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The United States military consists of all kinds of career paths, whether they're in the enlisted, warrant officer, or officer ranks. While every job in the military is difficult, challenging work during the best of times, some are far more complex and dangerous than others. In the U.S. Navy, some of the most important jobs are performed aboard aircraft carriers, as the entire Navy is structured around the massive city-sized ships that are the core of Carrier Strike Groups consisting of multiple vessels.
An aircraft carrier's flight deck is also one of the most dangerous places to work, and it's referred to as the deadliest 4.5 acres in the world. While flight deck operations are perilous, thousands of young men and women perform their duties each day, but those aren't the only difficult jobs on a carrier. Many of the people working below deck and out of sight find themselves subjected to intense working conditions, demanding schedules, and unforeseen issues they must address on a moment's notice.
I served for 20 years in Army Military Intelligence, and in that time I worked alongside numerous sailors. After discussing carrier operations with them, I've identified five of the most difficult jobs on a U.S. aircraft carrier. While I consulted several experts, jobs in the military are somewhat subjective, so while some might consider an Electronics Technician, Nuclear to be an incredibly difficult job, others find it tedious. To that end, these five jobs are widely considered difficult due to their working conditions, how challenging they are, and the stressful environments these sailors work each and every day.
Read more: 5 Weapons That Could Actually Sink A US Aircraft Carrier
Air Boss
Of all the jobs people hold on an aircraft carrier, one of the most challenging is the "Air Boss." Such a position, otherwise known as a carrier's Air Officer, has several responsibilities that make the job more difficult than most. They're not put into greater danger, but are responsible for all flight operations of an aircraft carrier out to a distance of five nautical miles (5.75 miles) and an altitude of up to 3,000 feet. Flight operations in a normal airport are difficult enough, but when that airport is perched atop a small city that's constantly in motion, the stress levels increase exponentially.
For that reason, an Air Boss has to hold the minimum rank of commander. Additionally, an Air Boss must have a great deal of experience before they can qualify for the position. Air Bosses must have first commanded a carrier-based squadron before being considered for the job, and they also must acquire thousands of hours of personal flight time, so every Air Boss is also an aviator and a naval flight officer.
This experience helps in directing aircraft launch sequences, approving landings, and more. In addition to managing everything to do with flight operations, an Air Boss is also in charge of as many as 600 personnel working in their department. Being an Air Boss isn't just about running an air traffic control tower on a moving platform; it's also a leadership role, requiring a great deal of work and knowledge to execute well. While being an Air Boss is challenging, it's also a highly coveted post-command assignment and a step for commanders toward becoming a captain.
Aviation Boatswain's Mate
Officers like a carrier's Air Boss are vital to the operation of the carrier's aircraft, but the people on the ground who do the dangerous work are primarily enlisted sailors. Of the many jobs on the flight deck, the one that's incredibly difficult is also the most dangerous: the Aviation Boatswain's Mate (AB). These personnel wear green jerseys and are among the so-called Rainbow of the Sea, where different personnel wear purple, green, yellow, red, blue, white, or brown jerseys to distinguish them on the flight deck.
Known colloquially as "Hook Runners," ABs are primarily in charge of handling all aircraft in terms of launch and recovery operations. Since a modern aircraft carrier can launch a jet every 20 seconds, Hook Runners must be on the go at all times, running around the deck to secure equipment, retrieve tow hooks, and more. The job is incredibly dangerous, as an arresting cable can cause severe, life-threatening injuries should they be standing too close.
Other dangers include being thrown overboard, caught in a jet's exhaust, or being sucked into an aircraft's intake. These kinds of accidents are rare, but they do happen, and the Navy understands the risks associated with an AB's job. As a result, ABs qualify for flight deck hazardous duty incentive pay (FDHDIP), which is set at $150 per month and has remained at that level since 1997. Still, despite the dangers, sailors perform their duties 24/7, as a carrier's flight operations can be conducted at any time.
Machinist's Mate
One of the most diverse jobs in the U.S. Navy is Machinist's Mate (MM), as they're responsible for maintaining, repairing, and operating all of the mechanical equipment onboard. This is true whether it's an Arleigh Burke-class Destroyer or a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. They're the folks working below deck who handle all of the propulsion equipment, but they're also responsible for fixing air conditioners, elevators, laundry machines, and pretty much anything and everything someone in the engineering department can get their hands on.
On an aircraft carrier, MMs often find themselves working on and around the ship's steam turbines. These are what drive the ship, as the nuclear reactor generates steam, powering the turbines, which power propulsion. Working in that environment alone is challenging, as the temperature can reach well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit when everything is working just as it's meant to. This is especially true when operating somewhere like the Persian Gulf, where ambient temperatures exacerbate heat below deck beyond tolerable limits.
Harsh working conditions aside, maintaining an entire ship's machinery and equipment is taxing for even the most talented MM. These personnel are pretty much the engineering jacks of all trades aboard a carrier, and their responsibilities keep them busy throughout each shift. This puts a lot of pressure on them since they effectively keep the ship in operation by ensuring everything is in proper working order. They do this in hot, noisy areas, often without seeing sunlight for extended periods of time, which takes a toll.
Aviation Ordnanceman
An aircraft carrier is all about projecting power well outside the continental United States. Each ship houses thousands of personnel and dozens of aircraft, each of which has the capability to carry a variety of weapon systems. Whether a fighter jet needs bullets, bombs, cruise missiles, torpedoes, or whatever else the U.S. Navy uses to make things disappear, it's all handled by sailors holding the rating of Aviation Ordnanceman.
Not only does this mean that an AO must handle all types of ordnance, but they also maintain, pack, move, store, track, and transfer whatever is required throughout the ship's magazine. While aircraft carriers aren't officially armed with nuclear bombs, that doesn't mean they don't occasionally house them, and the AOs must handle these as well. What makes the job particularly difficult is the knowledge needed to handle every type of ordnance onboard a carrier, and there are a lot of differences from rockets to bombs and everything in between. To put this in perspective, a conventional ammunition on-load of the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) amounted to over 200 pallets weighing 541,000 lbs.
AOs wear red jerseys, and their job includes explosive ordnance disposal, working in crash and salvage crews, and much more. AOs work under a safety-first mentality, but accidents do happen. In 1966, the USS Oriskany (CVA-34) suffered an explosive accident after a parachute flare ignited in an ammo locker. The resulting fire set off nearby ordnance, killing 44 sailors while causing significant damage to the ship's hull.
Hull Maintenance Technician
Like Machinist's Mates, Hull Maintenance Technicians (HT) aren't limited to working on aircraft carriers and are spread throughout the Navy aboard all kinds of vessels. Their primary responsibility is to fix or fabricate anything metal that the ship requires, which can include a lot of surprise requests from higher-ups. Getting the job done can often be interrupted by a request for immediate fabrication. This means that HTs have to stop whatever they're doing and create new parts from scratch, which doesn't alleviate stress in an already high-stress working environment.
HTs are expert welders and metal workers, so they're also responsible for much of a ship's plumbing systems. When toilets break down on ships like the USS Gerald R. Ford, the overall crew is often at fault, but it's the HTs who are called in to make the repairs. If you look at an aircraft carrier as a civilian, you likely see one big massive ship, but look a bit deeper, and you'll see that it's a gigantic machine filled with millions of moving parts.
It's on the HTs to keep everything functioning. They patch the hull, weld pipes, and fabricate parts all over the ship. For this reason, an HT might find themselves working in the deepest depths of the vessel one day, but end up working in the pilothouse the next. Versatility and a high degree of skill are needed to do the job effectively, and like most jobs onboard a carrier, things don't happen without the HTs ensuring it all works as designed.
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Read the original article on SlashGear.
