I'm thinking about joining the military after high school and want to know about some of the unique or interesting roles available. What are considered to be the 'cool' jobs in the military?
The military offers numerous exciting roles that can align with your interests and ambitions. Here's a brief summary of some specialized jobs which can be found in various branches of the military:
1. Combat Controller (USAF): These are highly trained personnel specialized in all aspects of air-ground communication, including air traffic control, fire support, and command, control, and communications in covert operations.
2. Cryptologic Linguist (Army): This isn't your typical linguistics job. You would specialize in identifying foreign communications using signals equipment. Not only are you interpreting foreign languages, you’re also having a peek behind the scenes of major military operations!
3. Pararescue (USAF): Pararescuemen are the air force's ultimate warriors, trained to rescue and recover injured service members from some of the most challenging environments.
4. Human Intelligence Collector (Army): If you love gathering information, this is the job for you! As a Human Intelligence Collector, you would conduct information collection operations by debriefing personnel and conducting interrogations and screenings to collect actionable military data.
5. Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician (Navy): Trained to deal with disarmament and disposal of bombs, EOD techs play a critical role in protecting personnel and property all around the world.
6. Space Operations Officer (Space Force): With the advent of the Space Force, newer roles have emerged. A Space Operations Officer conducts or supervises the use of space surveillance, satellite navigation, space launch and warning, and embedded space capabilities.
Each role has its own unique challenges and rewards, and most importantly, they provide invaluable skills that can be translated into careers in the civilian world. Keep in mind you'll need to go through basic training and then specialized training for most of these jobs, which requires a strong commitment. Make sure to do more research on each military branch and job function to get a better understanding of what might be best suited for you.
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