A crumbling economy and student loans are leaving college students with a few options only in jump-starting their careers. One of the most common options is joining the military.
Lt. Col. Wes Russell, the recruiting and operations officer for Ball State’s ROTC program, said the top two reasons college graduates join the military is to protect their country and for economic reasons.
In Indiana, students with debt will accumulate an average of $27,886, according to the Institute for College Access and Success.
“Sometimes, the military becomes an option for [students] to pay back loans they may have or to simply have a job for the next four to six years,” Russell said,
Kathleen Welker, a public affairs officer for Army Recruiting Command at Fort Knox, Ky., said the Army brought in 4,727 graduates with bachelor’s degrees in 2013, which is slightly up from the 4,319 graduates who joined in 2012.
But over at the Air Force, spokesman Michael Dickerson said the Air Force brought in 2,566 active-duty recruits, which is down from the 4,270 recruits in 2012.
After he graduated with a telecommunications degree from Ball State in 2004, the job market looked bleak to Lt. j.g. Adam Demeter, public affairs officer at Navy Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Ill.
He spent most of his time moving from place to place, trying to find a job that suited him. He was an assistant manager at a clothing store, a construction worker and worked a part-time job at a news station. Then one day, his sister brought him a card from a Navy recruiter, and he realized military service might be the answer.
“I was working and I was doing fine, but I wasn’t happy,” Demeter said. “The Navy offers security that you can’t find anywhere else.”
In 2013, a study by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity found that 48 percent of employed college graduates have jobs that do not require a bachelor’s degree.
With a bachelor’s degree, graduates can apply to a version of Officer Candidate Schools in all branches of the military.
Demeter said it can be challenging to get accepted to OCS because a bachelor’s degree does not guarantee acceptance. He discovered his college grades would hurt his chances of being accepted, so he enlisted instead. Eventually, he worked his way into OCS.
The duration of training at these schools vary depending on the branch, but the training typically takes around two to three months to complete.
Candidates are evaluated on physical and mental characteristics to determine if they are fit to be in a leadership position.
After completion, OCS graduates have a guaranteed spot in the military as an officer.
Russell said some students choose another option, if they decide they want to join the military after college graduation. They can attend a 28-day Leader’s Training Course at Fort Knox, Ky., which is an accelerated version of what ROTC cadets learn in college. After the course, they can go back to school to complete a master’s degree.
“They will get their master’s degree paid for and then become an officer in the military,” Russell said.
Demeter said college graduates should utilize the skills they picked up in school to have a more successful career in the military.
“Things I learned in college helped me when I joined,” he said.
Sources: Lt. Col. Wes Russell, Lt. j.g. Adam Demeter, Kathleen Welker and Michael Dickerson
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