How to Become a Military Nurse: Your Complete Career Guide

Military nurses serve as commissioned officers across all five branches of the U.S. armed forces: Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Space Force (which accesses medical personnel through Air Force channels). Entry requires a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, an active RN license, and commissioning before the branch age ceiling, which sits around 42 for most services. Combat nursing is a subspecialty within that broader category, referring to nurses who deploy to forward operating environments, field hospitals, or austere settings; not every military nurse will serve in a combat zone.

The distinction matters because it shapes nearly every decision a prospective military nurse faces, from branch selection and specialty training to deployment frequency and long-term career trajectory. Pay, benefits, education funding, and the path back to civilian practice all differ meaningfully depending on how and where you serve. For a deeper look at military nurse life across branches, the day-to-day realities are worth exploring early in your research.

Demand for military nurses has remained steady even as civilian health systems compete aggressively for RN talent, which means qualified candidates currently have real leverage in the commissioning process. If you are curious about the long arc of this profession, a history of nurses in the military offers perspective on how the role has evolved over generations of service.

How to Become a Military Nurse: Step-By-Step

The maximum age to commission as a military nurse across branches is generally 42, though waivers may exist for prior service. This reflects the rigorous physical and leadership demands of the role. The foundation is a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited program. You then pass the NCLEX-RN to become a licensed registered nurse, and getting licensed as an RN involves its own timeline worth planning carefully. Unlike civilian nursing, you do not simply apply for a job; you apply for a commission as an officer. This means meeting officer-candidate standards alongside nursing credentials.

Three Main Commissioning Routes

The three primary paths to earning that officer commission are:

• ROTC Nursing Scholarship: The Reserve Officers' Training Corps offers full-tuition scholarships at affiliated universities. You complete nursing studies while training as a cadet, then serve a minimum active-duty commitment of four years. This path provides early exposure to military culture and leadership.
• Direct Commission: For RNs who already hold a BSN and have passed the NCLEX-RN, the direct commissioning process evaluates your experience and places you directly into the Nurse Corps. Depending on your years of practice, you may enter as a first lieutenant (O-2) or captain (O-3), bypassing the typical entry-level rank.
• Military Academy: A small number of nursing slots exist at the U.S. Naval Academy or West Point. Graduates earn a BSN and a commission, but competition is fierce and the number of slots is extremely limited.

Enlisted-to-officer bridge programs, such as the Army's AECP, also exist but are less common and often require you to be on active duty already.

How Competitive Is the Process?

Becoming a military nurse is competitive. Minimum GPA requirements typically range from 2.5 to 3.0, but accepted candidates often exceed this. You must pass a physical fitness test, undergo a background check, and meet medical standards. Age limits vary slightly: the Army and Navy require commissioning by age 42, while the Air Force allows up to 48, though prior service can adjust these numbers.

Realistic Timeline

A practical timeline: complete a BSN (4 years), then navigate the application and commissioning process (6-12 months). If you pursue the direct commission route as a practicing RN, you can shorten this dramatically; the process may take only 3-6 months after your license is verified. However, entering active duty as a new officer includes an initial training period (e.g., Officer Basic Course) that lasts several weeks.

Combat-Specific Training After Commissioning

You will not report to a combat zone on day one. After commissioning, all military nurses attend branch-specific officer training. Those headed for combat roles may find their skills overlap with specialties that thrive in high-acuity environments; critical care nurses and emergency nurses frequently pursue military pathways for exactly this reason. Additional required training includes the Combat Casualty Care Course (C4) and the Combat Trauma Patient Management course. The Army's Critical Skills Training (C-STARS) program in St. Louis and the Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) course are pivotal. These programs teach battlefield trauma management, expeditionary medical skills, and the unique ethical and psychological demands of combat nursing.

Military Nurse Requirements by Branch

Each military branch sets its own entry path for registered nurses, so comparing requirements side by side reveals where your background fits best. Whether you lean toward the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Coast Guard, the core license and education remain constant, but age limits, training programs, and service commitments vary. Knowing how to locate the most current guidance prevents you from building a timeline on outdated rules.

Verify Baseline Credentials

Before exploring branch-specific criteria, confirm you meet the universal RN prerequisites. All branches require an active, unrestricted RN license in any U.S. state or territory, making the NCLEX-RN your first concrete milestone. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS.gov) documents the standard educational pathways, an associate or bachelor's degree in nursing, but military nurse corps almost always mandate a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at minimum. Graduate degrees like an MSN or DNP can open doors for advanced practice or leadership roles, yet the BSN remains the common entry ticket. If you are still in school, Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs may allow you to begin the officer candidacy process while completing your degree.

Compare Branch-Specific Entry Points

Each service runs its own initial officer training pipeline, and the name and length of that training signal the immediate commitment you will make. The Army Nurse Corps sends new commissionees to the Basic Officer Leaders Course (BOLC) at Fort Sam Houston. The Navy Nurse Corps uses Officer Development School (ODS) in Newport, Rhode Island. Air Force nurses attend Commissioned Officer Training (COT) at Maxwell AFB, while the Coast Guard commissions health professionals through a direct commissioning process that includes an orientation at the Coast Guard Academy. The military's official recruitment websites, goarmy.com, navy.com, airforce.com, and gocoastguard.com, post the most recent academic year requirements and program durations, typically updating them in late summer or early fall.

Age limits and service obligation lengths vary. A common ceiling sits between age 34 and 42, though each branch may grant waivers for experienced nurses in high-need specialties. Active-duty commitments often start at three or four years, with additional inactive reserve time. Some branches allow military nursing as an adjunct career through reserve service, which carries a different obligation. Because these numbers can shift with recruitment goals, the websites are a necessary starting point, but they do not always capture recent policy waivers or specialty bonuses.

Tap Professional Networks and Direct Contact

Our guide to military nursing education and service is a practical complement to branch-specific research. Professional nursing associations like the Army Nurse Corps Association or the Navy Nurse Corps Association publish career guides and sometimes connect prospective nurses with active-duty members who can share how requirements play out in practice. These groups do not set policy, yet their insights can clarify the timeline from application to commissioning.

Ultimately, only a local healthcare recruiter or an ROTC program coordinator can confirm the exact age, education, and fitness standards that apply to you today. Recruiters receive updates when manning priorities change, and they understand the nuances of service-specific medical waivers or accelerated training tracks. A thirty-minute conversation often replaces weeks of guesswork, anchoring your plan in the current recruiting environment rather than last year's brochure.

Questions to Ask Yourself

Military Nurse Salary and Pay Structure

When evaluating a military nursing career, it's easy to focus on base salary alone, but the full compensation picture reveals a significantly larger earning potential. Military nurse pay follows the same officer pay scale used by all commissioned officers, meaning your rank and years of service determine your base pay, not your nursing specialty or the hospital unit you work in. Understanding how base pay, allowances, and special pays combine is key to appreciating the financial value of a military nursing career.

How Officer Pay Scales Work for Nurses

All military nurses enter as commissioned officers, typically starting at O-1 (Second Lieutenant in the Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps; Ensign in the Navy). Base pay increases with promotions and time in service. In 2026, a nurse with less than two years of service earns approximately $4,150 per month as an O-1, which translates to about $49,800 annually.¹ An O-3 with the same time in service receives around $5,535 monthly, or $66,420 per year.¹ As nurses advance to field-grade officer ranks, base pay rises considerably: an O-4 with over 10 years of service earns about $9,420 monthly ($113,040 annually), and an O-5 with 12 years earns $10,434 monthly ($125,210 annually), while an O-5 with over 20 years tops out above $12,220 monthly, or $146,685 per year.¹

These figures reflect the 3.8% military pay increase for 2026.² Pay tables are adjusted annually, and nurses benefit from regular longevity increases every two years on top of rank-based promotions.

Allowances That Boost Your Income

Base pay is just the foundation. Two major nontaxable allowances significantly increase your effective income:

• Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH): This monthly payment is designed to cover off-base housing costs and varies widely by duty station, rank, and whether you have dependents.² A nurse stationed in a high-cost area like San Diego or Washington, D.C., might receive over $3,000 per month in BAH, while someone at a lower-cost base might receive less. BAH is adjusted each year to reflect local rental markets.
• Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS): All officers receive a flat monthly allowance to offset food costs. In 2026, BAS for officers is roughly $300 per month.²

Together, BAH and BAS often add $15,000 to $40,000 or more annually in tax-free income, depending on location and dependency status. Because these allowances are not taxed, the value is even greater than the face amount.

Special Pay for Nursing Professionals

The military also offers incentive pays to attract and retain nurses. These can include Board Certified Pay for specialty certifications, Incentive Special Pay for certain high-demand nursing roles, and multiyear retention bonuses. While amounts vary by branch and year, a nurse with critical care or advanced practice credentials may receive an additional $5,000 to $30,000 per year, depending on the contract. These bonuses stack on top of base pay and allowances, and they help make total military nursing compensation competitive with civilian salaries. flight nurses and other high-acuity specialists often qualify for the largest incentive tiers.

Combat and Deployment Pay Premiums

When deployed to a combat zone or designated hazardous duty area, nurses receive extra pays that are completely tax-free. Hostile fire pay provides an additional monthly amount (set by Congress, currently around $225 per month). Hardship duty pay compensates for challenging living conditions and can add up to $300 or more per month. Crucially, all income earned while deployed in a designated combat zone, including base pay, is excluded from federal income tax, which can raise effective take-home pay by 25% or more. This is why a military nurse may report a lower base salary on paper but actually pocket significantly more than a civilian counterpart during deployment years.

Putting It All Together: Total Compensation

Because so much of military nurse compensation comes from tax-advantaged allowances and special pays, the total value often exceeds base pay by 25-40%. A new O-3 nurse with a BAH of $2,000 per month, BAS of $300, and a $10,000 annual bonus could see a total compensation package near $100,000, even though base pay alone is around $66,000. As rank and experience grow, total compensation for a mid-career military nurse routinely reaches into the six figures, before considering the value of free healthcare, retirement benefits, and education funding. For a broader look at the non-pay perks, see Benefits of a Military Nursing Career.

Military Nurse Pay by Rank at a Glance

Military nurse base pay increases substantially as you advance in rank and accumulate years of service. The figures below represent approximate annual base pay for common commissioned officer ranks held by military nurses. Keep in mind that housing and food allowances (BAH and BAS) typically add $12,000 to $25,000 or more per year on top of base pay, depending on your duty station location and dependent status.

Military Nurse Vs. Civilian Nurse: Salary and Career Comparison

How does a military nurse's total compensation really stack up against what a civilian RN earns in a hospital or clinic?

The answer depends on which numbers you compare. A simple base-pay check can be misleading because military compensation includes several non-taxable allowances and benefits that never appear on a civilian pay stub.

Salary Side by Side

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national median salary for registered nurses is approximately $93,600 as of the most recent data. That figure is a useful civilian benchmark.

A military nurse entering service typically holds the rank of O-2 (First Lieutenant in the Army and Air Force, or Lieutenant Junior Grade in the Navy). Base pay at O-2 with two years of service is roughly $55,000 to $60,000. By the time a nurse reaches O-3 (Captain or Lieutenant), base pay climbs to approximately $65,000 to $78,000 depending on years of service. Those numbers look lower on paper, but they tell only part of the story.

What Each Side Gets That the Other Does Not

Civilian nurses can access income streams military nurses cannot tap into:

• Overtime and shift differentials: Many hospital RNs earn time-and-a-half for extra shifts, plus evening and weekend premiums.
• Travel nursing rates: Agency contracts in high-demand regions can push weekly pay well above staff-nurse levels.
• Independent salary negotiation: Civilian nurses can leverage competing offers and market demand.

Military nurses, on the other hand, receive compensation elements that rarely have a civilian equivalent:

• Tax-free housing and subsistence allowances (BAH and BAS): These can add $15,000 to $30,000 or more annually depending on duty station, and none of it is subject to federal income tax.
• Free healthcare and dental coverage: Eliminates thousands in annual premiums and out-of-pocket costs.
• Retirement pension after 20 years of service: A defined-benefit pension starting as early as the mid-40s, something almost nonexistent in the civilian healthcare sector.
• Zero malpractice insurance costs: Military nurses are covered by the federal government.

When you combine base pay with allowances and the dollar value of benefits, total military compensation at the O-3 level often falls between $85,000 and $105,000. That range is competitive with the civilian median in most U.S. markets and can exceed it in lower-cost areas. However, experienced nurse practitioners and CRNAs working in high-cost metro areas can earn $130,000 to $220,000 or more on the civilian side, a gap that military pay scales are not designed to match.

Career Mobility and Scope of Practice

The career trajectories themselves differ in significant ways. Military nurses rotate through clinical assignments, moving from emergency and trauma care to operating room nursing, field hospitals, or public health roles. This breadth of experience builds versatile clinicians and strong leaders, but it limits the ability to hyper-specialize in one area for decades. Civilian nurses can choose a single specialty, earn advanced certifications, and build deep expertise while negotiating higher pay at each step.

In terms of autonomy and scope of practice, military nurses often operate with an expanded scope in austere or deployed environments where physician coverage may be limited. They make clinical decisions, lead medical teams, and manage patient care under conditions that most civilian nurses never encounter. The military also places nurses on a structured leadership trajectory: progressing from clinical roles to charge nurse, department head, and eventually executive-level positions with each promotion in rank.

The Bottom Line

If maximizing raw income is your priority, civilian nursing, especially in advanced practice roles or travel contracts, will likely offer higher earning potential over a career. If you value a total compensation package that includes retirement security, comprehensive benefits, leadership development, and clinical experiences you simply cannot replicate in a civilian hospital, military nursing delivers value that dollar-for-dollar comparisons often understate. The best choice depends on what you want your career, and your life, to look like over the next 20 years.

What Does a Military Nurse Do? Roles, Duties & Specialties

Military nursing sits at the intersection of clinical excellence and operational readiness, and the balance between those two demands shapes every aspect of the job. Whether you spend your career at a stateside medical center or find yourself running triage in an austere field hospital, the role asks you to be both a skilled clinician and a prepared service member.

Garrison Nursing: Day-to-Day at Stateside Facilities

When stationed at a military hospital or clinic in the United States or at a permanent overseas base, your clinical duties closely mirror those of a civilian nurse. You assess patients, administer medications, coordinate care plans, and document outcomes. The patient population, however, is unique: active-duty service members, military retirees, and their families.

Beyond bedside care, garrison life adds a layer of responsibility that civilian nurses do not carry. You participate in regular physical fitness training, maintain weapons qualifications, and attend readiness exercises designed to prepare your unit for rapid deployment. Leadership development is woven into daily operations as well. Even junior officers may supervise enlisted medics and manage clinic logistics, gaining management experience far earlier than most civilian counterparts.

Deployed and Combat Nursing Realities

Do military nurses see combat? They can. Deployed nurses operate in field hospitals, combat support hospitals, and forward surgical teams, sometimes within range of hostile activity. In these settings, you triage casualties during mass casualty events, stabilize patients with limited supplies and equipment, and make rapid clinical decisions that directly affect survival. Conditions are austere: generators may power your operating space, and the nearest specialist could be hours away by air evacuation.

That said, not every military nurse deploys to a combat zone. Many serve entire careers in stateside hospitals, outpatient clinics, and training billets. Deployment frequency depends on your branch, specialty, unit assignment, and the current operational tempo.

Major Specialty Tracks

Military nursing offers a wide range of specialty paths, many of which come with fully funded advanced training:

• Perioperative/OR Nurse: Surgical nursing in both garrison and deployed operating rooms.
• Flight Nurse (Aeromedical Evacuation): Providing critical care during patient transport by helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft.
• Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA): Administering anesthesia in military surgical suites, one of the most competitive and highly compensated specialties.
• Psychiatric mental health nurse: Treating service members dealing with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and other behavioral health conditions.
• Emergency/Trauma Nurse: Staffing emergency departments at military treatment facilities and forward trauma teams.
• OB Nurse: Caring for military families through labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery.
• Public Health Nurse: Leading disease surveillance, immunization campaigns, and community health programs on installations worldwide.

Faster Advancement Through Volume and Funded Training

One of the clearest advantages of a military nursing career is the pace at which you can gain advanced certifications. High patient acuity, diverse case mixes, and the military's willingness to fund graduate education and specialty courses mean that many nurses earn credentials like their CCRN, CEN, or CRNA certification years sooner than they might in a civilian setting. If accelerated professional development matters to you, military service offers a direct path.

A Typical Military Nurse Career Path

Military nursing careers follow a structured officer progression, with each stage tied to specific credentials, expanding clinical authority, and leadership responsibilities. Here is how the journey typically unfolds from commissioning through senior leadership.

Deployment Realities and Career Progression

Understanding what deployment actually looks like is one of the most practical questions a prospective military nurse can ask, and the honest answer is that it varies considerably by branch, specialty, and the strategic needs of the moment. Rotation lengths, frequency, and the nature of the assignment all shift depending on whether you serve in the Army, Navy, or Air Force, and whether you are on active duty or in a reserve component.

What to Expect From Deployment

Active duty military nurses generally face a higher likelihood of deployment than their reserve counterparts, though reserve nurses have been mobilized extensively during periods of sustained operations. Deployment assignments can range from supporting forward operating bases and combat support hospitals to staffing military treatment facilities in stable overseas locations. Critical care, perioperative nursing, and emergency nursing tend to be in high demand during deployments, as those skills translate directly to trauma and surgical care in austere environments.

Because precise deployment frequency and rotation statistics for nurses specifically are not consistently published in open sources, your best starting point is to contact branch personnel commands directly. The Army Nurse Corps, Navy Nurse Corps, and Air Force Medical Service can provide guidance that reflects current policy. The Defense Manpower Data Center maintains deployment data by branch, though nurse-specific breakdowns may require a formal public records request.

Career Progression Over Time

Military nursing is structured around the officer promotion system, which means career advancement follows a defined timeline tied to time in service, performance evaluations, and continued education. Most nurses enter as junior officers and can progress through the ranks as they accumulate clinical experience, leadership responsibilities, and advanced credentials. Pursuing a graduate degree, earning a specialty certification, or completing professional military education all strengthen a promotion packet considerably. Active duty Army nurse programs and incentives can also accelerate advancement by funding advanced education and rewarding commitment to service.

The Military Health System and the Uniformed Services University publish workforce studies and strategic planning documents that outline which specialties the military anticipates needing most in the years ahead. Reviewing those resources gives you a clearer picture of where investment in your training is likely to align with institutional demand.

Finding Reliable Data

For workforce projections, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook covers registered nursing broadly but does not break out military demand separately. To fill that gap, look to the TriService Nursing Research Program and the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States, both of which track research on military nursing practice and workforce trends. The VA's post-deployment data can also provide useful context for understanding the scope of service member care that military nurses provide over the course of a career.

Benefits, Education Funding & Transition to Civilian Practice

Military nursing offers one of the most comprehensive compensation packages in the profession, and the education benefits alone can fundamentally reshape a nurse's financial trajectory.

Education Funding While You Serve

Three programs stand out as the most impactful for nurses currently on active duty or in the reserves.

Tuition Assistance covers up to $250 per credit hour with an annual cap of $4,500. It is available while you are still serving, meaning you can pursue an advanced degree, a post-professional certificate, or a BSN completion program without waiting until you separate.

The Health Professions Loan Repayment Program, known as HPLRP, goes a step further for qualifying nurses carrying student loan debt. Active Army nurses are eligible for up to $40,000 per year, with a maximum total benefit of $120,000 spread across three years, each year tied to a one-year service obligation.¹ Army Reserve nurses can receive up to $20,000 per year, for a total of $60,000 over three years.¹ The Navy runs a parallel program at the same $40,000 annual cap, though annual slots are limited and selection is competitive.² Note that HPLRP payments are subject to federal tax withholding, so the net benefit is somewhat lower than the headline figure.²

Once you separate, the Post-9/11 GI Bill provides up to 36 months of education benefits.³ For public schools, it covers full in-state tuition. It also includes a housing allowance calculated at the E-5 with dependents rate for the ZIP code of your school, plus up to $1,000 per academic year for books and supplies.³ For nurses pursuing a MSN degree scholarships and funding options after service, this benefit can cover a substantial share of the total cost.

Additional Benefits Worth Knowing

Beyond education, the full military benefits package includes:

• Healthcare: Tricare coverage is free for the service member and available at low cost for dependents.
• Retirement: The Blended Retirement System provides a pension after 20 years of service, combined with a Thrift Savings Plan that includes government matching contributions.
• Leave: Service members receive 30 days of paid annual leave, considerably more than most civilian nursing roles offer at the same career stage.

Making the Transition to Civilian Practice

Leaving the military does not mean starting from scratch, but it does require deliberate preparation. The Department of Defense SkillBridge program allows nurses who are within 180 days of separation to begin working with a civilian employer full time while still receiving military pay and benefits. For nurses who want to land a role before their discharge date, this is one of the most practical tools available.

Veteran hiring preference gives separating service members an edge in federal civilian positions, including VA nursing roles, where military experience is especially valued. Many civilian health systems actively recruit transitioning military nurses, and those with advanced practice credentials, particularly CRNAs and nurse practitioners trained in high-acuity military environments, are in strong demand.

That said, the transition does come with real adjustments. Military electronic health record systems differ from the Epic and Cerner platforms that dominate civilian hospitals, so expect a learning curve when adapting to the advantages and disadvantages of electronic health records in civilian settings. Some specialty certifications earned in a military context may need to be renewed or validated through civilian credentialing bodies. The Nurse Licensure Compact simplifies licensure across participating states, though not every state has joined, so confirming your new state's requirements before you separate is worth doing early.

Civilian workplace culture can also feel unfamiliar after years in a structured military environment. Hierarchies are less explicit, communication styles differ, and shared governance models common in civilian hospitals give nurses more input into institutional decisions than many military nurses have experienced. Most transitioning nurses adapt quickly, but acknowledging the adjustment period makes it easier to navigate.

Frequently Asked Questions About Military Nursing

Military nursing is a rewarding but distinct career path that raises many questions for prospective nurses. Below are answers to the most common questions, drawing from the requirements, pay structures, and career realities covered throughout this guide.

How do you become a combat nurse in the Army?

To become a combat nurse in the Army, you must earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), pass the NCLEX-RN exam to obtain your registered nurse license, and then apply through the Army Nurse Corps. You will also need to meet physical fitness standards and complete the Direct Commission Officer course. Specialized combat training follows once you are assigned to an operational unit.

How much do combat nurses get paid?

Military nurse pay is determined by rank and years of service rather than a flat salary. As of 2026, a newly commissioned Army nurse typically enters at the O-1 pay grade, earning roughly $44,000 to $55,000 in base pay annually. When you factor in housing allowances, subsistence pay, special duty pay, and tax-free benefits during deployment, total compensation often exceeds what the base pay figure alone suggests.

How hard is it to become a military nurse?

The path is challenging but achievable. You need a BSN from an accredited program, an active RN license, and the ability to pass a military physical fitness assessment and medical screening. The academic and clinical demands mirror those of civilian nursing programs, but the additional requirements of officer training and physical readiness add another layer of preparation.

Do military nurses see combat?

Yes, military nurses can be exposed to combat situations, particularly those deployed to forward operating bases or field hospitals in active conflict zones. While their primary role is clinical care, they operate in environments where incoming fire, mass casualty events, and austere conditions are real possibilities. Not every assignment involves direct combat exposure, however.

What is the difference between a military nurse and a civilian nurse?

Military nurses hold a dual identity as commissioned officers and licensed clinicians. They must meet military fitness and conduct standards, may deploy on short notice, and often work in austere or field hospital settings. Civilian Nurses in Military Healthcare Facilities represent another option for those who want to serve without a full commission. Military nurses, in return, receive benefits such as education funding, retirement pensions, and housing allowances that most civilian positions do not offer.

Can you become a military nurse with an ADN instead of a BSN?

In most cases, no. All major branches of the U.S. military require a BSN as the minimum educational credential for commissioning as a nurse officer. Some branches have offered limited programs or enlisted medical roles for nurses with an Associate Degree in Nursing, but the standard commissioning pathway requires a four-year degree. ADN-prepared nurses can pursue RN to BSN bridge programs to qualify.

Do military nurses get to choose their specialty?

Military nurses can express preferences for specialties such as critical care, perioperative nursing, emergency medicine, or psychiatric mental health nursing. However, final assignments depend on the needs of the service branch. After gaining experience and demonstrating competence, nurses have greater influence over specialty selection, and the military funds advanced education and certifications in many clinical focus areas, including wound care nursing.

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