Services Black Hawk helicopters critical for search and rescue operations during natural disasters.
ASVAB MM: 104
Catalog listing, not a contract offer. Confirm with a recruiter.
UH-60 repairers maintain the Black Hawk airframe, rotor systems, hydraulics and flight controls, and also serve as crew chiefs. Drill weekends mean inspections, component changes, sheet metal and corrosion work, and the records that track every action on the aircraft. As a crew chief you fly, running the aircraft's systems, managing the cabin and handling hoist or sling load work. Guard Black Hawks are the workhorse of state disaster response, flying rescues, evacuations, water buckets and supply lifts after floods, hurricanes and wildfires. Between drills most repairers hold civilian jobs, and some work at the aviation facility full time.
You learn airframe and rotor system maintenance, hydraulics, drive train inspection and the rigging of flight controls. Crew chief duties add aircraft systems operation, passenger and cargo handling, hoist procedures and in-flight troubleshooting. You become practiced with technical manuals, torque specifications, safety wire and the inspection standards that define aviation work. Sling load and external load operations teach rigging and weight calculation with a margin for error of zero. The experience supports eligibility toward FAA airframe and powerplant certification when you document and plan it properly.
Owning an aircraft as a crew chief builds a sense of responsibility that is hard to describe until you have signed for one. You develop thoroughness, because an inspection you rushed is an inspection you will think about in flight. The job teaches composure during rescue missions, where the people below are having the worst day of their lives. You learn teamwork with pilots and ground crews who depend on your judgment about the aircraft. Crew chiefs usually become steady, exacting people who are hard to rattle.
Helicopter maintenance is a real civilian career, and operators in medical transport, law enforcement, utilities, offshore energy and firefighting need experienced mechanics. Black Hawk experience is directly relevant, since civilian variants and similar airframes fly in many of those roles. The FAA certification path is realistic with documented military experience, and part-time service means you can pursue it without leaving your job. Disaster flying also makes you attractive to agencies that run aviation programs for emergency response. You finish with airframe experience, a service record and, in many states, tuition support toward a degree.
Your day opens on the flight line with a pre-flight inspection of a Black Hawk, checking rotor systems, hydraulics, and airframe. You spend hours turning wrenches on the aircraft, signing off maintenance actions, and launching and recovering birds that fly search-and-rescue during disasters. Keeping the UH-60 fleet flying means you're often out on the line long after the crews have landed.
Helicopter repairers performed heavy maintenance on the Oklahoma National Guard’s UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Dec. 17, 2024. The Black Hawk mechanic’s function is essential to maintaining the performance and safety standards of the aircraft, and includes performing inspections and replacing faulty parts. Their job is an integral part of successfully carrying out missions such as disaster relief and counter-drug operations. “As a Black Hawk mechanic, our daily duties usually consist of visual inspections,” said Sgt. Chad Hill, a flying crew chief/helicopter repairer assigned to Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 244th Aviation Regiment. “It’s very seldom that something does break, but when it does, we jump right into action and we’ll get that bird fixed.” CG INFO 00;00;15;02 Sgt. Chad Hill Flying crew chief/helicopter repairer Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 244th Aviation Regiment, 90th Troop Command, Oklahoma National Guard 00;00;31;23 Spc. James Dunkle Helicopter repairer Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 244th Aviation Regiment, 90th Troop Command, Oklahoma National Guard
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 15T UH-60 Helicopter 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.
Services Black Hawk helicopters critical for search and rescue operations during natural disasters.
UH-60 repairers maintain the Black Hawk airframe, rotor systems, hydraulics and flight controls, and also serve as crew chiefs. Drill weekends mean inspections, component changes, sheet metal and corrosion work, and the records that track every action on the aircraft. As a crew chief you fly, running the aircraft's systems, managing the cabin and handling hoist or sling load work. Guard Black Hawks are the workhorse of state disaster response, flying rescues, evacuations, water buckets and supply lifts after floods, hurricanes and wildfires. Between drills most repairers hold civilian jobs, and some work at the aviation facility full time.
You learn airframe and rotor system maintenance, hydraulics, drive train inspection and the rigging of flight controls. Crew chief duties add aircraft systems operation, passenger and cargo handling, hoist procedures and in-flight troubleshooting. You become practiced with technical manuals, torque specifications, safety wire and the inspection standards that define aviation work. Sling load and external load operations teach rigging and weight calculation with a margin for error of zero. The experience supports eligibility toward FAA airframe and powerplant certification when you document and plan it properly.
Helicopter maintenance is a real civilian career, and operators in medical transport, law enforcement, utilities, offshore energy and firefighting need experienced mechanics. Black Hawk experience is directly relevant, since civilian variants and similar airframes fly in many of those roles. The FAA certification path is realistic with documented military experience, and part-time service means you can pursue it without leaving your job. Disaster flying also makes you attractive to agencies that run aviation programs for emergency response. You finish with airframe experience, a service record and, in many states, tuition support toward a degree.
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.