How can the military help me support my mother? How is it enlisting later on in life?

Don't expect that jumping into the military life will make you any more happy than your civilian one. The challenges are bigger, the stress higher, and the loneliness from being away from loved ones is extended for months or even years on end. But at the same time, the rewards are wonderful. Personal growth and strength, travel and new experiences, opportunities for advancement and life experiences you would never get as a civilian. On top of that, it's great pay, especially for an entry level job, guaranteed a degree as long as you make the time to do the school work, and excellent benefits.
As for your mother, you can support her financially. When you initially start out, you'll probably make less than what you do as a plumber, but the promotions and income always continue to rise. If you are paying greater than 50% of your mother's support you can claim her as your dependent and then her health care will be covered as well. Unfortunately, no matter which branch you choose, the military will take you away for weeks or months at a time. So, if your mother needs physical care, it might not be a good choice for you.
As to enlistimg later in life, I find that people who join later usually bring a maturity that enables them to stand out among their peers and end up getting promoted ahead of their peers as well. Plus, there's a whole difference in professional approach to work. Many of the kids who enlist out of high school look at the military and their leaders as second parents to rebel against and the military as a prison sentence. It's not till they get out and meet the real job market that they learn to balance the benefits with the costs of service. You're in a better position to honestly weigh whether the benefits of service out weigh the costs of it.

You need tp go to DEERs to get an application form. One of the rules is her having a low income level and you financially support her. It is not that hard to make the request. She will have access to the post hospital and get an ID card. I think this situation allows you to get BAH, I am not certain.

Shane Breneiser Please complete your apprenticeship and receive that Journeyman’s Card.

That will give you a real Ace to hold for your working life.

My father worked as a pipe-fitter when he was a young man. He quit for a more stable, higher paying job. That great job vanished after 10 years, from age 34 on, he tried to get a Pipe Fitter’s Card. No dice, he had not completed the training.

With the card in hand, options are Open for you. Best wishes!

Financially you can give your mother all the support you can afford. If she is not your legal defendant, generally medical disability, she would receive no benefits from the military. If she is legally your dependent, the military would be. A hard choice for you as you are required to be deployable, and will likely do so. As for late in life, you are young. We truly need more info, hope this helps.

Be careful about enlisting with severe family problems. Military does offer counselors and chaplains, but your primary focus will be duty performance. Basic training can be stressful due to temporary separation from family. Enlist...if you are confident that your situation will not be a distraction.

My recommendation is this:. Join the Guard or Reserves for the shortest contract you can. Continue to plumb and finish your apprenticeship. If, after a couple years of part-time Soldiering, you decide it is the right fit for you, then you can go full time active duty. By that time you will hopefully picked up some rank, and your full time Army pay will (hopefully) be close to what your full-time plumbing pay was (but probably still a bit of a drop). Bit the benefits (free food, housing, health care) will probably make it worth your while.

Don't give up that apprenticeship unless you are POSITIVE that it is not the life for you. There is nothing wrong with skilled trades.

Finally, age isn't an issue right now. 10 years down the road you might be a bit long in the tooth to make a career, but you still have plenty of time right now.

What kind of support does your mother need? Does she just need financial support? Or does she also need help with medical issues or physically demanding tasks around the house?

Do you want to go active duty or part-time with reserves or national guard? I would recommend active duty if you want the full immersion into military life. Reserves/national guard would be a better fit if you want to stay close to your mom and don't mind balancing a civilian job with your military duties. Regardless of the component you go into, be prepared for the possibility of being sent overseas for 12 months or more.

The military can be a very good opportunity for you. On the other hand, I think family separation is one of the top reasons why service members choose to get out before doing their 20 years.

If enlisting is something you really want to do, go for it.

Just know that the army has dibs on you 24/7 when called to duty you must be ready to leave regardless of most family situations.

Another option is the National Guard they have plumbers there and you could get the best of both worlds. Yes you would have to go away to Basic and AIT but then you would be stationed at home. Depending on where you live the Air Guard is an option. (https://www.goang.com/how-to-join.html) If not the Army https://www.nationalguard.com/guard-experience/recruiter) usually has a place nearby.