new prescription medications, a new arrest or citation, a change in marital status, or a new financial obligation

What DEP is good for. The waiting period is an opportunity to prepare. Use it to run consistently, do push-ups and sit-ups daily, and arrive at BMT already conditioned. New recruits who show up physically prepared have a noticeably easier first two weeks than those who don’t. Your recruiter can tell you the exact fitness standards you’ll be tested on at BMT.

What can void your DEP contract. Gaining weight beyond your contract limit, incurring a new DUI or criminal charge, using illegal drugs, or disclosing a previously concealed medical condition can all trigger a contract review. The Air Force can release you from DEP if you no longer meet enlistment standards. You can also request a DEP discharge if you change your mind, though doing so may affect your ability to enlist in the future.

Ship date changes. If the AFSC you contracted for becomes unavailable before your ship date, your recruiter may offer you a different job. You are not obligated to accept a different AFSC, but your options become more limited the closer you are to your original ship date. Some recruits wait several additional months in DEP for a specific high-demand job to open. Whether that’s worth it depends on how strongly you want that particular career field.

Step 6: Basic Military Training

You ship to Basic Military Training (BMT) at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, TX. BMT runs 7.5 weeks.

Training is divided into three phases:

What you’ll do during BMT:

• Physical training every morning, including runs, calisthenics, and the Air Force Fitness Assessment
• Weapons qualification (M-4 carbine)
• Academic instruction on Air Force history, core values, and survival skills
• Field exercises including simulated deployment scenarios
• Inspections, drill, and ceremonial preparation

The Fitness Assessment consists of a 1.5-mile run, push-ups, sit-ups, and waist measurement, scored on a 100-point scale. You need a minimum composite of 75 to graduate, with minimums on each component.

Phones and personal electronics are prohibited for most of BMT. Mail is permitted. You’ll have limited access to a phone in the final weeks.

Graduation is a formal ceremony. Family members are encouraged to attend. After graduation, you receive a short leave period before reporting to Tech School.

Step 7: Technical School

After BMT, every enlisted airman attends technical training specific to their AFSC. Tech School duration varies widely:

• Short pipelines: Some administrative and support AFSCs train for 6-8 weeks
• Mid-length pipelines: Many maintenance and operations AFSCs run 12-20 weeks
• Long pipelines: Intelligence, cyber, and medical AFSCs can run 6-12 months or longer

Tech School is conducted at different installations depending on your AFSC:

• Medical careers: Fort Sam Houston, TX (on the JBSA complex)
• Cyber/intelligence: Keesler AFB, MS and Goodfellow AFB, TX
• Aircraft maintenance: Sheppard AFB, TX; Eglin AFB, FL; others
• Security Forces: JBSA-Lackland, TX

At Tech School, you live in dormitories and attend classes Monday through Friday. You earn increasing privileges as you progress through training phases, eventually gaining off-base liberty on weekends. Performance in Tech School matters: poor grades can delay graduation or result in retraining.

Upon completing Tech School, you receive your first permanent duty station assignment and report as a qualified airman in your career field.

This site is not affiliated with the U.S. Air Force or any government agency. Verify all information with official Air Force sources before making enlistment or career decisions.