Skip to content
HonestMOS

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

Suggest a Feature →
ArmyMedicalRank #22 of 101 by 4-year cost
68W

Combat Medic Specialist

65-week pipeline · BCT + AIT (clinical) · JBSA–Fort Sam Houston, TX
Training Pipeline
$108K
65 weeks
Annual MILPERS
$63K
E-4, 3 years service
Equipment Burden
$4K
per year (amortized)
4-Year Total Cost
$376K
DoD investment
4-Year Cost Breakdown
Training Pipeline
$108K29%
Military Personnel (MILPERS × 4yr)
$254K67%
Equipment Burden (× 4yr)
$14K4%
Training: 29% · MILPERS: 67% · Equipment: 4%= $376K
By the Numbers

65 weeks at JBSA — the longest AIT pipeline for a non-intelligence, non-aviation enlisted MOS. The Army invests more per medic ($108K training) than per infantryman ($47K) because medics save multiple lives.

A civilian EMT course costs ~$1,500. The Army's 68W pipeline costs 72× more — because they train for gunshot wounds under fire, not just car accidents.

Training Pipeline
Duration
65 weeks
Type
BCT + AIT (clinical)
Location
JBSA–Fort Sam Houston, TX
Pipeline Cost
$108K

68W AIT includes clinical rotations in actual San Antonio hospitals. The medical training is substantively equivalent to an EMT-B + additional trauma certification — a pipeline that takes civilians 1–2 years and $15,000.

Equipment & Annual Burden
Assigned Equipment
  • ·M4A1 Carbine
  • ·M17 Pistol
  • ·Aid Bag (TCCC)
  • ·MARCH Protocol Kit
  • ·Tourniquet Cache
  • ·TACEVAC Equipment
Annual Equipment Burden
$4K/yr
$8,000 initial equipment + $2,000/year in medical consumables (IV bags, medications, trauma supplies)
Military Personnel Cost (Annual)
Grade BenchmarkE-4, 3 years service
Base MILPERS$63K/yr
Total Annual MILPERS$63K/yr
Force Structure Context
Annual Accessions~8,000
Avg Career Length6 years
Annual Training Bill$864.0M
Total Force 4yr Cost$3.0B
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.