Expert: MARK A. HOWELL - 3/12/2009

Question
Hello,
My brother will be receiving his AA degree in communications from a junior college this spring and is thinking about joining the military. Our parents will pay for his education so I strongly suggest he finish college with a bachelors degree before enlisting . What would be the advantages of enlisting with a  bachelors degree?

Thanks

Answer
Damon,
By all means, he should finish his degree first.  He'll need a Bachelor's degree to become an officer, not an Associates degree.  Enlisted folks are encouraged to obtain an Associates degree sometime in their career, but officers need a Bachelor's.  It's possible for enlisted people to go to Officer's Training School (OTS) after they've obtained a Bachelor's degree but the odds are slim.  Trying to get a B.A. degree while being enlisted in the military is very hard…trying to juggle work and school.  If at all possible, he should get school out of the way, and then go to OTS.  Then he can relax and cruise through the military with no worries (and a much bigger paycheck.)

Bottom line - Money talks.
- With an AA degree he enters as an enlisted guy at $1400 per month.
- With a Bachelor's he'll enter as an officer at $2655 per month.
A difference of $1255 may not sound like a whole lot now, but in 4 years when it's time to decide whether or not to stay in the military an officer would be making roughly $2831 more per month than an enlisted person, and it increases greatly over time.  Of course there are a lot more advantages than just money, (like being a worker bee or being the boss) but money is the most noticeable to young folks.  So two more years in school now, could benefit him by tens of thousands of dollars over a normal career.
It is sometimes tough to convince a person who has just spent the last 14 years or more in schools, that he needs to stay for 2 more years, but try your best.  It'll benefit him greatly.
A degree in communications is great because there's a great demand for Comm guys in the military, but actually any degree will get him in as an officer.  I entered the AF in the communications-electronics career field with a 4-year try-it-and-see-if-I-like-it idea.  Here I am 30 years later and I've loved every minute of it.  I wouldn't trade my military experiences for anything in the world.
Please congratulate him for me on considering the military as a career.
Colonel H