The U.S. has one of the most powerful militaries in the world. According to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), there is 1.3 million active-duty personnel today. However, not everyone who is in the military is a combatant.
Non-combatants do not directly take part in hostilities, and a majority of jobs in the military are non-combat roles. This article looks at some of the non-combat jobs in the U.S. military.
Transports and Logistics
All military branches require drivers, pilots, and logistics planners. Moving thousands of people and gear from one place is a monumental task, and there is a lot of planning that goes into it.
Logistics planners make all the travel arrangements for the personnel. Military drivers often face ambushes when driving through hostile territories. Fortunately, all military personnel gets some form of combat training.
Training Instructors
The military takes recruits from diverse backgrounds. Therefore, it takes a lot of training to turn these recruits into skilled combatants. Training Instructors are responsible for implementing the military curriculum. The instructors usually conduct their training on base but are former combatants.
To become a T.I., you have to have at least a high school diploma or associate degree. The requirements for higher levels are more stringent. For example, one must have up to 20 years of service and at least a bachelor’s degree.
Healthcare Personnel and Doctors
Healthcare personnel and military doctors are crucial to any military personnel. They are responsible for different roles ranging from filing paperwork, drawing blood.
Healthcare professionals working in the military are often deployed to bases near war zones. Other roles in healthcare include clinical laboratory specialists, hospital corpsmen, and clinical therapists.
All these professionals help to diagnose physical and mental health conditions. They ensure that combatants are ready to go to the frontlines.
Engineers and Technicians
Most modern technologies trace their origins to the military. For instance, the military invented duct tape to help seal ammunition cases. Other inventions by the military include night vision, GPS, and walkie-talkies.
All these cutting-edge techs come from some of the best minds in sciences and engineering. Yet, to stay ahead of the competition, the U.S. military still employs the best engineers and technicians.
The military has engineering roles, including mechanical, civil, electrical, software, and geospatial engineering. Technicians are also needed to conduct daily repair and maintenance of cars and other gadgets.
Legal and Paralegals
Lawyers and paralegals working in the military perform the same tasks as civilian lawyers. Their job is to represent clients who are undergoing trial in military courts. The U.S. Judge Advocate General Corps (JAG) handles all legal matters in the military.
Besides internal affairs, the military also provides legal services to their service members. Any service member can get free legal assistance with matters such as immigration, contract law, wills, and divorce.
Military lawyers are often based in military installations and ships. It is one of the safest roles since they rarely see combat. To become a military lawyer, one must complete an undergraduate degree and pass the admission exams.
Military Non-Combat Jobs
Contrary to what many believe, there are a lot of non-combat roles in the U.S. military. Statistically speaking, there are more desk jobs in the military than frontline roles. However, this distinction depends on the branch of service.
All military personnel get some form of combat training. Even they are desk officers. In some service branches, such as the Marine corps, everyone is a rifleman. As a professional, you can also make the transition to the military. The pay is often quite competitive as well.