People say to me all the time, “Hey FUBAR 6, you’re a man of limited intellectual capabilities, with little to no potential. How did you manage to have such a successful military career?” Well, it was by pure chance that I just happened to join the military in one of the most efficient ways to maximize benefits. So, if you are wondering the best way to join the military or the best way to recommend someone else to join, here it is…
The 10 second version of this article:
- Join the National Guard as soon as possible, preferably at age 17 (starting your time for pay and retirement)
- Go to Basic Training and AIT right away (starting your military benefits)
- Immediately enroll in ROTC at a State University, using your Tuition Assistance (to pay for your college), while receiving GI Bill and GI Bill kicker (free money!)
- Commission as an officer to make the most money and have the most career options
Take the military for a test drive
Would you buy a car that you had to drive under penalty of jail for the next four years, without test driving it? Then why would you just sign up to go Active Duty Army (or any branch for that matter)? What if there was a way to do trial run with the military to see if it is a good fit for you? Well, boy do I have the solution! It’s called the National Guard! When you join the National Guard, your service obligation is one weekend a month and two weeks a year. You get to essentially “test drive” the military.
What’s even better is that there are all sorts of opportunities to serve more than that, if you want. You can even go from the National Guard to Active Duty during the same enlistment period (Google “Conditional Release”). But if one day you wake up on Active Duty and say to your Platoon Sergeant “Hey Mr. Platoon Sergeant, this whole Active Duty thing is just not for me. Can I join the National Guard?” He will say “No” and then most likely make you do a series of forced exercises (known as getting “Smoked”) in order to properly motivate you to continue your Active Duty service. You can’t decide that you don’t like Active Duty and try to join the National Guard, until after your enlistment period is over. The bottom line is that going straight to Active Duty is like buying a car that you haven’t test driven. So, join the Guard and get a proper feel for the military before making such a bold commitment.
When is the most optimal time to join?
The best time to join is as soon as possible. Why would I say this? It’s because of how retirement and military pay work. You get paid more (regardless of your rank) for having more years in service. It only makes sense to start your clock for pay as soon as possible. A Second Lieutenant with 4 years Time in Service (TIS) makes more than a Second Lieutenant with 1 year TIS. Also, you are eligible for a pension at 20 years of service. The sooner you start that service, the sooner you are eligible for that pension. And there is nothing more optimal than getting paid to not work (aka getting that pension)!
That being said, the earliest you can join the military is 17 years old (with parental consent). In an ideal world, you would sign up on your 17th birthday while you are still in high school. This is known as the Delayed Entry Program.[1] While you are still in High School, you are not required to attend the one weekend a month (known as drill) or go to basic training (although you can), but your clock starts for pay purposes, as well as some other benefits. Some people go to basic training the summer after their junior year of high school. This is known as the Spilt Training Option and is extremely efficient in beginning your military career. After you graduate high school, you will attend Advanced Individual Training (AIT) where you will learn your specific military job. Once you graduate, you will be a fully qualified Soldier and begin attending your one weekend a month, two weeks a year training with your designated unit.
The Simultaneous membership program
The next step in the process is to then leverage your military service for free college. After graduating from AIT, you will enroll in college. As part of your class load, you will sign up for the Reserve Officer Training Program (ROTC). These are classes that anyone can take that teach you about the military with the ultimate goal of having you commission as an officer. And that’s precisely your goal; your new mission is to graduate college with a degree and become a commissioned offer (in the rank of Second Lieutenant) in the Army. Being a member of both the National Guard and contracting as a cadet in ROTC is known as the Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP).
Why become an officer? Answer: Leadership opportunities and pay. Officers get to be in-charge and learn how to manage people. Because of the tremendous responsibility that comes with being in-charge, officers are compensated greater than their enlisted counterparts.
Another benefit of contracting in ROTC is that it makes you non deployable until you finish your college degree. This helps you to focus on class and not have to worry about serving overseas while you are still in college. For all you wondering, contracting is a fancy way of saying that you are committing to finishing ROTC in exchange for money and the ability to become an officer.
Money, Money, Money, Money…Money!
Now let’s review why joining the National Guard before attending college is the most optimal decision. The primary answer: Straight Cash, Homie! Once you join the National Guard you will start earning pay every time you complete your one weekend a month or perform any other sort of military duty. You will also get the following:
- All your college paid for: You will get your entire tuition paid for through the Tuition Assistance Program (up to the rate of the highest in-state public university). Up to $70,000 total.
- GI Bill ($481 per month)
- GI Bill Kicker ($350 per month)
- Drill Pay ($180 per month *estimated based on approx. rank and TIS)
- ROTC Stipend ($300-$500 per month). You will receive this once you contract as a cadet in the ROTC program.
- Once you contract with ROTC you will also get paid as an E5, increasing your pay amount.
This does not include any other scholarships or grant money you may receive from other sources. Those will typically come back to you in your checking account as reimbursement checks. Tuition Assistance is a HUGE deal! It keeps you from having to take out student loans; starting your adult life in debt. There is also something called the Yellow Ribbon Program where certain private colleges within the state will accept the Tuition Assistance Rate, effectively letting you attend their school for the same price as a public university. So, if you have your heart set on a certain private school, see if they are a member of the Yellow Ribbon Program. This mainly applies to Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits, but in some instances can apply to State Tuition Assistance.
Things to think about
Cool sidenote: Once you graduate from college and the ROTC program, you can choose if you want to go Active Duty, National Guard, or Reserves. You no longer have to serve out your entire National Guard enlistment contract. You will sign a new contract as an officer, electing one of those options.
The bottom line is, the longer you wait in life to join, the more baggage and obstacles you tend to pick up. You get married, have kids, have health issues, have financial obligations, etc. All of these hamper your mobility and ability to start something fresh, like the military. Therefore, the earlier you start your journey, the more likely you will be able to complete it. Of course, joining the military is a very big decision and not something to be entered into lightly. You should definitely consider all of your options. But as far as efficiency goes, this is the most optimal way to join and get the most benefit out of military service for most people. Now check out this step-by-step guide below.
*This article was written by FUBAR 6. All opinions expressed in this article are that of the author. This article is not endorsed by the Department of Defense, the United States Army, or any other state or government agency. This article does not constitute financial advice. Any actions taken by the reader are at their own discretion. Most of the advice in this article comes with caveats. Do your own research or talk with a military recruiter to find out more information. Comments to the author can be submitted below.
The Ultimate Step by Step Guide to the Most Optimal and Efficient Path
to Joining the Military and Maximizing Benefits
This is the best path to get paid, get experience, and maximize your benefits in the military regardless of if you want to be Active Duty or National Guard. These same steps also apply to the joining the Air Force (or Air National Guard).
- Join the National Guard while in high school (preferably at age 17 during your junior year):
- Talk with a recruiter
- Take the ASVAB test (on a computer) to see what jobs you qualify for
- Pick a job to do in the military (Infantry, MP, Intelligence, Cyber warfare, logistics, artillery, engineer, etc.)
- See if your job comes with an enlistment bonus
- Pass the medical screening
- Once you pass all the requirements, you will enlist (swear in) and your time for pay purposes and retirement starts immediately
- Go to Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training (AIT) during the summer of your junior year into senior year:
- Basic training is 10 weeks long
- AIT length depends on job (3 to 16 weeks)
- Go to AIT in the summer so that you can still attend the fall semester of college without missing anytime
- Enroll in college and sign up for ROTC:
- You will get your school paid for through tuition assistance (up to the rate of the highest in-state public university)
- You will receive GI Bill ($481), GI Bill Kicker ($350), Drill Pay ($180 *estimate), and ROTC Stipend ($300-$500 once contracted) = $1,311 per month (this does not include any other scholarships or grant money you receive)
- Once you contract with ROTC you will also get paid as an E5, increasing your drill check amount
- Finish your baccalaureate (degree):
- Commission as an officer (Second Lieutenant) in the Army and choose National Guard, Active Duty, or the Reserves.
- Incur a 4-to-6-year service obligation
- By becoming an officer, you will earn more money per paycheck, more money for retirement, and have greater leadership and career opportunities.
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You’re still here? You’re still reading this?
Ok, Ok…I may have gone a little too far on this next one, but…this is actually the MOST EFFICIENT way I could conceive to join the military and squeeze every last drop out of the benefits.
In doing some research it turns out that 17 is the youngest you can be to commission as an officer. So, while you are 13 to 15 years old, take as many college credit classes as possible toward a bachelor’s degree.
On your 16th birthday, take the GED exam and get your GED (16 is the youngest you can take it) or try and complete all the education requirements for high school for a traditional diploma. You will then finish your college degree (bachelor’s or higher) by 17. Strangely enough there are some self-paced online options that allow you to do this (example; Western Governors University).
On your 17th birthday (or a little bit before because the paperwork takes a while), apply for a direct commission in the military. This is mostly reserved for specialty branch officers such as doctors, lawyers, etc. The implied task here is that your degree would have to be in something specialized so that the military is willing to waive the traditional officer requirements and give you the direct commission. I think in the upcoming years this could even be some sort of computer or cyber specialty. You could also try and shmooze a member of congress, to help you out.
You would then be an officer at age 17 and able to retire with a twenty-year career and full pension at 37 (most likely as a Lieutenant Colonel). Also, if you had a specialty (such as a physician of some sort) you would be eligible for bonus pays that would get you even more money than other officers of a similar rank. Of course, if you are this motivated, you would probably be better suited to be an entrepreneur and start the next Amazon, but hey…this would be pretty dope.
[1] https://nationalguard.com/split-training-option