Radar Technician
$78KHigh match
Stable demand
Skills to develop
- — FCC License
- — Specific radar system certifications
Live · Guide v1.027N · Career GuideValidated · Lightcast Labor DataUpdated · Q2 20262026 Cohort Active
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ARMY · 27NCareer Guide · Operations · VWC.CG.27N.R.04
27N · ARMY · EnlistedFAAR System
FAAR System
Maintainer.
Army 27N (FAAR System Maintainer). 480 hours of formal training translate to 5 validated civilian career pathways with salary bands of $60K–$78K. Sourced from DoD training data and Lightcast labor signals.
Training hours480DoD pipeline
ACE creditACEUp to 9 semester hours recommended
Tech roles5mapped to your code
Civilian pathways5validated
Cert coverage2/5direct + partial
/ 01 · Tech Roles
Roles your code maps to.
Industry tech roles your 27N background maps to — picked from BLS-anchored occupations using your training, cognitive skills, and systems experience.
Sort · Match descending
/ 02 · Skill Bridge
The gap, named.
What 27N training already gave you, and the specific gaps to close — not a generic checklist.
Already have10
- 01Radar Theory and Maintenance→ Understanding of signal processing and data analysis, useful in identifying and resolving system performance issues.
- 02TADDS (Tactical Air Defense Data System) Maintenance→ Experience with real-time data processing and display systems, applicable to monitoring and managing complex IT infrastructures.
- 03IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) Systems→ Knowledge of secure communication protocols and access control mechanisms, relevant to cybersecurity.
- 04Unit Maintenance Test Set (OMTS) & Intermediate Maintenance Test Set (SMTS) Procedures→ Proficiency in using automated test equipment, akin to using CI/CD pipelines in software development.
- 05Electronic Assembly Repair→ Expertise in diagnosing and fixing hardware and software issues, valuable for troubleshooting complex systems.
- 06Technical Guidance and Supervision→ Leadership and communication skills, essential for collaborating with cross-functional teams in tech environments.
- 07System Modeling→ Understanding how complex systems operate, predict potential points of failure, and diagnose issues.
- 08Degraded-Mode Operations→ Effectively troubleshoot and maintain functionality in challenging circumstances, improvising solutions when resources are scarce.
- 09Procedural Compliance→ Meticulously following established procedures and documentation to ensure consistent and safe operation of equipment.
- 10Situational Awareness→ Monitoring multiple streams of information simultaneously, understand the current state of operations, and anticipate potential problems.
To learn15
The concrete gap to bridge — specific to the roles above, not a generic checklist.
+Kubernetes basics+Cloud deployment strategies (AWS, Azure, or GCP)+Monitoring tools (Prometheus, Grafana)+Infrastructure-as-code tools (Terraform, CloudFormation)+Configuration management (Ansible, Chef, Puppet)+Network security principles+Cryptography fundamentals+SIEM systems (Splunk, ELK Stack)+Linux server administration+Scripting (Bash, Python)+Virtualization technologies (VMware, Docker)+SQL+Data warehousing concepts+Apache Kafka+Apache Spark
How VWC fits
Vets Who Code is a free, full-time software engineering accelerator for veterans, active duty, and military spouses. We close the fundamentals — terminal, web platform, AI tooling, portfolio projects — so the rest of this list becomes specialization, not square one.
See VWC Programs →/ 03 · Civilian Pathways
Where your code lands.
Avionics Technician
$75KGood match
Growing demand
Skills to develop
- — FAA Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) license
- — Aircraft-specific training
Electronics Engineering Technician
$65KGood match
High demand
Skills to develop
- — Associate's degree in electronics technology
- — CAD/CAM software
- — PLC programming
Field Service Technician
$70KGood match
High demand
Skills to develop
- — Customer service skills
- — Specific product line training
- — CompTIA A+
Wind Turbine Technician
$60KModerate match
Very high demand
Skills to develop
- — OSHA safety certifications
- — Technical training in wind turbine maintenance
- — Climbing and rescue certification
/ 04 · Hidden Strengths
What the code built.
Cognitive skills your 27N training built — and where they transfer in civilian work.
System Modeling
Troubleshooting complex electronic systems requires creating mental models of how the different components interact, predicting how failures in one area might affect others, and using this to efficiently isolate the root cause.
Transfers to
The ability to conceptualize and understand how complex systems operate, predict potential points of failure, and diagnose issues is valuable in various technical fields.
Degraded-Mode Operations
Maintaining radar and missile systems often involves working with limited resources, faulty equipment, and under pressure to get systems back online quickly. Adapting to these constraints and finding creative solutions is key.
Transfers to
The capacity to effectively troubleshoot and maintain functionality in challenging circumstances, improvising solutions when resources are scarce, is crucial for high-stakes environments.
Procedural Compliance
Adhering to detailed maintenance procedures and technical manuals is critical for ensuring safety and maintaining the operational readiness of complex military systems. Attention to detail and following protocols precisely are essential.
Transfers to
The ability to meticulously follow established procedures and documentation to ensure consistent and safe operation of equipment translates into reliability and accuracy in regulated industries.
Situational Awareness
Supervising maintenance activities on multiple weapon systems requires maintaining awareness of the status of each system, the progress of maintenance tasks, and the availability of resources to allocate them effectively.
Transfers to
The capability to monitor multiple streams of information simultaneously, understand the current state of operations, and anticipate potential problems is highly valuable in leadership and coordination roles.
/ 05 · Non-Obvious Matches
Roles the recruiter won't suggest.
Adjacent civilian roles your training maps to that conventional military-to-civilian advice tends to miss.
Industrial Machinery Mechanic
SOC 49-9041.00You've been maintaining complex electronic and mechanical systems. This role allows you to use that troubleshooting experience on a wide range of industrial equipment, keeping factories running smoothly. Your leadership experience is also applicable in training and mentoring junior mechanics.
Adjacent · MatchWind Turbine Technician
SOC 49-9099.01You've honed your skills in system modeling and maintenance under pressure with radar systems. Now, apply that to maintaining and repairing wind turbines, a growing field with a high demand for skilled technicians like you.
Adjacent · MatchRobotics Technician
SOC 49-9092.00Your experience maintaining sophisticated radar and missile systems translates directly to robotics. You've already developed the ability to troubleshoot complex electro-mechanical systems and follow detailed procedures, which are essential for success in this rapidly growing field.
Adjacent · Match/ 06 · Training & Certs
What you trained on.
Academy
AIT
Fort Sill, OK480hHours
12wkWeeks
ACECredit
Up to 9 semester hours recommended
Topics · 8
- Radar Theory and Maintenance
- TADDS (Tactical Air Defense Data System) Maintenance
- IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) Systems
- Unit Maintenance Test Set (OMTS) Procedures
- Intermediate Maintenance Test Set (SMTS) Procedures
- Electronic Assembly Repair
- Technical Guidance and Supervision
- Chaparral/Redeye, Vulcan, and FAAR Systems Maintenance
Partial coverage · 2
- Certified Electronics Technician (CET)60%
Requires study of current electronics theory, troubleshooting techniques, and industry best practices not explicitly covered in the AN/MPQ-49 FAAR system maintenance.
- CompTIA Network+40%
Requires study of modern networking concepts, protocols, and security practices not specific to the FAAR system's internal communication.
Recommended next · 03
- Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional (CMRP)Adjacent
- Project Management Professional (PMP)Adjacent
- Lean Six Sigma Green BeltAdjacent
/ 07 · Systems Translation
What you ran, in their words.
Military systems you operated and their civilian equivalents for your resume.
| Military System | Civilian Equivalent | Domain |
|---|---|---|
| AN/MPQ-49 Forward Area Alerting Radar (FAAR) | WeatherBug Earth Networks Total Lightning Network | Signals |
| Tactical Air Defense Display System (TADDS) | Air Situation Display Systems | Operations |
| Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) | Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) | Operations |
| Unit Maintenance Test Set (OMTS) | Automated Test Equipment (ATE) | Operations |
| Intermediate Maintenance Test Set (SMTS) | Advanced Diagnostic and Repair Equipment | Operations |
| Chaparral Missile System | Short Range Air Defense System | Weapons |
| Redeye Missile System | Man-Portable Air Defense System (MANPADS) | Weapons |
| Vulcan Air Defense System | Gatling gun based CIWS | Operations |
/ Translator · Live
Translate 27N into a resume that ships.
Pair this guide with the VWC AI-powered translator: drop in your service record, get back ATS-optimized civilian resume language tuned to the tech roles above.