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U.S. Military Training

The United States Military consists of five armed forces: the Air Force, the Army, the Coast Guard, the Marine Corps, and the Navy. More than 300,000 people enlist in the armed forces each year, making them the largest employer of high school graduates in the nation. Maintaining the five services requires the work of employees in 150 different career fields with more than 200 enlisted job specialties. All of these jobs have parallels in civilian life, so the training provided in the military can start an individual toward a lifelong career.

Everyone enters the military as either an enlistee or an officer. A high school education usually is required for an enlistee, while a college degree is necessary for an officer. General requirements are that a person be between the ages of 17 and 35, have good health, be a U.S. citizen or legal alien, and be of good moral character. Also, a person must achieve the minimum entry score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). These and other requirements can vary because each branch of the military sets its own enlistment standards.

Educational Benefits

The opportunity for higher education is a very attractive benefit of military service. The variety of training and educational programs allows service personnel to increase their abilities and achieve advancement. Time and monetary allowances are given. Each branch has special programs, in addition to the ones listed below, that are available to active-duty personnel.

  • Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) is a support service that administers examinations, including the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), and the General Equivalency Diploma (GED) Test. The service also supports a variety of independent study programs offered at military bases.
  • Tuition Assistance Program supports any college-level, off-duty study at an accredited school. Up to 90% of the tuition and fees will be paid each semester.
  • Servicemembers Opportunity College (SOC) allows personnel to take courses at a number of different colleges or technical schools while earning degree credit at a single school. This is done to accommodate personnel who must move frequently. Also, credit can be earned for certain military training courses.

Direct Appointments and Financial Aid

Because of an increased need for military personnel in medicine and allied health careers, some qualified professionals may receive a direct appointment as a commissioned officer without attending a military academy, officer candidate school, or college Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program.

Also, each branch of the service has programs that provide financial aid for students to train in certain health professions before entering active duty. In return for this assistance, students must serve as active-duty officers for a specified number of years, ranging from three to seven. For example, one scholarship will pay a monthly stipend for the final two years of nursing education for a student enrolled in a nursing school affiliated with an Air Force ROTC unit. The student then must serve four years of active duty. Bonuses may be available for recently graduated nurses and nurse anesthetists who enlist.

The Naval Reserve

The Naval Reserve is a force of highly trained individuals who are available in a national emergency when the regular Navy needs additional personnel. Most reservists serve part-time two days a month and two weeks a year. The Reserve offers programs to help finance training or to fulfill reserve requirements and earn reserve pay while working at naval hospitals or clinics in certain health professions. These programs are described below.