You searched "AWS tutorial for military" and got 400 results. Free courses, paid bootcamps, YouTube playlists, AWS Skill Builder, AWS re/Start, MSSA, SkillBridge cloud tracks. Every one of them tells you to start somewhere different. So you close the tab and tell yourself you will figure it out next weekend.

That is decision paralysis. It is the most common reason veterans never break into cloud. Not lack of smarts. Not lack of work ethic. Just no clear first step.

This article gives you the first step. It is the tutorial path I wish someone had handed me when I left the Navy. Back then I had to figure out the civilian tech ramp on my own. We already covered the free AWS training programs for veterans in a separate article. Read that one if you want to know which programs pay for the training. This one answers a different question. Which exam do you take first, and how do you actually study for it?

The short answer: AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner. Always. Almost no exception. Read on for why, and what to do after you pass it.

Why Cloud Practitioner Comes First

AWS has 13 active certifications in 2026. They sit in four tiers. The first tier has two certs in it. The most useful one to start with is Cloud Practitioner (exam code CLF-C02).

Here is why. Cloud Practitioner is the only cert designed for someone with zero cloud background. It covers the AWS landscape at a conceptual level. What is EC2. What is S3. What is IAM. How does pricing work. What is the shared responsibility model. You do not need to spin up servers or write code. You need to know the language.

That language matters more than veterans think. After my federal years I pivoted into private-sector tech sales. First week on the job, I sat in a meeting with engineers. They said something like "we are spinning up an EC2 instance behind an ALB with an RDS backend." I had no idea what any of that meant. Cloud Practitioner gives you that vocabulary before you ever touch a console.

It is also the cheapest exam. $100 USD in 2026. The next tier up costs $150. The top tier costs $300. Start at the bottom and earn your way up.

What Are the 13 AWS Certifications in 2026?

AWS retired three specialty certs in April 2024. Data Analytics, Database, and SAP on AWS are gone. The Machine Learning Specialty exam runs through March 31, 2026, then it retires too. AWS launched two new certs in the last two years. AI Practitioner at the foundational level, and ML Engineer Associate to replace the ML Specialty.

The current list breaks into four tiers.

You do not need to learn all 13. You need a path. Cloud Practitioner first, then one Associate that maps to your target job, then maybe a Professional or Specialty later. That is it.

Always check the current list at aws.amazon.com/certification before you book an exam. AWS moves the goalposts faster than the DoD moves a deployment date.

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Which AWS Path Should You Pick by Career Goal?

After Cloud Practitioner, you branch. The branch depends on what civilian job you actually want. Pick one. Do not try to collect all of them.

Here are the four most common pivots veterans take, and the cert sequence that gets you there.

Cloud Engineer or Solutions Architect

This is the most common cloud role. It is also the easiest one to interview for as a career changer. The sequence is Cloud Practitioner, then Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03). After one or two years on the job, you can take Solutions Architect Professional (SAP-C02). SAA is the most valuable cert in the AWS catalog for hiring. Almost every cloud role posting mentions it.

DevOps Engineer

This lane suits veterans from comms, network, or IT MOS backgrounds who like the ops side. Cloud Practitioner, then CloudOps Engineer Associate (SOA-C03), then Developer Associate (DVA-C02), then DevOps Engineer Professional (DOP-C02). The Pro is heavy. Do not rush it.

Cloud Security

For cleared veterans coming out of cyber, intel, or signals work, this is the highest-paying path. Cloud Practitioner, then Solutions Architect Associate, then Security Specialty (SCS-C03). Security Specialty is the only AWS cert that maps to DoD 8140 baseline requirements for federal cloud security roles. We covered the full federal cyber map in our guide to DoD 8140 cybersecurity certifications for federal IT jobs.

AI or Machine Learning Roles

The new lane. AI is hiring hard. The path now is Cloud Practitioner, then AI Practitioner (AIF-C01) as a quick second cert, then ML Engineer Associate (MLA-C01) for the technical depth. Skip the old Machine Learning Specialty. It retires March 31, 2026.

How Long Does Each AWS Cert Take to Study?

Prep time depends on your starting point. These ranges assume you are starting from zero cloud background and studying in the evenings around work or terminal leave.

Most veterans pass Cloud Practitioner with 6 to 10 weeks of evening study. Plan for 8 weeks. If you have an IT background already, you can compress it to 3 or 4 weeks. The exam is not technical. It is conceptual. The biggest trap is over-studying for it.

What Are the Best Free or Low-Cost Study Resources?

You do not need a $2,000 bootcamp. The veterans I see passing this cert use a stack of cheap or free resources. Here is the stack that works.

If you are eligible for AWS re/Start (covered in the AWS programs guide), you get a structured classroom program (typically 2 to 3 months) covering all of this for free. Most veterans either qualify for re/Start or grind through the stack above on their own.

Are AWS Certs DoD 8140 Approved?

Short answer for cleared veterans aiming at federal cloud roles. Cloud Practitioner is NOT on the DoD 8140 approved list. AWS Security Specialty IS. It maps to IAT Level II and IAT Level III for cloud security work.

This matters if you are leaving a cleared cyber MOS. Think 25D, 17C, 1N4X1, or any Navy CTN job. Federal contractors building on AWS GovCloud need staff with both a clearance and an 8140-approved cert. AWS Security Specialty plus an active TS/SCI is one of the highest-paying veteran credentials in the market.

If federal cloud security is the target, your path looks different. We cover the full federal cyber requirements in our piece on military cybersecurity to civilian career transitions.

Can You Use the GI Bill for AWS Certs?

Yes. AWS exams are reimbursable through the GI Bill Licensing and Certification (L&C) benefit. You pay out of pocket and sit for the exam. Then file VA Form 22-0803 with a receipt and your score report. The VA reimburses up to the full exam cost.

The L&C benefit only covers the exam fee. It does not cover the training course. That part comes out of pocket unless you go through AWS re/Start or MSSA.

Each cert attempt counts as one use of your benefit. Failed attempts are also reimbursable. AWS often emails 50% retake vouchers to anyone who fails on a first try. So a failed attempt is not the end of the world.

For the full reimbursement process and the broader certs list, see our GI Bill certifications reimbursement guide and the 2026 GI Bill approved certifications list.

How Should You List AWS Certs on Your Resume?

One spot. A section called Certifications, placed near the top under your contact info, above your work experience. Format like this.

A few rules. Do not list "in progress" certs unless you have a scheduled exam date within 30 days. Do not pad with AWS Educate badges or Skill Builder course completions. Those are not certifications. Include the exam code (CLF-C02, SAA-C03, etc.). Recruiters and ATS systems search for those exact strings.

AWS certs expire after 3 years. Recertify or move up a tier before yours lapses. An expired cert is worse than no cert. It shows you stopped pursuing the field.

What Is a Realistic 90-Day Plan?

Here is the plan I would hand to a veteran starting from zero today. It assumes about 8 hours of study per week. That works out to one weeknight plus one weekend morning.

That is 90 days from zero to "I have an AWS cert and a public portfolio project." More than enough to start applying to junior cloud roles.

Why a Cert Alone Will Not Get You Hired

This is the part most cert blogs leave out. A Cloud Practitioner cert by itself does not get you a cloud job. It gets you past the resume filter. It does not get you past the interview.

The veterans I see actually landing first cloud roles pair three things. The cert. A portfolio project (Cloud Resume Challenge or similar). A LinkedIn presence where they are visibly learning in public.

The portfolio is the magic part. Picture a hiring manager looking at a candidate with no cloud work history. Now picture that same candidate showing a working cloud-hosted resume site, a github repo with the code, and a blog post about how they built it. That is a different signal than just a cert. That is "this person actually did the work."

I learned this the hard way. When I moved into tech sales after my federal years, I watched engineers get hired with no degree and no formal training. Just a github full of projects. The portfolio was the resume. Same logic applies to cloud roles. Build something, document it, link to it from your LinkedIn.

How Much Does the Full AWS Cert Stack Cost?

Stack Cloud Practitioner, Solutions Architect Associate, and one Professional or Specialty. You are looking at around $550 in exam fees over two years. Add maybe $50 for Udemy courses on sale and $20 for Tutorials Dojo practice exams. Total cash outlay under $700 for three certs.

GI Bill L&C reimburses the exam fees. So your real out-of-pocket is the course and practice exam costs. About $70 for the whole stack.

Compare that to a $15,000 bootcamp. Or a $30,000 associate degree. You are not behind anyone who paid for those. You are usually ahead. You have actual AWS credentials, not just classroom hours.

What to Do Right Now

Three steps.

Open aws.amazon.com/skillbuilder and create a free account. Start the Cloud Practitioner Essentials path tonight. It is free and official content. You can begin in 5 minutes.

Next, fix the resume. Cloud jobs need civilian-readable resumes. Your military experience has to land in language a hiring manager understands. The BMR Military Resume Builder handles the translation and ATS formatting for you. The free tier gives you two tailored resumes. Paste a cloud job posting and let it build a resume aimed at that exact role.

Last, read the best tech careers for veterans in 2026 (no degree required). Then our breakdown of how veterans land their first tech job after the military. The cert path is one piece. The job-search piece is the other half.

Bottom Line

Cloud Practitioner first. Always. After you pass, pick one Associate cert that maps to the job you want. Do not collect certs for the sake of collecting them. Pair every cert with a small project. Use the GI Bill to cover the exam fees. The whole path costs less than $100 of your own money if you do it right.

Veterans break into cloud every day. Most of them started with this exact path. The hardest part is opening the first tab tonight.