October is #Warfighting month focusing on Navy Warfighters, a fast and flexible force deployed worldwide to preserve peace, protect commerce, and deter aggression on, above, and below the sea. This is one of two blogs highlighting the 19 rates that make up the Navy’s aviation community. Here are the first ten.
Aviation Boatswain’s Mate – Launch Recovery (ABE)
The duties performed by ABEs include:
- Maintain and perform organizational maintenance on hydraulic and steam catapults, barricades, arresting gear and arresting gear engines.
- Operate catapult launch and arresting consoles, firing panels, water brakes, blast deflectors and cooling panels.
Aviation Boatswain’s Mate – Fuels (ABF)
The duties performed by ABFs include:
- Operate, maintain and perform organizational maintenance on aviation fueling and lubricating oil systems on CVs, CVNs, LPHS and LPDS.
- Observe and enforce safety handling precautions and maintain fuel quality surveillance and control in aviation fuel systems.
- Supervise the operation and service of fuel farms and equipment associated with the fueling and defueling of aircraft ashore and afloat.
- Train, direct and supervise fire fighting crews, fire rescue teams, and damage control parties in assigned fuel and lubricating oil spaces.
Aviation Boatswain’s Mate – Aircraft Handler (ABH)
The duties performed by ABHs include:
- Supervise the movement, spotting and securing of aircraft and equipment ashore and afloat.
- Perform crash rescue, fire fighting, crash removal and damage control duties in connection with launch and recovery of aircraft.
- Perform aircraft-handling duties related to the operation of launching and recovery of naval aircraft.
Air Traffic Controller (AC)
The duties performed by ACs include:
- Control and direct air traffic at airfields and on aircraft carriers using radio, radar, and other signaling devices.
- Provid aircraft with critical information on other air traffic, navigation systems, and airfield conditions essential to safe operations.
- Operate and adjust computer-based ground/carrier-controlled navigation and radar approach systems.
- Interpret data shown on radar screens and plotting aircraft positions.
- Maintain aeronautical charts and maps.
Aviation Machinist’s Mate (AD)
The duties performed by ADs include:
- Maintain and service aircraft engine, fuel and lubrication systems.
- Handle and service aircraft ashore or aboard ship.
- Perform complete aircraft turboshaft/turboprop engine repair.
- Determine reasons for engine degradation via spectrometric oil analysis tests.
- Evaluate jet engine performance, using jet test cells for fixed turbojet engines.
- Perform helicopter maintenance, installing and maintaining engines, drive accessories and gear boxes.
- Perform propeller repairs.
- Possibly functioning as aircrewman in various types of aircraft.
Aviation Electrician’s Mate (AE)
AE sailors attend common basic electronics training, after which they attend the Aviation Electrician (AE) rating “A” School. The AE sailor will troubleshoot and repair some of the following complex electronic systems, employing the latest test equipment and procedures:
- digital computers
- fiber optics
- infrared detection
- radar systems
- electricity generation systems
- laser electronics
- navigation systems
- communications equipment
- electrical power distribution
- pressure indication systems
- electric transformers and circuits
Technicians may also perform the following functions:
- Test aircraft instruments and systems such as automatic flight controls, inertial navigation, and compass systems.
- Perform micro-miniature module repair on computer circuit cards.
- Use a variety of electrical measuring and diagnostic equipment.
- Read electrical system diagrams.
- Repair and maintain power generators and electric motors.
Aerographer’s Mate (AG)
The duties performed by AGs include:
- Collecting, recording and analyzing weather and oceanographic information.
- Preparing up-to-date weather maps and oceanographic data.
- Issuing weather forecasts and warnings.
- Conduct weather/oceanographic briefings.
- Use, test, calibrate and perform minor and preventive maintenance on meteorological instruments including satellite receivers.
- Prepare balloon-carried instruments for flight, evaluating and analyzing data received.
- Operate, program and maintain computers and related equipment.
Aviation Structural Mechanic (AM)
The duties performed by AMs include:
- Remove, repair and replace hydraulic system pumps, auxiliary power systems and unit actuating subsystems.
- Maintain aircraft landing gear system, brakes and related pneumatic systems, reservoir pressurization, emergency actuating devices, pumps, valves, regulators, cylinders, lines and fittings.
- Service pressure accumulators, emergency air bottles, oleo struts, reservoirs and master brake cylinders.
- Inspect, remove and replace components of hydraulic systems.
- Replace gaskets, packing, and wipers in hydraulic components.
- Remove, repair and replace aircraft fuselage, wings, fixed and movable surfaces, airfoils, regular seats, wheels and tires, controls and mechanisms.
- Remove, install and rig aircraft flight control surfaces.
- Fabricate and assemble metal components and make minor repairs to aircraft skin.
- Install rivets and metal fasteners.
- Fabricate repairs for composite components.
- Perform non-destructive dye penetrant inspections (NDI).
- Perform daily, preflight, post flight and other periodic aircraft inspections.
Aviation Structural Mechanic Safety Equipment (AME)
The duties performed by AMEs include:
- Maintain the various aircraft systems such as seat and canopy ejection (egress), gaseous and liquid oxygen, life raft ejection, fire extinguishing, air conditioning, cabin and cockpit heat, pressurization, ventilation.
- Remove and install oxygen system valves, gauges, converters and regulators.
- Inspect, remove, install and rig ejection seats, shoulder harnesses, lap belts and face-curtain mechanisms.
- Perform daily, preflight, post flight and other periodic aircraft inspections.
Aviation Ordnanceman (AO)
The duties performed by AOs include:
- Inspect, maintains and repair aircraft mechanical and electrical armament/ordnance systems.
- Service aircraft guns and accessories.
- Stow, assemble and load aviation ammunition including aerial mines, torpedoes, missiles and rockets.
- Service bomb, missile, and rocket releasing and launching devices.
- Load supplemental munitions.
- Assemble, test and maintain air-launched guided missiles.
- Supervise operation of aviation ordnance shops, armories and stowage facilities.
Follow the conversation on Twitter – #Warfighting
Learn more about all the enlisted ratings with our Owners and Operators Manual.