Then you actually have to put in work. I’m 33 now and crushing. Another benefit (and this is available to you if you do the quick stints I recommended above for the GI Bill) is the VA loan. Same town, just doing it voluntarily to leverage the loan for another rental property when we PCS away. I'm currently 16 years old, and i'll be 17 in September. And if you did join at 17 while in high school you would go to basic training in summer between Junior and senior year right? This gives you the ability to put NCO on your resume and even more important, you have the unbelievably valuable GI Bill. Bill pay for all of that as well? 3 of my 4 are in the service. So I’m staying for the money, not patriotism. You’re going to be around a bunch of 18 – 20 year olds while in BMT, Tech School and for the rest of your Air Force career. I am really good at what I do and still feel underutilized and underpaid and under-challenged, but the stability of not having to start over, break in income, and healthcare are important to me for my family. Joining the Military at age 17. Each branch of the military has tiers for recruits and classifies all of their recruits into one of three categories. Please use a *clear title* for your question: clear titles get clear answers. Folks with this guy's attitude of applying yourself and making the most of evey situation is the way to go if you join. If you enter and expect to just step out into the big bucks having not put in the work you will be in for a huge surprise. Like... at all. 1. You were told you'd be forced into the Reserves because split training option, which allows you to attend Basic Training and AIT during the Summers to accommodate for school (High School or College) is only available in the Army Reserve and Army National Guard. Plus, tons of jobs in the military translate well to civilian life. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the Militaryfaq community. My parents support me on this. I retired in 26 years as an O4 (about $65k COLA adjusted), and spent a total of 5 years at sea. Go Navy or Air Force as an officer. Then retire, get VA and a civilian job or just retire early. I would do it all again in a heartbeat. The GI bill is a pretty fantastic deal and is basically a free ride at a state school where you get paid to attend but depending on active duty vs reserves vs NG there are lots of rules to when and how you can use it. I know you can join Army National Guard at 17. It's a job. I’m 24 and single, so I’m not dragging a family along my journey. You need to get that straightened out with your recruiter. This commitment is not to be taken lightly. Press J to jump to the feed. I was recently turned off from the Army because they said that if I joined at age 17, during my junior year, I would be forced into the Reserves. I’m also currently stationed in a place that has absolutely nothing to do with my previous training. That’s their set up. If you are thinking of joining the US military, think deeply and gather as much information as possible before making a commitment. Multiple AMEX platinums, etc for stacking benefits and churning. What is your reason for joining and what goals do you have going forward? I am NOT going to tell you "Don't do it" about joining the military services. I spent 17 years in Europe (England, Italy, Portugal) and Japan and loved it. Man, the army does all kinds of crazy crap. There is no way to fully mentally prepare for the military. This is a great example of how to do the military “correctly”. It’s fantastic, I’ve never had an issue, and for my family, I’ve never paid anything but about $40 a month and about $1500 for a kid’s braces. It has given me and my family a life I could never have dreamed of and put me in a position now, to where I can do just about anything I want, or nothing at all if I choose.