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ArmyCombat SupportRank #49 of 101 by 4-year cost
74D

CBRN Specialist

14-week pipeline · BCT + AIT · Fort Leonard Wood, MO
Training Pipeline
$36K
14 weeks
Annual MILPERS
$63K
E-4, 3 years service
Equipment Burden
$8K
per year (amortized)
4-Year Total Cost
$322K
DoD investment
4-Year Cost Breakdown
Training Pipeline
$36K11%
Military Personnel (MILPERS × 4yr)
$254K79%
Equipment Burden (× 4yr)
$32K10%
Training: 11% · MILPERS: 79% · Equipment: 10%= $322K
By the Numbers

CBRN units exist because chemical and biological weapons remain treaty-banned but operationally possible. The DoD trains 1,400 specialists per year to detect what it hopes never to encounter.

Training Pipeline
Duration
14 weeks
Type
BCT + AIT
Location
Fort Leonard Wood, MO
Pipeline Cost
$36K

CBRN detection equipment (JCAD) costs $23,000 per unit — more expensive than many soldiers' annual base pay. The training that goes with it takes 14 weeks.

Equipment & Annual Burden
Assigned Equipment
  • ·JCAD Chemical Detector ($23K)
  • ·M256A2 Detection Kit
  • ·JSLIST Suit
  • ·M40 Protective Mask
  • ·Decontamination Equipment
Annual Equipment Burden
$8K/yr
JCAD ($23K/3yr) + suits + detection kits 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~1,400
Avg Career Length6 years
Annual Training Bill$50.4M
Total Force 4yr Cost$450.1M
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.