Did you know that there are more women in the military than ever before? In fact, there are currently around 2.5 million servicewomen in the US. But it takes a special kind of person to be in the military. Read on to find out if it could be right for you.

Women have been involved in the military throughout history, although it used to be only in nursing or support roles. However, this all changed in World War Two, when thousands of women enlisted. They drove ambulances, piloted planes, and tended to the wounded, as well as doing a whole range of administrative support work. How many WW2 veterans are still alive? Just ask them how critical women were to the war effort. Since then, women have become more and more involved with the military. They now serve in any position that a man can do, and can even fight in combat, since 2013.

So why are women flocking to careers in the military? A military career can offer a job that takes you around the world and allows you to travel in ways that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. Many women join the navy or airforce for this reason. People entering the military are typically adventurous, courageous, and patriotic people who are up for a challenge, and traveling the world is part of this.

A military career can also offer incredible opportunities for education. A college degree is expensive and unaffordable for many people. But the military can often pay for you to go to college or can help you to pay off your college loans. Whatsmore, there are many specialist training options within the military, and a chance to work your way up into leadership positions.

Another reason people are attracted to these careers is the excellent benefits that are difficult to find elsewhere. Yes, traveling the world and getting to serve your country is a huge benefit. But the insurance, medical and dental benefits are also significant. Whatsmore, accommodation is sometimes covered, as well as the expense of relocating to different bases.

Women can serve in any position and any branch of the military. You’ll need to think carefully about whether you want to join the army, navy, airforce, or marines. Each has different jobs, working life, benefits, and requirements. One thing in particular to consider is the fitness test. Did you know that the US military rejects 80% of applicants, most commonly due to lack of fitness?

To join the military, you need to be a high school graduate or have equivalent qualifications. To become an officer, you need a four-year bachelor’s degree and an excellent record. Anyone wanting to enlist must be at least 18 years of age (17 with parental consent), and there are also upper age limits which vary between 28-39 years of age, depending on the branch of the military.

If you like the sound of a career in the military, it’s essential to do your research and find out about the pros and cons, as well as the requirements. Speak to your local recruitment office if you want to learn more about where this career path could take you.

Aside from the fact that you have to put yourself at risk, working in a military role is often a very desirable position. The pay is very fair, you can often retire early, and you will gain the respect of those around you, all while getting to travel the world. With all of this on the table, this could be the perfect career choice for a lot of people. Of course, though, there is always a negative side to something like this, and the military comes with quite a big one. To give you an idea of what could be bad about a role like this, this post will be exploring some of the key elements which will put people off.

Freedom: It’s not really possible to work for the military while working for yourself. You will be told where you have to live, when you have to work, and the contracts can last for decades, making it hard for a lot of people to be happy with it. As an alternative, working for a security company could provide you with a similar sort of job, while still enabling you to handle it like a normal job, rather than a lifestyle choice.

Rights: When you’re working overseas, you won’t always be covered by the same rights which you have at home. Instead, the country you’re in could dictate what you are entitled to, and this could leave the doors open to a lot of trouble. Defense Base Act attorneys can help with the issues which come with this. Of course, though, losing your rights isn’t something most people will be happy with, even if you’re able to fight to get them back, and this makes the whole career into a write off.

Payments: While you will earn a good wage when you’re in the military compared to other jobs, you probably won’t be paid fairly for the actual time you have to spend working. Given that you have to go to another country to do this work, you will often spend extremely long stretches doing solid work. You will be paid on a daily basis, though, making the hours which you do insignificant.

Risk: It was mentioned at the start, but it’s worth considering the fact that you may have to fight a little bit more. Any job which puts your life at risk is something which you have to think seriously about. There are loads of jobs out there which won’t put you under any sort of jeopardy, while still providing similar benefits. It’s important to consider how much working for this sort of organisation really means to you.

Hopefully, this post will inspire you to start looking down other routes to satisfy you need for an exciting career. There are loads of jobs out there, and most of them don’t come with the problems which a military job will provide, making it worth shopping around to see what you can find. You need to love your job, but you also need to get enough from it.