What do Military Career Counselors do?

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While each branch of the U.S. military has its own version of the military career counselor, they all perform basically the same duties. Their primary duties is to function as the commander’s primary person responsible for counseling soldiers in regards to their careers within the U.S. military. Military career counselors work with both active duty and reserve personnel to assist them in making informed decisions about their military careers.

Military Career Counselor Sub-Specialties

•Career Counselor – The career counselor works with active duty personnel to assist them in getting the most from their military career.
•Recruiting and Retention – Recruiting and retention NCO’s work with new recruits and personnel whose enlistment period is drawing to a close to explain career options and training that may be available to them if they enlist or reenlist.
•Reserve Career Counselor – The reserve career counselor works with reserve personnel to help them understand career opportunities and available training programs.

Eligibility and Training

While the training and eligibility requirements vary depending on the branch of the military, the requirements to be a Career Counselor in the United States Army are fairly representative. To be eligible for Career Counselor training, the soldier must be a United States Citizen, have completed at least one tour of duty and be in their second tour of duty (at least), and have a minimum of 36 months remaining on their current enlistment. The position of military career counselor in the United States Army is open only to enlisted personnel (not officers) who have attained the rank of sergeant or higher. You will also be required to meet medical requirement, and if you are a female, you cannot be pregnant at the time of your consideration.

The candidate wishing to pursue the specialty of military career counselor in the United States Army will be required to complete a six-week training program at Fort Jackson in South Carolina. For acceptance into the training program, the candidate must have scored at least 110 in the General Technical (GT) aptitude area of the Army Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). Individuals wishing to pursue this Military Occupational Specialty must have a spotless service record with no disciplinary action taken against the individual, no court marshals, and no evidence of drug use and/or abuse.

Duties and Responsibilities

Military career counselor gives advice to active duty military personnel on opportunities and options available at every stage of their military career. Military career counselors work to recruit new military personnel, retain (reenlist) eligible personnel who are getting close to the end of their enlistment period, and work with current military personnel who wish to move between Military Occupational Specialties (MOS).

The military career counselor must understand the various options available to the individual based on level of education, current rank, years of service, and current skill set. The military career counselor will also be responsible for collecting statistics on retention rates as well as tracking awards and how closely objectives have been met. Commanding officers sometimes discuss and consult military career counselors when considering people under their command for promotion.