Skip to main content
HonestMOS
InvestigationsCongress made VA disability claims free to file. An entire industry charges veterans anyway — and nobody can stop them.
🇺🇸🇦🇺🇩🇪🇫🇷🌐🇰🇷🇮🇱🇳🇴🌐

Artillery: Same job, different worlds

Self-propelled artillery crews are operating the most consequential land-based firepower on the modern battlefield. The hardware differs; the mathematics of indirect fire does not.

Why this comparison exists

The US has FOIA, congressional oversight, and open pay scales — so US MOS data is comparable. Most other militaries here are less transparent than that, not more. Putting the same job side-by-side across countries surfaces what no single ministry of defence will tell you: that training length, housing, civilian conversion value, and career ceilings vary wildly for what is nominally the same role. Nothing structured like this exists in any single language. That's why this page is here.

🇦🇺
Australia · Australian Army
Gunner — Australian ArtilleryRAA
No reviews
Basic TrainingKapooka (Army) / recruit training — 10–11 weeks (Army) · varies by service
AdvancedIET (Initial Employment Training)
HousingDHA housing (Defence Housing Australia)
FitnessAPFA (Army Physical Fitness Assessment)
PensionADF Super / MSBS (Military Superannuation and Benefits Scheme)
What the recruiter won't tell you

The $50K bonus tells you everything about how bad retention gotThe ADF introduced a $50,000 continuation bonus in 2023 for a 3-year commitment. 85% of eligible members took it. That's

🇩🇪
Germany · Heer
Artillerist
No reviews
Basic TrainingGrundausbildung (GA) — 3 months
AdvancedSpezialausbildung / Fachausbildung
HousingBundeswehr-Unterkunft / Kasernenunterkunft
FitnessBasis-Fitness-Test (BFT)
PensionBundeswehr-Versorgung / Pension
What the recruiter won't tell you

Ausrüstungsmangel ist nicht Vergangenheit — nur weniger schlimmDas Sondervermögen läuft. Aber Beschaffung dauert. Feldwebel berichten weiterhin von Helmen, die nicht passen, oder Fahr

🇫🇷
France · Armée de Terre
Artilleur
No reviews
Basic TrainingCFIM / formation initiale — 4 to 6 months
Advancedformation de spécialité
Housinglogement militaire / logement de fonction
Fitnesstest d'aptitude physique (TAP)
Pensionretraite militaire (17–27 ans selon grade)
What the recruiter won't tell you

Le système de paie Louvois a versé n'importe quoi pendant des annéesLe système informatique Louvois a produit des erreurs massives — trop-perçus réclamés des mois plus tard, sous-perçus ja

🌐
India · Indian Army (थलसेना)
Regiment of Artillery
No reviews
Basic TrainingBasic Military Training (BMT) — Approximately 44 weeks for Agniveers; 6 months at IMA Dehradun or OTA Chennai for officers
AdvancedArms / Corps Training
HousingArmy/Navy/Air Force quarters — allotted by rank and availability at station
FitnessPhysical Fitness Test (PFT) — Army: 1.6km run, push-ups, sit-ups, beam; specifics vary by arm
PensionPre-Agnipath: pension after 15+ years of qualifying service. Agnipath: Seva Nidhi corpus (~INR 11.71 lakh) paid at end of 4-year term; no pension for the 75% not retained
What the recruiter won't tell you

Four years and a check — the pension that no longer exists for 75%The Agnipath Scheme replaced the career military path with a 4-year contract. Before 2022, enlisting meant a 15-year min

🇰🇷
South Korea · Yuk-gun — Republic of Korea Army
Pojyeong (Artillery — 포병)
No reviews
Basic Training기본군사훈련 (Gibon Gunsa Hunryeon) — 5 weeks basic; 18-21 months total mandatory service for men
Advanced특기훈련 (Teukgi Hunryeon)
Housing군관사 (Gungwansa)
Fitness체력검정 (Cheryeok Geomjeong)
Pension군인연금 (Gunin Yeongeun)
What the recruiter won't tell you

You serve whether you want to or not — and the system knows itKorean men's service is involuntary with very limited deferments (students can defer until 28, graduate students to 30).

🇮🇱
Israel · Heyl HaYabasha (Ground Forces)
Samal Totchanim (Artillery NCO)
No reviews
Basic TrainingTironut (basic training) — Men: 32 months total (inc. tironut) · Women: 24 months total
AdvancedKurs (specialist course)
HousingDira (apartment) — most soldiers live at home or in civilian apartments (IDF doesn't generally provide family housing)
FitnessProfile 97 (combat fitness) / Profile 64 (standard fitness)
PensionKeren Hishtalmut (development fund) + military pension after career service
What the recruiter won't tell you

Reserve duty never really ends — and your employer pays the priceIsraeli men can be called up for reserve duty until age 40-45. The law provides employer compensation, but the career im

🇳🇴
Norway · Hæren
Infanterist
No reviews
Basic TrainingGSU (Grunnleggende soldatutdanning) — 12 months
AdvancedFagutdanning
HousingTjenestebolig
FitnessFysisk test (testprofil)
PensionStatens pensjonskasse (SPK)
What the recruiter won't tell you

Conscript daily rate is 170 NOK — and that is not a misprint170 NOK per day is approximately €15. It is deliberately low: the system assumes conscripts are housed, fed, and equippe

🌐
Taiwan · 陸軍 (Army)
砲兵 (Artillery)
No reviews
Basic Training新兵訓練 (Xīnbīng Xùnliàn) — Conscripts born 2005+: 12 months (since 2024 policy). Conscripts born 2004 and earlier: 4-month training service.
Advanced專業訓練 (Zhuānyè Xùnliàn)
Housing眷村/軍眷住宅 (Juàncūn / Jūn Juàn Zhùzhái) — military family housing (legacy system, diminishing)
Fitness體能測驗 (Tǐnéng Cèyàn) — physical fitness test
Pension軍人退撫 (Jūnrén Tuìfǔ) — military retirement and benefit system
What the recruiter won't tell you

Conscript pay is below Taiwan's civilian minimum wage — by a lotMonthly base pay for a conscript is approximately 9,000–13,000 TWD (~$280–$400 USD) depending on grade. Taiwan's civilia

What actually differs across countries
Training length

UK Phase 1 is 14 weeks vs. US BCT at 10. Australia's Kapooka is 10 weeks. Canada's BMQ is 13. Germany's GA is 12. Same job, different ramp-up.

Housing system

Every country runs a different housing lottery. UK SFA is famously underfunded. Canada's PMQ waitlist is 3,700+ families. Australia's DHA moves 15k personnel a year.

Civilian conversion

Some trades are worth more in the civilian market depending on which country you served in. UK CMT → NHS paramedic. Canadian 871 → provincial ACP. German Sanitätssoldat → Rettungssanitäter.

Career ceilings

The promotion system in each country has unique chokepoints. UK AGAI 67. Canada's bilingual wall. Australia's separation rate crisis. Germany's dienstaltersgeprägte Beförderung.

Other comparisons
InfantryArmor / Tank CrewSpecial Forces / SOFCombat EngineerCombat MedicMilitary PoliceIntelligence AnalystVehicle MechanicSignals / CommunicationsMilitary LogisticsSubmarine ServiceNaval Officer / Surface WarfareHelicopter Pilot (Army Aviation)Cyber OperationsCombat Engineer Diver / EODLinguist / Cryptologic SpecialistRecruiter / Career CounselorFighter Pilot