Maintains Chinook helicopters for heavy-lift operations during disaster relief and military missions.
ASVAB MM: 104
Catalog listing, not a contract offer. Confirm with a recruiter.
The Chinook is a tandem rotor heavy lifter, and Guard units keep theirs flying with soldiers who show up one weekend a month. Your drill starts with the inspection and component work waiting in the hangar, plus the records that make the next flight legal. Many CH-47 repairers also fly as flight engineers, running systems in the air and managing cargo hooks and sling loads. When the governor activates the unit for a hurricane or wildfire, the Chinook hauls water buckets, generators and pallets of supplies into places roads no longer reach. Between drills you hold a civilian job or attend class, and some soldiers work the same aircraft full time.
You learn airframe, rotor head, drive train and hydraulic maintenance on an aircraft built to carry loads nothing else in the fleet can lift. Inspection procedures, torque values, corrosion control and technical publication use become the vocabulary you work in. Flight engineer duties add systems operation, hoist work and the weight and rigging math behind external loads. Documented military maintenance experience supports eligibility for the FAA airframe and powerplant certificates, so keep your records from the first drill. You also get practiced at diagnosing faults with limited parts on hand, which separates a mechanic from a parts changer.
Signing for a Chinook teaches a weight of responsibility that arrives faster than most people expect at that age. You become thorough by habit, because an inspection you hurried is one you will remember once the aircraft is airborne. Rescue and relief flying builds steadiness around people having the worst week of their lives. The job also grows patience with teammates, since heavy maintenance is almost never a one person task. Most repairers end up quietly exacting, the sort of person others trust with the jobs that matter.
Helicopter maintenance is an actual civilian career, and the Guard lets you build toward the FAA ticket while staying in your hometown job. Heavy lift operators in logging, construction, firefighting, offshore energy and utility work hire mechanics with tandem rotor time. The habits of aviation record keeping also transfer into quality assurance and maintenance planning roles on the ground. Many states add tuition support that pairs with federal benefits, which makes an aviation maintenance or management degree affordable. Finishing with a trade, a certificate path and a service record all at once is the whole argument for doing this part time.
Morning starts at the hangar with a walk-around of a Chinook, eyeing the tandem rotors, transmissions, and cargo hook. You spend the day performing inspections, replacing components, and troubleshooting the heavy-lift systems that let the CH-47 haul equipment into disaster zones. When a mission launches, your maintenance signature is what puts that aircraft in the air.
Related career-field video—not specific to National Guard 15U.
No suitable exact-MOS video was verified in the recorded search. This does not establish that none exists.
Related field: CH-47 Helicopter Repairer — Army assignment perspective. Source occupation: Army 15U.
This Army assignment is not a National Guard schedule or service commitment.
A U.S. Army Soldier assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) discusses what it's like to be an MH-47 "Chinook" Helicopter Repairer as part of the “Service in the 160th: My Life in Special Operations Aviation” series. The series features 160th SOAR(A) Night Stalkers and their personal experiences as Special Operations Aviation Soldiers.
Official publisher description and direct video page checked; playback not independently watched. Checked 2026-10-24. 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 15U CH-47 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.
Maintains Chinook helicopters for heavy-lift operations during disaster relief and military missions.
The Chinook is a tandem rotor heavy lifter, and Guard units keep theirs flying with soldiers who show up one weekend a month. Your drill starts with the inspection and component work waiting in the hangar, plus the records that make the next flight legal. Many CH-47 repairers also fly as flight engineers, running systems in the air and managing cargo hooks and sling loads. When the governor activates the unit for a hurricane or wildfire, the Chinook hauls water buckets, generators and pallets of supplies into places roads no longer reach. Between drills you hold a civilian job or attend class, and some soldiers work the same aircraft full time.
You learn airframe, rotor head, drive train and hydraulic maintenance on an aircraft built to carry loads nothing else in the fleet can lift. Inspection procedures, torque values, corrosion control and technical publication use become the vocabulary you work in. Flight engineer duties add systems operation, hoist work and the weight and rigging math behind external loads. Documented military maintenance experience supports eligibility for the FAA airframe and powerplant certificates, so keep your records from the first drill. You also get practiced at diagnosing faults with limited parts on hand, which separates a mechanic from a parts changer.
Helicopter maintenance is an actual civilian career, and the Guard lets you build toward the FAA ticket while staying in your hometown job. Heavy lift operators in logging, construction, firefighting, offshore energy and utility work hire mechanics with tandem rotor time. The habits of aviation record keeping also transfer into quality assurance and maintenance planning roles on the ground. Many states add tuition support that pairs with federal benefits, which makes an aviation maintenance or management degree affordable. Finishing with a trade, a certificate path and a service record all at once is the whole argument for doing this part time.
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: 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.