Army vs Military: Career solutions for borne soldiers

The military or defense department, without any doubt, serves as the heart of any state or country. Many individuals dream of joining the forces to protect or serve their nation. As good as it sounds, making a career in the military is no piece of a cake. It requires years of training and life-challenging experiences.

Any individuals thinking of pursuing a career in the military must keep in mind the department involves a wide range of roles. Whether directly or indirectly, all of these roles have the same objective; keeping the country safe and peaceful.

The military people lie into three broad categories:

Active duty: These soldiers serve full-time duty
Reserve and Guard Forces: These military people usually work at civilian occupations but, if called, can perform full-time duty too
Veterans: These are typically retirees of the military

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MILITARY AND ARMY

Although many people confuse the military with the army, one must be mindful both are not interchangeable.

The military refers to a larger and powerful defense unit, whereas the army is just a military subset. Simply put, the army is one of the military unit’s divisions; others include navy, marine, air force, and coast guard. The head of the country is in charge of all these divisions of the military.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN MILITARY

Individuals with military degrees and military experience find many lucrative opportunities in their career paths. That said, there is a wide range of opportunities for individuals to decide to pursue their careers in it. Some of them are:

MILITARY INTELLIGENCE ANALYST

Military intelligence analyst collects information about the rival forces, receives data about threats and then analyze it. They also decode messages from the enemies, understand the hidden meanings behind them, and conduct thorough research on opponents’ activities. The day-to-day tasks are:

Create security reports for high profile and influential political figures
Check the reliability of the information
Prepare plans and missions to fight the enemies

Individuals should earn a degree in international relations or political science to get eligible for an intelligence analyst position, said University of Georgia alum, Arthur Lynch received his Bachelor of Arts in History in 2013, minoring in political science. He appeared on the Dean’s List, Athletic Directors Honor Roll, and as Academic All-SEC. Arthur was the Student-Athlete Liaison & Campaign Assistant for the Student Government Association and was also one of eleven male students at the university chosen as a member of the Gridiron Secret Society. He has played in the NFL and served in the United States Army.

HORIZONTAL CONSTRUCTION ENGINEER

As the name implies, these engineers use backhoe loaders, dozers, and various heavy machinery to complete building plans and construction projects. These projects may include building bridges, roads, and highways. Constructing safe and secure projects is crucial as it would be quite hard for the soldiers to travel on rough and bumpy roads. Some of the typical job responsibilities are:

Monitor the conditions of ongoing projects daily
Give training on how to use construction machinery to fellow workers
Use filler material and spread it with the help of scrapers

Individuals willing to pursue this career must have a great interest in construction sites and comfortable working with heavy equipment.

VETERINARIAN

Many military officers keep with themselves pets and animals for various reasons. Some corps use dogs for sniffing bombs and other explosive materials, whereas other officers employ horses for ceremonial purposes and goods shipping. Therefore, those people who are fond of animals and the medical field, at the same time, wish to join the army can go for a veterinarian post. These professionals are responsible for looking after the health of dogs, horses, and other pets employed in the military services. Their everyday tasks include:

Perform research on various animal diseases
Work with other health professionals for formulating prevention strategies
Supervise the food items and ensure that the food comes from a safe environment

The job role does not require professionals to fight on the front line. Still, individuals should brace themselves to work in a high-pressure environment. Also, veterinarians must be detail-oriented and capable of taking on-spot decisions.

FIELD ARTILLERY FIREFINDER RADAR OPERATOR

FireFinder refers to a sightseeing device used by military personnel to spot planes or mortars using radio waves. The field artillery FireFinder radar operator uses this device to detect enemy mortars or planes’ location and thus notifies the defense unit. Individuals wanting to pursue a career in this field must possess strong knowledge of geometry, electronics, and radar. The operators must be experts in calculating speed and altitude. Their job responsibilities include:

Operate and manage FireFinder and other radar instruments
Set up and control radio communications
Regularly checkup of FireFinder and other equipment
Build hideouts and similar things for field artillery

DENTAL SPECIALIST

The military team is incomplete without medical and dental specialists. Individuals with no dental degree can assist soldiers in their dental treatment as 68E dental specialists. These individuals must excel in subjects like biology and chemistry. Also, they should possess excellent hand-eye coordination skills to perform well. Below are a few job duties of 68E dental specialists:

Monitor patients’ vitals, including blood pressure, pulses, etc
Prepare instruments for dental procedures and take X-rays
Assist in administrative procedures and oversee the dental office
Take impressions and assist in sutures removal or placement operations

Making a career as a dentist in the army has its benefits even after leaving the military. Individuals can look for local licensure and continue to work as a dental assistant in any civilian position.

JUDGE ADVOCATE

Individuals having an interest in law can make a career as Judge Advocate in the military. Judge Advocate General or JAG officer is responsible for handling the legal affairs in the military. Their job is similar to the civilian attorneys or prosecutors. JAG officers must be medically fit to work under high-pressure circumstances and take honest yet prompt decisions. Individuals who wish to pursue a career as a JAG officer must acquire a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school. The typical job responsibilities of a JAG officer include:

Offers legal advice to military personnel and their families
Devises documents related to law
Acts as a counselor for soldiers at court-martial

CONCLUSION

It is important to note that there exist a variety of other career pathways as well for soldiers. However, before making any decision, individuals must remind themselves of their career goals. The field of the military requires dedication, time, and hard work. These officers have to work far away from home, meet their families after months or years, and their lives are in constant danger. Therefore, students must make sure that they are ready to face these demanding challenges. Indeed, individuals can only get to see what their future holds once they step into this field. Still, they can get in touch with the present officers to get a clear picture.