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ArmyCombat ArmsRank #43 of 101 by 4-year cost
13F

Fire Support Specialist

16-week pipeline · BCT + AIT · Fort Sill, OK
Training Pipeline
$41K
16 weeks
Annual MILPERS
$63K
E-4, 3 years service
Equipment Burden
$9K
per year (amortized)
4-Year Total Cost
$331K
DoD investment
4-Year Cost Breakdown
Training Pipeline
$41K12%
Military Personnel (MILPERS × 4yr)
$254K77%
Equipment Burden (× 4yr)
$36K11%
Training: 12% · MILPERS: 77% · Equipment: 11%= $331K
By the Numbers

Fire support specialists are force multipliers — a single 13F can direct more destructive power than an entire infantry battalion. Their training investment reflects the complexity of joint fires coordination.

Training Pipeline
Duration
16 weeks
Type
BCT + AIT
Location
Fort Sill, OK
Pipeline Cost
$41K

13Fs call in artillery, naval gunfire, and close air support — they are the link between infantry on the ground and billions of dollars in fires systems overhead. A single CAS sortie they coordinate can cost $250,000 in aircraft operating costs.

Equipment & Annual Burden
Assigned Equipment
  • ·VIPER (Vehicle Integrated Positioning and Engagement Reporting)
  • ·Laser Designator (LTLM)
  • ·PRC-152/117 Radios
  • ·DAGR GPS
  • ·Binoculars/Optics
  • ·M4A1 Carbine
Annual Equipment Burden
$9K/yr
VIPER system + laser designator + radio suite amortized
Military Personnel Cost (Annual)
Grade BenchmarkE-4, 3 years service
Base MILPERS$63K/yr
Total Annual MILPERS$63K/yr
Force Structure Context
Annual Accessions~1,800
Avg Career Length7 years
Annual Training Bill$73.8M
Total Force 4yr Cost$594.9M
Other Army Profiles

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.