Do You Need Qualifications to Join the Army?
The United States Army is one of the five branches of the military that is charged with ensuring the safety of the country and its citizens. The enrollment process is designed to ensure that only qualified individuals are allowed to join the Army. Potential enlistees must meet certain qualifications to be considered eligible for the army.
Other People Are Reading
-
Citizenship/Age
-
People interested in joining the U.S. Army must meet citizenship requirements. Natural-born and naturalized citizens are eligible to join the Army. Resident aliens are also eligible to join the Army. Resident aliens are people who reside within the country who do not have citizenship status. A current green card or proof that a person had one in the previous calendar year is required to be considered a resident alien. People ages 17 to 34 years of age are eligible to enlist in the Army. Parental consent is required for those who are 17 years of age.
Education
-
The Army requires enlistees to have a high school diploma. Recipients of the General Education Development (GED) certificate or people who were home-schooled may also be eligible to enlist in the Army. Whether or not someone who has been home-schooled or who received their GED is accepted is at the discretion of the Army. In these cases, an enlistee's score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test will be carefully considered.
-
Armed Services Vocational Battery Test
-
The Armed Services Vocational Battery Test (ASVAB) is an aptitude test that is administered by the U.S. Army. The test covers mathematics, science, word knowledge and other subjects. Each section of the test is scored individually. Certain sections of the test may also be combined and scored to gain a composite score for verbal, math and academic ability. Scores are placed in percentile categories. People who score in the lower 10th percentile are automatically ineligible to join the Army.
Medical Exam
-
The Military Entrance Processing Station medical exam is one of the last hurdles potential soldiers face when enlisting in the Army. The exam is used to ensure enlistees are free of infectious diseases and medical conditions that would render them unable to serve in the Army in a satisfactory condition. The exam is also used to ensure enlistees will be able to adapt to a military environment. Enlistees who are not cleared by the Army's authorized physician will not be admitted into the Army.
-
