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ArmyCombat ArmsRank #7 of 101 by 4-year cost
19K

M1 Armor Crewman

16-week pipeline · OSUT (BCT + AIT combined) · Fort Moore, GA
Training Pipeline
$55K
16 weeks
Annual MILPERS
$63K
E-4, 3 years service
Equipment Burden
$74K
per year (amortized)
4-Year Total Cost
$605K
DoD investment
4-Year Cost Breakdown
Training Pipeline
$55K9%
Military Personnel (MILPERS × 4yr)
$254K42%
Equipment Burden (× 4yr)
$296K49%
Training: 9% · MILPERS: 42% · Equipment: 49%= $605K
By the Numbers

The M1A2 SEPv3 makes armor crewmen among the most capital-intensive soldiers in the U.S. Army. The tank alone contributes $74,000/year in amortized cost — more than the soldier's entire MILPERS package.

$604K for one armor crewman's first 4 years. The Army's 2,000 active M1A2s represent $17.8B in procurement cost alone.

Training Pipeline
Duration
16 weeks
Type
OSUT (BCT + AIT combined)
Location
Fort Moore, GA
Pipeline Cost
$55K

Tank simulator time during OSUT costs $15,000 per trainee — because crashing a simulator is far cheaper than crashing an $8.9M tank.

Equipment & Annual Burden
Primary Platform
M1A2 SEPv3 — $8.9M per tank (4-person crew)
Assigned Equipment
  • ·M1A2 SEPv3 Main Battle Tank
  • ·M4A1 Carbine
  • ·Commander's CITV
  • ·FBCB2 System
  • ·Crew Protective Equipment
Annual Equipment Burden
$74K/yr
M1A2 SEPv3 ($8.9M / 4 crew / 30-year service life = $74,167/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~1,200
Avg Career Length6 years
Annual Training Bill$66.0M
Total Force 4yr Cost$725.4M
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.