While many recruits enter the military right out of high school, some take their time and consider joining the military at 25 instead.
There are several benefits to waiting a few years after high school before signing your enlistment contract.
However, before you sign your paperwork, there are some considerations to weigh in before making your final decision.
Related Article – US Army Age Limits
Table of Contents
Why Joining The Military At 25 Is Ideal
While some high school graduates jump at the chance to leave home and enlist right away, this is not ideal for everyone.
At age 25, you took the time to learn some valuable life lessons that pay off.
For instance, by the time you are 25, life has knocked you around a little, and you had time to learn from mistakes and develop your maturity.
When you face making decisions for a military career, you likely have a different perspective at age 25 than you did at age 17 or 18.
Some decisions you might approach differently are your choice in the military branch or even which career best matches up with your lifetime goals.
Also, while you are older, you are not so old that the physical fitness aspect is too much of a challenge.
Some may argue that having more time for your physical strength to mature will give you an advantage.
Furthermore, somewhere around your mid-twenties, there is a shift in mental toughness, primarily as you work to meet life challenges.
What seems impossible to your 17-year-old self is just a regular Tuesday to your 25-year-old self.
So, in summary, the pros of joining the military at 25 include:
- You’ll be more mature
- You’ll have more life experience
- You’re still physically fit enough to serve
- You’re typically ‘mentally tougher’ in your mid-20s
Why Joining The Military At 25 Is Tricky
Before pumping the brakes and deciding to wait to join, you must remain strategic with your timing.
There are likely challenges ahead of you.
First, you will be older than many, if not all, of the other recruits.
Prepare yourself for some dad jokes.
When you are 25, you are potentially six to seven years older than those you serve with.
While the six to seven-year age gap may not seem like a lot, consider that many 25-year-old people are not hanging out with others who cannot legally get into a bar.
You might find yourself a bit annoyed.
On the other hand, you might relish being the voice of reason and a mentor for your fellow recruits.
We all need someone to look up to, and when you serve together, you become family.
The chances are that the experience will be somewhere between “WTF are they thinking?!” and “It’s rewarding to have others look to me for advice and perspective.”
But for the most part, this age disparity disappears after you get to your first permanent duty station. There, you’ll likely be working alongside many others of differing ages and ranks.
Lastly, even though you are still in the prime of your life, you are closer to feeling the physical effects of aging earlier than those with whom you serve.
While this is not an impossible journey, it might make you feel old before you are actually old.
Also, it is vital to remember you are not competing with other recruits in boot camp.
Instead, your goal is to meet the military branch’s standards and compete against yourself.
Another reason why joining the military at 25 is tricky is being away from family.
Those who are older often have their own family units.
Being away from a partner and possibly children is often challenging but not impossible.
However, one must consider what that will feel like for both yourself and your partner and children.
So, in summary, the cons of joining the military at 25 include:
- You’ll be older than most, if not all, of the other recruits
- You might become the target of dad jokes
- People will come to you for advice (not necessarily a bad thing)
- You’re not getting any younger!
3 Benefits of Joining the Military at 25
There are solid reasons to consider joining at 25 or even later.
1. You Have Time to Earn College Credits or a Degree
You will find added benefits after joining the military at 25 with some college credits or a degree.
First, military service means you have college loan repayment benefits to look forward to.
Also, your added degree or credits mean that you earn an advanced rank upon enlistment when you join.
This added rank also means increased pay.
If you have your hopes on officer training instead of joining as an enlisted member, your college degree is a fast track to those goals.
If your degree is in the health industry, talk to a recruiter because some fields have added enlistment bonuses or extra loan repayment benefits.
Lastly, some military careers require some college credit or a degree for consideration.
So planning on joining the military at 25 is a long-game career planning move that often pays off.
This is especially true when you factor in the longevity of your career for retirement and future civilian opportunities.
Related Article – Joining The Military After College
2. Maturity Pays Off
Self-discipline often comes with time and age.
Also, military discipline is something entirely unique and different.
Military discipline relies on an entire unit being efficient and performative in a conflict.
When you serve in any branch, the unit’s needs are far superior to an individual soldier’s wants and desires.
Therefore, as some people leave adolescence, the ability to buckle down and embrace this way of thinking becomes easier.
3. Other Job Perks
You have a high probability of rapid advancement between the added maturity levels, self-discipline, and the possibility of college credits or a degree.
Rapid advancement means special considerations.
For instance, if you plan your entry into military life after college and with a degree, you can fast-track becoming an officer.
If you factor in family planning, being an officer gives you a competitive salary, family medical, and special considerations for housing on or off base.
You can leverage many opportunities as you plan your life at 25 with military service as a part of the picture.
Which Military Branch Should I Join at 25?
Each military branch has different age limits.
Also, depending on your life’s goals, they all have something different to offer.
Joining the Air Force at 25
If you want to serve in a military branch but avoid face-to-face combat or infantry-type careers, you might consider the Air Force.
Also, the Air Force is well-adapted to technology-related careers, and they provide advanced training.
Also, the boot camp is the shortest of all the military branches.
However, you may need higher ASVAB scores to get the career field you desire.
Also, if you are joining with a college degree or some college, you will enjoy having a wider choice in potential careers.
The Air Force requires recruits to be at least 17 years old.
However, you can be as old as 39 and still join the Air Force.
The same age range applies if you consider the Air National Guard or the Air Force Reserves, as well.
Also, if you are 25 and looking for a technology-related field with a short boot camp, the Air Force is likely your best fit.
Joining the Navy at 25
If you want to join a military branch that maximizes your love for the ocean, the Navy is your best fit.
However, if you prefer to remain closer to home or at least on the same continent as friends and family, you need a different service branch.
Recruit training for the Navy is 10 weeks long, which is longer than the Air Force.
The enlisted age range is 17 to 41, but if you want to become an officer, you’ll need to get a waiver if you’re over 33, and even then, you can only get one up to age 37.
If you get seasick, get nervous around water, or get claustrophobic easily, do not join the Navy.
However, if you have wanderlust and the open sea is exciting, the Navy is your best fit.
Joining the Marines at 25
If your military aspirations include being outside, lots of training, and combat situations, the Marine Corps is looking for you.
Marine boot camp is a long and challenging 13 weeks.
There are a lot of hands-on and exciting careers in the Marines.
Also, there is a unique sense of belonging when you are a Marine.
If you are looking into joining the military at 25, you might want to hurry up if you wish to be a Marine.
The Marine’s upper age limit is 28 for enlisted and officers.
In the end, the Marines are perfect if you need challenges to remain satisfied with life, and like the idea of deployments and infantry-related fields.
Joining the Army at 25
The Army is another option if you prefer ground-combat experience.
You can join the Army from ages 17 up to and including 35, making the Army take up the middle of the age range compared to other branches.
An opposite option compared to the Navy is the Army.
Army bases are traditionally inland rather than along the coast.
Those who shy away from what the Navy has to offer should look closely at the Army.
The Army is all over the world, so you are still going to travel a lot.
Also, if the idea of a primarily indoor job such as what is likely in the Air Force sounds miserable, know that you can expect a lot of outdoor work in the Army.
Joining the Coast Guard at 25
The Coast Guard has a lot of variety to offer.
The Coast Guard is under the umbrella of Homeland Security, and the branch offers a lot of security and law enforcement-type careers.
Also, the Coast Guard boot camp is around eight weeks long.
Furthermore, the Coast Guard has high expectations of recruits regarding their ASVAB scores.
It used to be limited by age to those under 35. However, the Coast Guard recently raised the age limit for enlisted members to 42.
However, if you’re interested in becoming a commissioned officer in the Coast Guard, the age limit varies by the career field you choose.
Regardless of which path interests you most, It is hard to get into the Coast Guard because they accept fewer recruits and have high qualification expectations.
If you have a clean criminal record, good test scores, and a high school diploma, consider the Coast Guard.
Plus, consider the Coast Guard if you want to go into any type of law enforcement job with a security clearance later in life as a civilian.
Lastly, the Coast Guard has the most highly trained rescue swimmers out there, so if water-based survival and rescue is your idea of a good time, talk to a recruiter right away.
Related Article – 10 Benefits Of Joining The Military After High School
Conclusion
The logistics of joining the military at 25 is not complicated with a bit of planning.
There are several ideal reasons to wait to join, such as increased maturity and life skills.
However, that is not to say there are no challenges.
You might already have a family and have to deal with separations.
Also, you might initially find the few years difference between you and fellow recruits to be an annoyance.
Either way, there are several long-term benefits to joining the military at 25.
Your maturity level makes the challenges easier.
Also, if you have some college or a degree, you benefit from the accelerated rank and pay raises.
However, not every branch is best suited for all potential recruits. You will want to weigh what each branch offers and think ahead about your long-term plans.
See Also
Joining the Military at 30: Here’s How To Do It
Born and raised in Woodbridge, NJ, he graduated from the New Jersey Institute Of Technology with an MBA in eCommerce.His hobbies include beach volleyball, target shooting, and lifting.
Rob is also a Commercially rated pilot and Certified Flight Instructor (CFI), with over 1,500 hours of flight time.
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