Military Opportunities for Communication Majors?

I'm planning to major in communication in college. Are there specific military jobs that could benefit from this degree? What roles in the military value strong communication skills?

Absolutely, your communication major can open many opportunities for you in the military. Different branches of the military value strong communication skills, which are integral to several roles.

1. Public Affairs Officer: Public Affairs Officers are responsible for telling the military’s story to both the internal military community and the general public. This career involves creating and implementing communication strategies, writing speeches, holding press conferences, and responding to media inquiries.

2. Intelligence Officer: In this role, you’d be responsible for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating important information to your superiors and team members. It requires strong abilities in distilling complex data and expressing it in a clear, concise manner.

3. Civil Affairs Officer: This role combines military and diplomatic functions and involves coordinating military operations with non-military agencies and populations. It requires deft communication to build partnerships and maintain good relations.

4. Psychological Operations Officer: These officers develop and spread influential messaging to inform and influence both local populations and enemy forces. The role requires a deep understanding of audience analysis, persuasive messaging, and communication strategies.

For instance, the Navy has roles such as Mass Communication specialists who engage in journalism, photography, and graphic design roles. The Army and Air Force also have similar roles where your skills would be highly applicable. You can look into each branch's Officer Candidate School (OCS) programs as they generally require a bachelor's degree and are a direct commissioning source for different roles like these.

Remember that in any branch of the military, strong communication skills are not just used in roles that are officially considered 'communication' jobs. Leadership positions, protocol officers, logistics, and other roles also require individuals with strong communication skills.