Aviation

Career Management Field 15 is the Army’s aviation branch. Every helicopter that flies a medevac mission, lifts a howitzer onto a ridgeline, or fires a Hellfire missile at an enemy target depends on the soldiers in this career field keeping it airworthy and the airspace around it safe.

CMF 15 covers 14 enlisted MOS codes, and the range is wider than most people expect. At one end are platform mechanics who spend their careers on a single helicopter type: the Black Hawk, the Chinook, or the Apache. At the other end are air traffic controllers who never touch a wrench, and UAS operators who fly unmanned aircraft from a ground control station. In between are avionics technicians, structural repairers, hydraulics specialists, and aviation operations planners who keep the whole machine running.

What draws people to this career field is the combination of technical depth and real consequences. A mistake in an aircraft logbook or a missed inspection step can ground a helicopter or worse. Soldiers who thrive here tend to be detail-oriented, mechanically curious, and comfortable with high stakes. If you want a skill that transfers directly to a well-paying civilian career, and aviation maintenance consistently does, CMF 15 is worth a careful look.

At a Glance

The 14 MOSs in CMF 15 split into four functional clusters. Training length reflects AIT only; add 10 weeks for Basic Combat Training.

Aircraft Maintenance and Repair

Platform-Specific Repairers

Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Aviation Operations

Which Role Fits You?

CMF 15 has four distinct work styles. Knowing which one fits you is more useful than scanning MOS codes.

If you want to turn wrenches on a specific helicopter platform, the platform-specific repairers are your clearest path. The 15T UH-60 Helicopter Repairer works on the Black Hawk, the Army’s most common helicopter and the one used for medevac, troop transport, and VIP flights. The 15U CH-47 Helicopter Repairer works on the Chinook, a tandem-rotor heavy lifter that hauls cargo and troops in quantities no other Army helicopter can match. Both MOSs require an MM score of 104 and train at Fort Eustis, Virginia. The work is physical, outdoor, and deeply hands-on. Civilian pay for experienced helicopter mechanics routinely exceeds $80,000 a year.

If you want to specialize in a specific system rather than a specific aircraft, the component specialists give you that focus. The 15B Aircraft Powerplant Repairer owns the turbine engines across multiple platforms. The 15D Aircraft Powertrain Repairer maintains transmissions, drive shafts, and rotor systems. The 15F Aircraft Electrician handles wiring and electrical systems on Black Hawks and Chinooks. The 15G Aircraft Structural Repairer patches airframe skins, repairs battle damage, and certifies structural integrity. The 15H Aircraft Pneudraulics Repairer maintains the hydraulic and pneumatic systems that power landing gear and flight controls. Most of these require MM: 104. The 15N Avionic Mechanic and 15Y AH-64D Armament/Electrical/Avionics Repairer sit at the top of the technical range: both require electronics line scores, the 15Y demands two composites simultaneously (MM: 105 and EL: 100), and both come with a Secret clearance requirement. If your ASVAB scores support the avionics track, the civilian career value is exceptional.

If the Apache is your motivation, the 15R AH-64 Attack Helicopter Repairer maintains the entire aircraft at the system level, while the 15Y focuses specifically on the weapons, electrical, and avionics side. Both MOSs are Apache-exclusive and train at Fort Rucker, Alabama. The 15R needs MM: 99. The 15Y demands MM: 105 and EL: 100 together: among the most demanding dual line score requirements in CMF 15.

If you want to fly or control airspace without a flight school commitment, the operations MOSs offer that. The 15W UAS Operator pilots the Army’s tactical drones from a ground control station, collects live intelligence, and feeds commanders real-time situational awareness. It requires SC: 102 and a Secret clearance, and trains at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. The 15Q Air Traffic Control Operator directs manned aircraft in Army airspace, works rotating tower shifts, and has one of the clearest civilian career pipelines in the military: the FAA actively recruits Army-trained controllers. The 15P Aviation Operations Specialist runs the operations center, manages flight schedules, and coordinates missions without ever working on an aircraft. Both 15Q and 15P require a Secret clearance.

The At a Glance table above shows ASVAB scores, training lengths, and clearance requirements side by side. Use it to identify which cluster matches your scores, then read the individual role profiles for the full picture.

Common Entry Requirements

All CMF 15 MOSs require U.S. citizenship (or permanent resident status for most), a high school diploma or GED, and a minimum AFQT score of 31 with a diploma or 50 with a GED. Most aviation maintenance MOSs require normal color vision: wiring is color-coded and misidentification is a safety hazard. The majority of MOS codes in this field require passing the OPAT at the Moderate category. Aviation maintenance training for most repairers runs through Fort Eustis, Virginia (128th Aviation Brigade) or Fort Rucker, Alabama (210th and 13th Aviation Regiments); UAS training runs through Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Seven of the 14 MOS codes require a Secret clearance, which is initiated at enlistment and typically takes two to four months to process. See each role’s profile below for specific ASVAB scores, training details, and additional requirements.

Career Field Directory

Aircraft Maintenance and Repair

• 15B Aircraft Powerplant Repairer: inspects, troubleshoots, and repairs helicopter turbine engines across multiple platforms
• 15D Aircraft Powertrain Repairer: maintains transmissions, rotor hubs, drive shafts, and gearboxes on Army rotary-wing aircraft
• 15F Aircraft Electrician: repairs and maintains aircraft electrical systems, wiring harnesses, and instruments
• 15G Aircraft Structural Repairer: repairs airframe structures, skins, and panels; certifies structural airworthiness after damage
• 15H Aircraft Pneudraulics Repairer: maintains hydraulic and pneumatic systems powering landing gear, flight controls, and utility systems
• 15N Avionic Mechanic: maintains navigation, communication, and electronic systems across Army rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft; requires Secret clearance
• 15R AH-64 Attack Helicopter Repairer: full-system maintenance on the Apache attack helicopter including engines, rotors, hydraulics, and airframe
• 15Y AH-64D Armament/Electrical/Avionics Systems Repairer: repairs weapons systems, electrical distribution, and avionics on the AH-64 Apache; highest ASVAB bar in CMF 15

Platform-Specific Repairers

• 15T UH-60 Helicopter Repairer: full maintenance responsibility for the Black Hawk utility helicopter, the Army’s most widely deployed rotary-wing platform
• 15U CH-47 Helicopter Repairer: maintains the Chinook heavy-lift helicopter including twin engines, combining transmission, and cargo systems

Unmanned Aircraft Systems

• 15E Unmanned Aircraft Systems Repairer: repairs Army UAS platforms, ground control stations, and launch/recovery equipment; transitioning to MOS 15X in October 2026
• 15W Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operator: pilots tactical drones for reconnaissance and target acquisition; also transitioning to MOS 15X in October 2026

Aviation Operations

• 15P Aviation Operations Specialist: schedules and dispatches tactical aircraft missions, manages crew records, and runs the operations center
• 15Q Air Traffic Control Operator: directs aircraft in Army airspace and at tactical airfields; direct pipeline to FAA civilian certification

Related Resources

Explore all Army enlisted career paths to compare CMF 15 against other technical career fields. When you’re ready to prepare for the ASVAB line scores that most CMF 15 roles require, the ASVAB study guide covers every composite in detail. If you haven’t tested yet, you may qualify for the PiCAT, the verified at-home version of the ASVAB that lets you test on your schedule before visiting a MEPS.