Navy
AVIATION
Subspecialty

Officer Subspecialty

1836

Aerospace and Operational Physiology

An officer subspecialty earned alongside a primary designator, marking advanced education or experience in this field.

Description

Aerospace and operational physiologists study human responses to flight and demanding operational environments. Their work focuses on keeping aircrew effective and safe during altitude, acceleration, fatigue, and other flight-related stresses.

Core Skills

  • aviation physiology
  • altitude chamber operations
  • hypoxia recognition
  • acceleration tolerance testing
  • spatial disorientation training
  • human factors analysis
  • fatigue risk management
  • operational risk assessment
  • physiological data analysis

Common Certifications

  • American College of Sports Medicine Certified Exercise Physiologist
  • Certified Human Factors Professional
  • Certified Safety Professional
  • FAA Aviation Safety Inspector Certificate
  • Certified Aviation Manager
  • Project Management Professional

Civilian Career Paths

  • COMMERCIAL AVIATION
  • TRAINING AND EDUCATION
  • EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Training & Development

Getting Started

  • Good Clinical Practice training
  • Occupational Safety and Health Administration 30 Hour General Industry course
  • American College of Sports Medicine Certified Exercise Physiologist
  • Human factors and aviation safety fundamentals course

Career Growth

  • Certified Safety Professional
  • Certified Human Factors Professional
  • Certified Aviation Manager
  • Project Management Professional

Data sourced from official Navy 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.