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October 13, 2019

What are the Eligibility Requirements for Joining the Military?

Many young people are known to be seriously considering pursuing a career in the military. After all, who wouldn’t want to take advantage of the opportunity to be trained and to work in a number of specialties while serving the country?

If you’re wondering what are the eligibility requirements for joining any of the five branches of the military, Veteran Car Donations is here to give you a clear picture of how to join the U.S. armed forces.

Shared Basic Requirements

In case you’re not aware, the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Navy have their own respective criteria for those who are interested to enlist. To become an eligible member of any of the service branches, you must be a citizen of the United States or a permanent resident who is at least 17 years old and has a high school diploma or any high school equivalency. Those who are younger than 17 years must have the consent of their parent/s or guardian/s before they’re allowed to join.

The Air Force and the Navy only take recruits who are not older than 39 years old. In the case of the Army, the maximum age of recruits is 34 years old. For the Coast Guard, it’s 31 years old while for the Marines Corps, the maximum age of recruits is 28 years old.

You must also pass a physical exam before you can be admitted to any branch of service. Those who have pre-existing health conditions that have not been corrected are automatically disqualified.

Lastly, you must take and pass the Armed Service and Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)

Distinct Military Career Paths

You can choose between the two distinct career paths in the military—Enlisted or Commissioned Officers. Enlisted members are those who perform hands-on military work while commissioned officers are managers in the military.

Different rules of eligibility apply for enlisted and officer programs. For example, in terms of educational attainment, commissioned officers are required to have a bachelor’s degree while enlisted members are only required to have a high school diploma. However, you can find many high school graduates who join the military as service members and they use their educational benefits to earn a bachelor’s degree as well as a commission.

Are You Ready to Make a Difference?

Making a difference to the veteran community in your local area isn’t so hard if you have any type of unwanted vehicle to give away. By donating such a vehicle to us at Veteran Car Donations, you will help provide funding for our IRS-registered 501(C)3 nonprofit partners. We will auction off your donated vehicle and use the proceeds to support our charity partners in delivering to deserving veterans such benefits as mortgage-free and specially adapted homes, free mental healthcare, employment opportunities, job training, transitioning assistance, tutoring support, education scholarships, financial assistance, life skills training, counseling, and many others.

Aside from the deep sense of personal fulfillment and satisfaction that you’ll feel knowing that you’ll be helping transform people’s lives, you’ll also get to enjoy our free pickup and towing and a healthy tax deduction in the next tax season.

For more information, feel free to visit our FAQs page. If you have questions, you can call us at 877-594-5822 or send us a message online. You can donate to Veteran Car Donations by filling out our secure online donation form or calling us directly in our toll-free 24/7 hotline.

We accept donations of nearly all types of vehicles regardless of age, mileage, and condition. You can also make your donation wherever you are in the United States since we have vehicle donation programs in all 50 states.

Donate Your Clunker Now!

How about giving your old battered a car a new and noble purpose by turning it into a powerful tool to help our nation’s heroes who are facing hard times? Call us at 877-591-5822 and donate your clunker to us now!

Veteran Car Donations operates in all 50 states.

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Or call (877) 594-5822!