Also called: Army 14A, Patriot battery officer, Counter-drone officer
Leads units that shoot down enemy missiles, aircraft, and drones with systems like Patriot and short-range air defense.
Air defense officers run tactical control stations that track incoming threats on radar and decide in seconds whether to fire. Counter-drone warfare has made this one of the busiest branches.
RMC (base pay + housing/food allowances + tax advantage) for officers O-1 (2nd Lieutenant/Ensign) to O-5 (Lieutenant Colonel/Commander), 2026 estimate. A 20-year career also earns a lifetime pension starting right after retirement.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's degree plus a commission through ROTC, a service academy, or Officer Candidate School, then the Air Defense Artillery Basic Officer Leader Course. Free-college benefits: Tuition Assistance (up to $4,500/yr) while serving, the Post-9/11 GI Bill (36 months of tuition + housing stipend) afterward, and SkillBridge internships before separating.
Ways in: Military, 4-year college. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Electrical Engineering, Physics, Computer Science.
Growing about average. Military specialties are not in BLS projections. The services recruit for this job every year and openings track force size and retention rather than market growth.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Air defense is heavily automated against fast threats; officers supervise systems and decide engagement rules.
Classes: AP Physics, AP Computer Science, Leadership class.
Official data: O*NET occupation 55-1014.
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