By joining the military, citizens who have served have been able to receive benefits since the inception of the military that can impact their lives after their service.
Citizens going into the military or who have already served their time have experience with recruiters, who help them through the process of joining, including the testing portion.
According to Marine Sergeant Michaesl Davis, the ASVAB is the military’s version of the SAT.
“[The ASVAB] basically makes you eligible for certain job fields within the military,” Davis said.
According to Navy veteran Domingo Isasi, the ASVAB is important for qualifying for certain roles on the ship.
“You wouldn’t be able to get into that if you had a very little ASVAB score,” Isasi said.
The story behind why a person chooses to serve can be for various reasons.
“I didn’t have a driver’s license, believe it or not, and where I lived, you needed a driver’s license. So I joined the military,” Isasi said.
Regardless of why someone chooses service, the benefits it can have on their life remain the same.
For college sophomore Abby Nyce, she is joining for the educational benefits.
“I also know that law school is a possible stepping stone for me. I don’t want to be a lawyer forever. I do want to do something for the government, whether it be work with a [non-governmental organization] or something of the sort or policy making in general, but that’s obviously very far in the future,” Nyce said.
The perks of enlisting go beyond pursuing higher education, according to Isasi. Because of the length of the contract he signed in the military, he became eligible for a Veterans Affairs (VA) home loan.
“When you buy a home, you have to have 20% of the value of the home in cash. If not, they charge you [mortgage insurance],” Isasi said.
When hiring for a job, interviewers often look for things that set someone apart from the rest. The military is something that can make a job application stand out.
“The military can act as a catalyst to really improve your career and put you farther and above other people,” said Nyce.
After being discharged from the military, some people have to think about what comes next for them.
For Isasi, that step was the NYC police department.
According to Isasi, his service helped him land his job as an officer.