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Jane
Student
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what is a career in military?
How to be in military school
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2 answers
Sanvika Kumar
7
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Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Updated
Sanvika’s Answer
Choosing a career in the military means you get to serve in your country's armed forces. This path is full of different roles, duties, and areas of expertise. A military career isn't just about combat and defense. It also opens doors to exciting fields like logistics, intelligence, healthcare, and technology. So, it's like a big adventure with lots of opportunities waiting for you!
Ryan Pfeiffer, MA
Firefighter Lieutenant / EMT
104
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Fort Collins, Colorado
Updated
Ryan’s Answer
Hello Jane. Broadly speaking, you can have a career in the military by either enlisting or commissioning as an officer.
Enlisted personnel (privates, airmen, sergeants, etc.) can typically enter the military straight out of high school, and they tend to start off their careers as the "boots on the ground" or "wrench turning" positions that do the hard work that makes America's military great. Over the years you can rise to supervisory positions in your given career field. There is literally just about a career field for everything, since the military is designed to be pretty self reliant. So you can work a career in any area from a front line infantry soldier to a dental hygienist.
Officers (lieutenants, captains, colonels, generals, etc.) are required to earn a bachelors degree, or higher, before entering the service, and are generally immediately placed in positions that are supervisory and/or require more technical knowledge or responsibility (i.e being the pilot of a $2 billion dollar B-2 bomber, sitting alert in a bunker with the keys to launch a nuclear missile, doctors, lawyers, etc.). Although enlisted and officers can be supervisors, only officers can be commanders - the individuals charged with the ultimate responsibility and authority to lead a unit (think of commanders as a business' CEO).
Whether enlisted or officer, you're considered retirement eligible after 20-years of service. Although more options exist now, historically speaking serving a full career and retiring means that you're entitled to a pension check every month for the rest of your life (50% of your base pay after 20-years, or 75% if you put in a full thirty years). This is a great deal, especially if you enlist straight out of high school at 18, since you could retire as early as 38-years old! (civilians paying into social security are generally not retirement eligible until 67 years old!).
In terms of military schools, there are a few types. There are "military schools" that refer to middle and high schools that are run in a militaristic fashion (uniforms, dorm inspections, marching, physical training, etc.). There really isn't a formal connection to the military or much formal benefit to attending one of these schools. Where you see your true beneficial and official "military schools" is at the college level. These schools are specifically designed to educate and train future military officers, usually referred to as cadets.
There are a few categories of these college level military schools. The most prestigious are the service academies (U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy). These are highly competitive to get into, free to attend, and formally run by the military. There are, however, a number of private military colleges that operate very similar to these service academies, and also commission military officers, but are not free to attend and are not officially run by the military, such as the Virginia Military Institute or New Mexico Military Institute. Lastly, there are ROTC programs which are programs that place at normal everyday universities all over the country. Cadets at these schools complete their military training a few hours a day or a few days a week, but are otherwise normal college students that get to enjoy many freedoms that their peers attending the service academies do not get. Both will graduate and enter the service with the same rank and status, though the prestige of the service academies can have an impact on career advancement later in an officer's career when, for example, being considered for a promotion to Colonel or General.
I hope that answers your questions about military careers and military schools. Let me know if you have more specific questions!
~Ryan, US Air Force Captain (2014-2018) (ROTC Graduate)
Enlisted personnel (privates, airmen, sergeants, etc.) can typically enter the military straight out of high school, and they tend to start off their careers as the "boots on the ground" or "wrench turning" positions that do the hard work that makes America's military great. Over the years you can rise to supervisory positions in your given career field. There is literally just about a career field for everything, since the military is designed to be pretty self reliant. So you can work a career in any area from a front line infantry soldier to a dental hygienist.
Officers (lieutenants, captains, colonels, generals, etc.) are required to earn a bachelors degree, or higher, before entering the service, and are generally immediately placed in positions that are supervisory and/or require more technical knowledge or responsibility (i.e being the pilot of a $2 billion dollar B-2 bomber, sitting alert in a bunker with the keys to launch a nuclear missile, doctors, lawyers, etc.). Although enlisted and officers can be supervisors, only officers can be commanders - the individuals charged with the ultimate responsibility and authority to lead a unit (think of commanders as a business' CEO).
Whether enlisted or officer, you're considered retirement eligible after 20-years of service. Although more options exist now, historically speaking serving a full career and retiring means that you're entitled to a pension check every month for the rest of your life (50% of your base pay after 20-years, or 75% if you put in a full thirty years). This is a great deal, especially if you enlist straight out of high school at 18, since you could retire as early as 38-years old! (civilians paying into social security are generally not retirement eligible until 67 years old!).
In terms of military schools, there are a few types. There are "military schools" that refer to middle and high schools that are run in a militaristic fashion (uniforms, dorm inspections, marching, physical training, etc.). There really isn't a formal connection to the military or much formal benefit to attending one of these schools. Where you see your true beneficial and official "military schools" is at the college level. These schools are specifically designed to educate and train future military officers, usually referred to as cadets.
There are a few categories of these college level military schools. The most prestigious are the service academies (U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy). These are highly competitive to get into, free to attend, and formally run by the military. There are, however, a number of private military colleges that operate very similar to these service academies, and also commission military officers, but are not free to attend and are not officially run by the military, such as the Virginia Military Institute or New Mexico Military Institute. Lastly, there are ROTC programs which are programs that place at normal everyday universities all over the country. Cadets at these schools complete their military training a few hours a day or a few days a week, but are otherwise normal college students that get to enjoy many freedoms that their peers attending the service academies do not get. Both will graduate and enter the service with the same rank and status, though the prestige of the service academies can have an impact on career advancement later in an officer's career when, for example, being considered for a promotion to Colonel or General.
I hope that answers your questions about military careers and military schools. Let me know if you have more specific questions!
~Ryan, US Air Force Captain (2014-2018) (ROTC Graduate)