Does going to the Military better my chances of becoming a police officer or firefighter

Firefighting is certainly a tough career to get into, because the availability is limited. Police work on the other hand is something that is generally more available to get into. As a 4 year Navy veteran, I definitely think that going into the military will help your chances of becoming a police officer. It doesn't necessarily mean you're a "shoe-in" for the job, but the military experience and training will certainly help guide you in the right direction if you're interested in law enforcement. If you're really interested in being a firefighter, you should try to go into the Navy as a Damage Controlman. They are essentially the Navy's firefighters and emergency response onboard our navy vessels. Their training is top notch, as it should be, because if your ship is on fire out to sea, there is nowhere to escape to. You either put out the fire or lose the ship. If you're going to go in the military, go Navy or Air Force. Trust me. Army and Marines is rewarding as well, don't get me wrong, but you don't need to see a combat zone in order to gain the necessary experience. As far as law enforcement related jobs are concerned, go into the Air Force for Security Forces or the Navy as a Master-at-Arms. Those military rates will lead you in the right direction for what you're looking for. Hope that helps! Best of luck to you!

Jon,

The Military is a great place to start any career. Police and fire departments are structured very similar to the Military and have similar discipline and fitness standards As you are still in High School I suggest studying for the ASVAB (like the SAT or ACT but for entering the military), combined with staying in good health/shape, keeping your grades high, and staying out of trouble.

You can also check with your local High School to see if they have any Vocational opportunities to train as a Fireman or a Police officer. You can also check with local communities to see if there also any volunteer EMT and Firefighter opportunities available.

Finally, you can also look into taking Criminal Justice courses at your local community college. All of this will prepare you for a successful military career as well as any future police, EMT, or Firefighter careers. Good Luck!

Joining the US Military can be one of the most rewarding things you may ever do. Does it boost your abilty for getting a Police or Fire fighter job? Not totally, but it can help you to build the training and unit team building skills you will need if you go to either training center. Learning self discipline and the skills to be a Sailor,Solider, Marine, or Airman will help you in later life with everything you do. And being a reseverist or Vet makes you a better and more likely wanted canidate.

The military is a great place to get leadership skills, confidence, and self motivation. A lot of service members make a critical mistake and its that they do not know how to articulate their military experience on their resumes in civilian language. Meaning they use too much military lingo and jargon that ultimately does not get them considered for a position.

Another mistake that I've seen as a Soldier is that too many young soldiers and service members do not take advantage of the educational opportunities that are available to them. Many people ride out their enlistment contracts and then are out in a position of "now what!" If you decide to go to the military, pick a job that will correlate to the civilian job, go to school while in the service, and within a year of ETS (separation) start working on your resume so you have the advantage over others.