Things for a teenager or young adult to think about when considering whether the military is the right option for independence
In my last post, I talked about the options available for a dependent teenager or young adult to become independent and live on their own. The options I discussed were:
- Getting an entry-level job
- Going to College
- Attending a Certification Program
- Joining the Military
- Starting a business
- Some combination of the above
In this post I want to discuss the military, because for many it is the fastest option to income, housing, training, and other benefits. The military is not for everyone, but it is an option that requires serious consideration for anyone starting the transition to adulthood and independence. There are several branches of the military which are:
- Army and Army Reserve
- Army National Guard
- Coast Guard and Coast Guard Reserve
- Navy and Navy Reserve
- Marines Corps and Marine Corps Reserve
- Air Force (including a new Space Force)
In general, the military’s function is to defend the United States and its interest globally. At its core, if you join the military you are signing up to become a soldier. As a soldier you may be required to fight and die for American interests. However, not all soldiers provide the same kind support in the military. Just as important, in terms of planning your future, not all soldiers are equally at risk in terms of being a causality of war.
In the Army for example, some soldiers are in the infantry and your job is to fight an enemy in one form or another. Here is a definition of an Infantryman from GoArmy.com, “As an infantry Soldier, you’ll serve in the field, working to defend our country against any threats on the ground. You’ll capture, destroy, and deter enemy forces, assist in reconnaissance, and help mobilize troops and weaponry to support the mission as the ground combat forces.” An honorable job, no doubt, but these are the individuals that leave the military service with missing limbs and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
However, there are other soldiers that are paralegals, attorneys, financial managers, nurses, accountants, computer programmers, procurement officers and performing hundreds of other important non-combat support positions. Although anyone can be deployed, injured or killed in the military, your risk as a non-combat support soldier of sustaining life changing injuries is significantly less outside of the infantry. Unless you have a strong desire to become a fighting warrior, your job in evaluating the military is to seek training in a field that you can use in the job market or as an entrepreneur after your military service plus enjoy all the benefits provided to veterans that will allow you to create and maintain your independence as an adult.
Prequalifications:
The military has some basic qualifications that those seeking to join must meet. It is important that you go to the website for the branches you are interested in evaluating. Each branch has an official website that you can search in addition to talking to someone at the recruiter’s office or someone you may know in the military.
I am going to use the Army as an example for Prequalifications. Since, I am using the Army as an example for this article, I want to inform you there are numerous websites with information regarding the U.S. Army, however, the primary websites you can research are:
In order to join the Army a person must meet these basic requirements:
- Must be a U.S. Citizen, U.S. National or Have a Green Card
- Must be between 17 and 34 years of age
- Must NOT have been convicted of a Felony or Domestic Abuse
- Must have a high school diploma or GED
- Must be in fair physical condition
- Must NOT have any tattoos that are offensive, visible above the neckline or below the wrist line. Must NOT have any willful body mutilations
- Must NOT be a single parent
Prequalification Number 1
- In general, being a U.S. Citizen means: (1) a person was born in the U.S., (2) born to U.S. citizens (your parents) or (3) became a U.S. citizen through the naturalization process.
- In general, a U.S. National means a person was born in places known as outlying possessions of the U.S., such as (1) American Samoa Island, and (2) Swains Island.
- According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, having a Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) allows the person to live and work permanently in the U.S.
- A person seeking to join the Army must fall into one of the three (3) categories above to join the Army.
Prequalification Number 2
Age Range
Since this article is about teenagers and young adults the age range of 17 through 34 is sufficient enough in range to cover those individuals moving from independent youth to independent adults.
Prequalification Number 3
In general, being convicted of a felony or domestic abuse will preclude a young adult from joining the Army and in most cases the military in general.
Convicted Felon:
The federal government and every state have created categories for different types of crimes. A felony is considered a more serious crime, whether or not violence was used, the person has been convicted of other crimes in the past, or the legislature considers the activity or behavior involved deserving of more serious punishment. If a young person has been convicted of a felony, he or she is barred from entering the Army. I believe this is true for all branches of the military, but I have not researched the other breaches. So, if you have a felony conviction and are still interested, go the website for the other branches and talk to a recruiter. Most institutions have a habit of making exceptions for individuals for various reasons. So, it does not hurt to talk to a recruiter if you are a convicted felon, but still interested in joining the military.
Domestic Abuse:
The term “domestic abuse” is used on the Army website. I have seen domestic abuse and domestic violence used almost interchangeably in my research for this article. What constitutes domestic abuse may vary from state to state and under federal law.
In an article entitled, “Domestic Violence / Domestic Abuse Definitions and Relationships”, dated June 13, 2019 on the website ncsl.org (National Conference of State Legislatures), it states, “States vary in their domestic violence provisions. Approximately 38 states place domestic violence definitions and penalties within the criminal code and nearly every state provides a definition within the domestic relations or social services codes. Within this variance are broad definitions that may include stalking, harassment and, in some instances, nonphysical abuse including intimidation and emotional abuse.” The article also provides a 50-state table of the state statute, definition of Domestic Abuse/Violence and what relationships are involved for these crimes. Here is a link for anyone reading this article that may want to do further research in this area. https://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/domestic-violence-domestic-abuse-definitions-and-relationships.aspx
If you have been convicted of domestic abuse or have been charged with domestic abuse or violence, you should talk to a military recruiter and discuss your situation to see if there is an opportunity to join the service given your specific circumstances and other factors in your background that the military will take in to consideration in reviewing your application for service.
Prequalification Number 4
High School Degree or GED
The Army requires a high school degree. If you did not finish high school, you have 2 options to overcome this obstacle, either:
- Attend an online high school to obtain a degree, or
- Study and take the General Educational Development (GED) Test.
Don’t let not having a high school degree or GED stop you from creating the life you want for yourself, whether you want to join the military or pursue some other option to become independent. In this article, I am going to focus on the GED option. The good thing about the GED is that there are numerous free websites that will let you study for the examination and take practice tests before you take the actual examination. Taking practice tests will give you an opportunity to get accustomed to the test format, discover and improve your weaknesses and build your confidence in actually taking the examination.
Go to www.ged.com to research the process. This website is the official website for the GED exam, but more importantly, it provides the following research to an interested test taker:
- A breakdown of the 4 subjects that are contained in the test, which are:
- Mathematical Reasoning
- Reasoning through language arts
- Social Studies
- Science
- It provides various study options:
- Online classes
- Interactive Practice Questions
- Practice Tests are provided
- Online GED Testing is available for those who qualify
You can sign up for a free account so you can look at all the available options and see what materials have a cost associated with them. The GED Testing Service also has a YouTube channel with videos on the subject. Here is the link: www.youtube.com/GEDTestingService
This is not the only website that provides GED test study preparation materials and practice tests, so you can investigate other sites. Search the phrase “GED Test Preparation.” If you need a GED, there is a tremendous amount of readily available information you can access to prepare and successfully obtain your GED.
Prequalification Number 5
Physical Fitness
In order to join the Army a person must pass the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT). There is a calculator on the Army website where you enter your gender and age and it will tell you how many Push-ups, Sit-Ups and the time in which you must complete a 2-mile run. For example, a 19-year-old male, in basic training must complete 35 Push-ups, 47 Sit-ups in 2 minutes, and run 2 miles within 16.26 minutes. The Calculator is at this link:
https://www.goarmy.com/soldier-life/fitness-and-nutrition/exercise.html
You can use the calculator to determine the minimum physical standard you must meet and test yourself to see if you can meet this standard. If you need to improve your strength and stamina to join, there is a training manual, in pdf format, you can download from the Army website to help you prepare for basic training. You can download that training manual at the bottom of the follow page:
https://www.goarmy.com/downloads/physical-training-guide.html
Make getting in shape part of your overall preparation to successfully apply and enter the service.
Prequalification Number 6
Tattoos
Today tattoos are very popular and many teenagers and young adults have tattoos, so the Army has not precluded body art. However, there are some restrictions regarding your tats. You must not have visible tattoos above the neckline or below the wrist, in other words, a long sleeve shirt should cover up all your tattoos. Further, you must not have offensive tattoos on your body. What constitutes offensive is subjective, so you need to talk to or visit a recruiter if you think any of your tattoos are suspect.
However, for some context, below is an excerpt from the Army’s AR 670-1: 3-3. Army Tattoo Policy:
“Tattoos and brands are permanent markings that are difficult to reverse (in terms of financial cost, discomfort, and effectiveness of removal techniques).
The following types of tattoos or brands are prejudicial to good order and discipline and are, therefore, prohibited anywhere on a Soldier’s body:
- Extremist. Extremist tattoos or brands are those affiliated with, depicting, or symbolizing extremist philosophies, organizations, or activities. Extremist philosophies, organizations, and activities are those which advocate racial, gender, or ethnic hatred or intolerance; advocate, create, or engage in illegal discrimination based on race, color, gender, ethnicity, religion, or national origin; or advocate violence or other unlawful means of depriving individual rights under the U.S. Constitution, and Federal or State law (see AR 600–20).
- Indecent. Indecent tattoos or brands are those that are grossly offensive to modesty, decency, propriety, or professionalism.
- Sexist. Sexist tattoos or brands are those that advocate a philosophy that degrades or demeans a person based on gender.
- Racist. Racist tattoos or brands are those that advocate a philosophy that degrades or demeans a person based on race, ethnicity, or national origin.
c. Tattoos or brands, regardless of subject matter, are prohibited on the head, face (except for permanent makeup, as provided in paragraph 3–2b(2)), neck (anything above the t-shirt neckline to include on/inside the eyelids, mouth, and ears), wrists, and hands, except Soldiers may have one ring tattoo on each hand, below the joint of the bottom segment (portion closest to the palm) of the finger. Accessing applicants must adhere to this same policy.”
Willful Body Manipulations
The information on the website merely asks, “Do you have any willful body mutilations?” It is not clear what that means. However, under the same section of Army AR 670-1: 3-3. Army Tattoo Policy, it states in sub-section (j):
“Soldiers are prohibited from any unauthorized form of body mutilation, which is the willful mutilation of the body or any body parts in any manner. This prohibition does not include authorized medical alterations performed at a medical treatment facility or cosmetic, reconstructive, or plastic surgery procedures the commander normally approves.
Examples of unauthorized body mutilation include, but are not limited to, tongue bifurcation (splitting of the tongue), ear gauging (enlarged holes in the lobe of the ear that are greater than 1.6mm), unnatural shaping of teeth, ear pointing (or elfing), scarification (cutting to create intentional scarring), or body modifications for the purpose of suspension (hanging by body hooks).”
If a person has any tattoo(s) or willful body manipulation(s) that is suspect of not meeting these requirements, you should talk a military recruiter.
Prequalification Number 7
Being Single Parent
Being a single parent will disqualify a person from entry into the Army. It is an issue of who is taking care of your kid(s), if you are in the service or if you are deployed to another location. It is also an issue of the soldier being ready for deployment when required. In my research to better understand this requirement, I found an article entitled, Children of Military Couples and Military Single Parents written by Rod Powers dated November 7, 2019. The article gave the following background regarding this rule:
“What happens to children of single-parent military members, or the children of dual-couple military members when they are deployed?
Military members who are single parents and dual-military couples may need to ask family and friends to be guardians or take on dual custody of their children if both parents are deployed at the same time. When the services got orders from the President to begin deploying active-duty military members to the Gulf for DESERT SHIELD and activating National Guard and Reserve members, they got an unexpected surprise — hundreds of single-parents and dual-military couples with children were not ready to go. They had no plans for the care of their children. This caused a lot of rescheduling and juggling of deployment plans.
As a result, the Department of Defense (DOD) got tough. In July of 1992, DOD published DOD Instruction 1342.19, Family Care Plans, to standardize the requirements for all of the military services. Additionally, the military services stopped accepting single-parents for enlistment in the military.”
From the military’s perspective single parent soldiers are not as flexible when they are needed for deployment and the military has decided to avoid this issue by not allowing single parents in the Army. However, from a teenager or young adult perspective, he/she may see the military as an opportunity to create a better life for his/her and children. My suggestion is if a person is in this situation, talk to a military recruiter and if applicable, provide written proof that you have a guardian for your kid(s) in case of deployment. Some individuals will have parents or family members who are willing to assist with childcare while the person is in the military. You have nothing to lose if you attempt to negotiate this issue since you are already preemptively precluded from service.
Summary
The above seven (7) Prequalifications are not an issue for many people. However, an individual seeking this path, needs to know the requirements, and for those who may have 1 or more obstacles, you need to begin the evaluate how to overcome obstacles you face. You will use this same method of research, evaluate, overcome obstacles and execute the plan with all the paths you will look at now and in the future.
Below is a list of military websites you can visit and research to evaluate whether military service is the best first step for you as you seek personal and financial independence.
- military.com
- usa.gov/join-military
- www.army.mil and www.goarmy.com
- www.nationalguard.mil
- www.navy.mil and www.navy.com
- www.af.mil and www.airforce.com
- www.marines.mil and www.marines.com
- www.uscg.mil and www.gocoastguard.com
- www.spaceforce.mil
In Part 2 of this series, I will discuss obtaining marketable training, military jobs, and preparing and taking the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) Test. Please get accustomed to test-taking, because, for many people, it just does not stop.
In order to assist those in researching the Prequalifications I have discussed above; I have created a Military Prequalification Assessment Guide in pdf format. You can use this tool on your desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile device. You fill in the blanks and tick the boxes. You can use this tool for each branch of the military you research. You can print out the results or save them to your hard drive. You only need a free Abode Acrobat Reader to use this tool. Just click the link below, follow the instructions, and download a free version of the tool.
