why don't you try temp agency for temp work, you can tell the temp worker your looking for a job but for so many months and see what's available ese`.
As for your homie if he is in jail what are his chances he will get into the military and if he decides he doesn't want to go into the military your entire time was spent waisted, make your own way in life my friend and open doors and depend on you and you only as you can't make things happend with if's it has to be now's.
If your clean now or soon will be, make sure before you go to a recruiter enlist now , screw waiting on a "friend" look after yourself it's your life. Plus the military doesn't always keep buddies together. If you go in stay clean now a days they piss test all the time un -anounced and they watch where it comes from sometimes. Just my