Marine Corps MOS · Combat & Infantry
0803 Targeting Acquisition Officer
Overview
Target Acquisition Officers advise artillery, maneuver, Marine air ground task force, and joint commanders on targeting and the integration of target acquisition assets and fire support systems. They direct targeting execution, synchronize lethal and nonlethal effects, supervise survey, acoustic, meteorological, and counterbattery radar systems, and oversee the readiness of targeting personnel and equipment.
Minimum clearance: Secret, often with SCI exposure
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
- joint and coalition fires integration
- staff coordination and cross-functional leadership
- development of SOPs and TTPs
Civilian Software & Tools
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Amazon Web Services AWS software
- Apache Hadoop
- Apache Hive
- Apache Kafka
- Apache Spark
Civilian Career Paths
- Intelligence Analysis
- Project Management
- Geospatial Intelligence
- Training and Education
Training & Development
Getting Started
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
Career Growth
- Certified Protection Professional (CPP)
- Physical Security Professional (PSP®)
- Certified Emergency Manager (CEM)
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
Also Common
- Intelligence Fundamentals Professional Certification (IFPC)
- GEOINT Professional Certification Fundamentals (GPC-F)
- GEOINT Professional Certification Geospatial Analysis (GPC GA-II)
- Certified Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Professional (GISP)
- Certified Mapping Scientist, Remote Sensing (ASPRS)
- Esri ArcGIS Pro Associate Certification
- ETA International Radar Electronics Technician
What the Work Involves
- Validate known intelligence with data from other sources.
- Gather, analyze, correlate, or evaluate information from a variety of resources, such as law enforcement databases.
- Evaluate records of communications, such as telephone calls, to plot activity and determine the size and location of criminal groups and members.
- Gather intelligence information by field observation, confidential information sources, or public records.
- Analyze intelligence data to identify patterns and trends in criminal activity.
Related Occupations
- Digital Forensics Analysts
- Private Detectives and Investigators
- Information Security Analysts
- Data Scientists
Typical preparation for these civilian roles: graduate-level education or extensive experience.
Equivalent Roles in Other Branches
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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