MILITARY OPTIONS
To join the military, you must first take a test called the ASVAB (The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery). Students are provided with scores on eight individual tests and three Career Exploration Score composites: Verbal Skills, Math Skills and Science and Technical Skills. To learn more about the ASVAB, visit: www.official-asvab.com
BRANCHES
To join the Air Force, you must be between 18 and 27 years old (17 with parental consent). While exceptions are sometimes made for candidates with GEDs or other high school equivalents, high school diplomas are preferred. All Air Force recruits spend eight and a half weeks in Basic Military Training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.
To join the Coast Guard, you must be a U.S. citizen or resident alien between 18 and 27 years old (17 with parental consent). Basic Training takes place at the Coast Guard Training Center in Cape May, New Jersey, and lasts eight weeks. Daily fitness and swimming drills combined with classroom instruction prepare recruits mentally and physically for life in the Coast Guard.
All Marine Corps recruits undergo 12 weeks of Recruit Training at Parris Island, South Carolina, or San Diego, California. College students wishing to train for Marine Corps officer positions may enroll in their school’s Navy ROTC program as a Marine-option midshipman or should visit their local Officer Selection Officer (OSO) for information.
To join the U.S. Navy, you must be between 18 and 34 years old (or 17 with parental consent). Navy training begins with seven to nine weeks of Boot Camp at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois. Rigorous physical and classroom exercises transform civilians into Sailors and prepare them for their first tour of duty.
To enlist in the U.S. Army, you must be between 18 and 35 years old (or 17 with parental consent). You must be a U.S. citizen or resident alien. To serve in the Army, recruits must complete 10 weeks of Basic Combat Training, commonly known as boot camp.​
