Is a High School Diploma a prerequisite to joining the Marines, or is a GED sufficient?

What about the Air Force, Army, Navy, or Coast Guard?

Thanks for any help, I couldn't find it on the USMC page that I checked first, they wanted me to fill out a form for more info, perhaps I missed it.

Last I heard, a bona fide diploma is a general requirement for the USAF.

I've been told that there is a very limited number of slots for people with GEDs, but they have to have exceptional ASVAB scores.

I think the Army will take a GED but the rest wont.  Call a recruiter and they'll be happy to fill you in on their standards.

None.

They ain't payin you to think, son.

Ya call the recruiter. I know when I was in (90-98) GED were only good for certain MOS'.

I was a grunt for my 1st tour, aircrew 2nd. I had to take the ASVAB again to get into the Aircrew spot...I remember specifc's about the aircrew job needing a diploma and a certain score...Can't remember the grunt requirements

IIRC, a HS diploma or a GED along with 12 college credits is the norm.

Kharn

You can spell USMC. You're good to go.

Quoted: Is a High School Diploma a prerequisite to joining the Marines, or is a GED sufficient? What about the Air Force, Army, Navy, or Coast Guard? Thanks for any help, I couldn't find it on the USMC page that I checked first, they wanted me to fill out a form for more info, perhaps I missed it.

USMC/USA: Pass the ASVAB with a high enough score for your MOS. Promotion above E-4 requires at least a HS diploma (but college credits -> up to 100 promotion points, so folks w/o any are at a disadvantate)....  Some MOSes require more (eg you ain't getting into MI without your diploma).

USAF -> HS at the minimum. The AF does not garantee jobs, so 'compeition' for AFSIs (blue-suiter for 'MOS') starts early

USN -> Don't know...l

Quoted: IIRC, a HS diploma or a GED along with 12 college credits is the norm. Kharn

13


There are limited slots for straight GED though also .

Navy will take GED But they like 13 credits also .

Still have limited slots for regular GED also .


Keep in mind in a time of war it will probably be easier with just a GED .

Thank you for the replies.

FireControlman <----- NAVY recruiter

Navy enlistment eligibility requires a high school diploma from a traditional high school. Continuation, adult school, alternative school is all crap and makes my job harder than it already is. To be qualified with anything other than a traditional high school diploma requires an educational specialist to review the transcripts and a decision is made on a case by case basis.

A GED is a worthless piece of paper. You might as well have a 10th grade education and as long as you score above a 50 on the asvab you may be eligible to enlist under a program with limited slots available. This program requires NO civil offenses and 3 references from work/school on a letterhead giving a recommendation for Naval service.

15 college credits (college level courses - for example ENG 101 - not ENG 82B) may be considered eligible with no HS diploma.  

There is a difference between a high school graduate and a high school diploma graduate but nevermind that is another thing.

Should I keep going?

A passing ASVAB score for the Navy is 35, with 99 being the max score possible.

I got kicked out of two high schools and my traditional education ended the first month of the 11th grade for me. I finished school with a sorry ass independent study program and scored an 81 the first time i took the ASVAB. You may not believe me but most high school students can't even score half that in their senior year. It's depressing to see the amount of high school grads who can't pass the test at all. I see it every week.

Well, you have to be a CITIZEN.

The nation is in the middle of 2 wars with a third on the way and there isn't a single branch of the service meeting their recruiting requirements. I'd fall off my chair if they were turning their noses up at GEDs.

Quoted: Well, you have to be a CITIZEN.

No you don't.

Quoted: Well, you have to be a CITIZEN.

huh? no you don't

The Navy has and is meeting it's recruiting goals. Google it.


Legal residents with an INS form 551 (green card) are enlistment eligible. I get recruits who have been in this country no more than 1 f*cking week. What do you think about that.

Nope, plenty of foreign nationals gain their citizenship via the US Military.  

Quoted: The nation is in the middle of 2 wars with a third on the way and there isn't a single branch of the service meeting their recruiting requirements. I'd fall off my chair if they were turning their noses up at GEDs.

It’s pretty stupid if you ask me. Especially today, with the dropout rate so high. Kids drop out for many reasons, most unrelated to academic potential. Military training might be a good way for them to get their shit together, get some discipline, and get into a community college or university once their enlistment ends.

Quoted: Quoted: The nation is in the middle of 2 wars with a third on the way and there isn't a single branch of the service meeting their recruiting requirements. I'd fall off my chair if they were turning their noses up at GEDs. It’s pretty stupid if you ask me. Especially today, with the dropout rate so high. Kids drop out for many reasons, most unrelated to academic potential. Military training might be a good way for them to get their shit together, get some discipline, and get into a community college or university once their enlistment ends.

Actually, I just checked the Air Force's website. If there are slots available (well duh) and you score well on your ASVAB then they will take you. Probably about the same for the other branches as well.

Quoted: Nope, plenty of foreign nationals gain their citizenship via the US Military.

True; there was a guy in the 2AD at Ft Hood that was an M1 driver, where only a few months earlier, he had been a T-72 driver in the red army.

He said that the M1 was a dream come true, compared to a T-72.

The Navy stresses traditional high school education. Otherwise we might have students quitting school, taking the GED exam and joining the Navy simply because they don't want to continue high school.

Quoted: .... as long as you score above a 50 on the asvab.

Can't you score 50 on the ASVAB just by counting to 50?

Quoted: Quoted: .... as long as you score above a 50 on the asvab. Can't you score 50 on the ASVAB just by counting to 50?

Pretty much. It wasn't exactly the most challenging test I'd ever taken.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: .... as long as you score above a 50 on the asvab. Can't you score 50 on the ASVAB just by counting to 50? Pretty much. It wasn't exactly the most challenging test I'd ever taken.

What does that say about the guy my buddy (who was a hometown recruiter) claims scored an 11?

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: .... as long as you score above a 50 on the asvab. Can't you score 50 on the ASVAB just by counting to 50? Pretty much. It wasn't exactly the most challenging test I'd ever taken. What does that say about the guy my buddy (who was a hometown recruiter) claims scored an 11?

An eleven?



I won't comment further.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: .... as long as you score above a 50 on the asvab. Can't you score 50 on the ASVAB just by counting to 50? Pretty much. It wasn't exactly the most challenging test I'd ever taken. What does that say about the guy my buddy (who was a hometown recruiter) claims scored an 11?

Was this him?

Quoted: Quoted: Well, you have to be a CITIZEN. No you don't.

I know I know I know... I figured it was a good taste of sarcasm for the Mexico/Illegal crowds.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: .... as long as you score above a 50 on the asvab. Can't you score 50 on the ASVAB just by counting to 50? Pretty much. It wasn't exactly the most challenging test I'd ever taken. What does that say about the guy my buddy (who was a hometown recruiter) claims scored an 11?

I think I had him and a few of his clones in my First Division when I was First Lt. on a ship years ago.  One of whom was looking forward to going home and returning to his job in the steel foundry as a slag breaker.  I'm not entirely sure what a slag breaker is, but it sounds like a little bit of hell on earth.   One of the ohters was the guy that tried to kill himself when the aboves wife married another crewman after she divorced him to stay in San Diego.

It's not funny to me... students fail it miserably all the time. Americans. Born and raised here..my shipmates and I are sick of it.

The asvab is not hard IF you actually learned something in high school. Now you might screw it up horribly if you're 25 and up and haven't solved any algebra in quite some time.

Quoted: Quoted: Is a High School Diploma a prerequisite to joining the Marines, or is a GED sufficient? What about the Air Force, Army, Navy, or Coast Guard? Thanks for any help, I couldn't find it on the USMC page that I checked first, they wanted me to fill out a form for more info, perhaps I missed it. USMC/USA: Pass the ASVAB with a high enough score for your MOS. Promotion above E-4 requires at least a HS diploma (but college credits -> up to 100 promotion points, so folks w/o any are at a disadvantate)....  Some MOSes require more (eg you ain't getting into MI without your diploma). USAF -> HS at the minimum. The AF does not garantee jobs, so 'compeition' for AFSICs (blue-suiter for 'MOS') starts early USN -> Don't know...l

The USAF absolutely does guarantee jobs, always has if you qualify and are willing to wait.  We are making our recruiting goal easily (except the Guard) so we won't be taking many GED holders right now.  We do allow .5% of our applicants to have GEDs though, as long as they meet other criteria.