The paperchase

is a side of military life so godawful that lots of military folks don't even bother explaining it. You'll hear things like, "Then I spent six weeks at Fort Leonard Wood for no apparent reason. One of those paperwork things." It's one of those horrifying things you have to get used to even as you're initially recruited. Which is all part of why I laughed as I checked the Sitemeter. Today's hit:



Oh, son... The answer is - slightly less time than it takes to get orders off a Pacific island, but longer than it takes to get a tattoo waiver.

MEPS paperwork normally takes slightly longer than is required for a military task force to get an official "release from theater" letter so they can be deactivated (two weeks of sitting at a demob station), but less time than it takes to get awarded an Army MOS after completing the qualification course (2.5 years).

MEPS paperwork takes less time than is required to replace TO&E weapons lost in a fire in a war zone (5 weeks), but more time than is required to get on a Marine Corps flight manifest from Thailand to Kadena Air Base (four days).

MEPS paperwork takes long than a Fort Bragg urine-based pregnancy test (3 hours) and less time than waiting to begin training for MOS school (four weeks or more).

Short answer, my visitor-who-didn't-stay-long, is that MEPS paperwork takes probably 2.5-3 weeks, sometimes less, and often more.

More thorough answer...make copies, and get used to the paperwork always being jacked up. You'll get used to it, and you'll learn to work with it. But for the love of God, son, remember to make copies.