Expert: MARK A. HOWELL - 10/9/2010

Question
My son just received his Eagle Rank.  He is 17 Oct 2010 - he will not graduate until he is 18..
Is there any way of an early enrollment?  Possibly get his GED and enter?  please advise.

Answer
dj,
Congratulations on him earning Eagle rank.  That's quite an accomplishment.

I would encourage him to stay in school and graduate if at all possible.  Maybe even try home schooling if things are bad in school.  Let me explain why he shouldn't get a GED.

- Each of the services strictly limit the number of high school dropouts (which includes GED holders# who can enlist each year. This is because years of military enlistment statistics have shown that this category of enlistees fail to complete their entire first term of military service at about twice the rate of those with a high school diploma or those with college credits.

- The Air Force is the most strict on this matter.  The Air Force allows less than 1% of annual enlistments to be recruits without a high school diploma.  The Marines have the next highest standards.  No more than 5% of Marine recruits can be GED-holders. The Army and the Navy both allow no more than 10% GED enlistments each year.  So his chances of joining with a GED is better with the Army or the Navy.

There are always many more GED-holders who want to enlist than there are available slots, so -- even to be considered -- a GED holder must score much higher on the ASVAB, than a high school diploma recruit.

However, there are many factors enlisting with a GED as opposed to enlisting with a traditional High School diploma.  These are:
- You must obtain a 65 qualifying score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB).
- GED applicants must wait on slots to become available, and this can sometimes mean waiting periods of up to one year.
- Only certain jobs within each Service are open to GED holders.

The Coast Guard only accepts GED candidates if they have prior military service, and even then requires them to score higher on the Armed Forces Qualification Test.

So basically the military is prejudiced against GED holders.

Since he is now 17 he can enlist, with parents permission, into the Delayed Entry Program (DEP).  That way he won't have to actually leave until he gets his diploma.  Even though he's 17, without a diploma he can't enlist.

He should go see a recruiter in the Service of his choice right away and see what they can do for him.

I wish him well.
Colonel H