Here's What Paperwork You Need Before Joining the Military

Hawaii State Department holds passport fair

The recruiting process inevitably brings mountains of paperwork with it. The older you are, the more you will have to do, as you will have more history behind you! Here is a list of some documents and items you should scrounge up to prepare. Ultimately, the speed with which you get in is determined largely by how fast you can complete the paperwork.

Things you might need:

Driver's license
Social Security card
Green card (if applicable)
Passport (if you have one)
Birth certificate
Marriage license or divorce papers (if applicable)
Legal records (if needed)
Credit report (if needed)
Your school diplomas and/or degrees (the actual ones, NOT copies)
School transcripts
Résumé
Records, locations and contact info of all places where you have worked the past 5-10 years
Recommendations (officer applicants)
Addresses where you have lived the past 7-10 years
Travel dates and locations of any place you have traveled outside the United States over approximately the past 10 years
Contact information for people you have known up to 10 years ago
Copies of medical records for any significant conditions you may have had recently
Awards, trophies and achievements (and proof thereof)

This is a long list. It's best if you first go through your paperwork, note down what you will need and collect everything together before you actually begin filling out forms. And remember, be patient; everyone has to go through the same long process!

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