You do not have to be a U.S. citizen to enlist in the military, but you may have fewer options. If you are not a U.S. citizen, you must: Have a permanent resident card, also known as a Green Card.

You don’t need to be a US citizen to serve in the military, but you do need to be a lawful permanent resident and currently live in the United States. Unfortunately, that means an immigrant cannot join the military without a Green Card.

Documented non-citizens are eligible to enlist in the military. They can also become commissioned officers once they achieve citizenship. The federal government cannot petition on behalf of an undocumented immigrant to obtain legal status and be able to enlist in the military.

The military doesn’t accept just anyone who wants to join. There are age, citizenship, physical, education, height/weight, criminal record, medical, and drug history standards that can exclude you from joining the military.

1980 – The Selective Service System becomes active again. Present – The U.S. currently operates under an all-volunteer armed forces policy. All male citizens between the ages of 18 and 26 are required to register for the draft and are liable for training and service until the age of 35.

A draft is dangerous A problem with forcing people to do a job is that they won’t care about doing it well. These people may not care about holding security or staying awake on watch, which can needlessly endanger the lives of all the people who want to do their job the right way.

Conscription (sometimes called the draft in the United States) is the mandatory enlistment of people in a national service, most often a military service. Those conscripted may evade service, sometimes by leaving the country, and seeking asylum in another country.

–High school senior players who go on to play NCAA men’s football: About one in 17, or 5.8 percent. — NCAA senior players drafted by an NFL team: About one in 50, or 2.0 percent. — High school senior players eventually drafted by an NFL team: About nine in 10,000, or 0.09 percent.

One downside of conscription is that the time in the military can be quite hard. For many people, it is the first time away from home for a longer period of time and they might not be mentally prepared for this. Some people may feel quite lonely and may also not be able to deal with the strict rules in the military.

There is at present no conscription in Canada. Conscription was implemented in Canada during the First and Second World Wars for men of military age and fitness.

Joining the military is a serious commitment that can’t easily be broken. Additionally, there’s always a chance of physical or emotional damage from service work. This is something you need to consider carefully before enlisting.

Top 10 Joining the Army Pros & Cons – Summary List

Joining the military was absolutely worth the experience. Whether you need GI Bill money or not, the life lessons I gained during my 21 years in the Navy have made me a better man and a more respectful global citizen.

Pay Tables. Officers will start out at a higher pay grade than enlisted personnel, though enlisted service members are eligible for a variety of bonuses that can be quite substantial. Officers will also receive higher benefits such as monthly Basic Allowance for Housing.

Probably not, but serving less than three or four years in the military is definitely a waste of your time. You’ll be like a tourist: Only visiting. The first year in the military you won’t even have a clue what the whole thing is about.