Description
Target Acquisition Officers are special staff officers responsible for advising artillery, maneuver, MAGTF, and joint commanders at the tactical and operational levels on all aspects of the targeting process, as well as the planning and integration of target acquisition assets and related fire support systems. They supervise, coordinate, and guide the execution of targeting in accordance with the commander's guidance. They also assist and facilitate commanders and their staffs with integrating capabilities and synchronizing the execution of appropriate fires and activities through the joint targeting cycle to create specific lethal and/or nonlethal effects. Additionally, they supervise the task organization and employment of the target acquisition assets, specifically survey, acoustic, meteorological, and counter battery radar systems. Target Acquisition Officers are directly responsible for the training and readiness of the targeting and target acquisition personnel and equipment.
Core Skills
- targeting process management
- sensor-to-shooter integration planning
- fires and effects coordination
- intelligence fusion and analysis
- geospatial and targeting tools usage
- operations and fire support planning
- collection management coordination
- battle damage assessment processes
- joint and coalition fires integration
- technical and operational briefing
- staff coordination and cross-functional leadership
- risk assessment and collateral damage estimation support
- data-driven decision support
- development of SOPs and TTPs
Common Certifications
- ASIS Certified Protection Professional (CPP)
- ASIS Physical Security Professional (PSP)
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- FEMA Emergency Management Institute Certifications
- Certified Emergency Manager (CEM)
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
Civilian Career Paths
- INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS
- PROJECT MANAGEMENT
- GEOSPATIAL INTELLIGENCE
- TRAINING AND EDUCATION
Defense contractor jobs for 0803
Browse openings matched to this specialty on military.contractors
Data sourced from official Marine Corps publications and public military occupational references. Descriptions may be summarized for clarity. Verify all information with your branch career counselor or official military documentation before making career decisions.