Drug Tests

L

LP_83

5-Year Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2013
Messages
17
Hey, how soon after you receive an AFRTOC scholarship do you get drug tested?
 
I agree with kinnem it is a very odd question. No offense in the 5 yrs here I have never seen a scholarship candidate ask that question. I have seen chances of getting a scholarship, does it pay R & B, uniforms issued, but not the cup test question.

If it is a medical reason you are concerned you will do the cup test, and any prescribed medicine you are on will need to be reported anyway on the medical questionnaire.
 
Ok odd question, but without making assumptions on the reason for the question...

Have you had your DODMERB physical? Can't remember if there is a urinalysis test. Perhaps some recent applicants can comment. I think there is as they specifically advise you to cease strenuous physical activity several days beforehand.

You can probably stretch things out but must have physical before you really earn the scholarship. Application is phase 1, physical is phase 2

You will have random tests while in school and throughout your career
 
LP_83 said:
Hey, how soon after you receive an AFRTOC scholarship do you get drug tested?
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If you're referring to illicit substances, then I suggest you find a different line of work. If its a matter of prescription drugs that a doctor has prescribed, then it will not be an issue as long as you're up front about your medical history.
 
Somehow I imagine that lots of high school/ college kids thinking about joining rotc have the same question. Believing they don't is probably quite naive.

Hopefully, they decide to grow up and realize the risks aren't worth the "fun" they might briefly have. If it wasn't an issue, the military wouldn't test.
 
The fact is if it is prescription than it is best to ask over on the DoDMERB section regarding at least the type of the drug.

If it is illicit, understand that is a question you will be asked about on the medical questionnaire the use of illegal drugs, including how often, thus, the thing is the question of if or when it will be administered is moot. You will have to acknowledge it anyway, including the frequency.
 
I know, instead of answering the question, some posters like to preach at you. However, don't get discouraged as there is a lot of useful information to be found on here, and a lot of helpful people!
 
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LP,

Nobody has the date for you if that is what you are asking, i.e. if it is 2 week, 3 weeks, etc. The reason why is very simple...you make your DoDMERB appointment, thus how soon after you receive the scholarship you take the drug test is up to you.
 
Moosestache said:
Somehow I imagine that lots of high school/ college kids thinking about joining rotc have the same question. Believing they don't is probably quite naive.

Hopefully, they decide to grow up and realize the risks aren't worth the "fun" they might briefly have. If it wasn't an issue, the military wouldn't test.
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I was a college kid not very long ago. I certainly understand your point and agree with it.

However, I would argue that there is no shortage of qualified applicants for AFROTC scholarships at the moment. Most of those applicants are not worried about a drug test because A) they were mature enough to stay away from drugs or B) they plan to be up front about their experimental use in the past. In both of those cases, the applicant has nothing to worry about when it comes to a drug test.

The only person who would need to be concerned about a drug test during the scholarship process is someone who is using during the scholarship process, and has the intention to deceive the Air Force. I don't believe that's a good way to start off your military career. I understand that there are a lot of high school/college students who've experimented with illegal drugs. I personally know plenty of active duty officers who admit to having done it. However, all of them were up front about it when they applied to ROTC or the academy.

If the OP has experimented with drugs in the past, has stopped for good, and plans to be honest about it with his cadre, then he will be fine (drug test or not). If he came to this website hoping to find some inside information on whether or not he'll be able to continue using after he receives a taxpayer-funded scholarship, then again I'll recommend he find a different line of work.
 
The key thing is to be honest regarding how many times drugs have been used.
Too lazy to dig through the bowels of this forum, but a poster here in the last 6-9 months was dis-enrolled from AFROTC.

The reason why was on his exam he did say he had experimented with drugs, 1X. Later on he fessed up to experimenting more than 1X in HS, had not done in it college. He was drummed out immediately. There were 2 different thoughts on why.

1. He lied on his exam
2. 3X was more than experimentation.

Nobody knows the true # of how many times it is considered allowable.

Either way he was gone.

As far as preaching, I don't think anyone is preaching, it may read that way, but the fact is these posters have seen the forum littered with this question and it usually results in the same answer.

This is the new military...there are no shortages, not even close to it for any branch to have to accept/waive a candidate. 3 or 4, even 5 yrs ago, yes, they were waiving what appeared to be anything and everything, not now.

Look at even the stats for AFROTC scholarship applicants from 2012 to 2016 (we don't know 17 yet). The SAT scores increased by @50 points. Remember AFROTC is the only ROTC branch that does not superscore, it is best sitting. 50 point increase in a sitting as an avg is pretty significant.

They typically only award 20% of applicants any type of scholarship for HSSP. If for some reason candidates don't cut it on the DoDMERB, they can throw the money back into the pot for ISSP.

Thus, people aren't necessarily preaching they are informing on what the path will look like for them and the why behind their opinions.
 
LP_83 said:
umm..thanks I guess. real helpful website
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cravius said:
I know, instead of answering the question, some posters like to preach at you. However, don't get discouraged as there is a lot of useful information to be found on here, and a lot of helpful people!
Click to expand...

You are both right.
LP: This is a very helpful website. (without the sarcasm)

Some of the responses do come across as preachy without ever answering the question. That is largely the result of people reading between the lines because one did not give any background information as to why the question is being asked.

If you are going to be vague you need to develop a somewhat tough skin and seperate the wheat from the chaff.

The DoDMERB exam does include a urinalysis but in the recent past did not include drug screening as part of the test. That may or may not be the case now. Once you are in ROTC you will be tested but the when is random.
 
But drugs do happen, and pretending they don't is kind of silly. Alcohol is also a drug, and probably worse for the body than many of the currently illegal ones.

Sometimes people on this site do get sort of preachy, and perhaps have a naive / Polyanna type attitude towards the young men and women who are in the ROTC program. Of course many of the posters are parents and probably in their 40's so those teen years were many many moons ago. We forget what it was like to be 18 or 19, and I think times are even harder for the kids today then they were when we were kids.

That being said drugs of any kind aren't good for you, and when you start having to worry when a drug test will occur so you can plan your usage around it, probably means you have some dependency issues and probably will have some tough decisions, and times, ahead of you.
 
I got tested at my DoDMERB and at LDAC which I guess is the equivalent to AFROTC's SFT? I never was tested during the duration of my time at college.
 
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