Military Support Welder: How to Get Started (With No Experience)

• Post By: Brandon M. Fox  • Updated: 06/08/21

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If you are such a young person thinking about a career to pursue in life, you may have many different choices. 

So true!

As you landed down here, most probably, one choice that you may want to give enough thought is a career in the military as a welder. 

Am I right?

Military support welder seems to be a pretty big “buzzword” these days.

Alright now, WHAT is actually a Military support welder job?

In a word, a military support welder refers to an expert who has the experience to work in different industries, including gadgets, weapons, and vehicles. Depending on the types of the military branch (Army, Navy, and Air force), their services and support vary, especially when fixing vital materials.

If I explain differently, a military support welder is a must, especially to make a military mission successful. 

So, you still have the thirst to know more about them? 

Ding, ding, ding………… Yes, I am talking about a super exciting welder job at a Military support job, salary, requirements & all the stuff. 

So stay tuned to taste the full juice of this guide. (Question: Do military welders get deployed?)

Military Support Welder

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What Is A Military Support Welder?

Military Support Welders – this is potentially the most dangerous extraordinary welding job on this list. 

And the best part: military support welders are also among the highest-paid. 

Astonishing, isn’t it?

The truth is……

An army support post can often generate six figures in income. Moreover, authorities often housed welders in camps outside or inside.

The military has many different roles, from aircraft to nurses and technology collaboration. Usually, a military welder works on and off the base, manufacturing and repairing metal parts for vehicles, equipment, and construction. 

If you have worked overseas, you will be working in a camp or station. 

Similarly, your responsibilities include vehicles and weapons, repairing tools as soon as they arrive after your shift. In the military, while thinking of a career, a welder can be a good choice. Surely, you need to repair vital equipment that your colleagues used. 

Again, it would help if you used various tools and welders and services everything from pipes to beams. 

Plus……… you can smelt metals for repairs and upgrades. Indeed, welding is an essential part of the army’s success in carrying out its tasks.

As part of the army, you will travel overseas to various military welding targets in a potentially hostile environment. Moreover, joining the Air Force or Navy will allow you to acquire specific skills in aircraft equipment and welding marine.

So, Does the Military Need Welders?

In the military field, you will find huge jobs related to metallic and non-metallic structures. In this regard, the demand for skilled and expert military welders is a must. Let’s reveal more- here in detail.

Military and Welders: A Comprehensive Necessity 

In the military sector, you will find plenty of construction projects that demand the process of sheet metal. 

International and national military installations are almost constantly under construction. Locksmiths and welders work in many military areas, including 

  • Electronics,
  • Automotive, 
  • Medical industries, and 
  • Aerospace.

Notably, welding in the army is significantly different from everyday welding in the military. Please don’t look at us. 

Not as obvious as you might expect! 

For instance, even if you never intend to watch a game, you should continue with basic training. That means gas masks, push-ups, team-building exercises, obstacle courses, and lots of running.

So what does a military support welder do, actually?

Well, welding, forming, forming, and brazing metals are also involved with locksmiths and welders. Moreover, they need to assist in various manufacturing plants serving military missions around the world. 

Furthermore, they create custom components to repair tanks, naval parts, amphibious ships, submarines, equipment, and buildings.

Important Note: They also install sheet metal products such as vents, roofs, gutters, and vent-holes. To be clear, these salaried employees use a wide variety of skills, procedures, and tools.

What Does A Military Support Welder Do?

Military welders are responsible for maintaining equipment, vehicles, and instrumentality used in combat. Let’s take a look at their activities:

Special Activities of Military Welders:

  • What military branch is best for welding? They provide specialized advice on welding, metalworking, manufacturing, and design. Likewise, manufacture, design, or modify precision gauges, tools, molds, and special fittings to facilitate metalworking.
  • They must perform laboratory calculations of the technology of metals and welding, welding, and heat treatment of metals. 
  • Usually, they mainly use computer numerical control (CNC) machines and motorized turning and grinding machines. It helps them build and repair gears, cameras, strings, and tires. Likewise, they check the final data and determine the suitability of specifications and designs.
  • In addition, they assemble, disassemble, and reassemble components using rivets, screws, bolts, and press fittings. Of course, the service and test machine tools and hand tools.
  • Moreover, they are responsible for troubleshooting construction, maintenance, fuselage, local construction, and auxiliary equipment repair.

In fact, as a military welder, you must operate, install, repair, and maintain metallurgical and welding equipment and materials.

Related: The 5 best watch for welders. Check here!

Military Support Welder Requirements

Getting the chance on the military platform might not be the first priority while focusing on a career, but some people become too serious about that fact.

But for some, like them, joining the military can be both a passion and a career when entering the army requires no prior welder skills. However, you should consider some special requirements.

Some Basic Requirements: Military Support Welder 

  • In general, candidates for the armed forces must have strong moral character. Again, they need to undergo a comprehensive medical and psychological examination with surrender to the Professional Battery of the Armed Forces.
  • The military also has strict regulations regarding piercings, tattoos, beards, and hair, but that shouldn’t stop a qualified candidate from visiting a recruiter. Only a local recruiter or other authorized personnel can determine if a person is eligible or not.
  • Many employers may be reluctant to talk about specific jobs that the job seeker wants. This is partly since they need to cover the professional military majors (MOS). In terms of metallurgy, MOS 91E Allied Trades usually don’t fall into this category.
  • If candidates go through their local recruiter, a military claim processing station, and register as 91E. Again, they can wait to complete basic combat training for ten weeks. Upon completing this phase, the authority will send them to Fort Lee, Virginia, to continue their qualifications as Allied Professionals.

How Do I Become a Military Support Welder?

To become a support welder in the military, it isn’t mandatory to be higher educated. Rather, it’s important that you’ve proper training to find yourself as an expert welder in the field of the military. 

However, some people choose to continue their training as welders before joining the army. Of course, they do it to acquire the necessary skills to achieve their desired position.

Skills and Training To Become a Military Support Welder

Indeed, you can do this by running a program similar to the Welding Technology program, where you will learn four welding methods:

  • (GTAW): Tungsten Gas Welding 
  • (GMAW): Gas metal arc welding 
  • (SMAW): Reinforced metal arc welding 
  • (FCAW): Flux core welding

Whether you choose to complete your previous training or not, you will need to conduct military training to learn the details of “how you can be a military support welder”. 

Indeed, to be accepted by the army, you must pass a mental and physical health examination and have a strong character.

Of course, working in the army is hard physical work. Military welders learn welding during their advanced training, where they specialize in military professionals. In some cases, they can acquire some experience in addition to welding.

How Much Do Military Support Welders Make?

Military welders help repair and service military equipment in the United States and abroad. They work in repair ships, combat, and assist in other military operations.

How Much Do Military Support Welders Make?

Let’s reveal the Military support welder salary by our following discussion:

Income History of Military Support Welders

Usually, the salary of a welder is the classification (salary scale) determined and years of service.

As of May 19, 2021, the mean yearly salary for a military welder in the USA is $ 47,397 per year. If you want a direct payroll calculating machine, the yield is around $ 22.79 per hour. That equates to $ 911 per week or $ 3950 per month.

While we see an annual salary of $ 98,000 and just $ 21,000, the wages of most military welders today range from $ 33,500 (twenty-fifth percentile) to $ 51,000 (seventy-fifth percentile). 

Besides, those with the highest income (ninetieth percentile) earn $ 7,400 per year in the USA. In particular, the average salary range of a military welder varies widely depending on placement, ability level, and years of experience.

Founded on late vacancies, the military welder job marketplace in Chicago, Ireland, and the close area is very progressive. 

A military welder in your region earns a fair of $ 48,519 per year, which is $ 1,122 (2%) more than the domestic fare of $ 47,397. It ranks first out of 50 provinces in the country in salaries for military welders.

How Long Do You Have To Go To College for a Military Support Welder?

“How much time will it take?” 

This is the first question most people want to answer when considering joining a trading program. 

Welders expect an essential part in the mechanic exchanges, melding the metallic joints primal for everything from total rises to motorcycles. Ordinarily, welding preparation ranges between 7 months and two years of involved guidance, contingent upon your picked program.

The School that Meets Your Requirements

When it comes to choosing the school that meets your demands, consider all the following options available.

  • High school diploma or GED from 90 days to 4 years
  • Postgraduate training in welding from 210 days to 2 years
  • Several months for On-the-job training
  • Welding certification differs from organization to organization (usually includes testing or inspection).

Do not try to wear welding gloves and a mask so much that you end up in an unreliable program. Unfortunately, there are schools of fraud, and it is easy to miss the red flags if you want to get started.

Related: How to use a plastic welder safely?

The Bottom Line?

As you can see, no prior welder skills are required when joining the army as a military support welder

You can improve your workouts with previous experience & by participating in the Army welding program.

By showing an interest in liaison commanders after basic training, you ensure that you will be considered an Allied Commercial Specialist. Civilian military support welder is a big part of it.

Once you participate in a training program, it takes several hours of training in the form of a series of internships to complete. Then you can work as a welder in the army. After completing additional training, you can obtain a national certificate.

If you have worked abroad, you will be working in a camp or station and will be responsible, among other things, for repairing weapons, tools, and vehicles as soon as they arrive after your shift. Moreover, joining the Air Force or Navy will allow you to acquire specific welding aircraft and marine equipment skills.

Stay healthy, stay safe!

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Brandon M. Fox

I have completed Diploma at Welding. I have spent 10+ years in Welding. Now love to write about welding and welding products and share my own experiences. Find me: Twitter | Facebook

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