Maintains aircraft engines for National Guard aviation units supporting emergency response operations.
ASVAB MM: 104
Catalog listing, not a contract offer. Confirm with a recruiter.
Powerplant repairers keep helicopter engines running, and Guard aviation facilities have work waiting every drill weekend. You perform scheduled inspections, troubleshoot engine faults, change components, run engines and complete the maintenance records that make a flight legal. Because aircraft cannot sit idle, many Guard units employ soldiers as full-time technicians during the week alongside those who drill part time. Annual training and state missions put maintainers on the flight line supporting search, wildfire and flood operations from a forward site. The tempo is real, because an aircraft that is not ready cannot fly a rescue.
You learn turbine engine theory, inspection, fault isolation and component replacement on aircraft where errors are not survivable. Precision measurement, torque procedures and technical publication use become second nature. You gain experience with engine runs, vibration checks, and the oil and fuel system work that keeps turbines healthy. Documentation is taught as part of the job rather than as an afterthought, which is how aviation maintenance actually works. Military maintenance experience can support eligibility for FAA airframe and powerplant certification, which is worth planning for early.
Aviation maintenance builds an uncompromising attitude toward doing things correctly, because a shortcut on an engine endangers people whose names you know. You develop attention to detail that borders on obsession, down to accounting for every tool and safety wire before the aircraft flies. Working under time pressure without rushing is a specific skill this field teaches well, usually on a night the aircraft is needed at dawn. You learn to admit uncertainty and ask a senior maintainer, because guessing at a torque value or a limit is never an option. Maintainers usually come away with quiet professional pride and a reputation for reliability.
This is a direct path into civilian aviation maintenance, where certified mechanics are in continuous demand. Airlines, regional carriers, helicopter operators, medical flight programs and manufacturers all hire from military maintenance backgrounds. The FAA certification route rewards documented experience, and Guard service lets you accumulate it while working or studying. Industrial gas turbine work in power generation and pipelines is another well paid destination for turbine experience. Building the civilian ticket and the military record simultaneously is the practical advantage of doing this in the Guard.
You begin at the flight line hangar reviewing engine logbooks and the day's maintenance workload with the crew chiefs. Most of your time is spent inspecting, troubleshooting, and repairing aircraft powerplants, running turns, and chasing down oil and vibration squawks. Getting engines back to fully mission-capable keeps the Guard's aviation birds ready for the next relief flight.
Related career-field video—not specific to National Guard 15B.
No suitable exact-MOS video was verified in the recorded search. This does not establish that none exists.
Related field: aircraft maintenance. Source occupation: Army 15Y.
This Army assignment is not a National Guard schedule or service commitment.
U.S. Army Spencer Molina, assigned to 1-277 Attack Battalion, showcases what a 15Y, an AH-64 Armament/Electrical/Avionics Systems Repairer does daily at Fort Cavazos, June 3, 2024. Molina explains how the maintenance of the AH-64E Attack Helicopter’s electrical and armament systems function. (U.S. Army Video by Sgt. Adel Pacheco Alvarez).
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 tested Soldier proficiency in specialties outside the infantry, Special Forces and medical expert-badge tracks.
A skills-based distinction for support and other eligible MOSs. Current proponent requirements and successful testing apply; holding this MOS does not award the badge.
Sources reviewed . Confirm current course and badge requirements with official school guidance and your unit.
For National Guard 15B Aircraft Powerplant Repairer, 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.
Maintains aircraft engines for National Guard aviation units supporting emergency response operations.
Powerplant repairers keep helicopter engines running, and Guard aviation facilities have work waiting every drill weekend. You perform scheduled inspections, troubleshoot engine faults, change components, run engines and complete the maintenance records that make a flight legal. Because aircraft cannot sit idle, many Guard units employ soldiers as full-time technicians during the week alongside those who drill part time. Annual training and state missions put maintainers on the flight line supporting search, wildfire and flood operations from a forward site. The tempo is real, because an aircraft that is not ready cannot fly a rescue.
You learn turbine engine theory, inspection, fault isolation and component replacement on aircraft where errors are not survivable. Precision measurement, torque procedures and technical publication use become second nature. You gain experience with engine runs, vibration checks, and the oil and fuel system work that keeps turbines healthy. Documentation is taught as part of the job rather than as an afterthought, which is how aviation maintenance actually works. Military maintenance experience can support eligibility for FAA airframe and powerplant certification, which is worth planning for early.
This is a direct path into civilian aviation maintenance, where certified mechanics are in continuous demand. Airlines, regional carriers, helicopter operators, medical flight programs and manufacturers all hire from military maintenance backgrounds. The FAA certification route rewards documented experience, and Guard service lets you accumulate it while working or studying. Industrial gas turbine work in power generation and pipelines is another well paid destination for turbine experience. Building the civilian ticket and the military record simultaneously is the practical advantage of doing this in the Guard.
ASVAB MM: 104. 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: 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.