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MarinesCombat ArmsRank #17 of 101 by 4-year cost
0811

Field Artillery Cannoneer

21-week pipeline · Recruit Training + MOS School · MCRD + Fort Sill, OK
Training Pipeline
$40K
21 weeks
Annual MILPERS
$63K
E-4, 3 years service
Equipment Burden
$35K
per year (amortized)
4-Year Total Cost
$434K
DoD investment
4-Year Cost Breakdown
Training Pipeline
$40K9%
Military Personnel (MILPERS × 4yr)
$254K58%
Equipment Burden (× 4yr)
$140K32%
Training: 9% · MILPERS: 58% · Equipment: 32%= $434K
By the Numbers

Marine artillery supports amphibious operations that no other service conducts — artillery from the sea, from helicopter slings, from austere forward positions. The $4.2M M777 is built to follow Marines anywhere.

Training Pipeline
Duration
21 weeks
Type
Recruit Training + MOS School
Location
MCRD + Fort Sill, OK
Pipeline Cost
$40K

Marine 0811s operate the M777A2 — the same lightweight howitzer used by 13B Army cannon crews — but with a Marine-specific employment doctrine that prioritizes expeditionary and amphibious operations.

Equipment & Annual Burden
Primary Platform
M777A2 Howitzer — $4.2M per tube (6-person crew)
Assigned Equipment
  • ·M777A2 Lightweight Howitzer
  • ·M4A1 Carbine
  • ·Fire Control Computer
  • ·Ballistic Calculator
Annual Equipment Burden
$35K/yr
M777A2 ($4.2M / 6 crew / 20-year service life = $35,000/year per crewman)
Military Personnel Cost (Annual)
Grade BenchmarkE-4, 3 years service
Base MILPERS$63K/yr
Total Annual MILPERS$63K/yr
Force Structure Context
Annual Accessions~800
Avg Career Length6 years
Annual Training Bill$32.0M
Total Force 4yr Cost$346.8M
Read 0811 Reviews →← All MOS ProfilesAverage Per-Soldier Cost →
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Cost estimates derived from DoD Comptroller per-soldier analysis, RAND Corporation military personnel studies, CBO military compensation reports, service-specific training cost testimony, and published equipment unit costs. Error margin ±15%. Individual costs vary by duty station, assignment, and deployment tempo. This is Phase 3 of the Honest MOS DoD Budget Intelligence Roadmap.