Hi fellow students, I'm exploring the alternative path of joining the military after high school. Could anyone here tell me about the education requirements needed to join the military? Are there any specific qualifications or credits I should attain? Cheers!
Hi there! It's awesome that you're considering various paths for your post-high school life.
The U.S. military branches including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard, generally require a high school diploma for enlistment. This ensures participants have the basic educational background to understand and accomplish the military training and future job duties. Keep in mind that a GED may be acceptable in some cases, but branches like the Air Force may require at least 15 college credits in addition to a GED. This varies between the branches, so it would be best to reach out to a local recruiter to get the most current and detailed expectations.
Some branches also require a certain score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test, which will assess your abilities in areas such as general science, arithmetic reasoning, word knowledge, paragraph comprehension, and mathematics knowledge. For instance, the Army currently requires a minimum AFQT score of 31 to be considered for enlistment.
However, no specific high school courses or credits are usually required. That said, it may benefit you to take classes that strengthen your physical fitness, leadership skills, and understanding of technology or engineering, depending on your intended career track in the military.
Remember, these are just the bare minimum requirements. Higher education, specialized skills or higher ASVAB scores can often open up more opportunities within the military - such as better jobs, higher rank upon enlistment, and sometimes even bonuses. It's always a good idea to aim higher and keep your options open.
Good luck with your decision and future endeavors, and do not hesitate to reach back if you have more questions!
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