For many people, the benefits of serving in the armed forces outweigh the negative aspects. Service members are paid well, their families are taken care of, and they are part of a large community. They also gain valuable life skills such as the ability to lead, organizational skills, & self-management. Although there are many benefits, the military is not for everyone. Before you join the military, there are a few important issues for you to think about.

The military is not a scholarship program, a travel agency, or a job training center. These are all benefits offered to service members. However, there are no job guarantees, even after you are trained. The military fills positions as they are needed, and may require you to change jobs. The military can also end your contract early, leaving you unemployed until you can find civilian work.

Service members are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), laws that are unique to the military. UCMJ restricts service members' freedom of speech, right to assembly or petition, and individual expression. It also requires you to follow all lawful orders given by your chain of command.

You may have seen recruiters at air shows or the mall, or even your school. Recruiters are paid to find and enlist quality recruits into their branch of service. They will answer any questions you may have. If you ask the right questions and have the right attitude, you can make recruiters work for you to get the information you need and the options you want. Use the list of questions below to get started, and come up with some of your own.

How long must I enlist for this job?

What bonuses or incentives do I qualify for?

Can I negotiate a higher rank, E2, E3, or even E4?

What do I need to score on the ASVAB to qualify?

How is this branch different from other branches?

How is the job I'm interested in different from the same job in other branches?

Can I get a guaranteed Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) written into my contract?

What physical requirements do I need to meet?

Can I request my first duty assignment?

How much would I actually make in this job?

What benefits, special training, or college courses will I get in this job?

What could disqualify me from being able to enlist?

Am I disqualified from any jobs?

How long are combat deployments in this branch of service?

What are the average fatality rates for my proposed job?

What kind of training will I receive? Can I add additional training into my enlistment contract?

Does this job exist in the Reserve or National Guard?

What are the biggest challenges people encounter when joining the military?

If and when you are ready to take the next step and join a branch of service, you will need to fill out some paperwork to find out specific information, so be prepared with important documents when you meet your recruiter.

To find out what jobs and bonuses you are eligible for, you will have to fill out some paperwork. Remember, you don't have to sign an enlistment contract when you meet with a recruiter. See what you're eligible for, and think it over. When you meet with a recruiter, bring the following:

Driver's License, social security card, green card (if applicable), passport, birth certificate, marriage license (or divorce papers, if applicable), legal records, credit report (if applicable), school transcripts, school diplomas and degrees, resume, and/or medical records for any major health issues.

Recruiters can be intimidating–they are often in military uniform, and may be much older than you. Don't be intimidated! If you aren't interested in the military, you do not have to talk to recruiters at all. You can also prevent your school from giving your contact information to recruiters. You will have to speak with a recruiter in order to join. Here are some tips to help you interact with recruiters:

Don't be timid. Talking to recruiters might be a little scary at first, but your attitude will go a long way. It's important that you pay attention to the process. Recruiters are there to get you to join–not to take care of you or get you the best job.

Talk with your parents, guardians, counselor, etc. Have someone you trust come with you when you meet with a recruiter. But remember, the decision to enlist is ultimately yours to make. Ask recruiters to include their promises in your contract. Verbal promises don't exist in the military. If it isn't in writing, it won't happen.

Check out your options. Don t just meet with one recruiter from one branch of the military. Get information about similar jobs that interest you from several branches. You might be surprised by what you find.

Print the list of what to bring, and gather the documents together ahead of time.

To locate a recruiter in your area or learn more about each branch, check out their official websites. Stop by the College & Career Center to find out who the most current recruiter is for each respective branch.

To join the military, you must meet certain standards. It is very important that you are honest with your recruiter if you don't meet a certain requirement. Your recruiter may be able to have the requirement waived. If you lie about something that disqualifies you, you could end up in jail or receive a dishonorable discharge. Each branch of service sets its own enlistment standards for specific jobs. The Department of Defense also sets general standards for all services to follow. These standards apply to both enlisted personnel and officers.

You can join at 17 with the consent of a parent or legal guardian. If you are 18 or older, you do not need the consent of a parent or guardian. Each branch has a maximum age requirement.

You must be healthy and meet minimum vision standards to join the military. While some past medical problems can be waived, physical and mental disabilities cannot. Other conditions that will prevent you from enlisting include diabetes, severe allergies, epilepsy, alcoholism, drug addiction, and other diseases. There are minimum and maximum weight limits depending on your gender, age, and height.

You must be a U.S. citizen or meet certain immigration standards to join. For more information, contact a recruiter.

You can enlist whether you are single or married. If you are single and have dependents under age 18, you may only be eligible for certain branches of service. If you are single and have more than two dependents under the age of 18, you may not be allowed to enlist.

Recruits with high school diplomas are preferred by the military. You may be able to enlist with a GED, but the armed forces have been allowing fewer and fewer GED-holders in. To become a commissioned officer, you must have a college degree.

The military is a disciplined organization and places a great deal of trust in each of its service members. Recruits must have good moral character. The military checks court records, juvenile delinquency, arrests, and drug use. Certain offenses can be waived, but do not lie about your record. You can be sent to jail and dishonorably discharged for lying about your past, years after you enlist

Enlisted personnel are the workforce of the military. They are led by commissioned officers and senior enlisted personnel called non-commissioned officers (NCOs). Generally, you must have a high school diploma to enlist. To enlist in the military, you sign an enlistment contract. The military agrees to provide pay, benefits, occupational training, and a job. The military tries to place you in the job it trains you for. However, a specific type of job is not guaranteed. In return, you agree to serve at least 8 years. From 2 to 6 of those years are on active duty. The rest are in the reserves. The length of active duty depends on the service and the amount of training the military provides. For more information on what enlisted personnel do in the armed forces, visit Enlisted Personnel. Enlistment can be a long process with lots of paperwork. Consider each step carefully. Your decisions will affect the next 8 years of your life! Don't enlist if you are in a stressful situation, depressed, or pressured by friends or family. Be sure to talk to people who are or have been in the military. They can give you their view of military life, both good and bad. Ask advice from your friends and family.

Military recruiters provide information about enlisting. It is their job to find quality recruits and enlist them. Bring a friend or trusted adult with you to talk with a recruiter. There is a lot of information to take in, and your friend may have questions you didn't think to ask.

The ASVAB is a multiple-choice exam that helps determine the careers for which an individual is best suited. Both traditional pen-and-paper exams and a computer-based version are available. The ASVAB takes approximately three hours to complete and has questions about standard school subjects like math, English, writing and science. Each Service uses a custom combination of ASVAB results to produce scores related to different career fields. Alternatively, recruits may take the PiCAT, or Prescreen Internet Based Computerized Adaptive Test, which is an untimed, unmonitored version of the ASVAB that can be taken online.

In addition, some high schools offer and administer the ASVAB test to their students. If you have taken the test already, you should inform your recruiter and see if your results are still valid. For more information review our ASVAB page.

A recruiter will discuss physical eligibility requirements with you beforehand. The physical is a regular medical exam, similar to what you would receive from a family doctor. Some recruiters may conduct a short physical training (PT) test with potential recruits as well.

Examinations include:

• Height and weight measurements

• Hearing and vision examinations

• Urine and blood tests

• Drug and alcohol tests

• Muscle group and joint maneuvers

• Specialized test if required (pregnancy test for women, body fat percentage test for those who are overweight, tests relating to any unusual medical history)

At this point, a service enlistment counselor meets with you to find the right job specialty. A few different factors contribute to career selection:

• Needs of the Service

• Job availability

• ASVAB score

• Physical requirements (for example, a recruit needs normal color vision for some careers)

• Recruit preference

Each of your options will have an identifying code, often called a Military Occupational Specialty (MOS). Your choices may be limited by your ASVAB score and your physical exam results. The military tries to offer you the job it trains you for, but your job can change once you are in the military. Learn more about different career opportunities.

Visit a Military Enlistment Processing Station (MEPS)

Once you have talked to a recruiter, you’ll set a date to visit a Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) to finish the enlistment process. MEPS will complete your in-processing paperwork, background check, and physical exam. You will need to bring your medical records, any paperwork you have completed, and the items listed in What to Bring.

The MEPS is a joint Service organization that determines an applicant's physical qualifications, aptitude and moral standards as set by each branch of military service. There are MEPS locations all over the country.

MEPS Visit Tips

Here are a few things you should keep in mind for the visit:

• Bring a Social Security card, birth certificate, driver's license, and any other paperwork completed

• Remove piercings, and do not wear clothing with obscene images

• If you wear either eyeglasses or contact lens, bring them along with your prescription, case and solution

• Get a good night’s sleep and arrive early

You’ll officially complete the process of joining the Military once you meet all of the Service requirements assessed at the MEPS. The process typically takes one to two days, with food and lodging provided.

Whatever you do, don't enlist the first time you meet with a recruiter. Get all the facts, research your options, and meet with recruiters from at least two similar branches. For instance, if you are interested in becoming an aircraft mechanic, every branch of the military offers this job. But certain branches may offer higher enlistment bonuses, more training opportunities, or civilian accreditation. If you decide to enlist, be sure to:

Get a copy of the enlistment contract before you sign. Take it home, look it over, and think about it.

Make sure all your recruiter's promises are in your enlistment contract; otherwise they don't exist.

Remember that the contract details are more binding on you than on the military. The military can change your terms, including pay, job, and benefits.

Once your career has been determined, you are ready to take the Oath of Enlistment. In this statement, you vow to defend the United States Constitution and obey the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Family members are invited to watch and take photos.

I, (name), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the president of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

You’ll do one of two things, depending on the terms of your enlistment:

• Direct Ship: Report to Basic Training shortly after completing MEPS testing requirements. (It varies based on job assignment and branch.) A recruiter will provide instructions on transportation to Basic Training at this time.

• Delayed Entry Program (DEP): Commit to Basic Training at a time in the future, generally within one year. Most recruits enter DEP before shipping, including those who enlist before completing high school. Recruits enrolled in DEP may return to their homes until the time comes to report for duty.

Remember, a recruiter can answer any additional questions you may have about the enlistment process. Basic training is physically and mentally demanding. The more prepared you are, the easier it will be. Your recruiter can give you materials to study and you should get in shape physically.

Although each branch has a different basic training program, day-to-day schedules are fairly similar:

5:00 - 6:30 - a.m Physical conditioning, showers, first formation

6:30 - 7:30 - Breakfast

7:30 - 8:30 - Prepare for inspection

8:30 - 11:30 - Classroom or field instruction

11:30 - 12:30 p.m. - Lunch

12:30 - 4:30 - Classroom or field instruction

4:30 - 5:30 - Dinner

5:30 - 6:30 - Mail, briefings

6:30 - 9:00 - Study, personal time, evening training activities

9:00 - Lights out

Each branch teaches slightly different skills and values during basic training. To learn more about each branch's basic training program, check out Basic Training by Branch.

After graduating from basic training, Soldiers, Seamen, Airmen, Marines, and Guardians move on to advanced training. Each branch has a slightly different name for this period of skill instruction, but the purpose is the same for each. This is where the training for specific jobs in military career fields begins. There are dozens of schools covering the spectrum of military jobs. Like basic training, advanced training includes classroom instruction, hands-on learning, and training in the field. However, you will be treated as a full member of the military and not as a new recruit. Schools vary in length from a few weeks to more than a year. To learn more about jobs and schools available in each branch of the military, talk to a recruiter and/or visit the branch's website.

Day-to-day life in the active duty military can be very different for each service member. Each branch of service, job, and duty station offers a different experience. It also depends on whether the country is at peace or at war. For some service members, especially those with administrative or support roles, the military is essentially a 9-to-5 job. Even those in combat positions often work a normal schedule when not deployed or training in the field. Young, unmarried service members usually live in barracks on a military base. Married service members may live in housing on the base or private housing off base. Most service members participate in annual trainings where they practice their specialty in a simulated combat situation, whether on land or on sea. For some specialties, such as mechanics, this simply means a higher work tempo; for others, such as battleship crewmembers, it can mean a several-week voyage. There are important differences between military and civilian careers. Like any job, you must follow orders and meet performance standards. You do not have the same constitutional rights as civilians, even though you are sworn to protect those rights. You must dress and conduct yourself according to military standards. If you commit a crime off base or against a civilian, you may be subject to a civilian trial and punishment and a military trial and punishment. Although certain jobs in each branch are very similar (aircraft mechanics, for example), and each branch maintains forces at overseas bases, experiences will be different from branch to branch.

If you serve in the Reserve and National Guard, you can live almost anywhere in the U.S. and have a civilian job. Once a month you travel to your unit's armory for training and are paid for those few days at active duty rates. You may attend additional training voluntarily or to meet promotion requirements. At least once a year you must train for two weeks with your unit. This is done to keep your skills sharp.

Active duty, Reserve, and National Guard deployments can be to combat or non-combat zones. The U.S. military has operations all over the world, including peacekeeping and humanitarian missions. Military units often assist other countries during natural disasters. They also train the militaries of allied countries.

The military exists to fight America's wars. This means killing enemy combatants, and often risking death to do so. All service members can be sent into combat, even those in non-combat positions. Non-combat positions exist to support combat positions, and often have to operate in combat zones to do so. Even cooks have to be ready to stand and fight. If you are not okay with this fact, the military probably isn't for you. There are also no "safe" positions in the military. The length and frequency of combat deployments differs by branch.

Males are required by law to register with the Selective Service System (SSS) when they turn 18. The SSS is the government agency responsible for the draft if it is reinstituted. Nearly all males between the ages of 18 and 25 must register, including most non-citizens. Women do not register. For more on SSS, visit: sss.gov.

Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard: every branch of service offers multiple ways to pay for your education or train for a civilian career. It's up to you to decide when and how.

After basic training, enlistees receive technical or advanced training. This training prepares you for your job in the military. Many military occupations require skills that transfer to civilian occupations. Each branch has its own training programs. The type of job specialty you choose will determine what you learn. If you want military training for a later civilian career, choose your program accordingly. Also keep in mind that the military can change your job at any time to fill needed positions. You can browse military occupations in the Military Careers module. Click on the "Civilian counterparts" topic in an occupation to find out what jobs the military occupation is similar to. You can also use the Military to Civilian Occupation Translator.

The military has more training programs than any one person could possibly take advantage of. Some focus on your career in the military, while others are designed to help you succeed once your service is complete. There are technical courses, programs to help you finish a college degree (even while deployed), and certification programs. They may be based at local colleges and universities or online.

The Army, Navy, and Marine Corps offer apprenticeship programs for certain jobs. After completing classroom and on-the-job training, you receive a certificate from the U.S. Department of Labor. The certificate shows civilian employers your level of skill and competency. To find out what Army specialties you can apprentice in, ask a recruiter for details

The military needs intelligent, well-educated people to lead and manage its operations. If you make a commitment to serve after you complete college, the military will pay part or all of your college expenses. You will also enter the military as an officer.

This program offers 2-, 3-, and 4-year scholarships based on your merit and grades. ROTC programs offer military officer training at many colleges. Once you complete your degree, you are commissioned as an officer. Most commitments last 8 years: 4 years on active duty, and 4 years in the Reserves.

*Pays part or all of the cost of tuition and books depending on the branch of service.

*Pays a stipend during the school year depending on enrollment terms.

*Available to all majors, but engineering, nursing, or science students may be preferred.

*Select cadets can serve part time in the Reserves or National Guard while attending college.

Undergraduate military colleges provide a college education in return for 5 years of active service after graduation. Graduates earn a bachelor's degree and are commissioned as officers. If an academy is your goal, buckle down now–competition for admission is intense.

U.S. Military Academy (West Point)

U.S. Naval Academy

U.S. Air Force Academy

U.S. Coast Guard Academy

A strong commercial shipping industry is key to the success of the U.S. military around the world. The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy trains civilian ship captains as well as active duty and reserve military officers. For more information, visit: usmma.edu.

TA pays up to $250 per credit but no more than $4,500 total per academic year. It can be applied to undergraduate and graduate courses taken on campus or through distance learning programs on your own time. Each branch provides a slightly different TA program.

If you honorably complete your service in the armed forces, there is a variety of financial aid available to you. Depending on how long you serve, you may be able to pay your entire cost of attendance with this aid. For even more training programs available to you after your service.

The MGIB now pays for tuition and other costs of attending school based on how long you served on active duty in the military. Here are the basics:

Open to all service members who are activated for more than 90 days after September 11, 2001 and receive an honorable discharge.

Payments are based on in-state tuition for public institutions or $17,500 for private institutions in your state, and are sent directly to your school for up to 36 months of full-time attendance.

Amount of benefits is determined by how long you served on active duty: if you served 36 months you will receive 100% of tuition cost, while 30 months receives 90%, down to 90 days, which receives 40% of tuition cost. You will also receive less if you attend less than full time.

Pays a monthly housing stipend, money for books and supplies, and money for licensing or certification tests.