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USAF · 3D0X2Career Guide · Cyber · Security · VWC.CG.3D0X2.R.04

3D0X2 · USAF · Enlisted

Cyber Systems
Operations.

Air Force 3D0X2 (Cyber Systems Operations). 760 hours of formal training translate to 5 validated civilian career pathways with salary bands of $85K–$98K. Sourced from DoD training data and Lightcast labor signals.

Training hours760DoD pipeline

ACE creditACEUp to 15 semester hours recommended

Tech roles5mapped to your code

Civilian pathways5validated

Cert coverage4/7direct + partial

/ 01 · Tech Roles

Roles your code maps to.

SOURCE · BLS + LIGHTCAST ROLES · 5

Industry tech roles your 3D0X2 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 3D0X2 training already gave you, and the specific gaps to close — not a generic checklist.

Already have06

01
Windows Server / Active Directory / Group Policy→ Microsoft Windows Server administration, Active Directory, and Group Policy
02
VMware vSphere / ESXi→ VMware virtualization and cloud infrastructure platforms
03
ACAS (Assured Compliance Assessment Solution)→ Vulnerability scanning and compliance tools (Nessus, Qualys, Tenable)
04
HBSS (Host Based Security System)→ Endpoint security platforms (McAfee, CrowdStrike, Carbon Black)
05
Remedy / ITSM→ IT service management ticketing platforms (ServiceNow, Jira Service Management)
06
Linux / Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)→ Linux systems administration and shell scripting (RHEL, Ubuntu, CentOS)

To learn04

The concrete gap to bridge — specific to the roles above, not a generic checklist.

+Cloud computing platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP)+Containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)+Infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, Ansible)+SIEM tools (Splunk, QRadar)

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.

SOURCE · LIGHTCAST + CURATED PATHWAYS · 5

P.01

Systems Administrator

$85K

High match

High demand

P.02

Network Engineer

$90K

High match

High demand

P.03

Cybersecurity Analyst

$95K

Good match

Very high demand

Skills to develop

— Security certifications (e.g., CompTIA Security+, CISSP)
— Experience with specific security tools (SIEM, vulnerability scanners)

P.04

Database Administrator

$92K

Good match

Growing demand

Skills to develop

— Specific database certifications (e.g., Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server)
— Experience with cloud-based database solutions (AWS, Azure)

P.05

IT Project Manager

$98K

Moderate match

Stable demand

Skills to develop

— Project management certification (e.g., PMP, Agile)
— Experience with project management software (e.g., Jira, Asana)

/ 04 · Hidden Strengths

What the code built.

Cognitive skills your 3D0X2 training built — and where they transfer in civilian work.

S.01

System Modeling

Administering Air Force network infrastructure, understanding how servers, storage, and network services interact across the enterprise

Transfers to

Enterprise IT systems architecture — directly applicable to systems administration, cloud engineering, and IT infrastructure management

S.02

Adversarial Thinking

Implementing cybersecurity measures, hardening systems against intrusion, and monitoring for unauthorized access on Air Force networks

Transfers to

Defending IT infrastructure against threats — core to cybersecurity operations, system hardening, and security compliance

S.03

Degraded-Mode Operations

Restoring network services during outages, recovering from system failures, and maintaining operations during cyberattacks

Transfers to

Incident response and disaster recovery — the operational resilience mindset valued in SRE, DevOps, and IT operations management

S.04

Procedural Compliance

Following DISA STIGs, Air Force cybersecurity policies, and change management procedures for all system modifications

Transfers to

Operating within IT governance frameworks — transfers to ITIL, SOC 2, and FedRAMP compliance

/ 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.

Cloud Engineer

SOC 15-1244

You've managed enterprise server infrastructure and network services. Cloud engineering is the same work, just provisioned through AWS/Azure/GCP instead of physical hardware.

Adjacent · Match

Security Operations Analyst

SOC 15-1212

Your experience hardening systems and monitoring for threats on Air Force networks transfers directly to a civilian SOC — same tools, same frameworks, different employer.

Adjacent · Match

IT Compliance Auditor

SOC 13-1041

You've lived DISA STIGs and security checklists. IT compliance auditing applies that same regulatory expertise to help companies pass SOC 2, PCI, and HIPAA audits.

Adjacent · Match

/ 06 · Training & Certs

What you trained on.

SOURCE · DOD + ACE\nVALIDATED

Academy