Armed Forces Career Center: All You Need To Know

Maybe you want to join the United States army but you need more information on how, where and how to begin. This is where the armed forces career center comes in. This is an online or offline location that you can visit to learn about the various career opportunities available in the armed forces.

Armed forces career centers are typically staffed by recruiters from each branch of the military: the US Army, the Marine Corp, the US Navy and Air Force, and provide information about the different jobs, training, and benefits offered by each branch.

Key Takeaways:

• The first step in joining the military is getting armed with knowledge
• The armed forces career center is the go-to place for all the information about getting started in the US military
• The US military is divided into the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and Space Force
• The armed forces career center provides you with information about the different branches of the United States military.

Services Provided By An Armed Forces Career Center

Information About Military Careers

An armed forces career center is like a job board, but specifically for jobs in the US armed forces. Such a center can provide you with detailed information about the different available job opportunities, including the training requirements, responsibilities and duties of each job.

Assessment of Qualifications

If you have interest in joining any of the different branches of the armed forces, and you want to find out qualifications requirements, an armed forces career center is the place to go. The recruiters can help you assess your qualifications to determine which job you are eligible for over there.

Recruiters can also help you prepare for the Armed Forces Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), which is the standardized test used to measure aptitude for the different military occupations.

Application Assistance

An armed forces career center is all about assisting potential recruits; so you can also get assistance for completing the application process for joining the military. It doesn’t end there, you can also get guidance on ways to prepare for the military physical fitness test, plus other requirements.

Answering Questions

You want to join the military but you have questions whose answers will influence your decision; the career center is the best place to visit to get these answers. This can include questions about pay, benefits, deployment, training, and more.

The Branches Of The US Military

The US military is made up of six branches, you can get inside information about each by visiting a career center, but here is an overview of what each on the six is about:

Army

This branch of the US military is responsible for land-based operations. It is the oldest, and is equally subdivided into the regular Army, the US Army Reserve, and the Army National Guard.

The army is tasked with protecting the United States, and they do this through aggression deterrent, conflict response, and freedom maintenance.

Navy

This is the second-largest branch of the US military. The Navy is tasked with conducting maritime operations, and is divided into two sub categories: the Navy and the Reserve Navy Unit.

The Navy carries out its duty of protecting the United State’s interest on the seas by maintaining a robust maritime presence, which helps it to deter aggressions, maintain freedom of national waters, and provide humanitarian aids.

Marines

The Marines are a part of the Navy, but are responsible for both land and sea operations. Like the others, the Marien is also subdivided, into: Marine Corps and the US Marine Corps Reserve. Like other branches of the military, the Marine is tasked with safeguarding the citizens and interests of the United States.

Air Force

All air-based operations are the responsibility of the Air Force. This branch of the United States military is subdivided into the Reserve Air Force, the Air Force, and the US Air National Guard.

As the name implies, the Air Force’s mission is to defend the United State’s interests and citizens in the air. This mission is achieved through combat zone operations, aggression deterrent, and the provision of support to the other branches of the military.

Coast Guard

The responsibility of the Coast Guard is coastal operation. This branch is operated by the Department of Homeland Security, but functions under the Navy in time of war. The Coast Guard is subdivided into the Reserve Coast Guard, and the Coast Guard Units.

The duties of the Coast Guard include enforcing marine law, conducting search and rescue missions, and maintaining the safety of the US coastline.

Space Force

This sister branch of the US Air Force was created in 2019 and is responsible for space-based operations. This is the newest military branch, and as such its day-to-day operation is still in development.

Benefits Of Joining The United States Army

The grit, discipline, determination and teamwork exhibited by military personnel are perhaps the greatest benefits from joining the military, yet, there are other tangible benefits that come with serving as a member of the armed forces. These benefits revolve around education and salary, insurance, savings and assistance, and time off.

Education And Salary

Every military personnel is trained in an area of specialty. Some training by military schools are accredited, this helps you to receive college credits. Moreover, most military jobs are not exclusively useful in the military, they also have civilian counterparts so you will have something to start with should you decide to leave the military.

The pay of service members comes in twice a month, and will generally consist of base pay, plus allowances if a service member is eligible.

Insurance

Military members receive dental and medical care. This benefit also extends to the spouse and dependent children of an active-duty military personnel; they can enroll in the military health care, although a small enrollment and annual deductible fee may apply. Asides from health insurance, life insurance is also available to active-duty military personnel.

Savings And Assistance

The Uniformed Service Blended Retirement System (BRS) automatically covers all service members. The system automatically sets aside 3% of a personnel’s basic pay and saves it in a Thrift Savings Plan for retirement. Your contributions will be matched after two years, and this is also when your savings are yours to take.

You will also be duly compensated if you stay longer with the military. After 20 years of service, have two options: a defined benefit, which is a monthly pension for life, or get a lump sum, which is usually 25 or 50% of your retirement benefits paid at once or paid annually for up to over four years

Time Off

Military personnel receive up to 30 days of paid vacation each year. Better, service personnel usually have access to low-cost travel throughout the world on military aircraft.

There are many ways to locate an armed forces career center near you. You can visit the official websites of any of the six branches of the army, search online to find the nearest to your zip code.

Also Read: 5 Tips For Saving Money On Home Insurance in Atlanta