Stew Smith, CSCS, is a Veteran Navy SEAL Officer, freelance writer, and author with expertise in the U.S. military, military fitness, and its traditions.
Updated on 07/31/24Serving in the military is a commitment for both the person "reporting for duty" and for the military. A military enlistee will sign a contract to serve a certain number of years, and in turn the military guarantees a paycheck, living quarters, food, clothing, medical and dental care, and training.
What time commitment is needed to become a member of the U.S. Armed Forces? Read on for a short answer—and a longer explanation—below.
Two years is the shortest time a new enlistee can sign up for active duty, however, there is a catch. Enlistees actually have an eight-year commitment but you can perform this as an active-duty member, a Reservist, or an Individual Ready Reservist (IRR).
This is a program but limited in scope compared with the majority of enlistments into the military:
The National Call to Service—All services also participate in the Congressional—mandated National Call to Service Program. Under this program, following basic training and an advanced training school, a member spends 15 months on active duty (full-time), followed by a minimum of two years in the active (drilling) Guard or Reserves, with the remainder of the total eight-year commitment in the IRR. However, all the services (except the Army) strictly limit the number of folks who can enlist under this program each year.
Everyone who enlists in the U.S. Military, whether for active duty (full-time) or National Guard/Reserves (part-time) incurs a minimum eight-year service obligation. That's right—when you sign on the dotted line, you're committing for eight years—serving in active duty, Reserves, or Individual Ready Reserves.
Whatever amount of time is not spent on full-time active duty or the Drilling National Guard/Army, Air Force, Navy, or Marine Corps Reserves is spent in the IRR to complete your time of the military contract. However, most contracts are four to six years of active duty followed by the remaining years in the Reserves or IRR. The Reserves or National Guard duty is a part-time soldier but a way to complete your commitment with the military is by going to drill one weekend per month, and two weeks per year. You are subject to be called to active duty should the need arise.
Individuals in the IRR are not required to drill and they do not draw any pay. Their names remain on a list and can be recalled to active duty until their eight-year service obligation is complete. In fact, for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army recalled more than 5,000 soldiers in the IRR back to active duty (to date, the Army is the only service that has recalled IRR).
For example, if you enlist in the Army on a two-year active duty contract, you will separate from active duty at the end of the two years. For the next six years, you are subject to recall to active duty at any time should the Army need you to supplement active duty or reserve deployments.
The Army offers active duty (full-time) enlistment periods from two years to five years (only certain jobs are available for two- and three-year enlistees). The Navy offers a two-year active duty enlistment, but they couple it with a two- or four-year active (drilling) Navy Reserve commitment. The shortest military contract by the Air Force, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps is four years.
Additional career training is available to former active-duty Army members in the National Guard. There is a Special Forces program in the Army for National Guard members to attend various schools in the Special Forces pipeline to become an Army Special Forces soldier. Members of the 19th and 20th Special Forces Groups continue to train and deploy when needed as augmentees for active units.
Active (drilling) Reserve and National Guard enlistments are for a minimum of six years for the education benefits.
If you are commissioned as an officer through the ROTC or Service Academy college programs, you owe the military five years of active duty service with a two-year option of Reserve Duty or IRR.