Home / Military to civilian jobs / Army / 14H
That is Army MOS 14H. Civilian jobs, federal paths, and how the work reads on a resume.
What is in this guide
What the translation looks like
How it reads in service
Operated AN/MPQ-64A4 Sentinel radar in support of ADA battery early warning operations
How a hiring manager reads it
Operated 360-degree surveillance radar system providing real-time air picture to multiple defensive assets
Roles this background maps to
Median pay, BLS OEWS May 2024
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Brad TachiNavy Diver · BMR founder
After the Navy he was hired into six federal career fields and tech sales, and sat on federal hiring panels along the way. The last two years went into rebuilding all of it into BMR, tuned for how resumes get screened today. 77,234 resumes built so far.
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14H Air Defense Enhanced Early Warning System Operators run the radar and command-and-control systems that watch the airspace over a U.S. or coalition force. You operated the Sentinel A4 radar (AN/MPQ-64A4), the AN/FYQ-160 Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control (FAAD C2) system, and the JTIDS/MIDS data link that fuses joint air picture data across services. Your call sat between the radar return and the shooter — you identified, classified, and tracked aerial threats and pushed that picture to Patriot, Avenger, M-SHORAD, and joint air defense partners.
The training pipeline runs through Fort Sill, OK at the U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery School: 10 weeks of Basic Combat Training, then roughly 14 weeks of Advanced Individual Training on radar theory, IFF (Identification Friend or Foe), data link operations, and joint air defense network coordination. Most 14Hs hold a Secret clearance at minimum, and many earn TS/SCI depending on the unit and mission.
Civilian employers in defense radar, federal aviation, and air traffic systems pay for this exact skill set. The combination of live radar operations, IFF and data link experience, threat identification under time pressure, and active clearance fits Defense IT contractor positions, FAA aviation/airspace programs, and major OEM (Raytheon, Lockheed, Northrop) air defense roles. If you held an early warning seat, you also already understand what most civilian RF and network engineers spend years learning. Use the BMR career crosswalk tool to see specific civilian salary ranges, and review the related 14T Patriot Launching Station Operator page for the launcher side of the same air defense battery. Pair this with the defense contractor jobs guide for cleared veterans when you are ready to target specific employers.
BMR has built more than 55,000 resumes across every MOS, and 14Hs sit at one of the most undersold corners of cleared air defense. The combination of Sentinel radar and JLENS-style early warning operations, joint air defense network coordination, and active TS clearance fits Defense IT contractor positions, federal radar/aviation programs, and major OEM (Raytheon, Lockheed) air defense roles. The civilian translation needs to capture the radar/IFF and joint coordination side without leaking what cannot be discussed. — Brad Tachi, Navy Diver veteran & BMR founder
The number that decides most of this: how does civilian pay compare to what the paycheck looks like now?
Army mid-career
$58K to $82K
E-5 to E-7 total comp: base plus BAH, BAS and the tax advantage.
Civilian Air Defense Enhanced Early Warning System Operator
$63K to $137K
BLS median across the direct-match civilian roles on this page.
Federal, GS-9 to GS-13
$58K to $120K
7 matching GS series, plus locality pay and step increases.
About 40% higher on average
Civilian roles for Air Defense Enhanced Early Warning System Operators pay about $28K more than mid-career enlisted total comp.
Military comp is approximate and moves with location and dependents. Civilian is the BLS median. Federal includes locality pay. The real number depends on duty station, family status, GS step and overtime.
The 14H civilian path runs through three industries: defense radar OEMs, FAA aviation operations, and IT/network roles inside cleared facilities. BLS OEWS May 2024 data sets the salary ranges. Air Traffic Controllers (53-2021.00) earn a median of $137,380 — among the highest BLS-tracked careers that don't require a four-year degree. Aviation Inspectors (53-6051.00) sit near $79,950, and Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technicians (17-3023.00) earn around $76,440. On the IT side, Computer Network Architects (15-1241.00) reach $129,840 and Information Security Analysts (15-1212.00) hit $124,910 — both fields where prior cleared radar/network experience is rare and pays a premium.
The defense radar OEM path is the most direct civilian fit. Raytheon (RTX), Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and L3Harris build the same radar and air defense systems you operated. Field Service Representative roles, integration and test positions, and live-fire test support all hire former 14Hs because the platform knowledge transfers without a translation step. The cyclical part is honest: defense radar contracting tracks DoD program awards, so hiring booms when programs like LTAMDS or IBCS are ramping and slows when they are in sustainment. The FAA route trades cyclical risk for a longer, more competitive entry — Air Traffic Controller hiring runs through the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City and has age cutoffs you should verify before applying. Cross-branch, the civilian destinations overlap with Navy Fire Controlmen (FC), Sonar Technicians (STG), and Air Force 1C1X1 Air Traffic Controllers — same radar, sensor, and airspace logic in different uniforms. For the salary side, the military-to-civilian salary guide shows how to price your experience honestly. When you are ready to draft, our military resume builder handles the translation work for you.
| Civilian job title | Industry | BLS median salary | Outlook | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Traffic ControllerO*NET 53-2021.00 | Aviation & Airspace Operations | $137,380 | 1% (Little or no change) | strong |
| Computer Network ArchitectO*NET 15-1241.00 | Cleared IT & Defense Networks | $129,840 | 13% (Faster than average) | strong |
| Information Security AnalystO*NET 15-1212.00 | Cybersecurity & Cleared IT | $124,910 | 33% (Much faster than average) | strong |
| Aviation InspectorO*NET 53-6051.00 | FAA & Aviation Safety | $79,950 | 4% (As fast as average) | moderate |
| Electrical and Electronics Engineering TechnicianO*NET 17-3023.00 | Defense Radar & Electronics | $76,440 | 2% (Little or no change) | strong |
| Field Service Technician (Radar Systems)O*NET 17-3023.00 | Defense Contracting | $76,440 | 2% (Little or no change) | strong |
| Telecommunications Equipment Installer/RepairerO*NET 49-2022.00 | Communications & RF | $62,550 | -3% (Decline) | moderate |
| Network and Computer Systems AdministratorO*NET 15-1244.00 | IT Operations | $95,360 | 2% (Little or no change) | moderate |
Builds Sentinel, Patriot, LTAMDS, and most major U.S. air defense radar systems. Direct fit for 14H field service and integration roles.
Builds IBCS, PAC-3, and joint air defense systems. Hires former 14Hs into integration, test, and field service roles.
Sensor and radar programs across air, ground, and space. Strong cleared-position pipeline for ADA veterans.
Tactical comms, data links, and electronic warfare systems. JTIDS/MIDS experience is a direct match.
Defense electronics, EW, and radar countermeasures programs. Hires cleared technicians and analysts.
GDIT runs cleared IT contracts across DoD. GDMS builds tactical mission systems used by ADA units.
Defense, Space & Security division includes air defense and missile defense programs. Veteran hiring through dedicated portal.
Cleared consulting and federal IT contracts. Hires for cyber, network architecture, and program support roles.
Federal IT modernization and defense engineering services. Strong cleared-position pipeline.
Cleared IT, intelligence, and mission support contracts. Hires across cyber, network, and analyst roles.
FAA, DoD, and civil agency contracts. Includes air traffic and airspace systems work.
Cleared IT, intel, and mission systems work across DoD and IC. Hires former 25-series and 14H/14T cleared veterans.
Air Traffic Controllers, Aviation Safety Inspectors, and Electronics Technicians. Veterans Preference applies on USAJobs postings.
Engineering, sustainment, and field service contracts across DoD. Hires field service techs and program support.
BMR rewrites your 14H experience for any of the roles above, in the language the people reading actually scan for.
Free to start. 2 tailored resumes included.
Upload it and get a number in about a minute, plus the 14H lines a civilian hiring manager will not follow. No account. Sign up and tailor it like they did.
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“With your assistance on my resume I got offered a 239.5K a year job today. Thanks so much Brad, you changed my way of life tremendously. God bless you”
Anthony · Veteran · Army · Program Management / Logistics · $239,500 offer
Federal hiring for 14Hs runs deeper than most veterans realize. The same radar and air defense network experience that fit a defense contractor also map to several GS series across the FAA, DoD, and DISA. The strongest direct match is GS-2152 Air Traffic Control — entry usually starts at GS-7/9 with an FAA Academy slot, but prior controller-adjacent radar experience helps. GS-1825 Aviation Safety Inspector is another high-value fit if you targeted the airspace and IFF side. For the radar electronics piece, GS-0855 Electronics Engineering and GS-0856 Electronics Technician series exist on every major DoD installation that runs sensor systems, including White Sands, Redstone, and the air defense PEO offices.
The IT/network side is where Veterans' Preference plus a TS clearance becomes a real advantage. GS-2210 Information Technology Management is the broadest series and covers data link administration, cyber operations, and network architecture roles inside DISA, ARCYBER, and DoD components. GS-0391 Telecommunications fits the JTIDS/MIDS/Link 16 side specifically. Brad has been hired into six federal career fields and the pattern is consistent: a working federal resume is detailed, structured, and honest about hours per week, supervisor names, and grade levels. Build yours with our federal resume builder, and if you are still on active duty in the SkillBridge window, read how to write a SkillBridge resume that actually gets you hired. Air defense IT work also lines up closely with 25B Information Technology Specialist and 25S Satellite Communication Systems Operator federal paths.
| Series | Federal job title | Typical grades | Match | Explore |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-0856 | Electronics Technician | GS-7, GS-9, GS-11 | 5 of 5 | View details |
| GS-0391 | Telecommunications | GS-7, GS-9, GS-11 | 5 of 5 | View details |
| GS-2210 | Information Technology Management | GS-9, GS-11, GS-12, GS-13 | 5 of 5 | View details |
| GS-1825 | Aviation Safety | GS-11, GS-12, GS-13 | 4 of 5 | View details |
| GS-2152 | Air Traffic Control | GS-7, GS-9, GS-11 | 4 of 5 | View details |
| GS-0301 | Miscellaneous Administration and Program | GS-7, GS-9, GS-11, GS-12 | 3 of 5 | View details |
| GS-0855 | Electronics Engineering | GS-11, GS-12, GS-13 | 3 of 5 | View details |
Federal raters match your record against the announcement's specialized experience statement. BMR writes the federal format for any GS series above, with the hours per week and supervisor detail a rater looks for.
Free to start. Federal and private sector formats included.
Not everyone stays in a related field. These paths run on the transferable half of the job: leadership, risk, logistics, planning.
A 14H section sergeant runs the same kind of distributed operations a civilian operations manager does. The pivot reads cleanly on a resume once the language is translated.
Transfers: network operations, team leadership, 24/7 mission ops, cross-functional coordination.
How to get there: Lateral move into a defense contractor operations role, then promote into department management. PMP or Lean Six Sigma Green Belt accelerates the next step.
BLS OEWS May 2024 · 6% (Faster than average)
Air defense operations are a long sequence of risk-managed tasks against a clock. That maps directly to project management once you have PMP and a working resume.
Transfers: program coordination, schedule discipline, risk management, stakeholder communication.
How to get there: Entry as program analyst or project coordinator on a defense contract, then advance with PMP. Many former 14Hs land at $90K-$110K with TS.
BLS OEWS May 2024 · 6% (Faster than average)
JTIDS/MIDS work and threat classification under time pressure are exactly the muscle a SOC analyst uses. The clearance opens cleared SOCs and DISA roles.
Transfers: network operations, threat identification, encrypted communications, TS clearance.
How to get there: Earn Security+ or CySA+, target cleared SOC roles inside RTX, GDIT, Booz Allen, or DISA contractors. CISSP at the 5-year mark.
BLS OEWS May 2024 · 33% (Much faster than average)
Joint air defense network coordination is a real-time distributed network problem. The civilian network architecture role is the same problem in commercial language.
Transfers: data link operations, encrypted networks, sensor fusion, distributed systems.
How to get there: Earn CCNA then CCNP. Target cleared network engineer roles at L3Harris, Raytheon, GDIT. Promote into architect roles after 3-5 years.
BLS OEWS May 2024 · 13% (Faster than average)
Field service for Sentinel, IBCS, or LTAMDS is a paid version of the job you just did. The clearance plus platform knowledge is the differentiator.
Transfers: radar operations, technical troubleshooting, field deployment, customer training.
How to get there: Apply directly to RTX, Lockheed, Northrop field service teams. With clearance, expect $85K-$110K base for cleared FSR roles.
BLS OEWS May 2024 · 2% (Little or no change)
The airspace muscle from early warning operations transfers directly. The FAA still requires the Academy and an age-eligible application, but radar background is real preparation.
Transfers: airspace coordination, radar interpretation, real-time decision-making, communication.
How to get there: Apply through FAA hiring announcement on USAJobs (verify age cutoff first). Complete FAA Academy in Oklahoma City, then assignment to a tower or center.
BLS OEWS May 2024 · 1% (Little or no change)
Combine the network operations background with PMP and federal experience and you are inside DISA, ARCYBER, or contractor program management at GS-13/14 or contractor equivalents.
Transfers: network operations, program coordination, federal contracting, TS clearance.
How to get there: Earn PMP. Build a strong federal resume. Apply to GS-2210 IT Program Manager postings at GS-12 entry then promote.
BLS OEWS May 2024 · 17% (Much faster than average)
The skills behind the specialty carry further than the specialty. BMR rewrites your bullets for any of the paths above without making it sound like you have never done the work.
Free to start. Try as many angles as you want.
If you are staying in air defense, radar, or aviation operations, your terminology translates directly — Raytheon and Lockheed recruiters know what FAAD C2, JTIDS, and Sentinel mean. This section is for 14Hs targeting careers OUTSIDE the air defense specialty: corporate IT, network architecture, project management, operations, or business roles where "Air Defense Enhanced Early Warning System Operator" reads as zero transferable skills if you don't translate it.
The translation work has to capture three things without leaking anything classified: the technical depth (radar, IFF, data link), the joint coordination side (multiple services, multiple shooters, one air picture), and the time pressure (seconds to identify and classify). Resume bullets should read like a network operations role, because that's effectively what an early warning seat is. Replace MOS jargon with civilian role language, keep the metrics, and drop anything you can't discuss in an unclassified setting.
For the specific term-by-term work, use the 50 military terms civilian equivalents glossary as your starting reference. Then run your draft through the military resume builder — it handles the translation step so you can focus on what you actually did, not what to call it. When you are ready to apply, you can build your resume now and start sending it the same day.
Before, in service
Operated AN/MPQ-64A4 Sentinel radar in support of ADA battery early warning operations
After, on the resume
Operated 360-degree surveillance radar system providing real-time air picture to multiple defensive assets
Before, in service
Managed Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control system across battalion network
After, on the resume
Administered command-and-control network platform fusing sensor data across distributed nodes for real-time threat picture
Before, in service
Maintained JTIDS/MIDS data link operations connecting joint air defense and aviation assets
After, on the resume
Operated encrypted tactical data network connecting multi-organizational sensor and weapon systems in real time
Before, in service
Conducted IFF interrogation on inbound tracks to classify hostile, friendly, and unknown aircraft
After, on the resume
Performed real-time identity verification on network traffic to classify and prioritize incoming signals
Before, in service
Held track identification authority during 24-hour battery operations across contested airspace
After, on the resume
Held real-time decision authority on classification and routing of incoming events with seconds-level response time
Before, in service
Coordinated air picture across joint Patriot, Avenger, and aviation assets during multi-national exercises
After, on the resume
Coordinated network operations across multiple cross-functional teams and external partners during high-intensity operations
Before, in service
Served on a 12-person ADA battery within a battalion supporting a maneuver brigade
After, on the resume
Served on a 12-person operations team within a department supporting an enterprise division
Before, in service
Supported 24/7 ADA mission protecting forward operating bases and high-value assets
After, on the resume
Supported 24/7 mission-critical operations protecting strategic infrastructure and high-value assets
Before, in service
Completed 14-week AIT in Air Defense Early Warning Systems Operations at Fort Sill OK
After, on the resume
Completed 14-week technical training in radar systems, network operations, and joint coordination at the U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery School
BMR turns your 14H duties and accomplishments into civilian bullets aimed at the job you are applying for. No manual translation.
Free to start. Tailored to each posting.
Which ones you need depends on where you are headed.
RecommendedCost Test-only feeTime 2-4 weeks studyRequired for civilian Air Traffic Control roles. Verify current FAA hiring age cutoffs before testing.
RecommendedCost VariesTime VariesGS-1825 Aviation Safety Inspector qualification standards published on USAJobs and OPM.gov.
Highly RecommendedCost $370 examTime 2-3 months studyGI Bill eligibleDoD 8570/8140 baseline for IAT Level II cleared positions. Often required for cleared IT contractor work.
RecommendedCost $749 examTime 6-12 months studyGI Bill eligibleSenior cybersecurity cert. Required for DoD 8570/8140 IAT Level III. Requires 5 years of experience or 4 years plus a degree.
RecommendedCost Free for federal employeesTime VariesRequired for federal acquisition workforce roles. Useful for moving into program office GS positions.
RecommendedCost FreeTime Self-pacedFree training on federal resume format and Veterans Preference. Use this before submitting any GS application.
RecommendedCost $370 examTime 2-3 months studyGI Bill eligibleFoundational networking cert. Pairs well with the data link work 14Hs already do.
Highly RecommendedCost $300 examTime 3-6 months studyGI Bill eligibleIndustry-standard routing and switching cert. Strong fit for network architecture path.
RecommendedCost $400-$800 in examsTime 6-12 months studyGI Bill eligibleAdvanced networking cert. Strong fit for the network architecture path (BLS median $129,840).
RecommendedCost $150 examTime 3-6 months studyGI Bill eligibleCloud cert that fits federal/DoD cloud migration roles inside DISA, JWCC, and contractor cloud teams.
RecommendedCost $300-$600Time 2-4 monthsGI Bill eligibleProcess improvement cert that pairs well with operations management roles in defense or aviation.
RecommendedCost $555 examTime 3-6 months studyGI Bill eligibleStandard PM cert. Useful for moving into program management roles at defense contractors.
RecommendedCost $150-$400Time 1-3 monthsRF and telecommunications certification recognized in commercial wireless and broadcast industries.
Placement decides whether a screener ever sees it. BMR knows where each one ranks, what to call it, and how to frame it.
Free to start. Built around your real certs and clearance.
SkillBridge partners that hire 14Hs into radar and air defense roles include Raytheon (RTX), Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, L3Harris, and BAE Systems. The Air Defense Artillery Association and the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) both run technical conferences where program offices and contractors recruit directly. For FAA paths, FAA.gov publishes hiring announcements and Academy timelines. The SFL-TAP program is your starting point if you are still on active duty.
The clearance is the single most leverageable thing you carry into a non-defense civilian career. PMP from the Project Management Institute, Security+ and CISSP from CompTIA/ISC2, and AWS or Microsoft certifications open the IT side. American Corporate Partners (ACP) runs free 1-on-1 mentorship with corporate executives — useful when you are pivoting into a field where you don't have a network. For federal applications outside DoD, USAJobs.gov is the only authoritative source. Build the federal version of your resume with our federal resume builder.
Ready to start applying? You can build your resume now and have a working draft inside an hour.
Most people do this backwards: wait for terminal leave, then panic. This is the sequence that works. Already out? Same plan, day one is today.
Days 0 to 30
Days 30 to 60
Days 60 to 90
The strongest direct fits are Field Service Representative roles at Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman on radar and air defense programs (LTAMDS, IBCS, Sentinel sustainment), Aviation Inspector roles, FAA Air Traffic Controller (after the FAA Academy), and cleared IT/network roles inside DISA and DoD components. With a TS clearance the IT/network side often pays the best up front.
BLS OEWS May 2024 medians: Air Traffic Controllers (53-2021.00) $137,380, Computer Network Architects (15-1241.00) $129,840, Information Security Analysts (15-1212.00) $124,910, Aviation Inspectors (53-6051.00) $79,950, Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technicians (17-3023.00) $76,440. Defense contractor Field Service positions usually pay above the BLS median for their O*NET category because of the clearance premium.
For 14Hs, very. Defense radar contractors and federal agencies routinely pay a 10-25% premium for active TS or TS/SCI clearances because the alternative is sponsoring a new investigation that takes 6-18 months. The clearance is reciprocal across DoD and most IC components, so the same clearance opens roles at Raytheon, Lockheed, NSA, DISA, and dozens of contractors.
Yes, but verify FAA age requirements before applying — the FAA has historically had an entry age cutoff. Prior radar/airspace experience helps you in the screening but doesn't skip the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City. Veterans' Preference applies to FAA hiring announcements on USAJobs.
Apply through USAJobs.gov, claim your preference (5-point or 10-point), and upload your DD-214 with the application. For GS-2210 IT, GS-2152 Air Traffic Control, and GS-0856 Electronics Technician roles, your military experience often qualifies you at GS-7 or GS-9 entry. Build a proper federal resume with our federal resume builder — federal resumes have more detail than civilian resumes (hours per week, supervisor info, detailed duties) and target 2 pages max.
It depends on your target field. For FAA Air Traffic Control, the Academy is the bottleneck, not a degree. For GS-0855 Electronics Engineering or higher GS-2210 grades, a degree accelerates promotion ceilings. Many 14Hs use GI Bill toward an electrical engineering, computer science, or cybersecurity degree while working a cleared contractor role — the contractor pays the bills, the degree opens GS-12+ federal grades.
Operations management, project management, network architecture, cybersecurity, and corporate IT are the most common pivot fields. The clearance plus radar/network operations background is rare in non-defense corporate roles, which is why it commands a premium. The career change paths section above lists O*NET codes and BLS salaries for each. Resume translation matters most here — see our skills translation section.
Use unclassified system names and unclassified task descriptions. Sentinel A4 is unclassified. JTIDS/MIDS/Link 16 is unclassified at the system-name level. Avoid TTPs, specific track numbers, ROE details, and anything from a classified briefing. Frame bullets as network/sensor operations: 'Operated joint sensor network coordinating air picture data across multiple service components.' Our military resume builder handles the wording without crossing the line.
Defense contractor radar work concentrates around Huntsville AL (Redstone Arsenal), Tucson AZ (Raytheon Missile Systems), Tewksbury MA (RTX), Fort Worth TX (Lockheed), Baltimore MD (Northrop), and the DC metro for federal/contractor positions. FAA Air Traffic Control sends you wherever the staffing need is — start at the Academy in Oklahoma City.
2 pages max. Federal resumes were historically very long, sometimes 16+ pages, and many veterans still get told to write 4-6 page essays. That advice is outdated. Current best practice is 2 pages with detail on hours per week, supervisor info, and grade level — but tight, scannable formatting. Build it properly with our federal resume builder.
Salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Career data from O*NET OnLine.
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