The military has a program they call the Delayed Entry Program, or DEP. The basic idea is that you can get your physical, sign all he paperwork, swear the oath, etc, but then delay your report date for basic by up to a year, IIRC. You can set approximately what date you want for basic to start. Your recruiter, of course, will try to get it set as soon as possible, but you can leave in six days or six months is you want. I waited about a month to leave after signing my paperwork.
For the army, you will have 9 weeks of Basic Combat Training, and then you go to Advanced Individual Training (AIT) for you MOS-specific instruction. The length of your AIT will be dependent on your MOS (could be 5 weeks, could be six months). Locations for BCT/AIT vary as well. There are several posts that offer BCT, and the AITs are scattered all over. After that, assuming that you have no further options in your contract (Airborne, RIP, Special Forces), you should be given an opportunity to take 10 days leave. At the end of the ten days (if you decide to take them), you report to your unit (wherever that may be).
I can tell you how my infantry unit does day-to-day stuff right now, but it may not be of much use to you since you aren't looking at infantry. The day starts at 0630 for PT, which goes until around 0745. We get released for breakfast/shower, then come back at 0900 to start the duty day. I can't tell you what we really do on a normal day for actual 'work', since I really don't know firsthand. I went straight from my 'training' phase to Iraq, and just got back about a month ago, so I haven't seen any 'normal' days (we aren't doing anything productive right now
) But it's off to lunch at 1130, back on at 1300 till 1700. Weekends are off. Not a bad gig, really.
Anyhow, that's how it is for the enlisted.
I thought the military was very strict about what you could do./quote]
As long as you aren't getting into trouble with the law, aren't making yourself or the unit look bad, follow unit rules of conduct/availability, and show general financial/personal responsibility, you're personal time/space is more or less your own.