United States military occupation code A United States military occupation code , or a military occupational specialty code ( MOS code ) , is a nine character code used in the United States Army and United States Marines to identify a specific job . In the United States Air Force , a system of Air Force Specialty Code s ( AFSC ) is used . In the United States Navy , a system of naval rating s and designators is used along with the Navy Enlisted Classification ( NEC ) system . Since an individual can obtain multiple job specialties , a duty military occupational specialty ( DMOS ) is used to identify what their primary job function is at any given time . An individual must complete and pass all required training for their military occupational specialty qualification ( MOSQ ) . Army . The current list of army military occupational specialty codes is published on the United States Army Human Resources Command ( HRC ) PAMXXI website . Army enlisted personnel . 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 : MOSC for E - 8 and above . 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 " . Army warrant officers . 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 rotary wing aviators ( helicopter pilots ) , and can be appointed directly from civilian life or within the service , regardless of previous enlisted MOS . The remaining 50 % are technicians appointed from experienced enlisted soldiers and NCOs in a " feeder " MOS directly related to the warrant officer MOS . 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 . The following year , a revision of commissioned officer professional development and career management 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 . Army commissioned officers . 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 ) . Marine corps . The U . S . Marine Corps begins by separating all jobs into " occupational fields " ( OccFld ) , in which no distinction is made between officers and enlisted marines . The fields are numbered from 01 to 99 and include general categories ( intelligence , infantry , logistics , public affairs , ordnance , etc . ) under which specific jobs fall . Each field contains multiple MOSes , each designated by a four - digit numerical indicator and a job title . For example , the infantry field ( 03 ) has ten enlisted classifications : rifleman ( MOS 0311 ) , riverine assault craft ( MOS 0312 ) , light armored vehicle crewman ( MOS 0313 ) , scout sniper ( MOS 0317 ) , reconnaissance man ( MOS 0321 ) , machine gunner ( MOS 0331 ) , mortarman ( MOS 0341 ) , assaultman ( MOS 0351 ) , antitank assault guided missileman ( MOS 0352 ) , and infantry unit leader ( MOS 0369 ) . Each of the jobs have authorized ranks associated with them . For example , anyone ranking from private to sergeant can be a rifleman ( 0311 ) , but only marines ranking from staff sergeant to master gunnery sergeant can be an infantry unit leader ( 0369 ) . Duties and tasks are identified by rank because the marine corps MOS system is designed around the belief that increased duties and tasks accompany promotions . The first two digits designate the field and , the last two digits identify the promotional channel and specialty . For example , the MOS 0311 indicates that it is in occupational field 03 ( infantry ) and designates the " rifleman " ( 11 ) MOS . For warrant officers , the MOS 2305 indicates that it is in occupational field 23 ( ammunition and explosive ordnance disposal ) and designates the " explosive ordnance disposal officer " ( 05 ) MOS . For officers , the MOS 0802 indicates that it is in occupational field 08 ( field artillery ) and designates the " field artillery officer " ( 02 ) MOS . Navy . The United States Navy does not use the military occupational specialty as the marines and the army do , but instead uses their own variant , called a " rate " . The navy divides their occupational specialties into " ratings " for enlisted personnel and " designators " for officers . Enlisted personnel ratings . 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 . Commissioned officer designators . 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 " . Coast guard . The United States Coast Guard does not use the military occupational specialty concept either , instead dividing their occupational specialties into groups such as aviation , administrative and scientific , deck and weapons , and engineering and hull . Their rating system is very similar to the navy ' s ( e . g . BM , boatswain ' s mate ) . Enlisted personnel ratings . 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 ) . 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 . Air force . The air force utilizes a similar system , but titled " air force specialty code " . Enlisted airmen have a five digit code , and officers have a four digit code . Military occupational specialty codes ( 1965 - 1983 ) Originally , the MOS system 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 ) , 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 . 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 . Six - seven is the field code for the medical field , 673 . 0 is the MOS for medical NCO and 673 . 00 is a generalist medical NCO with no SQI . 1965 reform . 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 ) . 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 . 1983 reform . 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 .