Preparing for a military career involves avoiding illegal activities, applying to school, attending a military prep school or joining a training corps/cadet group, participating in a summer program, or enlisting in a military branch. Being physically fit and knowledgeable in various subjects is important.
People who aspire to a military career often hope for a role in a specific branch of their country’s military service. It could be the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard or Marine Corps, or their equivalent, that have particular appeal. When preparing for a military career, there are several do’s and don’ts to work towards your goal.
The first thing to avoid is anything illegal. People who are willing to entrust their country’s security have a much better chance of succeeding if they are law-abiding citizens. Second, you must apply to school. Being able to communicate clearly and interpret documents, understand your own culture, be knowledgeable in history, understand basic math and science concepts, and be physically fit are all important foundations for a military career.
Some people who are looking forward to a military career attend a military prep school, also called a military academy. These schools focus on academic achievement and leadership skills and, depending on the school, introduce students to military hierarchy and military concepts to a greater or lesser extent. There are public military schools and private military schools, and they are completely different from schools that seek to instill discipline in undisciplined young men and women with a so-called “military” approach.
Another approach to preparing for a military career is to become a member of a training corps or cadet group in high school. In the United States, this would be the JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps), and while this is required at some military academies, it is also available at many public schools. In Canada, there are the Royal Canadian Air Cadets, the Royal Canadian Army Cadets and the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets.
Another step toward a military career can be to participate in a summer program offered by one of the service academies, the institutions that train candidates for officer positions in the country’s armed forces. Service academies can be in high school or higher. They combine academic degrees with specialized military training and a fitness regimen. Training will depend in part on the geography of the country. For example, a landlocked country will not have a branch equivalent to the US Coast Guard.
Not everyone wants to become an officer, and there is another way to start a military career. You can enlist in the military branch of your choice. Of course, if there is a draft, then you can find yourself in the military quite unexpectedly. In that case, your forced knowledge of the military could end up being the preparation that precedes what turns out to be a military career.
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