Unique Military Careers

The United States Military is made up of over 1.3 million active-duty troops, with another 865,000 in reserve. Each one of those service members has a unique job- there’s much more to be done in the military than you think. Check out these military careers most people haven’t heard of!

Cryptologic Linguist. Do you have a knack for picking up languages? A cryptologic linguist in the military is responsible for identifying and translating foreign communications. This is an important task- the nation’s defense depends largely on information that is written or spoken in a foreign language.

Dog Handler. Animal lovers- this might be the one for you. Military dog handlers are responsible for the care and training of their service dog, who will contribute to combat operations abroad and security at home by providing odor detection of explosives or drugs.

Veterinarian. Not so sure about being a handler, but still want to work with animals? Consider become a military veterinarian! You could work at a clinic on base, caring for the pets of soldiers and their families. Or, could you spend your time in the field, providing medical treatment to bomb-sniffing dogs.

Combat Photographer. Do you have a passion for photography or filmmaking? Combat documentation specialists are responsible for supervising, planning, and operating electronic and film-based still, video, and audio equipment in order to document both combat and non-combat operations. Basically, they chronicle their fellow troops during wartime and provide images for a variety of different military purposes.