United States military occupation code

Originally, the four-digit MOS code mostly listed the recruit's civilian profession. This was to aid in classifying what military job they could be assigned. With so many recruits being processed, identifying any semi-skilled or skilled civilian tradesmen made it easier to match them with the right military job. There was an additional list of military trades and trainings added so a trained soldier could be assigned to the right unit. There were no grouping of similar trades together, making it hard for someone to know the meaning of an MOS code without a manual.

The MOS system now had three to five digits. The first four-digit code number indicated the soldier's job; the first two digits were the field code, the third digit was the sub-specialty and the fourth code number (separated by a period) was the job title. A fifth code digit was for the soldier's special qualification identifier (SQI) digit, which indicated what specialized training the soldier had. If the soldier did not have an SQI, the digit was listed as "0" or was omitted. The codes for the civilian trades were removed as unnecessary.

Examples

One-one is the field code for infantry, 1.1 is the sub-specialty of light weapons, and seven is the SQI for airborne training. Therefore, 111.10 is the MOS for an infantryman and 111.17 is for an airborne-qualified paratrooper.

Nine-one was the old field code for the medical field, 912.0 was the MOS for medical NCO and 912.00 was a generalist medical NCO with no SQI.

In 1965 the system was revamped. There were completely different codes for enlisted / non-commissioned officers, warrant officers, and commissioned officers.

Enlisted and NCO personnel had a five-symbol code. The first four code symbols were made up of a two-digit code for the career field, a letter code for the field specialty, and a number code (1 to 5) indicating level of instruction in their field specialty. The fifth code symbol was an SQI code letter indicating training in a special skill (the letter "O" indicating that the soldier had no SQI). An exception to the 5-symbol rule was made for an SQI which indicated language fluency. In this case, 7 symbols were used, with "L" as the language qualification indicator, followed by two characters indicating the specific language.

Warrant officers also had a five-symbol code but it was different. The first three numbers were the career field, then a letter code for the field specialty, and ended in the SQI code letter.

Officers had a four-digit code number for their career field and specialty. Officers with a special qualification also had an SQI code number prefix to their MOS rather than a code letter suffix. Officers without a special qualification had no prefix number.

In 1983, there was a reform of this system. Some of the field code numbers were changed and the MOS codes were streamlined.

Warrant officers and officers received the same career field codes as enlisted and NCO personnel and ended in the same SQI letter codes. Warrant officers received a five-symbol MOS consisting of a four-symbol field specialty code consisting of the two-digit field code, a one-digit sub-field code number (usually "0"), the field specialty code letter, and followed by the SQI code letter. Officers now had a four-symbol alphanumeric MOS. It consisted of the three-symbol field specialty code of two numbers and a specialty code letter and ended in the SQI letter code.

The field code "18" was created for US Army Special Forces, which are now considered part of the regular US Army. Previously they had been considered a layer between the intelligence services and the army. The 18A was for special forces officers and 180A was for special forces warrant officers. The 18X was for special forces candidates who had not yet passed the "Q" course. The "A" team leaders had to be captains instead of lieutenants and were rotated to conventional postings.

Certain field specialty code letters were reserved. The "X" was for recruits or candidates who have pre-selected a career field but had not graduated from AIT. The "Z" is for senior NCOs of E8 or E9 grade. The "A" is for officers and warrant officers in a general capacity. Specialist officers and warrant officers have other field code letters reserved for them.

The list of US Army military occupational specialty codes is published on the United States Army Human Resources Command (HRC) PAMXXI website.[1]

The MOS code (MOSC), consisting of nine characters, provides more information than a soldier's MOS. It is used by automated management systems and reports. The MOSC is used with active and reserve records, reports, authorization documents, and other personnel management systems.

The elements of the MOSC are as follows:

• First three characters: the MOS. The first two characters are always numbers, but the third character is always a letter. The two-digit number is usually (but not always) synonymous with the career management field (CMF). For example, CMF 11 covers infantry, so MOS 11B is "rifle infantryman". Among the letters, Z is reserved for "senior sergeant" (E-8), such that 11Z is "senior infantry sergeant".
• The fourth character of the MOSC represents skill level (commensurate with rank and grade):
  • "0" is used to identify personnel undergoing training for award of a primary MOS (PMOS).
  • "1" identifies a private (PVT) through specialist (SPC/pay grade E-4) or corporal (CPL/also pay grade E-4)
  • "2" identifies a sergeant (SGT/pay grade E-5)
  • "3" identifies a staff sergeant (SSG/pay grade E-6)
  • "4" identifies a sergeant first class (SFC/pay grade E-7)
  • "5" identifies a master sergeant (MSG) or first sergeant (1SG) (see E-8, below)
  • "6" identifies a sergeant major (SGM/pay grade E-9) or command sergeant major (CSM/pay grade E-9) (as of 1 April 2011) [2]
• Fifth character: a letter or number and a special qualification identifier (SQI). It may be associated with any MOS unless otherwise specified. Only Enlisted Soldiers without any special SQI are assigned the SQI "O" (oscar), often confused with a zero. Warrant Officers without any special SQI are assigned the SQI "0" zero.[3]
• Sixth and seventh characters: an additional skill identifier (ASI). They are an alphanumeric combination and may only be associated with specified MOSs, although in practice some ASIs are available to every MOS (e.g. ASI P5 for "master fitness trainer"). Soldiers without any ASIs are assigned the default ASI of "mk lmk00" (zero-zero).[3]
• Eighth and ninth characters: two-letter requirements and qualifications which are a language identification code (LIC). Soldiers without a language skill are assigned the default LIC "YY" (Yankee-Yankee).[3] Language identification codes can be found in AR 611-6.

When an enlisted soldier is promoted from sergeant first class to master sergeant in most career types, that soldier will be reclassified administratively to the "senior sergeant" of their career management field. For example, a combat engineer (MOS 12B, part of CMF 12) is promoted from sergeant first class to master sergeant. That soldier is reclassified administratively from MOS 12B to MOS 12Z "senior engineer sergeant"). An example of when this conversion occurs at the MSG to SGM level is the 68 (formerly the 91) CMF. In this case, the soldier becomes a 68Z at the SGM level, not the MSG level. When promoted from master sergeant or first sergeant or sergeant major to command sergeant major, that soldier will be reclassified administratively from their previous "senior sergeant" MOS to the MOS 00Z (zero-zero-zulu), "command sergeant major". Some MOS do not change though, for example 25U starts out as 25U10 (E1-E4), 25U20, (E5/SGT), 25U30 (E6/SSG), 25U40 (E7/SFC), 25U50 (E8, E9/MSG, 1SG, SGM, CSM)

Warrant officers are sometimes specialized technicians and systems managers, and were not originally assigned to traditional arms or services of the Army. Approximately 50% of warrant officers are aviators[4] (aircraft pilots, rotary wing and fixed wing), and can be appointed directly from civilian life[5] or within the service, regardless of previous enlisted MOS. The remaining 50% are technicians appointed from experienced enlisted soldiers and NCOs in a "feeder"[6] MOS directly related to the warrant officer MOS.[7]

During 2004, all army warrant officers began wearing the insignia of their specialty's proponent branch rather than the 83-year-old "Eagle Rising" distinctive warrant officer insignia.[8] The following year, a revision of commissioned officer professional development and career management[9] integrated warrant officer career development with the officer career development model. In practice, warrant officer MOSC are very similar to enlisted codes except they begin with three digits instead of two before the first letter, and do not have a "skill level" identifier. They are then followed by the SQI, ASI, and SLI as an enlisted MOS would be.

Commissioned officers' occupational codes are structured somewhat differently. A newly commissioned army officer first receives a "career branch". This is similar to the career management field of the enlisted personnel. Career branch numbers range from 11 to 92. For example: 13 for field artillery, 19 for armor/armored cavalry and 92 for quartermaster. Within each occupational field, there are usually several codes available. Within armor (branch 19) there are three specialties available: 19A (armor, general), 19B (armor), and 19C (cavalry). After an officer's fifth or sixth year of service, he or she may receive a "functional area" designation. More specific than a career branch, this is a specific skill set in which the officer is proficient. For example, an artillery officer who has had schooling in communications and public speaking could end up with a functional area in public affairs (FA46).

The Navy indicates its "ratings" by a two or three character code based on the actual name of the rating. These range from ABE (aviation boatswain's mate - equipment) to YN (Yeoman). Each sailor and Chief Petty Officer wears a rating badge indicating their rating as part of their rate (rank) insignia on full dress and service dress uniforms.

The navy officer "designator" is similar to an MOS but is less complicated and has fewer categories. For example, a surface warfare officer with a regular commission has a designator of 1110; a reserve officer has an 1115 designator. A reserve surface warfare officer specializing in nuclear training (i.e., engineer on a carrier) has a designator of 1165N. Navy officers also have one or more three-character additional qualification designators (AQD) that reflect completion of requirements qualifying them in a specific warfare area or other specialization. In some senses this functions more like the MOS in other services. An officer with the naval aviator designator of 1310 might have an AQD of DV3, SH-60F carrier anti-submarine warfare helicopter pilot, or DB4, F-14 fighter pilot. An officer designated 2100, medical corps officer (physician) may hold an AQD of 6CM, trauma surgeon, or 6AE, flight surgeon who is also a naval aviator. Some AQDs may be possessed by officers in any designator, such as BT2, freefall parachutist, or BS1, shipboard Tomahawk strike officer. Navy officer designators and AQD codes may be found in NAVPERS 15839I, The Manual of Navy Officer Manpower and Personnel Classification.ip

The Coast Guard indicates its "ratings" by a two or three character code based on the actual name of the rating. These range from AMT (aviation maintenance technician) to YN (yeoman). Coast Guardsmen wear a rating badge indicating their rating as part of their rate (rank) insignia on full dress and service dress uniforms.