✈️ Aviation & aircrew
Keeping aircraft flying and running the airspace — maintenance, avionics, and the crews and controllers who operate around them.
What they do
Aviation keeps military aircraft safe, mission-ready, and in the right airspace. Maintainers inspect, troubleshoot, and repair airframes, engines, and hydraulics; avionics technicians work the electrical, navigation, and weapons systems; air traffic controllers sequence aircraft on the ground and in the air; and enlisted aircrew (loadmasters, flight engineers, sensor operators) fly on the mission.
It is precise, checklist-driven, high-responsibility work — a signed-off inspection is a safety-of-flight decision.
Jobs & codes by branch
Representative jobs in this field and their military occupation codes — not a complete list; each branch has many more and codes change. Use the official job finders below for the full, current list.
Army
15B Aircraft Powerplant Repairer · 15D Aircraft Powertrain Repairer · 15F Aircraft Electrician · 15G Aircraft Structural Repairer · 15H Aircraft Pneudraulics Repairer · 15N Avionic Mechanic · 15P Aviation Operations Specialist · 15Q Air Traffic Control Operator · 15R AH-64 Attack Helicopter Repairer · 15T UH-60 Helicopter Repairer · 15U CH-47 Helicopter Repairer · 15Y AH-64D Armament/Electrical/Avionics Systems Repairer
Navy
AM Aviation Structural Mechanic · AME (safety equipment) · AD Aviation Machinist’s Mate · AE Aviation Electrician’s Mate · AT Aviation Electronics Technician · AO Aviation Ordnanceman · AZ Aviation Maintenance Administrationman · PR Aircrew Survival Equipmentman · AC Air Traffic Controller · AWF/AWO/AWR/AWS/AWV Naval Aircrewman
Air Force — maintainers
2A2X1 SOF/Personnel Recovery Integrated Avionics · 2A3X3 Tactical Aircraft Maintenance · 2A3X7 Tactical Aircraft Maintenance (5th Generation) · 2A3X8 Remotely Piloted Aircraft Maintenance · 2A5X1 Airlift & Special Mission Aircraft Maintenance · 2A5X2 Helicopter/Tiltrotor Aircraft Maintenance · 2A5X4 Refuel/Bomber Aircraft Maintenance · 2A6X1 Aerospace Propulsion · 2A6X2 Aerospace Ground Equipment · 2A6X3 Aircrew Egress Systems · 2A6X4 Aircraft Fuel Systems · 2A6X5 Aircraft Hydraulic Systems · 2A6X6 Aircraft Electrical & Environmental Systems · 2A7X1 Aircraft Metals Technology · 2A7X2 Nondestructive Inspection · 2A7X3 Aircraft Structural Maintenance · 2A7X5 Low Observable Aircraft Structural Maintenance (the Air Force is consolidating these aircraft-maintenance AFSCs — confirm current codes with a recruiter)
Air Force — aircrew & ATC
1C1X1 Air Traffic Control · 1A1X1 Flight Engineer · 1A2X1 Aircraft Loadmaster · 1A3X1 Airborne Mission Systems
Marine Corps
6000-series aircraft maintenance (airframes, powerplants, avionics, ordnance) · 6046 Aircraft Maintenance Admin · 7257 Air Traffic Controller · 7051 Aircraft Rescue & Firefighting
Coast Guard
AMT Aviation Maintenance Technician · AET Avionics Electrical Technician · AST Aviation Survival Technician (rescue swimmer)
ASVAB areas that matter
Mechanical Comprehension (MC), Electronics Information (EI), and General Science (GS). (Becoming a pilot is an officer path with a separate flight aptitude test.) Your AFQT score decides whether you can enlist; individual subtests combine into “line scores” that set which jobs you qualify for. Prepare with our free ASVAB practice tests.
How it transfers to civilian work
This is one of the most directly transferable fields. Aircraft maintainers qualify for the FAA Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) license and move into airline, corporate, and defense-contractor maintenance; avionics techs go into aerospace electronics; controllers can pursue FAA air traffic control. Credentials: FAA A&P, FCC license, FAA ATC.
See every job & the exact requirements
Codes, availability, and ASVAB minimums vary by branch and change often — confirm on each branch's official job finder: Army ↗ · Navy ↗ · Air Force ↗ · Marine Corps ↗ · Space Force ↗ · Coast Guard ↗.