Joining the military out of high school offers pay, education, training and discipline advantages.
The military offers high school graduates advantages whether they're thinking of making a career of the military or whether they simply want to take advantage of benefits. Education, pay and training all begin immediately for high school grads upon joining one of the five U.S. service branches. In addition, nearly all options available to college graduates also are available to high school grads, including officer training programs. First and foremost, the armed services exist to protect the United States, so any decisions about military careers or education should be made with that somber thought in mind.
Salary
Perhaps the most obvious advantage to joining the military directly out of high school is a steady salary. Coupled with food, housing and medical benefits, a new enlistee in any service branch --- Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines or Navy --- immediately begins receiving "E-1" pay. The monthly base salary for E-1s in 2011 was $1,467.60. Although gross pay, including special pay and bonuses, is taxable at the federal level, many states don't charge taxes on military income. Most allowances such as housing are exempt from federal taxation. Salary, bonuses, housing, food and medical benefits is about $30,0000 a year for recruits, which would be hard to come by for high school graduates with no training.
On-the-Job Training
Even if a high school grad eschews any formal college classes while in the military, on-the-job training can provide marketable skills for civilian employment. Careers in law enforcement, food services, construction, computers, technical fields and electronics all can get jump started through military training. With additional military-provided schooling, these careers can be further enhanced.
Education
The military offers many ways to receive a free education, or at least to receive generous assistance with educational costs. One of the most popular recruiting tools employed by service branches is the Montgomery GI Bill, which is offered by all service and reserve branches and the Army National Guard. The program offers up to three years of paid education, which can be utilized both during and after serving. A maximum of nearly $40,000 can be accumulated for education purposes for military members serving a full active-duty tour, and lesser amounts for Reserve and National Guard duty. Other educational opportunities include the Armed Forces Tuition Assistance Program, which pays for enlisted service members to enroll in courses at accredited colleges and universities, junior colleges, high schools and vocational and technical schools.
The Community College of the Air Force, the Student Loan Repayment Program, the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges, and the Veterans' Educational Assistance Program are other options. Military ROTC programs pay for qualified high school graduates to attend college. Military classes and a commitment to serve as an officer upon graduation are required for ROTC enrollment.
Leadership & Life Experiences
Joining the military right out of high school provides practical and intangible benefits --- beyond pay and education considerations. Many recruits cite discipline, maturity and leadership as qualities they hope to acquire in the service, and employers point to the same qualities as desirable in hiring veterans. Many employers actively recruit military veterans because of their abilities to solve problems and handle adversity, as well as for their maturity levels, work ethics and hands-on training. Travel, exposure to foreign cultures and diverse peoples, character development and the opportunity to mature as a person while receiving training, education and steady pay all are solid reasons for joining the military out of high school. Of course, serving one's country always is high on most recruits' list of reasons for joining the military.
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