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ArmyCombat ArmsRank #19 of 101 by 4-year cost
13B

Cannon Crewmember

10-week pipeline · BCT + AIT · Fort Sill, OK
Training Pipeline
$33K
10 weeks
Annual MILPERS
$63K
E-4, 3 years service
Equipment Burden
$35K
per year (amortized)
4-Year Total Cost
$427K
DoD investment
4-Year Cost Breakdown
Training Pipeline
$33K8%
Military Personnel (MILPERS × 4yr)
$254K59%
Equipment Burden (× 4yr)
$140K33%
Training: 8% · MILPERS: 59% · Equipment: 33%= $427K
By the Numbers

Every 13B carries $35,000 per year in howitzer amortization burden — nearly as much as their annual base pay. The gun costs more per year to own than the soldier earns.

Six crewmen + one M777 = $6.5M in hardware for a weapon that fires a $3,000 round every 30 seconds.

Training Pipeline
Duration
10 weeks
Type
BCT + AIT
Location
Fort Sill, OK
Pipeline Cost
$33K

Artillery range time for each trainee costs $8,000 in ammunition and range fees alone — before they ever touch a gun at a unit.

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~2,400
Avg Career Length6 years
Annual Training Bill$79.2M
Total Force 4yr Cost$1.0B
Read 13B 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.