HonestMOS

Got a wild idea? We build for service members — not the brass, not shareholders. If it's good, it ships.

Suggest a Feature →
← Follow the Money/By MOS
ArmyCombat ArmsRank #6 of 101 by 4-year cost
11A

Infantry Officer

72-week pipeline · ROTC/OCS + IBOLC + Ranger School (optional) · Fort Moore, GA
Training Pipeline
$195K
72 weeks
Annual MILPERS
$98K
O-2, 3 years service
Equipment Burden
$7K
per year (amortized)
4-Year Total Cost
$613K
DoD investment
4-Year Cost Breakdown
Training Pipeline
$195K32%
Military Personnel (MILPERS × 4yr)
$392K64%
Equipment Burden (× 4yr)
$26K4%
Training: 32% · MILPERS: 64% · Equipment: 4%= $613K
By the Numbers

An Infantry officer earns a commission, completes IBOLC, and often Ranger School before leading 40+ soldiers — a pipeline investment approaching $200K before their first platoon assignment.

Training Pipeline
Duration
72 weeks
Type
ROTC/OCS + IBOLC + Ranger School (optional)
Location
Fort Moore, GA
Pipeline Cost
$195K

Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course (IBOLC) is 17 weeks — and roughly 40% of candidates who attempt Ranger School do not pass. Adding Ranger School bumps officer pipeline investment by $35,000.

Equipment & Annual Burden
Assigned Equipment
  • ·M17 Pistol
  • ·M4A1 Carbine
  • ·Platoon Leader Kit
  • ·ATAK Tablet
  • ·Leader Radio (PRC-152)
  • ·Night Vision (GPNVG-18)
Annual Equipment Burden
$7K/yr
Officer leader kit + platoon comms equipment share amortized
Military Personnel Cost (Annual)
Grade BenchmarkO-2, 3 years service
Base MILPERS$98K/yr
Total Annual MILPERS$98K/yr
Force Structure Context
Annual Accessions~2,200
Avg Career Length8 years
Annual Training Bill$429.0M
Total Force 4yr Cost$1.3B
Read 11A Reviews →← All MOS ProfilesAverage Per-Soldier Cost →
Other Army Profiles
18X
Special Forces Candidate → 18 Series
$1.1M
4-year total
153A
Rotary Wing Aviator (Warrant Officer)
$825K
4-year total
89D
Explosive Ordnance Disposal Specialist
$617K
4-year total

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.