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By Rhonda Campbell Updated July 01, 2018
Some men and women join the U.S. military to serve their country and to work at a job that provides a steady income. Others sign up for the opportunity to travel the world. Each of the four major military branches has qualification requirements in areas such as height and weight, age and academics. You can work to meet some of the requirements while you’re still in high school.
U.S. Navy
You can join the Navy as an enlisted member or officer. To join as an enlisted member, you must be between the ages of 17 and 34. However, if you're only 17, your parents must consent to your joining the Navy. United States citizenship or permanent resident alien status is required. If you don’t have a high school diploma, a general equivalency diploma is acceptable. The minimum Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, or ASVAB, score to join the Navy is a 35. Additionally, before you join the Navy, you must pass at least two drug tests. To become a Navy officer, you must generally be at least 19 and not older than 35. Only United States citizens are allowed to join the Navy as officers. Regarding education, you must complete at least a bachelor’s degree before you become a Navy officer. To enter the officer program, you must also pass two drug tests. Both enlisted and officer members must meet height and weight and physical and mental health standards, and complete basic training, which lasts approximately seven to nine weeks.
U.S. Army
In addition to being a United States citizen or permanent resident alien, you must have a high school diploma or GED to join the Army as an enlisted member. You must also meet height, weight and overall physical health standards. The minimum score you can get on the ASVAB test is a 31. You have three hours to complete the test that covers science, math, electronics and reading comprehension. You can become a commissioned officer in the Army if you are a United States citizen. You must also generally be between the ages of 18 and 35 years, have at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited postsecondary school and complete a 12-week training program to join through Officer Candidate School, or OCS. Furthermore, you can join the ROTC on a four-year scholarship if you are between 17 and 26 years old. The minimum high school GPA allowed is 2.5. You must score no lower than a 920 on your SAT and at least 19 on your ACT.
Air Force
If you’re a United States citizen or legal, permanent resident, you may be able to join the Air Force as an enlisted member. You must be between 17 and 39. If you don’t have a high school diploma, a GED is accepted if you have at least 15 college credits. You must score at least a 36 on the ASVAB if you have a high school diploma, or at least a 65 if you have a GED. Additionally, you must meet height, weight and physical standards. After you pass the ASVAB and physical examinations, you must complete basic training, a rigorous eight-week field and classroom training program. You can generally become an Air Force officer by joining and graduating from the Air Force ROTC. In addition to being a United States citizen, you must be between 18 and 34. To join the ROTC, you must graduate from high school and maintain at least a 2.0 GPA while you’re in college. If you receive an ROTC scholarship, you must have at least a 2.5 GPA in college. As a scholarship recipient, you also must generally complete at least four years of service in the Air Force after you graduate with your degree.
Marine Corps
Candidates for the Marine Corps enlisted ranks must be U.S. citizens or legal residents between 17 and 28 years old, with their high school diploma. You must also meet physical requirements and take and pass the ASVAB test with a minimum score of 32. In addition, you must complete and graduate from the 12-week basic training program at Parris Island, South Carolina or San Diego, California. To become a Marine Corps officer, you cannot be younger than 18 or older than 28. In addition to being a United States citizen, officers must have a bachelor’s degree at the minimum. After you meet height, weight and other physical requirements, you must attend the 12-week OCS, where you will complete classroom courses and physical regimens, including 15-mile endurance hikes.
