I only set one now , this means that I have to get up , when I hear my alarm . <| sep |> Keyword army or any other branch for that matterIn the US completion of active duty or reservist that has been activated long enough qualifies you for the Montgomery GI Bill . Basically it pays for college . Not necessarily Harvard , but will pay for a healthy chunk of the expenses for a state school . A honorable discharge can also qualify you for some generous loans that allow you to , for example , purchase a house with zero down and a very low interest rate . So , 1819 4 years active duty 4 years of college 12 years later and you ' re set . Add to that , the signon bonus in the military can be generous depending on field . If you ' re smart with money , you can bank that remember , active duty means food and housing provided and it turns into a nice lump sum down the road . So yeah , its possible .