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ArmyService SupportRank #63 of 101 by 4-year cost
91A

Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic

14-week pipeline · BCT + AIT · Fort Gregg-Adams, VA
Training Pipeline
$35K
14 weeks
Annual MILPERS
$63K
E-4, 3 years service
Equipment Burden
$5K
per year (amortized)
4-Year Total Cost
$309K
DoD investment
4-Year Cost Breakdown
Training Pipeline
$35K11%
Military Personnel (MILPERS × 4yr)
$254K82%
Equipment Burden (× 4yr)
$20K6%
Training: 11% · MILPERS: 82% · Equipment: 6%= $309K
By the Numbers

91As keep the Army rolling. A non-mission-capable vehicle costs the DoD far more in lost readiness than the mechanic's salary — which is exactly why the Army invests $35K in their training.

Training Pipeline
Duration
14 weeks
Type
BCT + AIT
Location
Fort Gregg-Adams, VA
Pipeline Cost
$35K

A 91A maintains vehicles worth 10–50× their annual salary. The special tool sets alone ($18,000 per mechanic) cost more than their first year's take-home pay.

Equipment & Annual Burden
Assigned Equipment
  • ·Shop Set (18K)
  • ·TMDE Diagnostic Equipment
  • ·Automotive Tool Set
  • ·GCSS-Army Terminal
  • ·Safety Equipment
Annual Equipment Burden
$5K/yr
Special tools ($18K initial) + diagnostic equipment 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~5,200
Avg Career Length6 years
Annual Training Bill$182.0M
Total Force 4yr Cost$1.6B
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.