Military Careers
Pathways
10/18/2010
The Military
• Structure of the US Military
– Current Structure Established 1947
– Everything Military falls under the Department of
Defense, which is part of the Presidents Cabinet
– Department of Defense is under the control of the
Secretary of defense (Robert Gates)
• He answers directly to the President (Obama)
The Military
• 3 Military Departments- Headed by Service
Secretaries
– Army
– Air Force
– Navy
• The marines falls under the Navy
Military
• Military leaders of the Branches
– Army• 4 star general (aka Army chief of Staff)
• General George W. Casey, Jr
– Air Force
• 4 star General (aka, air force chief of staff)
• General Norton Schwartz
– Navy
• 4 star admiral (aka, Chief of Naval Operations)
• Admiral Gary Roughead
Military
• Military leaders of the Branches
– Marines
• 4 star general (aka Commandant of the Marine Corps)
• General James T. Conway
– Coast Guard
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Not in Department of Defense
Currently under Department of Homeland Security
But in War, all assets go to the Navy
Leader is Commandant- 4 star Admiral
Admiral Robert J. Papp, Jr
Branches
• The Army
– The oldest
– Provides the main ground forces for the US
– Cool Stuff
• Tanks, helicopters, guns, artillery, nuclear weapons
– Size
• 76,000 officers
• 401,000 enlisted members
Army
Branches
• Air Force- youngest
– Originally part of the army, until WWII, when it
was recognized that air power was important
– Space is part of the Air Force
– Cool stuff• Fighter jets, bombers, tanker, helicopters, satellites,
controls the nuclear ballistic missiles
– Size
• 69,000 commissioned officers
• 288,000 enlisted members
Air Force
Branches
• Navy
– Protect the seas for American Interests
– Support the Army and Air Force by providing
transportation of equipment and personnel
– Cool Stuff
• Air craft carriers, fighter bombes, big boats with huge
guns, Navy SEALS
– Size
• 54,000 officers
• 324,000 enlisted
Navy
Branches
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• Marines
– Infantry of the Navy
– Take the beaches to provide a path from the sea
to the enemy
– Cool Stuff
• Fast, self-sufficient (fighter jets, helicopters), boats
– Smallest of the Forces
• 18,000 officers
• 153,000 enlisted
Marines
Branches
• Coast Guard
– Was part of the Department of Transportation
– Now part of Homeland Security
– Cool stuff
• Law enforcement, boating safety, sea rescue, illegal
immigration
– Size
• 7,000 officers
• 29,000 enlisted
Types of Ranks
• Enlisted– Backbone of the military
– Do the primary jobs
– Enlisted members become specialists
• Trained to do specific tasks
Types of Ranks
• Different ranks for each branch
– Enlisted officers are called non-commissioned
– Highest rank
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Sergeant Major- Army
Master Chief petty Officer- Navy
Chief Master Sergeant- Air Force
Sergeant Major- Marines
Types of Ranks
• Requirements to enter the military as Enlisted
– High School Diploma
• Less than 10% enter with GED
– Majority of enlisted have some college
– Many have associate or bachelors degrees
– Some even have masters or doctorates
Types of Ranks
• Have to take the Armed Forces Vocational
Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)
• 2 purposes
– Check for mental ability to learn
– Placement for military jobs
• Form 18/19- High School ASVAB
– For high school
– 900,000 a year take it
Types of Ranks
• ASVAB
– Qualifying score AFQTArmed Forces
Qualification Score
• Air Force- 36- can go as
low as 31
– 0.5% with GED, but you
have to have a 50
• Army- 31- can go as low as
26
– 17% GED
• Marines- 32- as low as 25
– Less than 5% with GEDmust have a 50
• Navy- 35 as low as 31
– No GED unless you get a 50
on the ASVAB
– No Drugs
– 3 letters of reference
Jobs for the Enlisted Military
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Infantry
Artillery
Air Defense
Electronic Warfare
Cooks
Law Enforcement
Intelligence
Finance
Psychological Operations
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Civil Affairs
Religious
Medical
Chemical warfare
Transportation
Explosives and
Ammunition
Recruiting
Maintenance
Supply and Logistics
more
Warrant Officers
• Highly trained specialist
• They differ from Commissioned Officers
because they stay in their primary job
• Highly skilled technicians
– Work on the complex battlefield systems like
• Outrank all enlisted ranks
• College not required
Commissioned Officers
• These are the leaders
• “Top Brass”- they have the most medals
• They provide overall management and
leadership.
• Not like warrant officers they don’t
specialize
– Except for doctors, lawyers, pilots, etc.)
Commissioned Officers
• Promotion
– Enlisted members stay where they are trained for
their entire career, unless they get more training
– Officers move around a lot
– This allows them a better understanding of the
whole picture
– They start small, commanding a small group of
people, then gradually more and more, until they
command an entire battalion
Commissioned Officers
• Minimum of Bachelor’s degree (4 year college)
– Have to get more (masters) to be promoted
• Also can attend a military academy
– West Point
– Naval Academy
– Air Force Academy
• Take ROTC in college
– Reserve Officer Training Corps
• Officer Training School
Commissioned Officers
• 2 lines
– Non-Line- Not for combat
– Medical officers, chaplains, lawyers
• Line Officers
– Combat officers
• Even though a Non-Line may outrank a Line
officer, he still will not have any decision
making ability in the combat arena
Commissioned Officers
• 10 levels
– Lieutenant
• 2nd, 1st
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Captain
Major
Lieutenant Colonel
Colonel
Brigadier General – (Rear
Admiral- lower half)
• 1 star
• Major General (Rear
Admiral- top half
• 2 stars
• Lieutenant General (vice
Admiral)
• 3 stars
• General (Admiral)
• 4 stars
Pay
• Officers
– $2,745 up to 16, 132 per month
• Warrant
– $2,683 up to $7, 603
• Enlisted
– 1,447 up to 6, 129 per month
Pay
• Housing allowances
• Overseas allowances
• Combat duty allowances
Website
• http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/generalinfo/a/
military101_3.htm