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Navy NEC · Medical

L26A Orthopedic Technician

Current service use not established

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

A Navy Enlisted Classification: a skill designation sailors hold in addition to their rating.

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Overview

Orthopedic Technicians assist medical officers with applying, removing, and maintaining casts and traction. They support minor procedures such as arthrocentesis, suture removal, dressing changes, and the insertion or removal of skeletal traction devices while maintaining cast room patient records.

Minimum clearance: Secret

Core Skills

  • Skeletal traction device insertion and removal assistance
  • Joint aspiration and suture removal assistance
  • Cast-room patient treatment recordkeeping

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.

Medical Assistants

Assisting medical officers with minor orthopedic procedures and maintaining cast-room patient records transfers to clinical support work, particularly in orthopedic practices.

How to prepare: Compare your documented procedure-assistance and recordkeeping experience with orthopedic clinic medical-assistant openings to identify gaps in vital-sign collection and examination-room support.

What the civilian work involves
  • Record patients' medical history, vital statistics, or information such as test results in medical records.
  • Prepare treatment rooms for patient examinations, keeping the rooms neat and clean.
Civilian tools and software (examples)
  • Epic Systems
  • eClinicalWorks EHR software

Medical Appliance Technicians

Assisting with cast application, removal, and maintenance provides related hands-on experience for work involving limb casts and impressions used in appliance fabrication.

How to prepare: Seek supervised introductory training in an orthotic or prosthetic fabrication laboratory, focusing on using casts as fabrication patterns and interpreting device specifications.

What the civilian work involves
  • Construct or receive casts or impressions of patients' torsos or limbs for use as cutting and fabrication patterns.
  • Read prescriptions or specifications to determine the type of product or device to be fabricated and the materials and tools required.

Notes & Sources

Evidence for this guidance (3 documents)
  1. NAVPERS 18068F Vol II (NEOCS, Jul 2026 edition): NEC L26A

    [1] NEC entry "L26A - Orthopedic Technician"; cached text line 7939; NAVPERS 18068F Vol II, 2026-07 edition

    Supports: Skeletal traction device insertion and removal assistance, Joint aspiration and suture removal assistance, Cast-room patient treatment recordkeeping, Medical Assistants (O*NET 31-9092.00), Medical Appliance Technicians (O*NET 51-9082.00)

  2. O*NET: Medical Assistants

    [2] O*NET 30.3 occupational data

    Supports: Medical Assistants (O*NET 31-9092.00)

  3. O*NET: Medical Appliance Technicians

    [3] O*NET 30.3 occupational data

    Supports: Medical Appliance Technicians (O*NET 51-9082.00)

Defense contractor jobs for L26A

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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