Brig. Gen. Brandon Tegtmeier speaks with new U.S. Army recruits during a NASCAR race May 29, 2022, at Charlotte Motor Speedway, N.C. The U.S. Army is doing away with its requirement that enlistees have a GED or high school diploma, a move designed to help meet recruiting goals. (Rognie Ortiz Vega/U.S. Army)
(Tribune News Service) — The U.S. Army is doing away with its requirement that enlistees have a GED or high school diploma, a move designed to help meet recruiting goals.
In what it described as “limited eligibility,” U.S. Army Recruiting Command said it is moving to a “whole of person” approach, “understanding some quality candidates may have just reason for being unable to complete their education.” The change means a high school diploma or its equivalent won’t be required, but applicants must score 50 or greater on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery and meet all other standard enlistment criteria.
“This opportunity means that individuals who left high school prior to graduating due to uncontrollable circumstances, such as caring for a terminally ill family member or working to provide for their family, will not be considered ineligible for service solely because they were unable to graduate,” Recruiting Command said.
To qualify, individuals can enlist without a diploma if they ship to basic training this fiscal year, which ends Oct. 1, according to military.com. They must also be at least 18 years old and qualify for a job in the active-duty Army.
Applicants without a degree may serve one contract but must earn a GED if they wish to reenlist. They also won’t be eligible for current enlistment incentives.
The Services Vocational Aptitude Battery is an SAT-style quiz designed to measure a potential recruit’s academic ability, Military.com reported. A score of 50 is relatively low with 31 being the minimum to qualify.
Non-grads have been able to enlist in the past, just on a very limited basis, Army officials said.
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