Marine Corps MOS · Aviation

7240 Tactical Air Control Operator

Current service use not established

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

Overview

A Tactical Air Control Operator provides air command and control by managing assigned forces and air operations through voice and data communications, tactical data links, and radar systems. The operator directs aircraft, conducts airspace surveillance and control, coordinates electronic warfare, aerial reconnaissance, and aerial refueling missions, and processes immediate requests for close air support, casualty evacuation, medical evacuation, and assault support.

Minimum clearance: Secret

Minimum ASVAB: CL 100 or GT 100

ASVAB policy: Not policy-reviewed · coverage unknown · as of 2026-10-19

Program scope has not been reviewed.

Policy applicability and coverage of the program's score routes have not been reviewed. Shown-route arithmetic is not an eligibility decision.

Source: navmc-1200-1l-fy26 (source date 2025-03). Policy applicability has not been established.

See if you would hit this score: free ASVAB practice test

Core Skills

Radar and tactical data link coordination
Integration of aviation with supporting fires
Urgent air support and evacuation request processing
Reconnaissance and aerial refueling mission coordination

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.

Air Traffic Controllers

Combat-airspace surveillance, positive and procedural aircraft control, and voice communications provide directly relevant aircraft-direction experience.

How to prepare: Have your existing certifications, facility ratings, and dated live-traffic separation records assessed against the applicable hiring route before choosing additional training. FAA entry-level applicants must be under 31 and have one year of progressively responsible work, a bachelor's degree, or combined postsecondary education and work totaling one year; the experienced-controller route has an original-appointment maximum age of 35 and requires 52 consecutive weeks of full-time active traffic separation after certification or facility rating, within five years of application, at a qualifying FAA, DOD, National Guard, or FAA-contract tower facility, with no educational substitute or credit for pre-certification military training.

What the civilian work involves

Inform pilots about nearby planes or potentially hazardous conditions, such as weather, speed and direction of wind, or visibility problems.
Provide flight path changes or directions to emergency landing fields for pilots traveling in bad weather or in emergency situations.
Transfer control of departing flights to traffic control centers and accept control of arriving flights.

Airfield Operations Specialists

Ensuring flight safety and coordinating urgent casualty and medical evacuation requests transfer to airfield safety and emergency coordination.

How to prepare: Compare your documented flight-safety and evacuation coordination experience with an airport's operating procedures to identify gaps in civilian airfield inspections and emergency response.

What the civilian work involves

Implement airfield safety procedures to ensure a safe operating environment for personnel and aircraft operation.
Assist in responding to aircraft and medical emergencies.

Notes & Sources

FAA entry-level controller hiring also requires U.S. citizenship, clear spoken English, medical and security screening, and pre-employment tests including ATSA; required Academy and subsequent facility training precede professional certification, with annual medical requalification.
The supplied FAA experienced-controller notice requires U.S. citizenship, a physical examination, drug testing, Secret clearance, and willingness to work at any FAA facility; appointees enter the appropriate certification training phase, potentially including Academy courses.
That experienced-controller notice is a resume repository, not an assured opening; previously appointed FAA or DOD civilian 2152 applicants must document their original appointment before the maximum entry age.
These FAA appointment limits do not establish eligibility rules for non-FAA controller jobs.

Evidence for this guidance (5 documents)

NAVMC 1200.1L (FY26, in force): MOS 7240
[1] MOS 7240 section "a. Summary"; cached text line 54455; NAVMC 1200.1L signed 2025-03-07, in force until 2026-10-01
Supports: Radar and tactical data link coordination, Integration of aviation with supporting fires, Urgent air support and evacuation request processing, Reconnaissance and aerial refueling mission coordination, Air Traffic Controllers (O*NET 53-2021.00), Airfield Operations Specialists (O*NET 53-2022.00)
O*NET: Air Traffic Controllers
[2] O*NET 30.3 occupational data
Supports: Air Traffic Controllers (O*NET 53-2021.00)
FAA: Air Traffic Controller Qualifications
[3] Minimum qualifications and training requirements; official page updated 2025-02-27, checked 2026-09-24. Current entry-level threshold is one year, not the older three-year wording.
Supports: Air Traffic Controllers (O*NET 53-2021.00)
FAA 2026 experienced Air Traffic Control Specialist direct-hire notice
[4] FAA-FAA-26-PUB NOT-96466: Duties, Conditions of employment, Qualifications, Education. Checked 2026-09-24; a resume repository, not a guarantee of an opening or appointment.
Supports: Air Traffic Controllers (O*NET 53-2021.00)
O*NET: Airfield Operations Specialists
[5] O*NET 30.3 occupational data
Supports: Airfield Operations Specialists (O*NET 53-2022.00)

Defense contractor jobs for 7240

Predecessor codes

Historical codes with documented links to 7240. Each history page explains the change.

7236Tactical Air Defense Controller 7242Air Support Operations Operator

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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