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Post-Secondary Options in the US Military
Enlisted Service
The Military consists of 13 branches: six Active Duty and seven part-time duty. Active-duty service members are full-time members of the Military. They are employed either domestically or overseas.
Part-time service options fall under two types: Reserve and National Guard. These service members have civilian careers and train one weekend out of each month at a unit located nearby. Part-time service members participate in an annual two-week program that allows them to utilize all the training they received throughout the year.
The United States Army is one of the three military departments reporting directly to the Department of Defense. It is composed of both an active and a reserve component and conducts operational and institutional missions around the world.
The United States Marine Corps is a component of the Department of the Navy. It serves as the country’s expeditionary force in readiness and carries out global missions on both sea and shore.
The United States Navy reports directly to the Department of Defense. It provides combat-ready Naval forces for worldwide operations focused on maintaining the freedom of the seas, deterring aggression and achieving victory at war.
The United States Air Force reports directly to the Department of Defense. It trains for and maintains global superiority in air, space and cyberspace and is equipped for a rapid worldwide response.
The U.S. Space Force is the Military’s sixth Service branch, with advanced operations on land, in air and in orbit. Its core mission is to deploy forces that improve the nation’s defensive technology and communications capabilities, and to achieve key national objectives through military space power.
The United States National Guard is the oldest branch of the U.S. military. As a complementary force to active duty components, National Guard service members serve both community and country. The National Guard is a versatile force, able to provide support in combat missions, domestic emergencies, humanitarian efforts, homeland security operations and more.
The United States Coast Guard safeguards the Nation’s maritime interests through a variety of civil and military responsibilities. The US Coast Guard operates across the country’s waterways, in our ports, at sea and around the world.
If you are thinking of enlisting in the military as an option after high school, you will need to:
- Arrange to speak with the recruiter for the branch of the service that interests you. Recruiters from each military branch visit BHS just like any college - check Naviance for the visit schedule. If you would like to arrange further meetings, we suggest having the recruiter meet with you in your home so that your parents can understand the process and can ask questions.
- Take the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) which is a multiple-choice test, administered by the United States Military Entrance Processing Command, used to determine qualifications for enlistment in the United States Armed Forces. Your recruiter can help you register for the exam and offer assistance with how to prepare for it.
Service Academies & Military Colleges
Service academies & Senior Military Colleges (SMCs) offer a four-year higher education experience while fully immersing students in military culture. The academies offer full scholarships (tuition, housing, textbooks) in return for a five-year service commitment after graduation. In comparison, SMCs combine higher education with military instruction through mandatory ROTC programs. However, only students that receive military scholarships are required to serve upon graduating.
*If you are considering attending one of these academies or colleges, please speak with your counselor. The admissions process begins early in junior year.
Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)
Founded in 1916, ROTC stands for Reserve Officer Training Corps. It’s a college program offered at over 1,700 colleges and universities across the United States that prepares young adults to become officers in the U.S. Military. In exchange for a paid college education and a guaranteed post-college career, cadets commit to serve in the Military after graduation. Each Service branch has its own take on ROTC.
The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) is a great officer path option for those interested in experiencing military training and culture who still want to attend a civilian college. Students participate in ROTC exercises, which are a combination of field exercises, hands-on leadership workshops and classroom instruction. The program pays for a student's education in exchange for a service commitment upon graduation.
