The United States Army needs no introduction; it’s the largest and oldest branch of the United States Armed Forces. Established on June 14, 1775, Continental Congress saw it best fit that America’s 13 colonies combine their individual militias into one organized military to fight Great Britain for their independence during the Revolutionary War. Originally, the army was not as consistent or organized as it is today; there were no uniforms or formal, military standard training. The first United States Army uniform to be issued would be 4 years later in 1779, prescribed by then general and later first president George Washington. It wouldn’t be until 1917 that the United States Army would begin proper, standardized training, the type of training that is most similar to today’s, upon entering World War I.
The United States Army has only grown since its formation, as a large sum of America’s spending budget has always gone to defense, with 2024 spending $165.6 billion on the Army alone, and in 2025 the budget being $185.9 billion. As of right now, 2026’s budget is set at $901 billion, and there are current talks of 2027’s being $1.5 trillion, so, in President Donald Trumps words, America will have its “dream military.”
The United States Army used to just take anyone who signed up to join, but now, there are certain requirements that must be made. The general age of acceptance into the United States Army is between 17 to 34, with parental consent if you request to join at 17. You must have a high school diploma or the equivalent (most common being the High School Equivalency certificate that you earn by passing the General Educational Development (GED) or HiSET test), and generally a 2.5 GPA for the lowest ranks.
There are multiple screenings you must pass, including physical, medical, and moral screenings. The physical screening includes evaluations of an individual’s muscular strength and endurance: how they perform doing certain work outs such as deadlifts, planks, push-ups, and a 2-mile run. The medical screening includes measurements taken of an individual’s weight, height, and blood pressure, alongside vision and hearing tests, blood and urine analysis, HIV and drug screenings, and a general checkup. Lastly, the moral screening focuses more on the criminal past of the individual; depending on certain charges and how recent they were, that person may not be allowed to join the Army, no matter if they passed the other two screenings or not.
The last and main consideration for if someone can join the United States Army or not is their score on the ASVAB, which you can read more about on this same website, thegoldenreport.org, by the same staff writer, Olivia James!
Read The ASVAB test for more information.
