Military
Contact Information
Military Branches
Army
1-800-USA-ARMY
Air Force
1-800-423-USAF
Coast Guard
1-800-GO-GUARD
Marines
1-800-MARINES
Navy
1-800-USA-NAVY
National Guard
1-800-GO-GUARD
Military Academies
ROTC
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program is a college-based, officer commissioning program. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, planning, and professional ethics. ROTC produces officers in all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces except the U.S. Coast Guard.
With the exception of the U.S. Coast Guard, each of the U.S. Armed Forces offer competitive, merit-based scholarships to ROTC students, often covering full tuition for college. U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force ROTC students are referred to as cadets, while U.S. Naval ROTC students are known as midshipmen; these terms coincide with their service academy counterparts. The Naval ROTC program commissions both U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps officers.
University of Illinois ROTC
The following links cover both federal and state benefits of each program.
The following links cover both federal and state benefits of each program.
ASVAB
The military has a required admission exam called the Armed Service Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). Everyone who plans to join the military must take this aptitude test. The ASVAB tests 10 areas including both academic and vocational knowledge. The ASVAB scores are used by the military to determine the branches of service a person can enter and the careers within the military that a person is eligible to work in. See your recruiter or counselor about taking the ASVAB. All students are eligible to take the ASVAB, but Junior and Senior students that are interested in the military as a career are strongly encouraged to take this test.
For more information, visit the ASVAB website HERE.
Enlistment
Age: At least 17 to but not older than 34
Citizenship: Citizen of the US, Alien who has been lawfully admitted to the US for permanent residence, National of the US or a citizen of the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Trainability: Must have the ability to read, write and speak sufficient English to understand the oath of enlistment and the Entrance National Agency Check (ENTNAC) Interview. Must score a 31 or better on the Armed Forces Qualification Test.
Education: High school graduate; high school graduate via semester hours (15), or quarter hours (22) or clock hours (675) from a post-secondary vocational-technical institution. Alternate high school credentials: Test Based Equivalency Diploma, Occupational Program Certificate of Attendance, Correspondence School Diploma, Home Study Diploma or High School Certificate of Attendance. Also anyone with a degree may enter.
Physical: Must be physically fit in accordance with Army Regulation 40-501. Must test negative for drugs and alcohol.
Dependents: Without a spouse and with no dependents – or – Married and, in addition to the spouse, has two or less dependents – or – Without a spouse and does not have custody of dependents.
Moral and administrative criteria: A recruiter will interview applicant for any records of arrest, charges, juvenile court adjudications, traffic violations, probation periods, dismissed or pending charges or convictions, including those which have been expunged or sealed. Having a record is not necessarily a permanent disqualification from entry. Many violations are minor and an exception to policy can be submitted.
SSN: No person will be tested or processed for enlistment into the delayed entry program, Regular Army or Army Reserve without a SSN.
Enlistment Process
Meet with a recruiter who will be able to cover all the benefits associated with an Army enlistment. The recruiter will also be able to determine if the individual is qualified.
The next step is to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test (ASVAB). This is an aptitude test which covers math, English, science, mechanics, and many other areas. The ASVAB test typically takes approximately 2-3 hours. The test will let the individual know what jobs they are qualified for mentally, and also whether they qualify for the Army College Fund, Cash Bonus, Guaranteed Station of Choice, 2-year program, etc.
The next step is to take a physical. This is similar to most sports physicals you may have taken in school. The doctor will make a determination if the individual is qualified to enlist and also determine if the individual has some medical conditions that may prevent them from doing a particular job (such as color blindness, poor vision).
The final step is to sit down with an Army counselor. This counselor will use data from the ASVAB, the physical, and any other important information to provide a list of vacancies available for which the individual is qualified.