Do you have to go to MEPS when transferring from active duty to the National Guard?

You are going to to go thru the whole process all over again.

Yes. Depending on how helpful your recruiter is, you could avoid the entire meps process. My recruiter for transferring to active from the NG did all paperwork pertaining to the meps stuff prior to going and all I had to do is sign my contract.

I. Explained how I had joined Ready AF Reserve when I turned 17... I went through BMS, and while there took a bypass on the Cook SKT for 3 level. After that I worked on and wdid my spec. Knowledge tests for 5 level in short time.. well as many as I could pull off in short time.. and the EoC test. I had also earned A1C(E-3)’via the AFJROTC, Upon reporting to my Unit I got assigned cooking duties instead of being a glorified kp... just doing a lot of pot scrubbing and getting shoved into the
Clipper on the dish machine and just wiorkinv on the serving line and cleaning up after..It was great talking part in the actual production of the sustenance. The almost year since I first joined went fast.. I got In a plethora of drills .. (extras included. The more I got to do, the better I could perfect my learning curve in the Reserve. I got offered an opportunity to go Active AF and I accepted. A lot of time requirements were waived; time in service, time in grade, time in completed skill level.. (6 mo.).. I needed a few more months.. how to do that(?). Hmm .. They send me TDY to another Resrve Unit in N.J. operating out of McGuire.. Arrangements made with 60Th ABGP to live in their Bks while there.. a few months later when my time I skill level and grade and service increased.. I Got handed over
To the Regular AF.. I got watched like a hawk watched it’s prospective prey.. no eating poppyseeded rolls, certain other foods whose natural chemicals could trigger a false positive in the drug tests..
I didn’t go to an actual MEPS.. just a speedy Physical.. they skipped the hearing test, eye tests .. then back to McGuire from fort Dix.. why i went there
Seemed more of a Show of impartiality.
I went back to McGuire, freshened up.. shower, clean uniform .. and report to sign my release from Reserve and sign the new paperwork to be an Active duty Airman 1st Class.. and again sworn in to the Active Air Air Force. Which took place at Base headquarters by the Wing Cmdr. My former Cmdr from my Reserve Unit at Selfridge was present, as were my Temporary Reserve Cmdr there in New Jersey. I didn’t think there’d be such a big to-do over someone changing from Reserve to Active Duty.. just sign the paperwork and be relieved, handed over Resign and sworn in again.. I get back to my old/new duty section at the Airmen’s
Dining Hall and they got a cake and some ice cream table... seriously? Yes it was nice.. The Food Service Superintendent made a short speech(my fave.. drawn out speeches make me sleepy.. even good ones).. We all had some sweet stuff and it was all over.. I didn’t see the Airman with a rack go by the back exit door.... “How does it feel to be an Active duty Airman, A1C Herrst?” “It feels good so far... I’ll let you know more later when it sinks in a little more. .. May I be relieved here? I need to talk to the Lt. H____ about s’thing
Then go to bks snd get changed.” I went and conversed with her and sign some more papers .. I then went and got changed .. that’s when I entered my room
Saw a new namecard: B.T. Herrst
A1C.
Food Svcs
60TH ABGP
My other card saying I was TDY to the
Reserve and attached to 60th Food Svcs.
Was laying on my desk and 6 new Cook shirts with E’thing required sewn on were on my rack waiting for me.. oh good I get to iron these ... these already looked good!... so I opened the locker and took my other shirts off and hung the new ones.. I would get some new command patches and take the others off .. go see my friends at the para shop and ask
them to sew the new patches on.. I still had the trousers I brought and the ones
The new unit gave me. So that gave me a dozen uniforms .. Can’t ever have too many Cook outfits.. well maybe..
I also managed to appropriate a few. food service thermometers.. to properly check temperatures.. So the next day I would start my shift as an Active Duty Airman(1st Class). I was assigned at that
Time as a 2d Cook on the shift :

Supervision is received from a Senior Cook and the incumbent may have supervisory responsibilities over Junior Cooks and Service Workers. The CooK 2
Is responsible for thosc items assigned as
Starches and Vegs .. and related kitchen duties. Timely on /off times so assigned food is fresh and not over cooked . Multi-tasking is a must !.. I had worked as 1st Cook and that’s make sure the entree items are ready fresh cooked and not over cooked.. Time is a prime subject..
Multi-tasking , not only his own position but Also those personnel assigned to him by his immediate supervisor.. (2d and 3d, 4th and on)... it seems most everywhere we go there can be animosity over seniority issues; .... There were other Airmen that had more time than I did in the Reserves and Active duty.. I was a fast burner and caught on things fast.. and being OJT’d by a professional Chef(my Aunt) before I entered the military I became quite proficient.. and brought those skills with me.. in the AF (Reserve & Active ) a lot of preparation short-cuts are/were taken.. I watched the timing of the meal and learned by observation when to get more product panned and steaming.. and Not have much leftovers.. it drove my fellow cooks
Crazy how I played it so close so we had very little left..