If the US Military is where you wish to build a career, it will help to learn a little more about the different job opportunities that are open to you. For a start, you must know that each of the US Military’s branches is divided into two distinct, yet interdependent units –“Active-duty Forces” and “Reserve Forces”.
Eligibility to apply for any of these military units will, however, depend on your age, experience, qualifications and fitness, as well as some other minimum requirements specified by the military branch concerned. Here are some brief definitions of military job opportunities in general.
‘Enlisted’ personnel
Enlisted personnel are entry-level recruits who start their careers from the lowest rank. They form the backbone of the military’s overall workforce by sheer strength of numbers. Enlisted personnel are required to have a minimum of a high school diploma, among other minimum requirements specified by the military branch concerned. New recruits can advance in rank over time with hard work, disciplined behavior, and higher educational qualifications.
‘Entry-level’ officers
Entry-level officers start their career in a supervisory capacity and rank. However, a 4-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or institution, and a good track record, is mandatory before they can be commissioned. The military has many institutions that permit entry-level officers achieve ‘commissioned officer’ status, among them – Officer Candidate Schools (OCS); Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC); and Military Academies.
‘Active-duty’ personnel
Active-duty personnel are strictly “full-time” members, and form a significant part of the military’s workforce. Personnel who qualify for enlistment must first undergo basic training (or ‘boot camp’), on successful completion of which, they are required to attend specialty job training programs.
On graduation, candidates assume ‘active-duty’ status, and are then assigned to a unit based in the US or abroad, as the case may be. Active-duty personnel qualify for retirement, after completing a 20-year service term.
‘Reserve’ personnel
Reserve personnel are “part-time” members and can be called up for duty, at short notice, in times of conflict or crisis. Reserve personnel who have completed basic and specialty training, as well as the specified number of years in active-duty, are free to continue with their civilian careers. Reserve personnel are eligible for retirement on attaining the age of 60 and 20 years of service.
Are you hungry for more info? Click here. 
