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7208 Career Guide

Marine Corps

7208: Air Support Officer

Career transition guide for Marine Corps Air Support Officer (7208)

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Civilian Career Pathways

Top civilian roles for 7208 veterans, with average salary and market demand data.

Emergency Management Director

$85K
Good matchStable demand

Skills to develop:

FEMA certificationsLocal government regulations

Logistics Manager

$90K
Good matchHigh demand

Skills to develop:

Supply chain management softwareAPICS certification

Project Manager

$95K
Good matchVery high demand

Skills to develop:

PMP CertificationAgile methodologies

Intelligence Analyst

$80K
Moderate matchGrowing demand

Skills to develop:

Data analysis software (e.g., Python, R)OSINT techniques

Airfield Operations Specialist

$75K
High matchStable demand

Skills to develop:

FAA certificationsCivilian air traffic control procedures

Salary estimates from VWC career data

Hidden Strengths

Cognitive skills your 7208 training built — and where they transfer.

Rapid Prioritization

Air Support Officers constantly make split-second decisions about which missions to support based on evolving battlefield conditions and commander's priorities.

This translates to an ability to quickly assess competing needs and allocate resources effectively under pressure, a skill highly valued in fast-paced civilian environments.

Situational Awareness

You maintain a comprehensive understanding of the battlespace, including friendly and enemy positions, air assets, and potential threats, to ensure mission success and minimize risk.

This heightened awareness allows you to anticipate problems, identify opportunities, and make informed decisions in complex and dynamic situations.

Resource Optimization

You efficiently allocate air assets to maximize their impact on the battlefield, ensuring that the right resources are available at the right time and place.

This ability to strategically deploy resources translates to effective management of budgets, personnel, and other assets in civilian organizations.

Team Synchronization

Air Support Officers expertly coordinate with pilots, ground units, and other support elements to achieve seamless integration of air power into overall operations.

This aptitude for collaborative teamwork ensures that all stakeholders are aligned and working towards common goals, a crucial skill in any collaborative business setting.

Adversarial Thinking

You anticipate enemy actions and develop counter-strategies to mitigate threats to air support operations and friendly forces.

This proactive mindset allows you to identify potential risks and develop effective solutions to overcome challenges in competitive civilian markets.

Non-Obvious Career Matches

Emergency Management Director

SOC 11-9161.00

You've been trained to maintain situational awareness and prioritize resources in the face of extreme pressure. Your experience coordinating complex operations makes you an ideal candidate to lead disaster response and mitigation efforts, where lives depend on quick thinking and decisive action.

Logistics Manager

SOC 11-3071.00

You've already mastered the art of resource optimization. As a Logistics Manager, you will use your expertise to manage supply chains, coordinate transportation, and ensure the timely delivery of goods and services.

Intelligence Analyst

SOC 15-2051.00

Your deep understanding of adversarial thinking and situational awareness makes you an asset in an intelligence role. You will collect and analyze information to identify trends, patterns, and potential threats, providing critical insights to decision-makers.

Training & Education Equivalencies

Air Support Control Officer Course (ASCOC), Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, CA

480 training hours12 weeksUp to 6 semester hours recommended in Military Science

Topics Covered

  • Air Support Planning
  • Close Air Support (CAS) Procedures
  • Airspace Control
  • Forward Air Controller (FAC) Duties
  • Joint Fires Integration
  • Aviation Combat Element (ACE) Integration
  • Targeting and Weaponeering
  • Command and Control (C2) Systems

Certification Pathways

Partial Coverage

Project Management Professional (PMP)40% covered

Formal project management methodologies (Agile, Waterfall), detailed project planning, risk management, and stakeholder communication techniques. Air support officers likely manage projects informally but lack structured training.

Certified Emergency Manager (CEM)30% covered

Comprehensive emergency management principles, including all phases (mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery), legal frameworks, and inter-agency coordination. Military training focuses primarily on response.

Recommended Next Certifications

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)CompTIA Security+DoD 8570/8140 Information Assurance Management (IAM) Level IIICertified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

Technical Systems Translation

Military systems you've used and their civilian equivalents for your resume.

Military SystemCivilian Equivalent
Joint Automated Deep Operations Coordination System (JADOCS)Geospatial intelligence platforms for real-time situational awareness and command and control
Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS)Commercial artillery and fire support command and control systems
AN/PRC-117G Multiband Manpack RadioSatellite communication systems and tactical radios
Targeting Pods (e.g., LITENING, ATFLIR)Advanced sensor systems used in commercial drones, surveillance, and mapping applications
Blue Force Tracker (BFT)Real-time GPS fleet management systems
Tactical Airspace Integration System (TAIS)Air traffic management systems for controlled airspace

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