mos.directory

Marine Corps MOS · Aviation

7502 Forward Air Controller/Air Officer

Current service use not established

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

Browse Marine Corps

Overview

A Forward Air Controller or Air Officer is a Naval Aviator, Naval Flight Officer, or Unmanned Aircraft Systems Officer who serves as a JTAC in a non-aviation unit. The officer is prepared to integrate all aviation functions during the planning and execution of ground operations and to conduct required liaison.

Core Skills

  • Aviation integration in ground operations
  • Liaison between aviation and ground units

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.

Airfield Operations Specialists

Integrating aviation into ground operations and conducting liaison provides a foundation for coordinating safe aircraft and ground activities at an airfield.

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

What the civilian work involves
  • Inspect airfield conditions to ensure compliance with federal regulatory requirements.
  • Implement airfield safety procedures to ensure a safe operating environment for personnel and aircraft operation.

Air Traffic Controllers

JTAC service and aviation integration during ground operations provide relevant aviation coordination experience, but not evidence of certified air traffic separation experience.

How to prepare: Review your existing certifications, facility ratings, work history, and education against the applicable hiring route before applying; pursue the FAA experienced-controller route only if your records establish its qualifying post-certification experience.

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.
  • Transfer control of departing flights to traffic control centers and accept control of arriving flights.

Notes & Sources

  • FAA entry-level applicants must be under 31 and have one year of progressively responsible work experience, a bachelor's degree, or combined post-secondary education and work experience totaling one year.
  • FAA entry-level selection also requires U.S. citizenship, clear spoken English, medical and security screening, and pre-employment testing including ATSA. This route includes required Academy courses and 2-3 years of subsequent training; controllers must requalify medically each year.
  • The supplied FAA experienced-controller notice sets a maximum original-appointment age of 35 and requires 52 consecutive weeks of full-time active air traffic separation after certification or a facility rating, within five years of application, at a qualifying FAA, DOD, National Guard, or FAA-contract facility. Pre-certification military training does not count, and education cannot substitute for that experience; prior FAA or DOD civilian 2152 appointees have separate original-appointment documentation provisions.
  • That experienced-controller notice requires U.S. citizenship, a pre-employment physical, drug testing, Secret clearance, willingness to work at any FAA facility, and appropriate field training, potentially including Academy courses. It is a resume repository, not a guaranteed opening. These FAA appointment rules do not establish eligibility for every non-FAA controller job.
Evidence for this guidance (6 documents)
  1. NAVMC 1200.1L (FY26, in force): MOS 7502

    [1] MOS 7502 section "a. Summary"; cached text line 17926; NAVMC 1200.1L signed 2025-03-07, in force until 2026-10-01

    Supports: Aviation integration in ground operations, Liaison between aviation and ground units, Airfield Operations Specialists (O*NET 53-2022.00), Air Traffic Controllers (O*NET 53-2021.00)

  2. O*NET: Airfield Operations Specialists

    [2] O*NET 30.3 occupational data

    Supports: Airfield Operations Specialists (O*NET 53-2022.00)

  3. O*NET: Air Traffic Controllers

    [3] O*NET 30.3 occupational data

    Supports: Air Traffic Controllers (O*NET 53-2021.00)

  4. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Air Traffic Controllers

    [4] How to Become an Air Traffic Controller; retrieved 23 September 2026

    Supports: Air Traffic Controllers (O*NET 53-2021.00)

  5. FAA: Air Traffic Controller Qualifications

    [5] 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)

  6. FAA 2026 experienced Air Traffic Control Specialist direct-hire notice

    [6] 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)

Defense contractor jobs for 7502

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

Report an error on this page