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What can you expect for your family when you or a loved one joins the Army? What kinds of activities are available for families? What about shopping, financial readiness, and services available for children? .
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Twenty US military soldiers got back to the states after successful processing of their leave.
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Relocation is part of Army life. One of the things you can count on is that at some point you will relocate to a different installation, but you won’t have to go it alone. The Army helps move military families from one assignment to another and offers several different ways to assist in the transition.
Learn how you can enter the United States military as an officer or enlisted member.
Learn the basic requirements and steps for joining the U.S. military as an enlisted member.
If you're thinking of enlisting in the military, start with some research. It's a big decision, and you’ll have important choices to make when you sign up.
As an active duty enlisted member, you'll learn a job specialty and do hands-on work. You’ll sign a contract, usually for four years active and four years inactive service.
The military has five branches: the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy. Each has its own focus, job specialties, base locations, and more.
Enlisted members make up most of the military workforce. They receive training in a job specialty and do most of the hands-on work. Usually, you’ll sign up for four years of active duty and four years inactive. After you’ve completed your active duty time, you can either extend your contract or re-enlist if you want to continue serving.
Officers make up a much smaller part of the workforce. To join as an officer, you typically must have a four-year college degree and complete an officer program. You compete for promotion to continue your career. Most officers are managers who plan and direct operations. Others are professionals like doctors and lawyers. Officers get paid more than enlisted members and enjoy certain other benefits.
You don’t have to join as an officer to become one though. You can join as an enlisted member and attend officer training later on.
The U.S. military has five branches of service: the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps. The requirements to join are similar for all five. The main differences are in age limits, test scores, and fitness levels. Men and women meet different fitness standards. Besides the requirements listed here, a branch may have other requirements.
You must be at least 17 to enlist in any branch of the active military. The oldest you can be to enlist for active duty in each branch is:
Coast Guard: 31
Marines: 28
Navy: 39
Army: 34
Air Force: 39
Some branches have different age limits for their part-time Reserve and National Guard. Visit each service's recruiting website for its part-time age limits.
You do not have to be a U.S. citizen to enlist in the military, but you may have fewer options. If you are not a U.S. citizen, you must:
Have a permanent resident card, also known as a Green Card
Currently live in the U.S.
Speak, read, and write English fluently
You must take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test. The ASVAB has 10 subtests.
Your scores on four of those make up your Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) score. This score determines which branch(es) you may join. Each branch has its own lowest score for joining.
Your scores on all 10 subtests determine which job specialties you qualify for..
You can prepare for the ASVAB by taking sample questions.
You must have a high school diploma or a GED to enlist. The services accept only a small number of people with GEDs each year. You can increase your chances of qualifying with a GED by:
Earning some college credits and/or
Scoring well on the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT)
You must pass a military entrance medical exam. This includes a physical exam, hearing test, vision test, and height/weight measurements.
Each service has its own physical requirements and fitness standards. These depend on the demands of its mission. Even within the same branch, some jobs have tougher or extra requirements.
Start by doing some research about your options for joining the military. Learn about the five active-duty branches and their part-time counterparts. Know the main differences between officers and enlisted members.
Once you know which branch you’re considering, contact a recruiter. A recruiter will give you an overview and answer your questions about that service. If you’re interested in more than one branch, contact a recruiter for each. If you’re interested in joining as an officer, the recruiter will explain any options you may be eligible for.
If you decide to enlist, you will report to a military entrance processing station (MEPS).You’ll spend a day or two completing pre-enlistment steps. These include taking the ASVAB, having a physical exam, meeting with a career counselor, and if you’re accepted,taking the oath of enlistment. From there you’ll receive orders for basic training, usually to start within a few weeks. If you enrolled in a delayed entry program, you’ll go home and get orders for basic training within a year.
Commissioned officers are the military’s managers and highest-ranking leaders. They oversee plans, direct operations, give orders, and command units. Some are doctors and lawyers. They typically have at least a bachelor’s degree.
Officers have authority over enlisted members. They have broader responsibilities and accountability. But they rely upon enlisted members’ technical skills and experience to get the job done.
Junior officers may lead platoons and command patrol boats. But a senior enlisted member is often their second in command.
Officers must get promoted at certain points to remain on active duty. This can be true for enlisted members too. But it is guaranteed for officers at a much earlier stage of their careers. In return for officers’ greater accountability and less job security, they get higher pay and some extra benefits.
There are five paths to an officer commission:
Service Academies and Senior Military Colleges
Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)
Officer Candidate School (OCS)
Direct Commission
Enlisted to Officer Opportunities
There are five service academies. Entrance to these schools is highly competitive. Applicants for every academy but the Coast Guard’s need a nomination from the vice president or a member of Congress.
Students attend the service academies for free. In return, they agree to spend the next several years as military officers.
United States Naval Academy - Trains future Navy and Marine Corps officers. It’s also known as “Annapolis” for its location in Annapolis, MD.
There is no Marine Corps academy.
United States Military Academy - Trains future Army officers. It’s also known as “West Point” for its location in West Point, NY.
United States Coast Guard Academy
United States Merchant Marine Academy - Trains students for military and civilian careers. New graduates have two choices. They can join the Navy or the Coast Guard as an officer. Or they can get a job in the civilian maritime industry at sea or ashore.
Senior military colleges are civilian schools that combine higher education with military instruction. Students can become commissioned officers after graduating. But they only have to join the service if they’re received a military scholarship.
Colleges and universities nationwide offer the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program. The program pays for students’ tuition and prepares them to be military officers. In return, students commit to serving in the military afterward. Each service has its own ROTC program.
New four-year college graduates go to Officer Candidate School (OCS) to join as officers. Each service has its own OCS, which lasts around three to four months. Enlisted members can also apply to attend OCS and graduate as commissioned officers.
Direct commission officers are professionals with advanced training who join as military officers. They are usually doctors, lawyers, dentists, engineers, or chaplains.
Contact a recruiter for the service branch you’re interested in to learn more about officer programs:
U.S. Army
U.S. Air Force
U.S. Navy
U.S. Marine Corps
U.S. Coast Guard
Enlisted members in all five services can advance through the enlisted ranks and apply for Officer Candidate School to earn a commission.
The Army and the Air Force also offer non-scholarship programs that lead from enlisted to commissioned officer.
Warrant officers are officers who advance from the upper enlisted ranks. They stay in their career fields. They rank above enlisted members and below commissioned officers. A Marine Corps E5 can compete for warrant officer. In the Army, Navy, and Coast Guard, you must be an E6. The Air Force doesn't have warrant officers.
Non-commissioned officers (NCO) are higher-ranking enlisted members with demonstrated leadership abilities. Most services consider enlisted members at pay grade E4 to be NCOs. In the Air Force, you are an NCO at E5. The Army has two ranks at pay grade E4 - specialist and corporal. But a corporal is an NCO while a specialist is not.
The United States armed forces are made up of five service branches, each with a unique mission and place in U.S. military history.