Coast Guard Rating · Aviation

AST Aviation Survival Technician

Current service use not established

This code is listed in the directory. Inclusion alone does not confirm current service use.

Overview

An Aviation Survival Technician inspects, maintains, and repairs parachutes, survival equipment, protective clothing, small arms, pyrotechnics, and oxygen and fire extinguisher systems. The technician trains aviation personnel, practices rescue swimmer techniques, manages rescue swimmer training, supports aircraft handling and inspections, and maintains records.

Core Skills

Helicopter-deployed rescue swimming in challenging environments
Emergency medical care during rescue missions

Civilian Career Paths

Career associations are editorial assessments of the cited evidence, not an official crosswalk unless the evidence explicitly says so. O*NET supplies civilian occupation information, not proof of a military match. Related experience does not confer civilian qualifications. Tasks and tools below describe civilian work, not military training.

Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers

AST experience rescuing people in distress from the water and providing emergency medical services directly overlaps with waterfront lifeguard rescue and first-aid work.

How to prepare: Ask a waterfront lifeguard employer to review your rescue experience and identify any local training or assessments needed before applying.

What the civilian work involves

Rescue distressed persons, using rescue techniques and equipment.
Contact emergency medical personnel in case of serious injury.
Examine injured persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary, using training and medical supplies and equipment.

Notes & Sources

Evidence for this guidance (2 documents)

USCG authority snapshot: AST Aviation Survival Technician
[1] data/authority/coast_guard-codes.json entry AST (COOL USCG MOC Feed (uscg.json) + Go Coast Guard - Enlisted Careers (gocoastguard.com)); fetched 2026-07-25
Supports: Helicopter-deployed rescue swimming in challenging environments, Emergency medical care during rescue missions, Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers (O*NET 33-9092.00)
O*NET: Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers
[2] O*NET 30.3 occupational data
Supports: Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers (O*NET 33-9092.00)

Defense contractor jobs for AST

Descriptions may be summarized for clarity. Verify all information with your branch career counselor or official military documentation before making career decisions.

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