Ordnance Officers

Background

Ordnance is a military term for all types of ammunition and weapons, such as missiles, guns, and chemical munitions. Ammunition and weapons are hazardous materials that require special handling to ensure their reliability and safety. Ordnance officers supervise and train ordnance personnel assigned to their unit. Ordnance officers make decisions regarding the purchase, handling, storage, maintenance, use, and disposal of ordnance. 

What They Do

Ordnance officers in the military perform some or all of the following duties:

• Detect, identify, and report chemical, nuclear, biological, and chemical contamination
• Direct the handling, transportation, storage, and disposal of all types of ammunition, missiles, and explosives
• Instruct personnel in explosive ordnance disposal methods and proper procedures for handling all types of ordnance
• Manage and direct the inspection, repair, and maintenance of weapon systems
• Supervise the loading and unloading of weapons and ammunition on aircraft, ships, and other transport systems

Physical Demands

Ordnance specialists may have to lift and carry artillery shells and other heavy ordnance.

Special Requirements

A four-year college degree is usually required to enter this career. Normal color vision is required for some specialties in this career.

Helpful Attributes

Helpful attributes include:

• Ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• Attention to detail
• Good organizational and management skills

Helpful School Subjects

No information available.

Helpful Fields of Study

Helpful fields of study include:

• Chemistry
• Physics
• Physical sciences

Work Environment

Ordnance officers usually work on bases or ships. Due to the need to keep forces supplied with weapons and munitions, ordnance officers may spend time outdoors in all types of weather.

Services offering this career:

• Air Force
• Army
• Coast Guard
• Marine Corps
• Navy

Hiring Practices

To serve in the military, a person must be at least 17; the maximum age for enlistment varies. To enlist, a person must pass a physical exam and an aptitude test. An enlistee must also meet military standards of discipline and be a US citizen or permanent resident alien.

This position is for officers.

Wages

The military is competitive with the civilian world when it comes to pay and benefits. All branches offer the same basic pay and benefits.

Pay depends mainly on rank or grade as well as length of service. Bonuses and the situation in which the person is serving (for example: flight duty, sea duty, hazardous duty) also affect pay. 

Cost-of-living increases usually occur every year, based on inflation. The military also pays allowances for food, clothing, and housing. All these factors combined are called Regular Military Compensation (RMC). They should all be considered when comparing military pay to civilian pay.

There are two main parts to RMC: basic pay and allowances. There are also additional incentives for special abilities, training, or hazardous duty.

Check out the RMC Calculator to calculate your RMC based on your inputs.

Training Provided

Job training consists of 12 to 15 weeks of classroom instruction and practical exercises. Training length varies depending on the specialty.

Course content typically includes:

• Arming/disarming techniques
• Chemical and nuclear detection and defense
• Maintenance and repair of weapons systems and ordnance
• Ordnance disposal
• Ordnance transportation, handling, and storage

Civilian Counterparts

There are no direct civilian counterparts for most of the ordnance officer specialties. However, their experience in handling hazardous materials and proven ability to manage personnel in tense situations translate to strong leadership and managerial skills. Additionally, the expertise of some ordnance officers is similar to the knowledge used by bomb disposal experts and other emergency management personnel.

Employment and Outlook

In peace time the services have about 5,000 ordnance officers. In times of military action the number may be different, depending on the type of specialties required. Each year the services need new ordnance officers due to changes in personnel and the demands of the field. After job training, ordnance officers are usually assigned to field units that maintain ordnance supplies. In time, they may advance to senior management positions in ordnance.