Mortars operations for indirect fire support (E1–E9).
ASVAB CO: 87
Catalog listing, not a contract offer. Confirm with a recruiter.
Mortar sections in the Guard train the same gunnery the active force does, compressed into weekend blocks between civilian work weeks. A typical drill has you laying the gun, running crew drill until the times are right, and rehearsing fire direction by computer and by hand. Live fire usually waits for annual training, when the section spends two weeks doing little else. State missions pull the same soldiers into flood response, wildfire support or storm recovery, where the tubes stay home and the people do the work. Deployments with the parent infantry battalion remain part of the deal.
You learn to compute and check firing data, which is applied trigonometry done quickly and under supervision. Crew drill teaches you to handle heavy tubes and baseplates safely as a team where one mistake is unforgiving. Fire direction work builds precise radio procedure and the habit of reading a number back before anyone acts on it. You also learn survey basics, map reading and the ammunition accountability that follows explosive items everywhere. The safety culture around indirect fire is strict and it travels to any civilian job with consequences attached.
The section rewards people who are fussy about details, since a transposed digit is not a small error here. You build calm under time pressure, because a call for fire does not wait for you to feel ready. Working shoulder to shoulder on a gun line creates blunt, direct communication habits that carry into any crew job. Moving mortar systems by hand teaches you to pace yourself instead of burning out in the first hour. You also learn to double check other people's work without making it personal.
No civilian employer advertises for mortarmen, so the honest pitch is the habits rather than the title. Fire direction math and radio discipline translate cleanly into emergency dispatch, utility control rooms and rail or pipeline operations. Corrections, patrol work and fire departments recruit from Guard infantry units and count the service toward hiring preference. Because you drill part time, your apprenticeship, degree or promotion clock never stops while you serve. Several states add tuition support on top of federal education benefits, which makes finishing a degree realistic.
Your day opens with PT and a check of your mortar system, baseplate, and ammunition load. Out on the range or a training lane, you hump the tube and rounds into position, lay the gun, and drop rounds on call while your fire direction center feeds you data. Between fire missions you rehearse emplacement and displacement drills so your crew can shoot, move, and set up again in minutes.
Related career-field video—not specific to National Guard 11C.
No suitable exact-MOS video was verified in the recorded search. This does not establish that none exists.
Related field: infantry. Source occupation: Army 11B.
This Army assignment is not a National Guard schedule or service commitment.
U.S. Army Sgt. Mekhi Atkinson, an infantryman (11B) assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, explains how training in the rain during a live-fire exercise builds camaraderie at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, Jan. 9, 2024. This live-fire exercise was conducted in preparation for the battalion attending the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, CA. It is crucial for Soldiers to hone their combat readiness, adapt to real-world scenarios, and enhance their ability to operate in any environment. (U.S. Army video by Spc. Joshua Linfoot).
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.
These annual examples assume full-time active duty, not part-time drill pay.
Possibilities for serving Soldiers, including those in support roles—not guaranteed admission or awards. Individual eligibility, assignment, selection, available training or competition places and successful qualification apply.
National Guard participation also requires component/unit school-seat approval; confirm availability and requirements with your unit.
Earned by successfully completing Ranger School's demanding leadership and field training.
Not restricted to combat MOSs. Requires selection, a school slot and current course prerequisites. The tab does not mean assignment to the 75th Ranger Regiment.
Recognizes successful airborne qualification, including the required training jumps.
Support specialties can attend too; the Army explicitly gives human resources and wheeled-vehicle mechanics as examples. Requires a school slot and medical, physical and course qualification.
Earned through Air Assault School, covering helicopter operations, sling loads and rappelling.
Available across job specialties, not just combat roles, subject to unit nomination, available seats and current school requirements.
A waiver-dependent opportunity outside engineering; earned by successfully completing the Sapper Leader Course.
Conditional opportunity: Soldiers outside engineering must submit a waiver to attend. Approval is not guaranteed; all other course requirements still apply.
Recognizes expert infantry skills demonstrated through formal testing.
The Army's MOS guidance identifies 11- and 18-series specialties, except 18D. Qualification is earned by meeting current candidate requirements and passing the tests.
Sources reviewed . Confirm current course and badge requirements with official school guidance and your unit.
For National Guard 11C Indirect Fire Infantryman, 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 referenceThe Army National Guard describes technical warrant specialties and a separate helicopter-pilot route. Technical options depend on the Soldier's MOS. This branch-level information does not establish eligibility, a state vacancy, or a promotion ceiling for this listing.
Army National Guard warrant career guidanceService-level application reference—not a verified next step for this listing
Guard applicants work with their State, Territory, or DC Warrant Officer Strength Manager on qualifications and a predetermination packet. Approval and required training are separate from promotion; an Army feeder match alone does not establish Guard eligibility or a state vacancy.
USAREC National Guard applicant processSpecialty-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.
Mortars operations for indirect fire support (E1–E9).
Mortar sections in the Guard train the same gunnery the active force does, compressed into weekend blocks between civilian work weeks. A typical drill has you laying the gun, running crew drill until the times are right, and rehearsing fire direction by computer and by hand. Live fire usually waits for annual training, when the section spends two weeks doing little else. State missions pull the same soldiers into flood response, wildfire support or storm recovery, where the tubes stay home and the people do the work. Deployments with the parent infantry battalion remain part of the deal.
You learn to compute and check firing data, which is applied trigonometry done quickly and under supervision. Crew drill teaches you to handle heavy tubes and baseplates safely as a team where one mistake is unforgiving. Fire direction work builds precise radio procedure and the habit of reading a number back before anyone acts on it. You also learn survey basics, map reading and the ammunition accountability that follows explosive items everywhere. The safety culture around indirect fire is strict and it travels to any civilian job with consequences attached.
No civilian employer advertises for mortarmen, so the honest pitch is the habits rather than the title. Fire direction math and radio discipline translate cleanly into emergency dispatch, utility control rooms and rail or pipeline operations. Corrections, patrol work and fire departments recruit from Guard infantry units and count the service toward hiring preference. Because you drill part time, your apprenticeship, degree or promotion clock never stops while you serve. Several states add tuition support on top of federal education benefits, which makes finishing a degree realistic.
ASVAB CO: 87. 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.
Official occupation evidence · 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.
Advertised — National Guard, as of 2026-09-28Deployment likelihood: Lower*
* 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.