Smart to join USAA but I wouldn't app until it your EQ is clean.
I apped for Cash Rewards about 3 months after joining Navy Fed. But you can definitely join now. Check under "My Offers". You may already have a preapproval. Clis can be sp. You can request after 3 months. If you get the 3 to 5 day message it would be a hp. The LOC is attached to checking acct. You can draw from it by overdrawing checking or by writing a check directly from the LOC. You are golden to app. Browse cards and see what you like. 
@baller4life wrote:Smart to join USAA but I wouldn't app until it your EQ is clean.
I apped for Cash Rewards about 3 months after joining Navy Fed. But you can definitely join now. Check under "My Offers". You may already have a preapproval. Clis can be sp. You can request after 3 months. If you get the 3 to 5 day message it would be a hp. The LOC is attached to checking acct. You can draw from it by overdrawing checking or by writing a check directly from the LOC. You are golden to app. Browse cards and see what you like.
I didn't see a pre-approval or anything but it may be because I just got signed up last night.
The LOC sounds cool and would def be nice to have. I just wasn't sure if I should app for the Cash Rewards so quickly since I just joined but that may not really matter.
That's amazing that they gave u the card when your EQ score was almost 600. Sounds like you are doing great and with your current limits you have built a great relationship with them!
I don't have NFCU (yet) but I do have USAA, and I can't say enough good things about them. 
Baller4life is right, they do tend to be conservative, but recently (the last year or so) more folks have reported getting credit cards approved with less than perfect credit, myself included.
After I had my checking with them (USAA) for a couple of years, I got an e-mail that I had an "Offer" for a credit card pre-qual on their website. I honestly never looked at the "Offers" tab since there had never been anything there, and I didn't expect there to ever be. I'm only a 'partial' member since my father has never had their insurance, and at that time I still had four baddies reporting (IIRC my EQ was in the 670s). After a few days, they sent me an e-mail 'reminder' so I checked out their offer, and it was for their 'Rewards Visa' at 16.9%, which isn't fantastic, but at that time my only major credit card was a Quicksilver One with a credit line of $1720 (and that had just been recently increased, having been at $720 for literally years).
I filled in the information they requested on the online app, and since my checking/direct deposit is with them I was conscientious about them double-checking my income, so I purposely under-reported (I gave them a very modest number). Honestly, I was hoping once they rejected my application they might consider me for a secured card. I almost fell out of my chair when a few seconds later the screen said "Congratulations! Your application has been approved!" and that my new credit line was $7K. My APR was the promised 16.9%, but for the first 13 months the APR was (is) 0% on purchases, balance transfers, and cash access checks.
Just like Baller4life said NFCU put her rebuild into a whole 'nother level, USAA did the same for me. A few months after my approval, a couple of my remaining baddies fell of, and I've been able to get cards I never thought I would have (or in a couple of cases, have again). My USAA card doesn't get quite as much use as it once did, since the rewards aren't as 'flashy' as some other cards, but it's solid as a rock, and I wouldn't be where I am now if it weren't for it.
The big take-away from this is once you're in with USAA, always pay attention to that 'Offers' tab! If (when) something shows up, it's generally solid.
Thanks UncleB for sharing your USAA experience. That's pretty awesome!
@baller4life wrote:
Thanks UncleB for sharing your USAA experience. That's pretty awesome!
Thank you for the words of wisdom for all of us on NFCU!
I've decided that I'm definitely going to keep on my brother to join before he gets out of the USAF next spring, and once my last two baddies fall off next fall I plan to join myself!
I know that technically I don't have to get him to join (if I were to act now), but after reading some of the 'verification' tales on here, I would be more comfortable if I were to join using his membership vs. using his name and rank, especially since our last names are different. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, right?