What is the difference between military service on Active Duty, as a member of the National Guard, or as a Reservist?

There are many nuances, and those new to the recruiting process soon learn there are multiple options for a career in uniform; not all involve a full-time commitment to the military.

Active Duty Military Service

Active Duty is what most people think of when they consider joining a branch of the military. Active duty service is possible in the following branches:

• Army
• Navy
• Air Force
• Marine Corps
• Coast Guard
• Space Force

Each branch of the service has its own unique requirements for active duty recruits. Some branches require far more in the physical departments than others (the Marine Corps is the best example) but all branches have some form of required physical discipline. All branches of active duty service require some form of basic training, which helps new recruits come up to the physical standards while learning military order and discipline.

Active duty military service is a full-time, 24-7 job and the Department of Defense may assign its active duty forces anywhere in the world. Joining as an active duty member means signing a legally binding contract that obligates the member to a minimum service commitment defined by the individual branch of service.

Active duty service members can be stationed stateside or overseas, they get full military benefits after meeting minimum time-in-service and training requirements, and are eligible for the full range of education benefits offered to them when they have served long enough. Active duty service members are eligible for:

• VA home loan benefits
• GI Bill benefits
• TRICARE health coverage
• Retirement pay programs
• Spouse education assistance
• Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (SGLI)

…just to name a few.

In short, joining as an active duty military member means going into the “regular Army”, the full time Air Force, etc. Active duty military service is a career, or potentially a career for any new recruit who joins to do full-time uniformed service.

Those who want to join the military but want to serve part-time have two basic options in what are commonly known as the “reserve components”, the National Guard and the Reserve.

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Reserve Components: The National Guard And Reserve

The phrase “reserve components” can include both the Reserve and the Guard. The DoD has a group of reserve components including:

• Army National Guard
• Air National Guard
• Army Reserve
• Navy Reserve
• Marine Corps Reserve
• Air Force Reserve
• Coast Guard Reserve

The Guard and Reserve both have their origins in early American militia groups formed at the beginning of American colonization–more than one National Guard unit has its origins in such militias.

National Guard

Described as a “joint activity” of the Department of Defense between the Army and Air Force, both Army and Air Force Guard operations fall under the jurisdiction of state governors but can also operate under Federal authorization when conditions warrant.

Most members of the Guard hold civilian jobs while serving part-time; but there is a smaller group of full-time Active Guard & Reserve troops.

The National Guard Commitment: How Long You Will Initially Serve

The first question many have is, “How long am I committed for when I join the National Guard”? Depending on the branch of service, and current mission requirements, that answer may be different but examples of past commitment requirements can tell you a lot.

In the past, the Army National Guard has informed its new recruits “You can enlist for as few as three years, with an additional commitment to the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR). IRR Soldiers don’t train with a unit, but can still be called up in the event of an emergency.”

That’s according to the Army official site. National Guard troops may do monthly drills, musters, or require other training or activities. They may be deployed by the state Governor in times of emergency or unrest, etc. The schedule of your individual National Guard unit will determine your individual time commitment each month.

Some join the Guard and serve part-time for their entire military career; others join after serving on Active Duty and may have an easier time getting placed due to being prior military. Regardless of how you join, the benefits of National Guard service include VA benefits–two of which are the most asked-about:

VA Home Loan Benefits For National Guard Members

Those who join the National Guard and meet minimum time-in-service requirements are eligible to apply for VA home loan benefits. Those minimum requirements include (but are not limited to):

• Six years of service in the Selected Reserve, AND
• Honorably discharged, OR
• Placed on the retired list, OR
• Served for 90 days or more on active duty (Title 10) during a wartime period, OR
• Discharged or released from active duty for a service-connected disability.

VA Education Benefits (GI Bill) For National Guard Members

Those who join the Guard and serve the minimum time required may be eligible to apply for GI Bill benefits. For members of the National Guard, GI Bill payments are not as high as for active duty veterans. The Army National Guard official site includes discussion of the benefits for Guard members; a monthly expense allowance of up to $384, for more than $13,500 total over a four year college career.

Army Guard members have the option to apply for a kicker that can help add more education funds; up to $350 per month in living expenses for qualifying applicants.

The qualifications for joining will vary depending on whether you are exploring your Air National Guard or Army Guard options. For example, the criteria for joining the Army National Guard include being at least 17 years old and all recruits must take and pass the ASVAB. Some recruits may have the option to attend basic training between their Junior and Senior year in high school depending on circumstances and current policy.

Those who wish to join the National Guard with prior military service will discuss their options with a Prior Service recruiter.

Why do some people join the Guard instead of becoming a Reservist? Guard units are often closer to home than the nearest military reserve unit. Serving part-time means doing monthly drill and other requirements and the proximity of your home to the nearest unit could make the difference between joining one or the other.

Joining The Reserve

Serving in the Reserve forces carries versions of the same benefits as serving in the National Guard–the GI Bill requirements are similar and there are minimum time in service requirements for members of both the Guard and Reserve for VA Home Loan program options.

The Department of Veterans Affairs says of Reserve component benefits, “Generally, all National Guard and Reserve members discharged or released under conditions that are not dishonorable are eligible for some VA benefits.” The duration of your military commitment, the status, whether you were activated for full time service, and other variables will affect the specific military benefits you qualify for as a Reservist.

For example, VA mortgage benefits for Reservists include the following requirements:

• Six years of service in the Selected Reserve, AND
• Honorably discharged, OR
• Placed on the retired list, OR
• Served for 90 days or more on active duty (Title 10) during a wartime period, OR
• Discharged or released from active duty for a service-connected disability
• Were transferred to the Standby Reserve or an element of the Ready Reserve other than the Selected Reserve after service characterized as honorable, OR
• Continues to serve in the Selected Reserve longer than six years

Joining the Reserve is similar to joining the National Guard in that each branch of service has its own benefits and requirements for becoming an Reservist-no two Reserve programs are exactly alike.

Army Reserve members have different requirements than Air Force Reservists, for example, and you may find that some branches of service have smaller Reserve “footprints” than others. One year’s count found more than 38,000 Marine Corps Reserve members; compare that to the Air Force’s numbers which roughly double that amount.

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The Main Difference Between The Guard And Reserve

The major differences between the Guard and Reserve have to do with the nature of duty–Reserve members operate under the jurisdiction of the DoD and may be called up to serve in times of war, in expeditionary campaigns, for humanitarian relief, and any other mission-essential function.

National Guard troops can be activated by the Governor of your state, and they may also be called up by the President of the United States. In many cases a reserve member may be filling in for an active duty soldier, airman, Marine, etc. who has deployed. In other cases reserve members may be called upon to deploy themselves.

Reserve troops may be activated by the President, Congress, the Secretary of Defense, but time limits apply depending on circumstances. Reserve Troops are subject to some or all of the following different kinds of activations where appropriate:

• The President, Congress, and SecDef may involuntarily activate Reserve units
• Congress may authorize a full mobilization of Reserve units with no time limit until six months following a conflict
• The President of the United States can order a partial mobilization of reservists for up to two years
• Presidential Reserve Call-Up authority allows the president to order two hundred thousand reserve members and even a smaller number of Ready Reserve members to be active for as long as one year
• Disaster Response rules allow state governors to call up Reserve units and individuals to help with domestic emergencies
• Special missions that fall under “Assured Access Authority” allow the call-up of Reserve units in times that don’t include war or emergency “in support of an active duty combatant command”
• Reserve members may have the option to volunteer to activate; volunteering for active duty is one way some units augment their numbers when needed

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Things To Remember About Joining The Military

Joining the active service, National Guard, or Reserve is a personal choice. If you want to serve but don’t want the full time commitment, a Guard or Reserve slot can be just what you need. The important thing to remember is to judge your needs and goals compared to the type of service you are contemplating. Do you want to help your state out in times of natural disaster?

If you prefer your military service closer to home, the Guard may be a better option. There are no guarantees how close to home you might serve, but in general your options are better with a Guard unit in these cases.

Reservists often travel around the globe depending on the unit, the mission, and other concerns. If you want to serve with the option of travel, a Reserve job may be a better fit for you than a National Guard option though again, your experience may vary.

Active duty service is very tempting for those who want both the maximum amount of military benefits offered and the potential for travel and relocation. The best thing to do is to speak to an active duty recruiter plus those recruiting for Guard and Reserve counterparts–learn what the most current demands are and what jobs might be right for you.

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Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter for Air Force Television News

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Can you learn to be a hacker by joining the United States military? The short answer is yes, but it depends a great deal on an applicant’s skill sets, ASVAB test results, natural aptitude, and other variables.

What It Means To Be A Hacker

There are many definitions of what it means to be a hacker. One of the longest-running hacker magazines, 2600 often sought to define a hacker as someone who is basically curious and wants to know how things work.

Naturally that doesn’t discuss whether or not the hacking activity itself is black hat, white hat, or even gray hat hacking–which is how many who observe the hacker community tend to define those with altruistic hacking interests (white hat) versus those who are interested in greed, scams, and identity theft (black hat), and the twilight zone in between the two (gray hat).

Are There Hackers In The Military?

The military doesn’t usually label their recruits as hackers–these troops are referred to in a variety of ways–the Army has a job called Cyber Operations Specialist, for example, that includes a very familiar list of requirements and training opportunities for those in the career field. Those include the following job duties:

• Provide intelligence and network support
• Collect and analyze digital data
• Maintain network defenses (routers and firewalls)
• Evaluate network defenses
• Respond to “incidents in cyberspace”
• Surveillance and reconnaissance against networks
• Network terrain audits
• Penetration testing
• Digital forensics
• Software threat analysis

Much of that definitely sounds like the classic examples of hacking you might read about or see in the movies, and some of it does not. Sadly, Hollywood is not the place to get a realistic idea of what it means to be a hacker either as an unaffiliated civilian or as a military member trying to learn a new set of skills.

You may get plenty of cliches about hacking from pop culture, but the actual work itself is harder than it appears on the news or in the movies–but it’s definitely a rewarding military career option.

Why?

Hacker Training

The military does not require you to have a degree in computer science to enter a military job related to hacking. Let’s return to our Army example and review the training a new recruit can expect to get if they are approved to become an Army Cyber Operations Specialist.

The first expectation is that all troops must pass the initial training phase as an officer or an enlisted recruit. New recruits without college degrees entering the U.S. Army as enlisted soldiers who want to become Cyber Operations Specialists will attend 10 weeks of Basic Combat Training and two Advanced Individual Training phases.

Systems and certifications that may be offered via training programs in the Army can result in the recruit being qualified on the following:

• CompTIA A+
• CompTIA Network+
• CompTIA Security+
• Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
• CISCO Certified Networking Associate (CCNA)

As you can see, there is an industry-standard Certified Ethical Hacker credential possible, as well as training/certifications for routers, network issues, and much more.

Who Qualifies For These Military Hacker Jobs?

Each branch of military service has its own requirements for cyber security jobs like the one we’ve been reviewing above. For the particular Army job seen here, there is a minimum ASVAB score requirement in the following areas:

• General Technical (GT): 110
• Skilled Technical (ST): 112

Again, each branch of military service has its own unique requirements. For example, the Air Force’s Cyber Systems Operations job (which may or may not be similar to the Army equivalent mentioned above) for enlisted troops has only a general ASVAB requirement compared to the Army job above. The minimum qualifications for this Air Force hacker-type military career includes:

• High school diploma, GED with 15 college credits, or GED
• “Knowledge of cyber system elements”
• Completion of an “Initial Skills” course
• Completion of a current Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI)
• Completion of 8.5 weeks of Basic Military Training
• Must be between the ages of 17 and 39

How To Find A Military Hacker Job

The recruiting office is the place to get the most up-to-date information about job openings in military cyber operations, white hat military hacking, etc. However, if you are looking for general information (as opposed to what the current vacancies might be) you can search the official sites for all branches of military service.

Be sure to use key phrases like “Enlisted White Hat Hacker” or “U.S. Military ethical hacker job” as search terms and don’t forget that the Department of Defense uses the term “cyber” a lot when describing hacker jobs, missions, organizations, etc. You can also look up the organizations responsible for military computer operations and related missions such as:

• S. Fleet Cyber Command
• Marine Forces Cyberspace Command
• Air Force Cyber Command
• U.S. Space Force
• U.S. Army Cyber Command

How To Apply For A Military Hacker Job

The first thing to remember is that if you have skills that meet the job description, you should mention them to the recruiter–you will want to have a conversation with a recruiter from more than one branch of the military so you can compare job descriptions (most military branches use the term “cyber” as a keyword for military hacker jobs), education and training requirements, etc.

Hacking is a tricky skill since many of the options you have to learn aren’t always “white hat” choices. Remember that a recruiter is obligated to ask you about past run-ins with the law no matter how minor they may seem.

If you have a past that is not troubled by legal run-ins (especially those based around your hacking skills) you will have an easier time with the recruiting process but don’t assume that you do NOT qualify–let a recruiter determine if a past legal issue is a true barrier to enlistment or if it simply requires the request for a waiver (which IS possible depending on circumstances).

Getting a military job that requires or trains troops to use hacking skills requires you to speak to a recruiter, consider your basic training options, and much more. It’s good to research your career interests first before talking to a recruiter.

If you are firm in your commitment to a specific type of career field, you will have a better time in the recruiting process than someone who hasn’t made up their mind yet. And if you are committed to a certain path, be up front about that when talking to any recruiter from any branch of service. It will save you a great deal of time.

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Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter for Air Force Television News

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What is the most unusual military career you can think of? Directors John Houston and Russ Meyer both documented World War Two in uniform, and there are plenty of other examples of famous people doing unusual jobs in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, etc.

But it’s a two way street–for every Adrian “Good Morning Vietnam” Cronauer (the First Class Airman who became famous for his military radio presence and later became the subject of the famous film of the same name starring Robin Williams) there are plenty of soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and other uniformed service members working unusual jobs that don’t get the spotlight.

The goal of this article is to help people think creatively about their military career choices–some want to be dental technicians or IT support troops, anticipating post-military career options or just exploring an area they always wanted to learn about.

But others may be interested in finding a career that isn’t typical, has unique challenges, or is something altogether new from the applicant’s perspective. Thinking creatively about your job options and asking to see more obscure military career fields could lead you to a totally different experience than some have in uniform.

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Typical Military Jobs

Comparing the different types of military jobs, you start to notice a pattern. There are jobs “on the front lines” which include pilots, ground troops, security forces, medical, long-haul communications, and more, Then there are the jobs that support all these functions–the support staff, maintenance techs, supply, and more.

You’ll also find the administrative functions, the logistical operations, etc. Here’s a list  (see below) of jobs from just one branch of service–the United States Army.

The Army recruiting site breaks certain jobs down into specific categories: Science, Technology, Engineering, Math–all the STEM areas are covered prominently there. But the list of jobs goes far beyond STEM:

• Aeromedical Evacuations Officer (67J)
• AH-64 Armament/Electrical/Avionic Systems Repairer (15Y)
• AH-64 Attack Helicopter Repairer (15R)
• Air and Missile Defense (AMD) Crewmember (14P)
• Air Defense Artillery Officer (14A)
• Air Defense Battle Management System Operator (14G)
• Air Defense Enhanced Early Warning System Operator (14H)
• Air Traffic Control (ATC) Operator (15Q)
• Air Traffic Control Equipment Repairer (94D)
• Aircraft Electrician (15F)
• Aircraft Structural Repairer (15G)
• Allergist, Clinical Immunologist (60M)
• Allied Trade Specialist (91E)
• Ammunition Specialist (89B)
• Ammunition Stock Control and Accounting Specialist (89A)
• Anesthesiologist (60N)
• Animal Care Specialist (68T)

Of this very short list (certainly not a comprehensive group of Army specialties, just a small portion of the “A” section of the list) we see a few unusual jobs–those who forget the Army has its own pilots might be confused by the Air Traffic Control and Air Defense positions.

And the Animal Care Specialist is one type of off-the-beaten-track military job that intrigues some right away. What are animal care professionals doing working in uniform?

In this particular job, you’ll find that Security Forces K-9 handlers rely on them rather heavily. Any military operation that requires the training, housing, and care of bomb sniffing dogs, drug dogs, and airport security dogs would need an animal care professional such as the Army 68T job listed in the list above.

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Unusual Military Careers

What follows are a few descriptions of unusual military careers. This is NOT a comprehensive list and you should be aware that each branch of military service handles its career assignment processes differently.

The Marine Corps may call their military journalists something different than Air Force officials do but in many cases the jobs are very similar. You will find support staff and technicians operating under different names or in differently-titled jobs, but many of these positions have similar responsibilities, best practices, etc.

Audiologist

Audiology is, in the context of military careers, a science required for a variety of troop support functions including determining the extent of service-connected hearing injuries from combat, training, or day-to-day job functions. Audiologists work in base clinics and hospitals, and there may be audiology related jobs (including enlisted positions for techs and assistants) in all branches of military service.

If you are interested in a highly specialized career in a specific aspect of military medicine like audiology, ask a recruiter what options exist and what training is required.

Military Bands

Each branch of service has military bands that work in the service of military recruiting, morale, and public relations. These bands require trained musicians who can pass an audition.

The Army official site says of its own Army band requirements, “While not required, the majority of Army Musicians have completed a Bachelor’s Degree or higher in music and have previous professional experience.”

Playing in a military band requires military service, and this is definitely a high-visibility job that provides much opportunity for the same kind of travel and service that other military specialties do.

Each branch of service recruits for these jobs differently, so you’ll need to talk to a detailer or recruiter to learn more.

Food Service 

Yes, it’s true that enlisted military members have the option to work at the Chow Hall (the preferred term varies by branch of service, but the generic “dining facility” works for most scenarios) but the training and logistics of food service is much more than chopping potatoes and insuring the food cooking assembly line functions as intended.

Military food service is a crucial part of deployments, overseas military base operations, even disaster relief, depending on circumstances. These jobs are often listed under keywords such as “culinary” or “culinary specialist,” but you may also need to search for “food service” just in case.

Multimedia Illustrators

Each branch of the military has its own marketing requirements including the creation of lithographs, special documents, marketing materials, recruiting documents, and more. Then there are the base-level needs for media including base newspapers and other publications, training manuals, and much more.

Illustrators are often used at the Headquarters level, but may also have opportunities at overseas bases (especially in marketing departments and public-facing jobs such as Public Affairs).

Public Affairs Specialists 

Once upon a time, the Department of Defense had different jobs for Public Affairs specialists and military broadcasters. But over time these two jobs have merged and those working in military public affairs as officers or enlisted members may find themselves doing video reports one month, base tours the next, and dealing with the press for base events and programs all the while.

There are many sub-jobs available within military public affairs including writing for the base newspaper, working with the base historian to preserve and present military history to the public, etc.

Public Affairs has in the past been viewed separately from another military job commonly called Combat Camera but some Combat Camera work began winding down for some branches of military service, being folded into other missions or being dropped altogether depending on circumstances.

That was the fate of some Air Force Combat Camera units, but the Army still recruits for Combat Camera-type jobs. The branch of service you join may or may not have this career option.

Retail Jobs 

Did you know there are a small number of retail positions that can be filled by United States Marines? The official name for this Marine Corps job is “Marine Corps 4133 Community Services” and features the following job description courtesy of the U.S. Marine Corps official site:

“Community Services Marines…provide direct customer service and support; perform daily administrative tasking; provide managerial and custodial supervision of personnel, funds, property and merchandise;” as well as a wide range of other functions.

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Some Jobs Require More Specialization Than Others

What kind of jobs? For every fighter pilot, there is a team of people responsible for maintaining that aircraft, making sure everything is right from weapons loading to parachute packing. That isn’t so unusual–every military in the world has flight crews, maintenance techs, and support staff.

But if you look at the nature of this work, you begin to see some jobs stand out from the rest–they are unusual, require specialized training, and not everyone is cut out for such work.

In the context of that fighter pilot’s world, the rare and unusual job is most likely that of the base weather forecaster. Every military flight operation requires accurate and timely weather information to inform takeoffs, in-air operations, and much more.

The role of Base Weather Operations, as these departments are sometimes called, are crucial to the success of any flying mission.

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Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter for Air Force Television News

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Are you interested in a career in military law? Many become interested in military law and the military justice system by way of popular television shows like NCIS and JAG. For two television programs that ran a combined twenty-seven seasons, it’s not surprising that some viewers would consider military jobs similar to those prominently featured on screen each week.

What follows is not meant to be a comprehensive look at all possible military law careers–there are too many jobs across six branches of military service (including Space Force) to list them all here.

Instead, this should be considered a tool to use before and during conversations with a recruiter–if you are interested in legal work you might not know all your options but knowing what questions to ask can help you get closer to your goals for your military career.

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Career Options: New Recruit Or Cross-Trainee?

One important distinction to make when considering your options for a military law career? When you decide to pursue that career. It’s easy for a new recruit to approach a recruiter and begin the military moving toward that career–it’s another thing to enter military service in a different career field and try to train out of that field in favor of military law.

It’s not impossible to do so (we’ll discuss that later on), but it may not be as easy to do as some might believe.

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Career Options In Military Law: Officer Or Enlisted

Should you join the military as an officer or an enlisted person? That is one of the first choices a new potential military recruit has to make when it comes to careers in the law (similar to the choices required for military medicine).

Military lawyers have career field rules that require higher education the same as a civilian lawyer; military paralegals require their own training (like their civilian counterparts) but they are enlisted members, not officers.

That’s just one of the nuances of the career field–you’ll soon come to know the others. Enlisted legal jobs don’t necessarily require college degrees (though they do not hurt) but your ASVAB scores in areas such as Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension and Arithmetic Reasoning will play an important role in determining your suitability for the career field in the eyes of your recruiter.

Military Lawyers And Judges Are Officers

One important issue to address early–enlisted members do not become military lawyers (unless they retrain as officers and attend the proper schooling). To work as a military lawyer you must earn a law degree and be accepted into the branch of service of your choice as a lawyer.

The Department of Defense does not have a law school; instead new officer candidates are offered the opportunity (similar to military doctors) to attend the participating college of their choice as part of a tuition program to cover the expense of law school in exchange for a military service commitment.

Enlisted Military Law Careers

While it’s true that officers who want to become military lawyers have to attend law school and enter military service with a bachelor’s degree or better, enlisted members are not required to have college degrees to enter military law specialties.

Enlisted troops will receive on-the-job training as well as military technical school training in the areas they are required to know for the job. Just because you do not have a law degree or law training as an enlisted applicant does not mean you aren’t a good candidate for a military legal job.

Air Force JAG Program

There are a variety of programs in this area. The Air Force has an option for those want to attend college before joining the service. Something called the Graduate Law Program “guarantees you a position as a JAG” according to AF.mil. The requirements include successful completion of a two-year Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program, plus law school and any legal licensing requirements.

Army Funded Legal Education (FLEP)

Another good example of one is the United States Army–in 2018 an article published by Army.mil noted that Army officers can attend the civilian law school of their choice as part of the Funded Legal Education Program.

This provides three years of paid law school, continuing military pay and benefits (this program is for those already in uniform), plus on-the-job training. Those who use FLEP must pass a state bar exam prior to being accepted for an Army JAG position.

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Consider Carefully

Military law, law enforcement, and related career fields have their own level of nuance, their own unique practices and procedures, training, etc. One thing to be careful of when exploring your options with a particular branch of military service is how fast and loose the descriptions of certain career fields might be treated in some portions of the recruiting materials.

For example, on the Army official site, a search for military legal and law enforcement jobs turns up the usual suspects (Judge Advocate careers, paralegals, claims, etc.) but also listed in this section? Firefighting.

While that may technically be considered part of the law enforcement/legal milieu, someone interested in doing paralegal work will not necessarily find the work they are looking for by joining the military with a Firefighter MOS, AFSC, etc.

If you have a good idea about the work you are trying to find via your military career, try not to be talked into accepting a job that is adjacent to, but not specifically what you are looking for.

Some recruiters may try to “steer” their applicants toward critically staffed career fields and offer the option to come into the military with one kind of job with the idea of “cross training” into a different career field later.

That option has been offered by many a recruiter, but keep in mind that cross training is not as easy as it sounds and you may or may not be prevented from doing so if your current career field is critically staffed, shorthanded, or in need of expansion.

If you are in a military occupational specialty now and want to cross train into a military law career, you will need to talk with someone in your command support staff, unit detailer, Command Sergeant Major, Senior Chief, etc. to discuss the current requirements to cross train, how, and when you may do so.

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Military Jobs In The Legal And Law Enforcement Professions

Military law jobs cut across a wide range of disciplines. Law enforcement jobs in the military are frequently listed alongside legal profession jobs such as claims, internment, paralegals, and Base Legal Office positions.

What types of positions are possible for enlisted and officers after completing the required basic training, Officer candidate training, etc.? Here is a brief list of military law jobs–if you are talking to a recruiter (entering the military) or personnel staff member (already serving but looking to cross train), be sure to ask what other legal positions might be available or critically staffed.

Criminal Investigations Special Agent (Army CID)

CID agents and their staffs can be officers, enlisted, and even civilians. These agents investigate felony-level crimes involving Army personnel or equipment and are on the enforcement side of military law careers. In the Navy, these investigators may work for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), in the Air Force they may fall under the Office of Special Investigations (OSI),

Internment/Resettlement Specialist

This military job is similar to those in civilian correctional facilities. The Internment Specialist is described by Army.mil as being responsible for day-to-day operations at military confinement facilities. There are versions of this job in nearly every branch of military service and these jobs may be held by enlisted personnel.

Judge Advocate General Attorney

Lawyers in the Army, Air Force, etc. are known as Judge Advocates. These are officers that have completed law school and officer training; they provide legal support including criminal law but also intelligence law, international laws, host nation agreement issues, labor laws, and much more. Enlisted members cannot be Judge Advocates but may work on their support staff.

Paralegal Specialists/Legal Services Specialist

The civilian equivalent to the paralegal specialist is referred to as a legal assistant or just “paralegal”–these troops are enlisted, provide support in criminal, civil, and international law (among other areas) and assist both judges and Judge Advocates in a range of areas.

These military law careers also provide support for troops with last wills and testaments, powers of attorney information, and other deployment-related issues.

 Military Police/Security Forces

Enlisted and officers alike work in military police positions–these troops are basically the police force for the installation they are assigned to and respond in kind. These troops can work with military dogs, local civilian law enforcement, and host nation security forces in a wide range of support and defense activities.

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Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter for Air Force Television News

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