www.todaysmilitary.com The information on this site will help you carefully weigh the opportunities and benefits service has to offer. The U.S. Military consists of five active duty Services and their respective Guard and Reserve units which offer a broad variety of ways to serve. This site allows you to explore the service branches of Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.

www.todaysmilitary.com/how-to-join/asvab-test  The program, intended to be used for 10th, 11th and 12th grade students, is a comprehensive career exploration and planning program, that includes a multiple aptitude test battery, an interest inventory, and various career planning tools designed by the Department of Defense to help students across the nation explore the world of work.

www.goarmy.com and www.army.mil  The United States Army is the main ground-force of the U.S. The Army's main function is to protect and defend the United States (and its interests) by way of ground troops, armor (tanks), artillery, attack helicopters, tactical nuclear weapons, etc. The Army is the largest and oldest U.S. Military Service. It is supported by two Reserve Forces, the Army Reserves and the Army National Guard, which can be tapped for trained personnel and equipment during times of need.

www.af.mil  Created in 1947, the Air Force’s primary mission is to defend the United States (and its interests) through exploitation of air and space. To accomplish this mission, the Air Force operates fighter aircraft, tanker aircraft, light and heavy bomber aircraft, transport aircraft, and helicopters (which are used mainly for rescue of downed-aircrew, and special operations missions). The Air Force is also responsible for all military satellites, and controls all of our Nation's strategic nuclear ballistic missiles. Like the Army, the active duty Air Force is supplemented by the Air Force Reserves and the Air National Guard.

www.navy.mil  With its primary mission to maintain the freedom of the seas, the Navy makes it possible for the United States to use the seas where and when our national interests require it. In addition, in times of conflict, the Navy helps to supplement Air Force air power. Navy aircraft carriers can often deploy to areas where fixed runways are impossible. Additionally, Navy ships can attack land targets from miles away (with very heavy guns), and cruise missiles. Navy submarines (fast attack and ballistic missile subs) allow stealth attacks on our enemies from right off their shores. The Navy is also primarily responsible for transporting Marines to areas of conflict. The Navy is only supported in times of need by the Naval Reserves.

www.marines.mil  Specializing in amphibious operations, the Marine Corps’ primary specialty is the assault, capture, and control of "beach heads," which then provide a route to attack the enemy from almost any direction. In recent years, the Marines have expanded ground-combat operations. For combat operations, the Marine Corps have their own air power, consisting primarily of fighter and fighter/bomber aircraft and attack helicopters. In times of need, the Marines are solely supported by the Marine Corps Reserves.

www.uscg.mil  In peacetime, the Coast Guard is primarily concerned with law enforcement, boating safety, sea rescue, and illegal immigration control. However, the President of the United States can transfer part or all of the Coast Guard to the Department of the Navy in times of conflict. The Coast Guard consists of ships, boats, aircraft, and shore stations that conduct a variety of missions. The Coast Guard is the smallest military service and is supported by the Coast Guard Reserves and a volunteer "Coast Guard Auxiliary" in times of need.

The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.

For students who would like to experience a military environment while getting a first-class education, a Senior Military College (SMC) offers the best of both worlds. SMCs are among the most prestigious and famous education institutions in the world. You can learn more about each SMC by visiting their official Web sites:

www.usmma.edu  Located in Kings Point, NY, this academy teaches students how to succeed in the maritime and transportation industries or the Armed Forces, while it also prepares students to receive a Bachelor of Science degree, a merchant marine license, and an appointment as a commissioned officer on reserve or active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces.

www.westpoint.edu This academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. Students are officers-in-training and are referred to as cadets. Tuition for cadets is fully funded by the Army in exchange for an active duty service obligation upon graduation.

www.usna.edu Located in Annapolis, Maryland, the Naval Academy gives young men and women the up-to-date academic and professional training needed to be effective naval and marine officers in their assignments after graduation.

www.usafa.af.mil Nestled against the Rocky Mountains in Colorado this academy trains, inspires, and educates men and women to become officers of character, motivated to lead the U.S. Air Force in service of our nation.

www.uscga.edu  Located in New London, CT, the US Coast Guard Academy is the smallest of the federal military academies. Its four-year Bachelor of Science program graduates leaders of character who go on to serve as commissioned officers in the United States Coast Guard.