Perform and supervise organizational and intermediate maintenance on CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters and related equipment.
ASVAB MM: 105
Catalog listing, not a contract offer. Confirm with a recruiter.
CH-53 Crew Chiefs both maintain the aircraft and fly on it, which makes the job unlike most maintenance specialties. Before a flight you preflight the aircraft, load and secure cargo or passengers, brief the people riding in back, and make sure the cabin is configured for the mission. In the air you run the cabin, clear the aircraft during landings, work the hoist and external cargo hook, operate a window mounted gun when the mission calls for it, and monitor the aircraft for problems the pilots cannot see. Missions range from moving troops and heavy loads to casualty evacuation and humanitarian relief from a ship offshore. Back on deck you turn around and fix whatever broke, often before you sleep.
You are trained in aircraft systems, inspection, and flight line maintenance, then layered with aircrew skills like hoist operations, external load rigging, and emergency procedures in flight. Weight and balance, cargo restraint, and passenger safety become your professional responsibility on every sortie. You learn crew coordination and clear radio communication, because the pilots depend on your eyes during landings in dust and darkness. Aerial gunnery and aircraft defensive measures are part of the qualification. The maintenance half of the job counts toward FAA airframe and powerplant eligibility, while the flying half points toward air medical and utility helicopter crew work.
Flying on what you fixed produces an accountability that changes how you approach every task. You develop composure in a loud, disorienting environment where decisions are made in seconds. Responsibility for passengers builds a protective instinct and the authority to give direction to people senior to you. Long duty days spanning both flying and maintenance teach endurance and the ability to stay sharp when tired. The job also builds situational awareness that stays with you, since a crew chief's job is noticing what is not right.
Crew chiefs carry two marketable skill sets, and that flexibility is the real asset. On the maintenance side, the airframe and powerplant certificate leads to airline, helicopter operator, and contractor work. On the flying side, air medical programs, utility and heavy lift operators, firefighting aviation, and offshore energy support hire former military crew chiefs for cabin and hoist experience. Some veterans continue as contractor aircrew supporting government flight programs. Others use the GI Bill for aviation management or a nursing or paramedic path that fits naturally with air medical work.
You start on the flight line performing preflight inspections on the CH-53E with your maintenance crew. Your day is spent supervising organizational and intermediate maintenance, troubleshooting systems, and signing off the aircraft as ready for the mission. As crew chief you own that helicopter's readiness, moving between the aircraft and the maintenance control desk all day.
A feature on a Marine CH-53 super stallion helicopter crew chief from Camp Leatherneck. Soundbites include Cpl. Andrew Fitzgerald - CH-53E Crew Chief and LCpl Bryce Breesnee - CH-53E Crew Chief. Produced by PO2 Hillary Browning. Also available in High Definition.
Official publisher description and direct video page checked; playback not independently watched. Checked 2026-10-25. This assignment may not reflect every posting in this career.
$43,902–$74,948
2026 basic pay only; the same grade and service time pay the same across jobs. Promotions are assumed, not promised. Excludes allowances, bonuses and special pays.
Possibilities for serving Marines, including those in support roles—not guaranteed admission or awards. Individual eligibility, assignment, selection, available training or competition places and successful qualification apply.
Earned skill levels: tan, gray, green, brown and black belt. Applies across combat and support specialties.
Belts require documented training, sustainment and performance testing under authorized instructors. Higher belts have additional prerequisites, including applicable grade and professional-education requirements; neither promotion nor elapsed service awards a belt. Confirm the current requirements for the next belt with your instructor.
Sources reviewed . Confirm current course and badge requirements with official school guidance and your unit.
For Marines 6173 Helicopter Crew Chief, CH-53, official service-wide guidance and any exact feeder-list matches are distinguished below from unverified specialty-specific requirements. Ranks are not separate jobs, and these possibilities are not guaranteed promotions or available contracts.
Examples of higher service ranks
These are service-wide rank names, not a verified promotion ladder for this specialty. Examples are not exhaustive; appointments sharing a pay grade are not additional promotion steps.
Official military rank referenceMarine NCO grades are E-4 and E-5; staff NCO grades are E-6 through E-9. At E-8 and E-9, first sergeant/sergeant major and master sergeant/master gunnery sergeant have distinct leadership roles. Warrant and commissioned officers are separate career tracks. This service-wide structure is not a verified promotion ceiling for this MOS.
Marine Corps ranks and career-track distinctionsService-level application reference—not a verified next step for this listing
The FY27 regular warrant program requires technical and professional qualifications for the requested warrant MOS and selection. A listed warrant destination does not establish an enlisted feeder match. The February 2026 deadline has passed; this announcement documents a selection route, not a currently open opportunity.
Marine FY27 regular warrant selection announcementSpecialty-specific advancement, senior assignments, and eligibility for a different personnel category have not been verified for this listing. No feeder eligibility or automatic transition to another specialty is implied.
Advancement depends on current service rules, performance, required education, qualifications, selection, and authorized positions—not simply years served. Confirm current requirements with an official recruiter or career counselor.
Related military jobs below are for exploration, not promised progression or confirmed transfer paths.
Sources reviewed 2026-10-03. This is a partial evidence review, not verification of every advancement route for this specialty. Source retrieval dates do not replace policy effective dates.
Career-field mappings, not automatic qualifications. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024 national medians). O*NET links explain each occupation; military experience does not guarantee a job or salary.
Perform and supervise organizational and intermediate maintenance on CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters and related equipment.
CH-53 Crew Chiefs both maintain the aircraft and fly on it, which makes the job unlike most maintenance specialties. Before a flight you preflight the aircraft, load and secure cargo or passengers, brief the people riding in back, and make sure the cabin is configured for the mission. In the air you run the cabin, clear the aircraft during landings, work the hoist and external cargo hook, operate a window mounted gun when the mission calls for it, and monitor the aircraft for problems the pilots cannot see. Missions range from moving troops and heavy loads to casualty evacuation and humanitarian relief from a ship offshore. Back on deck you turn around and fix whatever broke, often before you sleep.
You are trained in aircraft systems, inspection, and flight line maintenance, then layered with aircrew skills like hoist operations, external load rigging, and emergency procedures in flight. Weight and balance, cargo restraint, and passenger safety become your professional responsibility on every sortie. You learn crew coordination and clear radio communication, because the pilots depend on your eyes during landings in dust and darkness. Aerial gunnery and aircraft defensive measures are part of the qualification. The maintenance half of the job counts toward FAA airframe and powerplant eligibility, while the flying half points toward air medical and utility helicopter crew work.
Crew chiefs carry two marketable skill sets, and that flexibility is the real asset. On the maintenance side, the airframe and powerplant certificate leads to airline, helicopter operator, and contractor work. On the flying side, air medical programs, utility and heavy lift operators, firefighting aviation, and offshore energy support hire former military crew chiefs for cabin and hoist experience. Some veterans continue as contractor aircrew supporting government flight programs. Others use the GI Bill for aviation management or a nursing or paramedic path that fits naturally with air medical work.
ASVAB MM: 105. This is the catalog's listed requirement, not an individual eligibility decision. Confirm the current standard and any exceptions with the service.
This specialty can be pursued through an initial enlistment, subject to eligibility and available contracts. Confirm the current status of this specific classification with an official recruiter.
Catalog sources consulted: 2026-09-26. This is not an entry-by-entry verification date. No record-specific verification date is recorded. Occupation audit evidence reviewed: 2026-09-26; this does not re-verify every requirement.
Official branch occupation evidence
Occupation identified. This occupation was identified in the cited source. This does not verify requirements, benefits, or a current opening.
NAVMC 1200.1L, FY26 Military Occupational Specialties Manual (effective October 1, 2025), chapter 1 · reviewed 2026-09-26
Confirmed. Catalog evidence is not an inventory of open contracts.
No dated public inventory confirmed a currently open recruiting contract for this role. This does not mean there are no openings. Confirm current eligibility and offers with an official recruiter.
Deployment likelihood: Moderate*
* Estimated. Rank progression and specialty-pay eligibility are illustrative assumptions. Deployment likelihood, when shown, is inferred from similar specialties in the branch and career field, not a published specialty deployment rate.
Descriptions may change. No military role is free from risk of injury or death, including non-combat work. Catalog review dates do not establish current openings or re-verification of every requirement.
Recruiting signals reflect what each branch published on the dates shown. They are not offers, and they do not mean a contract is open for you. Eligibility depends on your ASVAB scores, medical qualification, security clearance eligibility, and ship date. Confirm everything with an official recruiter. See our Disclaimer and Terms.