I applied through a recruiter. The process took 9 months. I interviewed at US Army in Feb 2010
Interview
The recruiter will encourage you to lie and lie some more. If you are young you will be subjected to doing PT prior to heading out to basic training. If your job requires a security clearance expect to write a book about every single infractiion on your record, including minor traffic violations.
Must go to an Army Recruiting Center and take an entrance exam to determine job qualifications. Once qualified, there is a medical examination and background check. The recruit then goes an select from a list of jobs.