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Air Force Specialty Code

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The Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) is an alphanumeric code used by the United States Air Force to identify an Air Force Specialty (AFS). Officer AFSCs consist of four characters and enlisted AFSCs consist of five characters. A letter prefix or suffix may be used with an AFSC when more specific identification of position requirements and individual qualifications is necessary. The AFSC is similar to the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) used by the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps or enlisted ratings and USN officer designators and USCG officer specialities used by the United States Navy and the United States Coast Guard.

History

After the Air Force separated from the Army in 1947, it retained the Army's system of MOS occupation codes, modifying them in 1954. These were 5-digit codes; for example a maintenance data systems specialist was 39150 and a weather technician was 25170. In October 1993, the Air Force implemented a new system of AFSCs, aligning occupations with the forcewide restructuring that was implemented under Merrill McPeak.[1] These reduced officer AFSCs from 216 to 123 and enlisted AFSCs from 203 to 176.

Enlisted AFSCs

The enlisted AFSC consists of five alphanumeric characters:

  • Career group (Numerical)
    1. Operations
    2. Logistics & Maintenance
    3. Support
    4. Medical
    5. Professional
    6. Acquisition
    7. Special Investigations
    8. Special Duty Identifiers, typically used for Airmen chosen for specialized jobs
    9. Reporting Identifiers, typically used for Airmen in transitive status: trainees, awaiting retraining, prisoner, etc.
  • Career field (Alpha, different for each)
  • Career field subdivision (Numerical, different for each)
  • Skill level
    • 1 – Helper (recruits or retrainees in technical school)
    • 3 – Apprentice (technical school graduates applying and expanding their job skills)
    • 5 – Journeyman (experienced Airmen functioning as front-line technicians and initial trainers)
    • 7 – Craftsman (Airmen with many years of experience in the specialty, responsible for supervision and training)
    • 9 – Superintendent (Airmen in the grade of Senior Master Sergeant and above, with at least 14 years of experience, responsible for broad supervision)
    • 10 – Chief Enlisted Manager (CEM) (Airmen in the grade of Chief Master Sergeant responsible for policy and direction on a broad scale, from the individual squadron to HQ USAF levels)
  • Specific AFSC (Numeric, specialty within career field subdivision)

For example, in the AFSC 1N371:

  • The career group is 1 (Operations)
  • The career field is N (Intelligence)
  • The career field subdivision is 3 (Cryptologic Linguist)
  • The skill level is 7 (Craftsman)
  • The specific AFSC is 1 (Crypto-Linguist Specializing in a Germanic Language)

For some specialties, an alpha prefix is used to denote a special ability, skill, qualification or system designator not restricted to a single AFSC (such as "X" for an aircrew position). Additionally, an alpha suffix (a “shredout”) denotes positions associated with particular equipment or functions within a single specialty (an Afrikaans specialist in the Germanic linguist field would have an "E" shredout). Using the above example, the AFSC X1N371E would refer to a Germanic Cryptologic Linguist who is aircrew qualified and specializes in Afrikaans.

Here is an extended listing of AFSC groups. Most categories have numerous actual AFSCs in them.

Operations

  • 1U - Unmanned Aerospace System (UAS) Operations
    • 1U0X1 - Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) Sensor Operator
  • 1W - Weather
    • 1W0X1 - Weather
    • 1W0X2 - Special Operations Weather

Maintenance/Logistics

  • 2A - Aerospace Maintenance
    • 2A0X1 - Avionics Test Station and Components
    • 2A2X1 - Special Operations Forces/Personnel Recover (SOF/PR) Integrated Communication/Navigation/Mission Systems
    • 2A2X2 - Special Operations Forces/Personnel Recover (SOF/PR) Integrated Instruments and Flight Control Systems
    • 2A2X3 - Special Operations Forces/Personnel Recover (SOF/PR) Integrated Electronic Warfare Systems
    • 2A3X3 - Tactical Aircraft Maintenance
    • 2A3X4 - Fighter Aircraft Integrated Avionics (A-10, U-2, F-15, F-16)
    • 2A3X5 - Advanced Fighter Aircraft Integrated Avionics (F-22, F-35, MQ-1, MQ-9, RQ-4)
    • 2A3X7 - Tactical Aircraft Maintenance (5th Generation)(F-22, F-35)
    • 2A3X8 - Remotely Piloted Aircraft Maintenance
    • 2A5X1 - Airlift/Special Mission Aircraft Maintenance
    • 2A5X2 - Helicopter/Tiltrotor Aircraft Maintenance
    • 2A5X3 - Mobility Air Forces Electronic Warfare Systems
    • 2A5X4 - Refuel/Bomber Aircraft Maintenance
    • 2A6X1 - Aerospace Propulsion
    • 2A6X2 - Aerospace Ground Equipment (AGE)
    • 2A6X3 - Aircrew Egress Systems
    • 2A6X4 - Aircraft Fuel Systems
    • 2A6X5 - Aircraft Hydraulic Systems
    • 2A6X6 - Aircraft Electrical and Environmental Systems
    • 2A7X1 - Aircraft Metals Technology
    • 2A7X2 - Nondestructive Inspection (NDI)
    • 2A7X3 - Aircraft Structural Maintenance
    • 2A7X5 - Low Observable Aircraft Structural Maintenance
    • 2A8X1 - Mobility Air Forces Communication/Navigation/Mission Systems
    • 2A8X2 - Mobility Air Forces Integrated Instrument and Flight Control Systems
    • 2A9X1 - Bomber/Special Integrated Communication/Navigation/Mission Systems
    • 2A9X2 - Bomber/Special Integrated Instrument and Flight Control Systems
    • 2A9X3 - Bomber/Special Electronic Warfare and Radar Surveillance Integrated Avionics
  • 2F - Fuels
  • 2G - Logistics Plans
  • 2M - Missile and Space Systems Maintenance
    • 2M0X1 - Missile and Space Systems Electronics Maintenance
    • 2M0X2 - Missile and Space Systems Maintenance
    • 2M0X3 - Missile and Space Facilities
  • 2P - Precision Measurement
  • 2R - Maintenance Management
    • 2R0X1 - Maintenance Management Analysis
    • 2R1X1 - Maintenance Management Production
  • 2S - Materiel Management
    • 2S0X1 - Materiel Management
  • 2T - Transportation & Vehicle Management
    • 2T0X1 - Traffic Management
    • 2T1X1 - Vehicle Operations
    • 2T2X1 - Air Transportation
    • 2T3X1 - Mission Generation Vehicular Equipment Maintenance
    • 2T3X7 - Fleet Management and Analysis
  • 2W - Munitions & Weapons

Support

Medical

  • Medical
    • 4A0X1 - Health Services Management
    • 4A1X1 - Medical Material
    • 4A2X1 - Biomedical Equipment
    • 4B0X1 - Bioenvironmental Engineering
    • 4C0X1 - Mental Health Service
    • 4D0X1 - Diet Therapy
    • 4E0X1 - Public Health
    • 4H0X1 - Cardiopulmonary Laboratory
    • 4J0X2 - Physical Medicine
      • 4J0X2A - Orthotics
    • 4M0X1 - Aerospace and Operational Physiology
    • 4N0X1 - Aerospace Medical Service
      • 4N0X1B- Neurodiagnostic Medical Technician
      • 4N0X1C- Independent Duty Medical Technician
      • 4N0X1F- Flight and Operational Medical Technician (New in 2014)
    • 4N1X1 - Surgical Service
    • 4P0X1 - Pharmacy
    • 4R0X1 - Diagnostic Imaging
    • 4T0X1 - Medical Laboratory
    • 4T0X2 - Histopathology
    • 4V0X1 - Ophthalmic
  • Dental

Professional

Acquisition

Special Investigations

Special Duty Identifiers

  • 8A100 - Career Assistance Advisor
  • 8A200 - Enlisted Aide
  • 8A300 - Protocol (Established 31 Oct 15)
  • 8B000 - Military Training Instructor
  • 8B100 - Military Training Leader
  • 8B200 - Academy Military Training NCO
  • 8C000 - Airman & Family Readiness Center RNCO
  • 8D100 - Language & Culture Advisor
  • 8E000 - Research, Analysis & Lessons Learned
  • 8F000 - First Sergeant
  • 8G000 - Honor Guard
  • 8H000 - Airman Dorm Leader
  • 8I000 - IGSuperintendent, Inspections
  • 8M000 - Postal service (currently being phased into 3A1X1, will be discontinued at a future date)
  • 8P000 - Defense Courier
  • 8P100 - Defense Attaché
  • 8R000 - Enlisted Accessions Recruiter
  • 8R200 - Second-Tier Recruiter
  • 8R300 - Third-Tier Recruiter
  • 8S000 - Missile Facility Manager
  • 8T000 - Professional Military Education Instructor
  • 8U000 - Unit Deployment Manager

Reporting Identifiers

  • 9A000 - Awaiting Retraining-Reasons beyond Control
  • 9A100 - Awaiting Retraining-Reasons within Control
  • 9A200 - Awaiting Discharge/Separation/Retirement for Reasons Within Their Control
  • 9A300 - Awaiting Discharge/Separation/Retirement for Reasons Beyond Their Control
  • 9A400 - Disqualified Airman, Return to Duty Program
  • 9A500 - Temporarily Ineligible for Retraining – Disqualified for Reasons Beyond Control
  • 9C000 - CMSgt of the Air Force
  • 9D100 - Key Developmental Senior Enlisted Positions on Headquarters Air Force Staff and Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy at Maxwell-Gunter Annex
  • 9E000 - Command Chief Master Sergeant
  • 9F000 - First Term Airmen Center (FTAC) NCOIC
  • 9G100 - Group Superintendent
  • 9J000 - Prisoner
  • 9L000 - Interpreter/Translator
  • 9L100 - Enlisted Engagement Manager/International Affairs
  • 9M000 - Military Entrance Processing Command (MEPCOM) Senior Enlisted Advisor
  • 9M200 - International Health Specialists (IHS)
  • 9M400 - Chief, Medical Enlisted Force (CMEF)
  • 9N000 - Secretary of the Air Force Enlisted Legislative Fellows
  • 9P000 - Patient
  • 9R000 - Civil Air Patrol (CAP)-USAF Reserve Assistance NCO
  • 9S100 - Scientific Applications Specialist
  • 9T000 - Basic Enlisted Airman
  • 9T100 - Officer Trainee
  • 9T200 - Pre-Cadet Assignee
  • 9U000 - Enlisted Airman Ineligible for Local Utilization
  • 9U100 - Unallotted Enlisted Authorization
  • 9W000 - Combat Wounded Warrior
  • 9W100 - Reserved for Future Use
  • 9W200 - Combat Wounded Warrior with Exemptions[5]
  • 9W300 - Non-Combat Wounded Warrior
  • 9W400 - Wounded Warrior-Limited Assignment Status (LAS)
  • 9W500 - Wounded Warrior-Retired/Discharged
  • 9W600 - Reserved for Future Use
  • 9W700 - Reserved for Future Use
  • 9W800 - Reserved for Future Use
  • 9W900 - Reserved for Future Use

Officer AFSCs

The officer AFSC consists of four alphanumeric characters:

  • Career Group (Numerical)
    • 1 (Operations)
    • 2 (Logistics)
    • 3 (Support)
    • 4 (Medical)
    • 5 (Professional Services)
    • 6 (Acquisition)
    • 7 (Special Investigations)
    • 8 (Special Duty Identifier)
    • 9 (Reporting Identifier)
  • Utilization Field (Numerical, different for each)
  • Functional Area (Alpha, different for each)
  • Qualification Level
    • 0 – Qualified commander (when used in conjunction with “C” in the 3rd position)
    • 1 – Entry (any AFSC)
    • 2 – Intermediate (is only used for pilots, bomber navigators, missile launch officers, and cyberspace officers)
    • 3 – Qualified (any AFSC)
    • 4 – Staff (relates only to the level of functional responsibility and is restricted to positions above wing level; it does not denote additional specialty qualifications)

For example, in the AFSC 11A4:

  • The career group is 11 (Pilot)
  • The functional area is A (Airlift)
  • The qualification level is 4 (Staff)

For example, in the AFSC T63A3

  • The career group is 63 (acquisition manager)
  • The functional area is A (all 63 officers are "A")
  • The qualification level is 3 (fully qualified)
  • The prefix "T" designates a formal training instructor (other pre-fixes are available for other specialty positions)

As with enlisted AFSCs, prefixes and suffixes may be applied to make the AFSC more specific.

Operations

  • 10C0 - Operations Commander
  • 11BX - Bomber Pilot
  • 11EX - Experimental Test Pilot
  • 11FX - Fighter Pilot
  • 11GX - Generalist Pilot
  • 11HX - Combat Rescue Pilot (includes both helicopter and fixed-wing)
  • 11KX - Trainer Pilot
  • 11MX - Mobility Pilot
  • 11RX - Recce/Surv/Elect Warfare Pilot
  • 11SX - Special Operations Pilot
  • 11UX - Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) Pilot
  • 12BX - Bomber Combat Systems Officer
  • 12EX - Experimental Test Combat Systems Officer
  • 12FX - Fighter Weapon Systems Officer (WSO)
  • 12GX - Generalist Combat Systems Officer
  • 12HX - Combat Rescue Combat Systems Officer
  • 12KX - Trainer Combat Systems Officer
  • 12MX - Mobility Combat Systems Officer
  • 12RX - Recce/Surv/Elect Warfare Combat Systems Officer
  • 12SX - Special Operations Combat Systems Officer
  • 12UX - Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA)
  • 13AX - Astronaut
  • 13BX - Air Battle Manager
  • 13CX - Special Tactics Officer[6]
  • 13DX - Combat Rescue Officer
  • 13LX - Air Liaison Officer
  • 13MX - Airfield Operations
  • 13NX - Nuclear and Missile Operations
  • 13SX - Space Operations
  • 14NX - Intelligence
  • 15WX - Weather
  • 16FX - Regional Affairs Strategist
  • 16GX - Air Force Operations Staff Officer
  • 16PX - Political-Military Affairs Strategist
  • 16RX - Planning & Programming
  • 17CX - Cyberspace Operations Commander
  • 17DX - Network Operations Officer
  • 17SX - Cyberspace Warfare Operations Officer
  • 18AX - Attack Remotely Piloted Aircraft Pilot (18X established in October 2009[7])
  • 18GX - Generalist Remotely Piloted Aircraft Pilot
  • 18RX - Recce Remotely Piloted Aircraft Pilot

Logistics

  • 20C0 - Maintenance Group Commander or Deputy Group Commander
  • 21AX - Aircraft Maintenance Officer (MXO)
  • 21MX - Munitions and Missile Maintenance
  • 21RX - Logistics Readiness Officer (LRO)

Support

Medical

Professional

Acquisition

  • 60C0 - Program Director
  • 61AX - Operations Research Analyst
  • 61BX - Behavioral Science/Human Factors Scientist
  • 61CX - Chemist/Biologist
  • 61DX - Physicist/Nuclear Engineer
  • 62EX - Developmental Engineer
  • 62EXA - Aeronautical Engineer
  • 62EXB - Astronautical Engineer
  • 62EXC - Computer Systems Engineer
  • 62EXE - Electrical/Electronic Engineer
  • 62EXF - Flight Test Engineer
  • 62EXG - Project Engineer
  • 62EXH - Mechanical Engineer [8]
  • 62S0 - Materiel Leader
  • 63AX - Acquisition Manager
  • 63G0 - Senior Materiel Leader
  • 63S0 - Materiel Leader
  • 64PX - Contracting
  • 65AX - Auditor
  • 65FX - Financial Management
  • 65WX - Cost Analysis

Special Investigations

  • 71SX - Special Investigator

Special Duty Identifiers

  • 80C0 - Commander, Cadet Squadron, USAFA
  • 81C0 - Training Commander, OTS
  • 81T0 - Instructor
  • 82A0 - Academic Program Manager
  • 83R0 - Recruiting Service
  • 84H0 - Historian
  • 85G0 - USAF Honor Guard
  • 86M0 - Operations Management
  • 86P0 - Command and Control
  • 87G0 - Installation Inspector General
  • 88A0 - Aide-de-Camp

Reporting Identifiers

  • 90G0 - General Officer
  • 91C0 - Commander
  • 91W0 - Wing Commander
  • 92J0 - Nondesignated Lawyer
  • 92J1 - AFROTC Educational Delay-Law Student
  • 92J2 - Funded Legal Education Program Law Student
  • 92J3 - Excess Leave Law Student
  • 92M0 - Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) Medical Student
  • 92M1 - Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences Student
  • 92M2 - HPSP Biomedical Science Student
  • 92R0 - Chaplain Candidate
  • 92S0 - Student Officer Authorization
  • 92T0 - Pilot Trainee
  • 92T1 - Navigator/Combat Systems Officer Trainee
  • 92T2 - Air Battle Manager Trainee
  • 92T3 - Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) Pilot Trainee
  • 92W0 - Wounded Warrior - Combat Related
  • 92W1 - Reserved for Future Use
  • 92W2 - Wounded Warrior
  • 92W3 - Wounded Warrior-Returned to Duty
  • 92W4 - Wounded Warrior-Limited Assignment Status
  • 92W5 - Wounded Warrior-Retired/Discharged
  • 92W9 - Warrior Care
  • 93P0 - Patient
  • 94N0 - Nuclear Weapons Custodian
  • 95A0 - Non-Extended Active Duty AFRC or ANG USAFA Liaison Officer or CAP Liaison Officer
  • 96D0 - Officer not available in awarded AFSC for cause
  • 96U0 - Unclassified Officer
  • 96V0 - Unallotted
  • 97E0 - Executive Officer
  • 99A0 - Unspecified AFSC

Additional information

During the course of their Air Force careers, Airmen sometimes switch jobs and receive multiple AFSCs to denote training in multiple specialties. A Primary AFSC (PAFSC) is the designation for the specialty in which the individual possesses the highest skill level and is, therefore, the AFSC that he or she is best qualified to perform. The Duty AFSC (DAFSC) reflects the actual manpower position the Airman is assigned to. The Control AFSC (CAFSC) is a management tool to make assignments, assist in determining training requirements, and consider individuals for promotion. Often an enlisted Airman's PAFSC will reflect a higher skill level than his or her CAFSC since the CAFSC skill level is tied to rank while the PAFSC skill level is tied to performance and education.

Usually, the PAFSC, DAFSC, and CAFSC will be the same. However, situations such as retraining, special duties, or Air Force-level changes necessitate these distinctions. Additionally, Airmen that have retrained into multiple specialties will have several Secondary AFSCs (2AFSC, 3AFSC, etc.).

Special Experience Identifiers (SEIs) are established to identify special experience and training. The Air Force Enlisted Classification Directory (AFECD) contains the complete list of authorized SEIs and includes designation criteria and authorized AFSC combinations. (AFI 36-2101)

AFSC/MOS/Rating Conversion

See also

References

  1. ^ Air Force Officer Specialty Structure: Reviewing the Fundamentals, 2009. Rand Corporation, ISBN 978-0-8330-4619-2.
  2. ^ http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/2015/02/10/air-force-stressed-career-fields/23167053/
  3. ^ http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/careers/air-force/2015/09/07/8-airmen-needed-new-human-intelligence-afsc/71603950/
  4. ^ New cyberspace support career field stood up Nov. 1, 11/5/2009, Air Force News Service
  5. ^ Don't call him a hero, 3/27/2009, Capital Flyer
  6. ^ http://www.afsoc.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-051214-004.pdf pp 3
  7. ^ Air Force officials announce remotely piloted aircraft pilot training pipeline, Tech. Sgt. Amaani Lyle, Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs, 6/9/2010
  8. ^ http://usmilitary.about.com/od/officerjobs/a/62ex_2.htm
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