Does the U.S. military accept high school drop outs?

Question

My younger brother dropped out of school, and he thinks he'd rather join in the military than tell our parents.

Will they deny him, based on that? Or will they help him get his GED?

(He just turned 18, only had one year left to go.)

Answer 1

he needs a GED or something proving hes working on it. He should go talk to a recruiter

Answer 2

Sir,
I cannot speak for the other services, but I am an Army Officer, and the other services are generally more stringent than ours.
I can assure you - without a High School diploma, it will be nearly impossible for him to join the military. If he had a GED, there may be a slim chance, but it would require a waiver. Now as you said he doesn't even have a GED; no chance whatsoever.

The Army of Today is high tech, we need educated people who can read and write, and who don't QUIT at the first sign of trouble. Your brother is too much of a financial risk - the probability of his successful completion of boot camp is less than 5%. It costs the taxpayer money - and as he is a quitter, unable to even finish high school - it is unlikely he would succeed with us either.

I wish I could give you a better answer. He needs to go back to school and get an education, then if he wants to look into a job with the military, we will see what he can do.

Answer 3

you must have a GED OR A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA TO GET IN THE MILITARY NOW DAYS .
they figure if you do not have the guts to make it in high school then you will not make it in the military.

Is the Military Interested in GED Recipients?
One might suppose that, since post secondary institutions are welcoming students with GED credentials, the military would do likewise. However, since the mid-1980s, the U.S. military has set the limit for new recruits who have GEDs at 10 percent. It has also instituted a three-tier policy that places GED recipients in the second tier. These decisions were based on evidence of GED recipients' poor attrition rates (ibid.).


One bright spot is the U.S. military, which has not compromised standards, but ... They do their best to avoid felons, high school drop outs

Answer 4

Most will not accept a high school drop out, but he could ask a recruiter. There have been instances of getting a military GED, but that is usually for people who have been held back a grade or have turned 18 while still in high school. The reasoning is that if someone drops out of high school, they will probably drop out of basic.

Answer 5

the armed forces of 2011 isn't the comparable as 1865. It demands brains & skills that drop outs lack. Do you think of we enable any toddler off the corner restoration a $ 20 million greenback helicopter. A extreme college degree is fairly elementary point for any interest at present. No income is gained via dropping standards.

Answer 6

YES HE CAN!
my husband is a high school drop out but he did get his GED, your brother definately needs his GED to get in, i know most of all the branches will take him especially the army, the Air Force usually won't take people who don't have a high school diploma but my husband got a really high score on his ASVAB so they wanted him, your brother should definately go for it, it will change his life and make him a man

Answer 7

Yes. Go to any recruiter. In fact, the military is always getting busted for bring in people without a HD or GED. Your supposed to have one or the other, but there is a war on so we tend to look the other way if you plan on getting your GED. Most of the people that enlist are in the bottom half of their HS class.

Answer 8

I don't believe they even accept the GED anymore. Maybe the army would be the only one. Have him check with a recruiter. His best bet is to go back to school.

Answer 9

I don't think you can join the Air Force, I am not sure about the other branches. He just needs to contact a local recruiter. Encourage him to finish school, it will give him more opportunitys in the service, unless he just wants to be a grunt. Another thing, running away from responsibility is not a good reason to join the service, not during peace or war time. Good luck to him.

Answer 10

When the real war begins, they will scrape the pot and lower the standard and take all, just short of drafting. To me , whether you go the required distance in a government school of little education and lots of indoctrination to sensitivety or nay, should not be an issue of membership in the military. Anyone can be taught to kill and break things, people have that come natural to them anyhow.