Thread: How Exactly does the Military do Drug Testing?

I am joining a branch of the military soon, and I have a few questions about drug testing procedure.I have smoked Cannabis habitually (Daily usage) for about five years now. I haven't smoked for approximately 16 days. I don't drink, and I don't smoke cigarettes. My central question is what grade of drug screening does the military use in urinalysis? Is it any different or more approximate than commercially used tests? Secondly, what is the frequency of drug screening? I'm primarily concerned about my physical, and how many, if any at all, I will receive in basic training.For obvious reasons, I'd prefer not to share which branch of the military I am joining, as this question has been met with hostility and even flagrant aggression on previous 'Q & A' web sites.In closing I'd like to say, if it is not an answer to my question, I'd prefer personal convictions and misinformed opinions were kept to a minimum, as I have been doing this for quite some time, and have no intention of changing my tenets and intimations courtesy of a impertinent and shameless crusader. I scored a 92 on my ASVAB, I am in excellent shape, and have continued my education beyond my schooling. So, at the risk of sounding unintelligible, please, keep your inclinations to yourself.Thanks in advance!EDIT: Cecilia: Thank you for the information, that was most helpful! May I ask what branch of the military you are in?Kenneth: Thank you as well, from what you've told me, can I assume you are in the Army? I've a friend who just recently recieve his infantry cord, and he told me the same thing.Rolly: I'm sure you were trying to help! And to J M and Jane S: That was exactly the response I was hoping to avoid. I hope that some day you can free yourself from your obdurant and hard headed misconceptions, especially you, J M. Maybe when you graduate from West Point, I'll be more accepting of your indignified presumption. Until then, I hope you realise that the military needs all the man power that they can disillusion, as you may or may not know. Recruiting rates are at an all time low, while soldier-suicide is at an unprecedented high. So it would seem that pretentious and delusional characters, such as yourself and Jane, are stuck wth me. I'll be sure to make the best of it.Thanks again, Cecelia! I'm certainly on an extended hiatus, I don't plan on smoking again until I'm well settled in to my unit, my job, my locale, and after 've seen if it is even possibe to continue! I appreciate your concern, and your attitude is unquestionably indicative of a good nurse! Puts me in mind of a Major Houlihan, on a good day! Thanks again!

It is a pee test, similar to what civilian employers require when you are getting hired on. I don't know of all the drugs that get tested, but MJ is definitely on the list.You probably already know this, but you need to be off the dope for at least a month to get it out of your system and not have it show up on the pee test. Good luck with that.Edit* Also, please know that throughout your service you will be subjected to random pee tests. At my unit (probably same or similiar at other units) we have at least 2 or 3 random pee tests a year. We never know when the tests will be...they just get announced AFTER everyone is present AND the unit goes on "lock down," meaning nobody can leave until EVERYONE has peed for testing.You WILL be discharged (not maybe, but WILL) if you test hot.EDIT* I'm in the Army. I won't harp on you for doing MJ. There are plenty worse drugs out there you could be on and addicted to. Just be careful. Getting discharged for a hot pee test will follow you for the rest of your life. Thank you for considering service to our Country!

you whip it out and piss in front of some guy, there isn't going to be any way to cheat it really

A square needle in the left nut

If you want to continue using drugs, then we don't need you in the military!

if it's your first piss test at the processing station, you have to pass or else they wont let you sign your contract. however, if you fail the test, theyll give you 90 days to get clean and take one again. once your in the military, it depends ony our unit. my unit gives you a piss test no less then 1 week after each extended weekend. extended, obviously meaning longer than two days. anytime you come back to your station from leave time you are given a drug test as well. the drug tests for every drug, including salvya, so best advice would be do stay clean for long enough to pass any test.

They test on different drugs at different times but if its your first test I don;t know if they test for everything. Even if they don;t catch you today, sinc eyou do it habitually, they will evetually catch you and you will get an article 15, you will looose rank, get extra duty, get restriction and get money taken away from you, so you decide.OH YEA, you will also be put in a drug rehabilitation rogram as well and then maybe you will be shown the door out of th emilitary and kiss your but good-bye to your military career.

My favorite part is that they have to watch the urine leave your body. On top of the random drug testing and post-leave drug testing and whatever extra drug testing your unit would require, if anybody in your unit suspects you (you get to know each other pretty well) they could dime you out and you could get randomly picked to pee right then. Good thing you got a 92 and you're so much smarter than the system.Just for the record, recruiting is actually going really well right now. Moral waivers are all but gone. Recruiting missions are getting slashed as soldiers are staying in and new, quality, non-recreational drug users are applying. So... we don't need you.Yay recession!

You can score as high as you want on the ASVAB. You're still an idiot if you want to join and continue to use drugs. I hope your temporary high is worth the permanent consequences of failing a piss test.

frankly,you are PDQd from all Five Branches. daily use for five years is WELL over the 'experimental' usage that is easily waiverable. lying about it will get you caught and will net you a Fraudulent Enlistment charge. drug testing is random..and there are times when DH goes six months in a row with his name coming up in the monthly screenings. you WILL NOT BE ALLOWED to continue if by some miracle you manage to detox enough to pass a screening to even get in. WILL NOT HAPPEN. you can expect to be tested at any point..and at least once a year.. a command wide sweep WILL happen. generally speaking: after every major Holiday or standdown there will be command wide sweeps. after every Port call( if you go Navy) in a foreign country there will be a command wide sweep. and anytime somebody ELSE gets busted for anything there will be a command wide sweep.