Expert: MARK A. HOWELL - 11/27/2010

Question
My son is 21 and is interested in joining the military he has talked to a couple of recruiters and just gets his hopes built up to be knocked down again...He has his GED but also has been in some trouble as a juvenile at first army said he could join then said no he needs 15 college credits then navy said he could join if had no felonies and then said no cant have 4 of something or 8 of something to join, I don't understand yes he has had some problems no felonies but he had same job for 4 1/2 years and going no where so he is trying to make a better life for him and he has a 3 year old (he don't have custody of) what can he do. I don't understand why they get their hopes up to knock them down if he can't just say no to him.  

Answer
Kim,
I'm glad to see your son at least had the willpower to get his GED.  To often folks just quit school and never bother trying to better themselves.

I'll try to explain what's going on for you.

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.

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, if a GED-holder has 15 or more college credits #which is 5 classes because each class is usually worth 3 credits#, he/she is in the exact same enlistment category as a high school diploma holder.

There are a few things different for those enlisting with a GED as opposed to enlisting with a traditional High School diploma.  These are:
- He must obtain a 65 qualifying score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery #ASVAB) whereas diploma-holders need only 31.
- GED applicants must wait on slots to become available, and this can sometimes mean waiting periods of up to one year.

I'm also glad to see your son is interested in joining the military.  I think it will be a good move for him.  Tell him to keep trying, especially with the Army or the Marines.

I hope it all works out for him.
Colonel H