Joining the Military
Students who graduate from high school have the option to join the U.S. military. In doing so, they can gain career training, health and retirement benefits, housing benefits, and tuition support.
There are seven branches of the U.S. military, each playing a different role in protecting U.S. citizens and territories:
- Army: The largest and oldest service in the US Military, the Army provides the ground forces that protect the United States.
- Marine Corps: A component of the Navy, the Marine Corps maintains amphibious and ground units for contingency and combat operations.
- Navy: On, above and below water, the Navy is America’s forward-deployed force and is a major deterrent to aggression around the world.
- Air Force: The Air Force provides a rapid, flexible, and lethal air and space capability that can deliver forces anywhere in the world within hours.
- Space Force: The Space Force organizes, trains, and equips space forces in order to protect U.S. and allied interests in space and to provide space capabilities to the joint force.
- Coast Guard: The Coast Guard provides law and maritime safety enforcement, marine and environmental protection and military and naval support.
- National Guard: Comprised of the Army National Guard and Air National Guard, the National Guard is a versatile force, supporting combat missions, domestic emergencies, humanitarian efforts, homeland security operations and more.
Applying to Join the Military
Students wishing to enter the military must take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). This test measures aptitudes in four areas: Verbal, Math, Science and Technical, and Spatial. Results are used to help predict future success in the military.
Additional information on how to apply to join the military can be found on each branch’s website.
JROTC
Students who are interested in careers in the military are encouraged to explore HCPSS’ Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) Academy. A cooperative effort between Howard County Public School System, the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force, JROTC instruction prepares students in grades 9-12 for leadership roles while making them aware of their rights, responsibilities, and privileges, as American citizens through rigorous instruction and hands-on activities.
Students who participate in JROTC are not under any obligation to join the military. However, if they choose to further their interest in the military, satisfactory completion of the JROTC program can lead to advanced placement credit in the Senior ROTC program (college level) or advanced rank in any of the Armed Forces.
