[Title 32 CFR 571.2]
[Code of Federal Regulations (annual edition) - July 1, 2002 Edition]
[Title 32 - NATIONAL DEFENSE]
[Chapter V - DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY]
[Subchapter F - PERSONNEL]
[Part 571 - RECRUITING AND ENLISTMENTS]
[Sec. 571.2 - Basic qualifications for enlistment.]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
32NATIONAL DEFENSE32002-07-012002-07-01falseBasic qualifications for enlistment.571.2Sec. 571.2NATIONAL DEFENSEDEPARTMENT OF THE ARMYPERSONNELRECRUITING AND ENLISTMENTS
Sec. 571.2 Basic qualifications for enlistment.
(a) Age requirements. (1) Non-prior service. Applicants must be 17
to 34 years old, inclusive.
(2) Prior service. Applicants must be 17 to 34 years old. If 35 or
older but less than 55 years, they will qualify if they:
(i) Have a minimum of 3 years honorable active service in any one of
the Armed Forces, with at least 1 or more days of Army service.
(ii) Be not less than 35 years old plus the number of completed
years of prior honorable active military service.
(3) Exceptions. Applicants will be exempt from the above age
requirements if they can qualify for retirement by age 60, are not 55 or
older with 20 or more years of active service, and if they are:
(i) Honorably discharged active duty commissioned or warrant
officers who enlist within 6 months after their separation date or who
were awarded the Medal of Honor, Silver Star, or the Distinguished
Service Cross.
(ii) Enlisted members who separate from the Regular Army with an
honorable or general discharge and reenlist within 3 months after
separation date.
(4) Parental consent. The written consent of parents or legal
guardian is required for applicants under 18 years of age.
(b) Citizenship requirements. The applicant must be:
(1) A citizen of the United States, or
(2) An alien who has been lawfully admitted to the United States as
a permanent resident, or
(3) A National of the United States (Citizen of Puerto Rico, Guam,
American Samoa or the Virgin Islands).
(c) Trainability requirements. (1) Non-prior service. For enlistment
in mental group category I-III applicants must have a high school
diploma (HSD) or General Education Development (GED) Certificate. HSD or
GED scores must be 90 or above in one or more aptitude areas in Armed
Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) tests. Mental group IV
requires two. Non-high-school graduates (NHSG) in mental group I-IIIA
require two. Applicants must meet all other criteria for the option they
wish to select. (See Sec. 571.2(c)(3).)
[[Page 376]]
(2) Prior service. Applicants must meet the mental requirements in
paragraph (c)(3) of this section, or qualify for exemption from these
requirements through:
(i) Award of the Medal of Honor.
(ii) Award of the Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, or Silver
Star Medal, with less than 20 years of active military service.
(iii) Partially disabling combat-wounds with less than 20 years of
active military service.
(3) Mental categories and eligibility for enlistment.
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Enlistment eligibility \3\
Applicant Age Education Mental category \2\ ------------------------------- Remarks
level \1\ DEP RA
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NPS--male........................ 17............ HSG I-IVB.................. Yes.......... Yes........... 10th grade minimum unless over 22
GED I-IIIA................. Yes.......... No............ years old, then 11th grade
GED IIIB-IV................ Yes........... minimum.
No............
NHSG I-IIIA................. Yes.......... Yes...........
NHSG IIIB-IV................ No........... No............ Eligible for RA if graduates. If
HSSR I-IVB.................. Yes.......... (See remarks). NHSG, meet criteria of this
table.
NPS--male........................ 18 or older... HSG I-IVB.................. Yes.......... Yes........... 10th grade minimum unless over 22
GED I-IIIB................. Yes.......... Yes........... years old, then 11th grade
GED IV..................... No........... No............ minimum.
NHSG I-IIIA................. Yes.......... Yes...........
NHSG IIIB................... Yes.......... Yes........... 11th grade minimum regardless of
NHSG IV..................... No........... No............ age.
HSSR I-IVB.................. Yes.......... (See Remarks). Eligible for RA if graduates. If
NHSG, meet criteria of this
table.
NPS--female...................... .............. HSG WST 50 or higher....... Yes.......... Yes........... Eligible for RA if graduates.
GED ....................... No........... No............
NHSG ....................... No........... No............
HSSR ....................... Yes.......... Yes...........
Prior service--male.............. .............. HSG I-IIIB and three Yes.......... Yes...........
GED aptitude scores of 90 Yes.......... Yes...........
NHSG or higher. No........... No............
Prior service--female............ .............. HSG Three aptitude scores Yes.......... Yes........... If female is a member of USAR/ARNG
GED of 90 or higher. Yes.......... Yes........... prior to RA enlistment, a minimum
NHSG No........... No............ Womens Selection Test (WST) score
of 50 is required in addition to
3 aptitude scores of 90 or
higher.
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\1\ Education definitions:
a. High school graduate (HSG). An applicant who has graduated from an accredited high school with a diploma, a certificate of graduation, or statement
of completion.
b. General Education Development (GED) equivalency. An applicant who has evidence of completion of the high school level GED equivalency.
c. Non-high school graduate (NHSG) and high school senior (HSSR). Self explanatory.
\2\ CAT I 93-100, CAT II 65-92, CAT IIIA 50-64, CAT IIIB 31-49, CAT IVA 21-30, CAT IVB 16-20.
\3\ Applicants must meet the additional prerequisites for training in the selected military occupational specialty (MOS) as indicated by the option and
REQUEST System.
(d) Education requirement. (1) Applicants must meet the following
educational requirements of the specific enlistment option.
(i) Female applicants must be high school graduates.
(ii) Male applicants, 17-22 years of age, must have successfully
completed the 10th grade or equivalent. Males, 23 or older at time of
entry on active duty, must have successfully completed the 11th grade or
equivalent.
(iii) Aliens or applicants completing high school requirements in
foreign countries must take the GED or have obtained an evaluation in
accordance with table 2-5, note 5d, AR 601-210 to be considered a high
school graduate for enlistment purposes.
(iv) Minimum education requirements, in a foreign country, given in
paragraph (d)(1)(iii) of this section are the same in the United States.
(2) Prior service applicant must either:
(i) Possess a diploma or certificate of graduation from high school;
or
(ii) Present documentation of successful completion of high school
level or higher GED equivalency.
[[Page 377]]
(e) Physical requirements. (1) The applicant must:
(i) Meet the enlistment physical fitness standards given in chapter
2, AR 40-501.
(ii) Meet any additional requirement of the specific enlistment
option.
(iii) Request a waiver if the AFEES medical examining officer
decides an exception to medical standards is appropriate.
(2) Prior service applicants must meet the weight standards in
appendix A, AR 600-9 and
(i) The retention medical fitness standards in chapter 3, AR 40-501,
if applicant enlists within 6 months of RA separation.
(ii) The enlistment medical fitness standards in chapter 2, AR 40-
501 (except the weight standards of paragraph 2-22, AR 40-501) if
applicants enlist 6 months from the last RA separation date, or if
applicants last separated from another service or component and meets
the weight tables in appendix A, AR 600-9.
(iii) The retention medical fitness standards in chapter 3, AR 40-
501 if applicant is an active member of USAR/ARNG unit and meets the
weight tables at appendix A, AR 600-9.
(iv) Any additional requirements for the specific enlistment option.
(f) Dependent criteria. (1) The applicant may have only three
dependents (see paragraphs (f)(1) and (iii) of this section).
(i) An applicant without a spouse who has one or more dependents
under 18 years of age is disqualified, except as noted in paragraphs
(f)(1) (ii) and (iii) of this section. No waiver is authorized.
(ii) An applicant may be enlisted when dependent children are in the
custody of the other parent by court order, and the applicant is not
required to provide child support. No waiver is required.
(iii) An applicant, required to pay child support for no more than 2
dependents under 18 years of age when dependents are in the other
parent's custody by court order, may enlist without waiver.
(iv) In meritorious cases, an applicant with a spouse may request
waiver of paragraph (f)(1) of this section.
(v) Husband and wife teams who have one or more dependents under 18
years of age are disqualified. No waiver is authorized.
(vi) An applicant with a spouse on active duty with any Service who
has 1 or more dependents under 18 years of age is disqualified.
(2) Prior service. Same as non-prior service for pay grades E-1
through E-3. If eligible for pay grade E-4 or higher, may enlist without
regard to number and ages of dependents. However, the provisions of
paragraphs (f) (i), (ii), (iii), (v), and (vi) of this part for
applicants without prior service apply.