Avionics Technician
$75KGood match
High demand
Skills to develop
- — FAA certification
- — Specific avionics systems training
Live · Guide v1.016E · Career GuideValidated · Lightcast Labor DataUpdated · Q2 20262027 Cohort · Applications Open
ARMY · 16ECareer Guide · Operations · VWC.CG.16E.R.04
16E · ARMY · EnlistedAir Defense Missile System
Air Defense Missile System
Operator/
Army 16E (Air Defense Missile System Operator/Maintainer). 1,050 hours of formal training translate to 5 validated civilian career pathways with salary bands of $65K–$85K. Sourced from DoD training data and Lightcast labor signals.
Training hours1,050DoD pipeline
ACE creditACEUp to 18 semester hours recommended in electronics technology (estimated)
Tech roles4mapped to your code
Civilian pathways5validated
Cert coverage3/6direct + partial
This career guide was generated using AI analysis of military job code data. Salary figures, certification coverage percentages, and career matches are estimates — verify with official sources before making career decisions.
/ 01 · Tech Roles
Roles your code maps to.
Industry tech roles your 16E background maps to — picked from BLS-anchored occupations using your training, cognitive skills, and systems experience.
Sort · Match descending
/ 02 · Skill Bridge
The gap, named.
What 16E training already gave you, and the specific gaps to close — not a generic checklist.
Already have10
- 01HAWK missile system operation and maintenance→ Troubleshooting and maintaining complex systems
- 02Fire control equipment operation→ Operating and monitoring industrial control systems
- 03Radar systems operation and maintenance→ Understanding of network protocols and data transmission
- 04Command and acquisition section operations→ Team leadership and coordination
- 05Situational Awareness→ Risk assessment and threat modeling
- 06Rapid Prioritization→ Incident response and problem management
- 07Team Synchronization→ Collaboration and communication
- 08System Modeling→ System design and optimization
- 09Electronic warfare principles→ Understanding of security threats and vulnerabilities
- 10PATRIOT System Evaluator→ Quality assurance and performance monitoring
To learn11
The concrete gap to bridge — specific to the roles above, not a generic checklist.
+Cloud computing (AWS, Azure, or GCP)+Containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)+Infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, Ansible)+CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitLab CI)+Scripting (Bash, Python)+Monitoring tools (Prometheus, Grafana)+Network security principles+Intrusion detection/prevention systems+Security information and event management (SIEM) tools+Linux administration+Virtualization technologies (VMware, Hyper-V)
How VWC fits
Vets Who Code is a free, remote-first software engineering accelerator for veterans, active duty, and military spouses. We close the fundamentals — terminal, web platform, AI tooling, portfolio projects — so the rest of this list becomes specialization, not square one.
See VWC Programs →/ 03 · Civilian Pathways
Where your code lands.
Electronics Technician
$68KHigh match
Very high demand
Skills to develop
- — CompTIA A+ certification
- — Specific equipment repair certifications
Operations Manager
$85KGood match
Growing demand
Skills to develop
- — Project Management Professional (PMP)
- — Lean Six Sigma certification
Technical Trainer
$70KModerate match
Stable demand
Skills to develop
- — Instructional Design certification
- — Adult learning methodologies
Quality Assurance Specialist
$65KModerate match
High demand
Skills to develop
- — ISO 9001 certification
- — Six Sigma Green Belt
/ 04 · Hidden Strengths
What the code built.
Cognitive skills your 16E training built — and where they transfer in civilian work.
Situational Awareness
As an ADA senior sergeant, you constantly monitor the airspace, understanding the positions of friendly and potentially hostile aircraft, and assessing threats in real-time. This requires maintaining a broad awareness of the environment and anticipating potential changes.
Transfers to
This translates directly to the ability to quickly assess complex situations, identify potential risks, and make informed decisions based on incomplete or rapidly changing information. You can anticipate problems before they arise.
Rapid Prioritization
In a HAWK firing platoon, you must quickly assess incoming data, prioritize targets based on threat level, and allocate resources accordingly. This demands the ability to make critical decisions under pressure and in a fast-paced environment.
Transfers to
You excel at quickly evaluating competing demands, determining what's most important, and focusing your efforts where they will have the greatest impact. You can effectively manage crises and adapt to shifting priorities.
Team Synchronization
Supervising and coordinating the actions of a HAWK firing platoon requires you to ensure seamless teamwork. You understand how to integrate individual roles and responsibilities to achieve a common objective, ensuring everyone is working in sync.
Transfers to
You have a proven ability to lead and coordinate teams, fostering collaboration and ensuring that everyone is working towards the same goals. You can effectively manage diverse teams and create a cohesive working environment.
System Modeling
Operating and maintaining complex systems like the HAWK missile system requires understanding how all the components work together and anticipating how changes in one area will affect the overall system performance. You understand the interdependencies and relationships within a complex technical system.
Transfers to
You possess a strong aptitude for understanding complex systems and predicting their behavior. This allows you to troubleshoot problems effectively, optimize performance, and design improvements. You are adept at analyzing processes and identifying areas for improvement.
/ 05 · Non-Obvious Matches
Roles the recruiter won't suggest.
Adjacent civilian roles your training maps to that conventional military-to-civilian advice tends to miss.
Emergency Management Specialist
SOC 29-1129.00You've been trained to maintain situational awareness under pressure and rapidly prioritize threats. Your experience with complex systems and team coordination makes you ideally suited to planning and responding to emergencies.
Adjacent · MatchLogistics Manager
SOC 11-3071.00Your experience managing resources, coordinating teams, and understanding complex systems translates well to logistics management. You've been responsible for ensuring smooth operations and you can apply that skill to supply chain management.
Adjacent · MatchTechnical Trainer
SOC 25-9044.00You have a deep understanding of the HAWK missile system and experience training others on its operation. You can leverage this expertise to become a technical trainer, teaching others how to use complex equipment and systems in various industries.
Adjacent · Match/ 06 · Training & Certs
What you trained on.
Academy
Air Defense Enhanced Early Warning System Operator/Maintainer Course
Fort Sill, OK1,050hHours
25wkWeeks
ACECredit
Up to 18 semester hours recommended in electronics technology (estimated)
Topics · 8
- HAWK missile system operation and maintenance
- Missile system diagnostics and repair
- Fire control equipment operation
- Radar systems operation and maintenance
- Command and acquisition section operations
- Air defense principles and tactics
- Electronic warfare principles
- Supervision and leadership skills
Partial coverage · 3
- Project Management Professional (PMP)40%
Formal project management methodologies (Agile, Scrum, Waterfall), project lifecycle phases, risk management, stakeholder management, and the PMBOK guide.
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)30%
In-depth knowledge of information security domains, including access control, cryptography, security assessment, and security operations. Requires passing an exam and having related work experience.
- CompTIA Security+60%
While military experience provides a solid base, this cert requires more knowledge of cryptography, access control, and organizational security.
Recommended next · 03
- Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)Adjacent
- ITIL 4 FoundationAdjacent
- AWS Certified Security – SpecialtyAdjacent
/ 07 · Systems Translation
What you ran, in their words.
Military systems you operated and their civilian equivalents for your resume.
| Military System | Civilian Equivalent | Domain |
|---|---|---|
| HAWK Missile System | Surface-to-air missile defense systems (e.g., used for national infrastructure protection) | Weapons |
| PATRIOT System Evaluator | Quality assurance and performance monitoring of complex systems | Operations |
| AN/MPQ-61 Continuous Wave Acquisition Radar (CW Acquisition Radar) | Long-range radar systems for air traffic control or weather surveillance | Signals |
| HAWK Fire Control Console | Industrial control systems (ICS) or SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems | Weapons |
| Engagement Simulator | Flight Simulators, training simulators used across many industries (aviation, manufacturing, process control) | Operations |
| PFASC (Platoon Firefinder Acquisition Section Center) | Data analysis and command centers | Operations |
Cohort 2027 · Intake Open
Ship 16E into a software engineering career.
The pathways above are the destination. Vets Who Code is the route: a free, remote-first software engineering accelerator for active duty, veterans, and military spouses. 17 weeks at 20–30 hours a week, and a body of work that ships.