It all depends on the recruit’s personal situation and what they are enlisting for. The first step is to talk to a recruiter. I started talking to a recruiter in December 1998 for the Army National Guard. I signed my enlistment papers in February 1999 and started attending drill with my unit that month. I was still a senior in high school, so I did not go to basic training until after graduation (June 1999).

I was in DEP (Delayed Entry Program) for over a year, so I have to say that it varies.