What happens if you enlist in the army

Again, whether or not you will be offered the job you want depends upon your qualifications, and the needs of the service. An example would be the Nuclear Program. These programs generally require higher ASVAB line scores, and require a longer service commitment, but offer accelerated promotions, greater training opportunities, and higher enlistment bonuses. Very, very few Marine applicants get a guaranteed job mostly those with college degrees or high ASVAB scores, applying for certain, designated technical specialties.

MOS job is a distant second. Coast Guard. A few schools and therefore jobs are offered during basic training. As well as offering the fewest guaranteed jobs, the Coast Guard has the fewest overall jobs about 23 of any of the services. On the plus side, for the most part, all of the Coast Guard jobs directly relate to a civilian occupation.

Reserves and National Guard. This is because, unlike the active duty forces, who recruit for available slots all over the world, Guard and Reserve recruiters recruit for specific unit vacancies in their local areas. Regardless of what some of the military recruiting commercials on TV indicate, the military is not a job-placement agency. This is especially true for jobs that everyone wants like computer programming , or jobs that only have a few people assigned.

For example, the Air Force has over 22, Security Forces cops assigned. Compare that to the physical therapist specialists authorized, and you can see that the chances of jobs being open for Security Forces is several dozens of times greater than openings for physical therapists.

If you are focused on only one or two job possibilities, you are likely to be disappointed. This may or may not be true. Each of the services have different requirements when it comes to retraining. In the Army and Air Force, one must usually serve a minimum amount of time usually 36 months for a 4-year enlistment and agree to re-enlist to be eligible for retraining. Even then, approval is based upon individual circumstances, and the needs of the service. For all of the services, if the job you are serving in is extremely short-manned, or if the job you want to re-train into is over-manned, your retraining application is not likely to be approved.

When you enlist in the DEP, you are actually in the military. You are enlisted in the inactive reserves, and are legally and morally bound by your enlistment contract. When you sign on the dotted line in the National Guard, you immediately become a member of your National Guard Unit. This is a binding contract, and if the military wanted to, they could prosecute you for not shipping out on the date specified on the contract.

However, current regulations and policies require the military services to discharge you from the DEP, if — at any time before shipping out — you apply to be released from the contract the request should be in writing and should state the reason you wish to be discharged from the DEP. In fact, the only bad consequences to dropping out of the DEP, is that if you later want to enlist in that same service, it will be on THEIR terms, not yours.

Most services have policies that require a waiver processing for recruits who previously dropped out of DEP of their service. That being said, if you request a discharge from the DEP, expect your recruiter to be justifiably angry. See The Delayed Enlistment Program for more detailed information. This is the contract that is used for military enlistments and re-enlistments.

Of all the paperwork you signed during the process to join the military, this is the most important document. See Part 3 of this series for more information about the DEP. In fact, the bottom of the very first page of the enlistment contract contains the following clause:. The agreements in this section and attached annex es are all the promises made to me by the Government. This is because military members are already entitled to it by law. For example, medical care, base pay, and the Montgomery G.

Second, those enlisting on active duty will have at least two enlistment contracts — the initial contract for the Delayed Enlistment Program, and a final contract that one will sign on the day they go to MEPS to ship out to basic training.

Enlistment Periods. Thought you were enlisting for four years? Think again. It may surprise you to learn that ALL non-prior service enlistments in the United States Military incurs a total eight year service obligation. When you sign that enlistment contract, you are obligating yourself to the military for a total of eight years.

Paragraph 10a of the enlistment contract states:. Any part of that service not served on active duty must be served in a Reserve Component unless I am sooner discharged. You serve your four years and get out. This total 8 year service commitment applies whether you enlist on active duty, or join the Reserves or National Guard.

The key is, once you join, if there are any conflicts going on, the military can hold you past your normal separation or retirement date. Up until October , the Army and Navy were the only services that offered active duty enlistments for periods of less than four years. However, because of enlistment shortages, the Army has dramatically expanded slots under this program in and The Air Force and Marine Corps still have little interest in a two-year active duty program.

So, they implemented the very basics and applied many restrictions — you probably have a better chance of hitting the lottery than getting one of the very few National Call to Service slots in these two branches.

For example, under the Air Force Plan, the program is limited to one percent of all enlistments about total recruits, out of 37, , and the program is limited to 29 Air Force jobs.

The Army and the Navy are the only services which have active duty enlistment options of less than four years, which are not part of the National Call to Service program. The Army offers enlistment contracts of two years, three years, four years, five years, and six years.

Most Army jobs require a minimum enlistment period of four years, and some Army jobs require a minimum enlistment period of five years. The Navy offers a very few two year and three year contracts, where the recruit spends two or three years on active duty, followed by six years in the Active Reserves.

The other services offer four, five, and six year enlistment options The Air Force only offers four and six year enlistments. All Air Force enlisted jobs are available for four-year enlistees. However, the Air Force will give accelerated promotions for individuals who agree to enlist for six years. They are then promoted to the grade of E-3 Airman First Class upon completion of technical training, or after 20 weeks after basic training graduation whichever occurs first.

Six year enlistment options are not open to all jobs, at all times. Most Navy jobs are available for four-year enlistees, but some special programs such as Nuclear Field require a five year enlistment. These special programs usually offer increased training opportunities, and accelerated promotion. The pandemic delays and worker shortages, which have ratcheted up the misery of military family moves, likely won't be going According to the plan, the service must become an older, more agile and talent-driven force with more emphasis on retaining Get the scoop on discounts and latest award-winning military content.

Right in your inbox. View more newsletters on our Subscriptions page. The Naval Sea Cadet Corps was established in and looks "to build leaders of character" through military instruction and In-flight refuelers, also known as boom operators, can pump more than tens of thousands of pounds of gas at a time.

The Judge Advocate General's Corps handles matters of military justice and military law, and acceptance requires a four-year Summer is not a restful period at West Point.

Every class there is involved in some exercises during Cadet Summer Training. Admissions liaison officers act as a mentor, sounding board and guiding light rolled into one, and every service academy The U. The demonstration, which took place in A former US Marine, Trevor Reed, has gone on hunger strike in hunger to protest against his prison sentence Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki met with soldiers guarding the border with Belarus on Tuesday, as authorities braced for The test lasts about three hours and is one of the factors used to determine which military specialties you'd be good at.

Your recruiter will discuss physical requirements with you beforehand. While the physical examination varies from branch to branch, it typically includes completing a medical history questionnaire, taking basic blood, urine and flexibility tests, as well as hearing and vision exams.

When you raise your right hand and repeat the Oath of Enlistment you become a full-fledged member of the U. The Oath is led by a commissioned officer and always performed in front of an American flag. During the Oath, every service member vows to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.

It's important to note that the time between being "sworn in" and Basic Training could be as short as two days or as long as a year. It also varies based on job assignment and branch of Service. Advanced preparation is the foundation for a successful Basic Training experience.

Recruits should do everything they can to make the transition from civilian life to military life as seamless as possible. Starting or increasing the intensity of your exercise regimen will get your body in shape. It also helps to read about your chosen Service so you know what to expect in the weeks ahead.

The first few days at Basic Training are known as orientation also referred to as "Processing Week," "Reception" or "00 Week". This is where new recruits adjust to their new surroundings and learn the dos and don'ts of their respective branches.

Also during orientation, new recruits might:. And with numerous enlisted ranks available, your ability to get ahead is always within reach. Private Pvt. Private second class Pvt. Private first class Pfc. Specialist Spc. Train and oversee Soldiers in their daily tasks and help them develop their skills to be used in team missions.

Corporal Cpl. Sergeant Sgt. Staff sergeant Staff Sgt. Sergeant first class Sgt. Master sergeant Master Sgt.