MOS 7236 Marine Tactical Air Defense Controller

MOS 7236 Marine Tactical Air Defense ControllerMOS 7236 Marine Tactical Air Defense ControllerLike a civilian air traffic controller, Tactical Air Defense Controllers in the Marines oversee and direct airplane traffic. But in the Marines, this means both helping guide friendly aircraft and intercepting hostile aircraft. They also help coordinate surface-to-air weapons in combat situations. This Marines job is categorized as PMOS 7236. Its whats known as a Primary Military Occupational Specialty (PMOS) that is open to Marines whose ranks range from master gunnery sergeant to sergeant Duties The most important part of this job is guiding friendly aircraft and intercepting enemy or hostile aircraft. For the former, this means providing navigational assistance, for the latter, it means evaluating data from electronics equipment in a countermeasures environment. These Marines also conduct ground controlled intercepts, maintain operations logs and prepare operations maps and overlays. They identify interference on electronic equipment and advise on how to correct such issues. Tactical air defense traffic controllers supervise the operations of the air control unit to which theyre attached. They oversee the prep of the air traffic control equipment to be used in combatand direct training for other air traffic control personnel. Upper Ranks At higher ranks, these Marines supervise the surveillance section of the Tactical Air Operations Center (TAOC), assist with directing countermeasures operations, and direct Marine aircraft in the interception of hostile aircraft.Theyll help coordinate surface-to-air weapons and interceptors in antiair combat situations, and evaluate relative enemy strength. Higher-ranking MarineTactical Air Defense Controllers train, and supervise the training of air control personnel attached to their unit. Qualifications To qualify for this job, a Marine must have a score of 105 or higher on the general technical (GT) segment of the Ar med Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) tests. Youll need to take the Tactical Air Defense Controller Course, and complete the Air Mobility Control academic package. Youll also need to be able to qualify for a secret security clearance from the Department of Defense. It involves a background check of your finances and any police record. A history of drug or alcohol abuse may be disqualifying for this position. Marines in this job need normal color vision (so, no colorblindness). Training Following Marine boot camp at Parris Island, youll head to the Marine korporation Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms in California for air traffic control training school. Civilian Equivalents Since there are heavy anti-aircraft and combat components for this job, there isnt a specific civilian equivalent. But with the training you receive, youll be qualified for avariety of civilian air traffic control positions.