Could I join the Army on a two year contract and be guranteed to be out in two years?

Question

I feel an urge to serve my country, I also think it would be a good experience. I'm 25, I kind of wish I had done this when I was younger, as if I were to do a 4 year enlistment now I'd be getting out like 30 years old. I know the Army has two year enlistments. I was wondering if I could sign up and be guranteed to only serve for two years. I have a buddy who was a ranger and even after his 4 years was up and he came back from Iraq there was something with the contract where they could call him up for another 4 years or something like that. I would only join if I knew after 2 years I could get out for sure.

Answer 1

Yeah, go ahead, do some service for the rich guys and get half your body blown up by a bomb in Iraq, thats where you're going right after you finish a probably short mediocre training. They'll ship you like canned food on a mass production factory. Think wisely.

Answer 2

You can join for two years but it isn't guaranteed you will only serve two years.  You could be stop-lossed for a deployment if you unit is about to go to Iraq or Afghanistan.  Also, your contract is for eight years.  If you get out at two years you are still subject to the IRR and can be called back in.  Don't listen to that guy at the top, you can join until you are 42.

Answer 3

You can't join the army you have to be under 23

Answer 4

Simply put, NO. There are no 2-year enlistments, only enlistments that include provisions for your serving ONLY two years on active duty. All enlistments carry a term of service that may be split between the active and reserve component (US Army Reserve or Army National Guard)

The standard enlistment contract is for 6 or 8 years, depending into what program you are enlisting, regardless of service or specialty.

In this case you would serve 2 years on active duty, and the remainder of your contract term will be served in the Reserve Component (either drilling reservist or Individual Ready Reserve (the IRR is, effectively, a call-up list of trained and ready service members).

READ ALL OF THE CONTRACT!!

Answer 5

hi i see there are a lot of DA,S who will help you but most do not know what there doing you can go in the army tell you are 48 i belive your best bet is to call the army and ask them and a lawer  will do you no good i did 20 and love i belive  must do 8 years

Answer 6

EXCACLY WHAT BETHANY SAID, IM GONNA JOIN THE MARINES, BEST TRAINING, JOIN THE MARINES!!!!

Answer 7

A friend of ours at Ft. Drum had an 18 month contract. Everybody teased him about it and called him CID.

Well, he was stop lossed and ended up serving a 1 year tour in Iraq on top of his 18 months. Add 18 months to every contract to account for stop loss.

Answer 8

if its british army then its a guaranteed 4 year contract.

Answer 9

if you talk to a recruiter and a lawyer. the recruiter can give you that guarantee, and have him put it in the contract, then have your lawyer look it over just to be sure there are no hidden clauses.  

Answer 10

According to this article you can join up until you're 42.

http://www.military.com/features/0,15240...

When you join, you are given a minimum number of years to serve, but there is also a frame of time after you get out that you can be called back to active duty if you are needed.  Also, if you are in active duty, and you are deployed, they can extend your time if they need you.  The best way to find out any information is to talk to a local army recruiter.    

Here's the site for the army.  http://www.goarmy.com/flindex.jsp?#?chan...

Answer 11

All enlistments are 8 years, but you are signing up for X amount of time active duty.  So the answer is no, if you are worried about being too old for the Army, don't worry, soldiers are coming in that are in their late 30's.  

Answer 12

All military contracts are 8 year contracts and NO branch is currently offering a 2x6 (or as you call it a 2 year contract). The "something" where you can be called back up to duty is the IRR... You do not drill and are for all intensive purposes a civilian during your time in the IRR, but the military can recall you if needed.

You will either be signing one of three contracts:

4x4: 4 years active duty followed by 4 years of Individual Readiness Reserves (IRR)

6x2: 6 years active duty followed by 2 years of IRR

6x2: 6 years reserve duty followed by 2 years of IRR

Answer 13

Go talk to a recruiter. My guess is that you will stay for four or more by choice. Its awesome and where else can you shoot hostile insurgents and not go to jail.

Answer 14

enlistments are six years whether you do two, three, or four active.

Answer 15

Enlistments are always 8 years.  The combination of active and reserve time is there, but after seperation, you're still subject to callback until the 8 years are up.

Many people sign extensions, there're often financial incentives to do it, though they're based on skills and need.  With a 2 year contract you won't get much training or anything.

You can be 35 under even the old rules and enlist, certain training programs have different age restrictions.  I've heard it's been extended to 42, but that's probably reserve duty.

Answer 16

No...Any contract you sign (2 year,4 year,6 year,etc) is really an 8 year contract...2 of those years would be active,however they can always stop loss you (and extend your active years) then you serve whatever time remaining in the 8 years (so if you sign up for a 2 year contract,then 6 years) you serve in the IRR You don't really have to do anything for that except update your personal information...HOWEVER while in the IRR the reserve the right to call you up at any point,for any reason they so choose.So no...you are not guaranteed to be out in 2 years.