Prequalification

[Administrator]

Age:

The current age standard for entry into the Army National Guard is 17—35 years of age (you must have sworn in by your 35th birthday). In order to enlist at 17 years old, you must be at least a junior in high school who is scheduled to graduate on time, and have consent from your custodial guardian(s).

Prior service applicants meet the age criteria for enlistment so long as they have enough credible years in service which can then be subtracted from their current age, bringing their enlistment age to less than "35".
For example:

• PS applicant is 47 years old with 13 years of qualifying service, which brings the applicant to an enlistment age of "34". If the applicant only had 12 years of qualifying service then the enlistment age would be "35" and the applicant would not be qualified.

Physical:

All members of the National Guard must meet criteria based on height and weight, mental readiness, and physical capabilities. All applicants are required to undergo a military physical similar to a sports physical.

Height and weight are primary disqualifying factors. Please visit http://www.nationalguard.com/what-is-the-guard/do-i-qualify to determine if you meet the height and weight requirements. If you would like some fitness tips, please visit http://www.nationalguard.com/life/fitness.

If you are currently taking prescription medication for ADD, ADHD, PTSD, depression, bipolar disorder or any mental disorder not listed above, you are not eligible for enlistment at this time. In order to enlist, you would need to be off the medication for 12 months and have a written letter from your current psychiatrist or doctor clearing you for military entrance. A determination would then be made by a military physician to determine if you’re qualified.

If you are currently taking prescription medication for diabetes, cancer, asthma, arthritis, epilepsy or stroke, you are not eligible to process for enlistment.

All members enlisting into the Army National Guard will be screened for the presence of drugs and alcohol, to include marijuana, cocaine and various prescription drugs. Anyone who fails a drug test while processing will be immediately discharged from the Army National Guard and will be barred from future enlistment into the military.

What do I wear to a physical?

Remove all jewelry and piercings from your body. You must wear underwear. Females must wear a bra and cannot wear thong underwear. Your shirt must be tucked in. The shirt must have sleeves and cannot be solid white, tan or brown. Shoes must be closed-toed. No sandals or flip-flops are authorized.

Citizenship:

Persons who were born in the 54 States and Territories of the United States are eligible for enlistment.

Persons born abroad on a military installation or born abroad of U.S. parents who were citizens at the time are also eligible for enlistment.

Persons who have been lawfully and permanently admitted to the United States may enlist, but not for any Military Occupational Specialty requiring a security clearance. These applicants will incur a Military Service Obligation (MSO), and they should apply for citizenship within four years after enlistment. Those who do not apply for citizenship by the end of their MSO will not be eligible for extension or re-enlistment and will be discharged upon completion of their MSO.

Aliens who have been admitted on a temporary basis are not eligible (e.g., student visa, work only visa, or admitted seeking asylum without permanent status).

Prior Service:

Prior service applicants are processed based on their most recent DD-214 or discharge order. Re-Entry (RE) codes and Separation Program Designator (SPD) listed at the bottom of the long version of the DD-214 are used to determine eligibility.

RE codes of 1 and 2 are eligible for enlistment. RE 3 codes may be eligible for enlistment based on the Narrative Reason for Separation and enlistment waiver criteria. RE 4 codes are ineligible for enlistment.

Law Violations:

All applicants processing for enlistment into the Army National Guard will be screened by both state and federal background checks. Applicants who have ever been held, cited, fined, charged or had a case dismissed need to inform recruiting personnel as soon as possible. Background checks will bring back dispositions of all charges. For the purpose of enlistment, law violations are governed by the Department of Defense. Often, the DoD analyzes law violations differently from civilian law enforcement agencies.

Charges are classified into four primary categories, depending on the disposition or final outcome of the charge:

• Traffic
• Minor Non-Traffic
• Misconduct Offenses
• Major Misconduct Offenses

Each category has a waiver criterion that determines eligibility.

Applicants cannot enlist with pending traffic violations. All traffic violations must be paid in full prior to enlistment.

If you have ever been charged with a misdemeanor offense classified as a felony according to this list, then you are not eligible for enlistment. Violations not listed on the above link have the potential for an enlistment waiver.

The Army National Guard is not currently accepting any applicants who have been convicted of a felony offense. If you have any questions, please see our list of disqualifying felonies.

Education:

Applicants who have a high school diploma are eligible for enlistment. Job Corps Vocational Training Programs, The National Guard’s Youth ChalleNGe Program and Alternative High School Diplomas are considered high school diplomas and eligible for enlistment. Applicants who are currently juniors or seniors in high school are eligible for enlistment, as long as they are scheduled to graduate on time.

GEDs are accepted on a case-by-case basis depending on the requirements of the state. It is recommended that all GED holders have at least 15 semester hours of college in order to meet the education requirements for enlistment. Foreign diplomas must be reviewed by state review boards prior to enlistment to verify accreditation.

Dependents:

Married applicants with two or fewer dependents under the age of 18 are eligible for enlistment. Single applicants who are required to pay child support for two or fewer dependents are eligible for enlistment.

All single applicants who have children will require a waiver for enlistment. Applicants who are not married, with one to three dependents under the age of 18, will require a waiver to process for enlistment. Applicants who are single and have three or more dependents under the age of 18 are ineligible for enlistment. Applicants who are single and do not have custody of their minor children are eligible for enlistment.