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U.S. Army · MOS 31B · Safety & security

31B Military Police: civilian jobs and resume examples

Explore civilian job ideas for U.S. Army 31B Military Police experience. Use the examples below to describe your own duties and identify what a civilian employer requires.

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Civilian jobs to explore

Use these civilian job titles as starting points for your search. Compare each posting with the work you actually did.

  • Police Officer
  • Security Manager
  • Corrections Officer
  • Loss Prevention Manager
  • Corporate Security

These titles are Claim Raven editorial suggestions. They aren't verified credentials, job offers, or a personal fit assessment.

Explore civilian jobs to see the full published occupation list and available wages. That list stays in source order and may include jobs requiring substantial additional education.

Compare the day-to-day work

A job title is only a starting point. Read the duties below and separate work you have done from work you would need to learn. These are selected occupations linked to this military code in O*NET. Compare them with your own experience; an occupation link does not establish that you meet an employer's requirements.

Security Managers

Read the O*NET occupation profile

Direct an organization's security functions, including physical security and safety of employees and facilities.

Examples of civilian duties

  • Develop budgets for security operations.
  • Identify, investigate, or resolve security breaches.
  • Plan, direct, or coordinate security activities to safeguard company employees, guests, or others on company property.
  • Direct or participate in emergency management and contingency planning.

Education and preparation

O*NET groups this occupation under “Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed.” The following describes that broad preparation group in the saved snapshot, not a required qualification for every vacancy.

Education
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Related experience
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Compare with your experience: Pick one duty you have performed. Write down the setting, your responsibility, the tool or procedure, and a result you can explain. Treat unfamiliar duties as questions to research, not experience to add to your resume.

Loss Prevention Managers

Read the O*NET occupation profile

Plan and direct policies, procedures, or systems to prevent the loss of assets. Determine risk exposure or potential liability, and develop risk control measures.

Examples of civilian duties

  • Coordinate or conduct internal investigations of problems such as employee theft and violations of corporate loss prevention policies.
  • Administer systems and programs to reduce loss, maintain inventory control, or increase safety.
  • Review loss prevention exception reports and cash discrepancies to ensure adherence to guidelines.
  • Train loss prevention staff, retail managers, or store employees on loss control and prevention measures.

Education and preparation

O*NET groups this occupation under “Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed.” The following describes that broad preparation group in the saved snapshot, not a required qualification for every vacancy.

Education
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Related experience
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Compare with your experience: Pick one duty you have performed. Write down the setting, your responsibility, the tool or procedure, and a result you can explain. Treat unfamiliar duties as questions to research, not experience to add to your resume.

Police Identification and Records Officers

Read the O*NET occupation profile

Collect evidence at crime scene, classify and identify fingerprints, and photograph evidence for use in criminal and civil cases.

Examples of civilian duties

  • Photograph crime or accident scenes for evidence records.
  • Maintain records of evidence and write and review reports.
  • Submit evidence to supervisors, crime labs, or court officials for legal proceedings.
  • Testify in court and present evidence.

Education and preparation

O*NET groups this occupation under “Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed.” The following describes that broad preparation group in the saved snapshot, not a required qualification for every vacancy.

Education
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Related experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Training
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Compare with your experience: Pick one duty you have performed. Write down the setting, your responsibility, the tool or procedure, and a result you can explain. Treat unfamiliar duties as questions to research, not experience to add to your resume.

Duty descriptions and preparation groups: O*NET snapshot retrieved 2026-08-16. How O*NET preparation groups work. Follow the occupation links for current information; individual employers and licensing bodies may set different requirements.

How to describe your 31B experience

Choose the duties and skills you actually used. Keep the scope accurate, and spell out military terms an employer may not recognize.

  • Law Enforcement
  • Criminal Investigation
  • Security Operations
  • Report Writing
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Evidence Collection

Fictional example for this career area

These illustrate wording, not your service history or generated product output. Use only details that are true for you.

  • Conducted assigned safety checks and recorded issues for supervisor follow-up.

Details to gather for your own resume

  • Describe your responsibilities, training, and the procedures you followed.
  • What did you do personally, and which responsibilities belonged to the wider team?
  • Which dates, tools, training, and results can you support with your records?

Build a useful account of your 31B work

Make your procedures, observation, communication, and documentation clear. Inspection, emergency response, access control, and investigation are different kinds of work. Describe your responsibility and training without implying civilian enforcement powers or a license that your military role did not provide.

Start with your own assignment as Military Police. Write the dates, work setting, and level of responsibility before choosing civilian wording. Two people with the same military code may have very different experience.

Turn a skill label into an example

The skills listed in this guide are editorial prompts, not proof that you have each one. For a skill you actually used, replace the label with a specific example. Work through these prompts using your own records:

Law Enforcement
When did you use law enforcement in your 31B assignment? Describe the task, the setting, and what you personally did.
Criminal Investigation
Which tools, equipment, or procedures did you use for criminal investigation? Name only items you worked with and can discuss publicly.
Security Operations
What responsibility did you hold for security operations? Distinguish performing the work, assisting, training others, and supervising.
Report Writing
What shows your experience with report writing? Look for a course, duty description, evaluation, or specific result you can explain.

Explain the terms behind the job

Use these translations only where they describe your work. Keep the official job title where it helps establish context; explain the duties in the rest of the entry.

Incident report
A factual record of observations, actions, notifications, and follow-up
Access control
Checked authorization and followed the required entry procedure
Safety inspection
Checked a work area or activity for hazards and reported findings

Write more specific resume bullets

The examples below are fictional writing exercises for safety & security. They are not a description of every 31B assignment or a preview of a generated resume. Choose an example only if the underlying work is true for you, then rewrite it with your own details.

1. Observation and reporting

Too general
Responsible for security.
Fictional example
Completed assigned inspections, recorded observed issues, and notified the supervisor of items requiring action.
Make it your own
Name the type of inspection and your reporting responsibility. Do not disclose vulnerabilities or protected facility details.

2. Response

Too general
Responded to incidents.
Fictional example
Followed the response procedure, communicated the situation to the responsible team, and documented actions taken.
Make it your own
Explain your specific role and training. Keep private information about the people involved out of your example.

3. Training

Too general
Ensured compliance.
Fictional example
Explained the required safety steps during team training and recorded questions that needed supervisor clarification.
Make it your own
Name the procedure you taught and the audience. Replace a broad compliance claim with the checks you actually performed.

A useful bullet identifies an action, the work involved, and its result or purpose. A number can help explain scale, but it is not required. If you cannot support a percentage, dollar amount, or time saving, describe the work accurately without it.

Gather the details before you draft

You do not need to upload every document to begin. First make a short list of the experience you want an employer to understand. Use records to check dates, training, titles, and responsibility; keep personal or restricted information out of your public resume.

Responsibilities
Inspection, response, reporting, training, or access duties you performed.
Training
Relevant courses, practical qualifications, and dates.
Civilian requirements
Current licenses or certifications, with the state or issuing organization.

Check the scope of your claims

  • Separate what you did from what your unit or team achieved. Explain your part in a shared result.
  • Keep training completed, qualifications earned, and credentials currently active distinct.
  • Use dates and counts you can explain. Estimates should not look like verified records.
  • Remove private names, restricted mission details, access codes, and information you are not authorized to disclose.

Use one job posting to shape your resume

Choose a posting to research, such as Police Officer or Security Manager, rather than trying to write for every possible job at once. These titles are search ideas, not an eligibility determination.

  1. Read the essential duties. Mark the work you have personally done. A matching word is useful only when your experience supports it.
  2. Check required qualifications. Separate mandatory licenses or education from preferred experience. Verify a credential with the relevant issuer before describing yourself as qualified.
  3. Choose your strongest examples. Put the most relevant duties first. Explain military abbreviations and remove detail that does not help this employer understand your work.
  4. Identify what you still need to learn. Research a training or credential gap before committing money or time. Ask the employer about unclear requirements.

The catalogue suggests searching settings such as Law Enforcement, Security, Corrections, Private Security. Compare the actual duties, schedule, location, and work environment in each posting. The same title can mean different work in different organizations.

Prepare an example for the interview

Describe a situation where you noticed a problem and followed the reporting or response procedure. Explain what you observed, what you did, and which decisions belonged to someone else.

Check requirements before applying

A military specialty doesn't automatically give you a civilian license or certification. Read the posting, then check the relevant licensing board or credential provider. List only credentials you hold, with their current status.

For a role you want, compare:

  • The duties and tools you already know.
  • The required education, license, or certification.
  • The experience level and work setting.
  • Any additional training you would need.

Explore current occupation requirements at My Next Move for Veterans.

Keep your resume work in one place

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Common questions

Does 31B qualify me for a civilian job?

Your military experience may overlap with civilian duties. Employers and licensing bodies set their own requirements. Compare the posting with your actual work, education, and current credentials.

How do I put 31B on a civilian resume?

Keep the military title for context, then describe your work using language an employer understands. Give specific examples of what you did, the tools you used, and results you can support. Describe your responsibilities, training, and the procedures you followed.

Can I start without an account?

You can read this guide and explore public career information without an account. Create a free Claim Raven account when you want to save your own experience in a career profile.

Explore related military jobs

Other specialties in safety & security. Shared duties don't make the jobs or qualifications interchangeable.

Browse all military job guides

About this guide and its sources

Job ideas, career areas, and fictional resume examples are Claim Raven editorial guidance. Compare the suggestions with your service record and the specific job posting.

Occupation links: O*NET military crosswalk, U.S. Department of Labor, retrieved 2026-08-16. The snapshot calls this military job “Military Police.” Names can differ from service records and change over time.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National, all industries; retrieved 2026-08-16. A missing wage means no value was available in this snapshot.