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MA · NAVY · Enlisted

Master-at-Arms.

Navy MA (Master-at-Arms). 560 hours of formal training translate to 5 validated civilian career pathways with salary bands of $40K–$95K. Sourced from DoD training data and Lightcast labor signals.

Training hours560DoD pipeline

ACE creditACEUp to 10 semester hours recommended

Tech roles4mapped to your code

Civilian pathways5validated

Cert coverage2/5direct + partial

/ 01 · Tech Roles

Roles your code maps to.

SOURCE · BLS + LIGHTCAST ROLES · 4

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

Already have09

01
Pattern Recognition (detecting anomalies)→ Fraud investigation, cybersecurity monitoring, quality inspection
02
Adversarial Thinking→ Security consulting, penetration testing, risk management
03
Procedural Compliance→ Corporate security, compliance, regulatory enforcement
04
Situational Awareness→ Security operations centers, campus safety, loss prevention
05
DBIDS (Defense Biometric Identification System)→ Biometric access control and identity verification systems
06
NCIC (National Crime Information Center)→ Criminal justice information and background check databases
07
CCTV / IPCAM Surveillance Systems→ IP camera surveillance and video management systems
08
PACS (Physical Access Control Systems)→ Physical access control and security management platforms
09
RMS (Records Management System)→ Law enforcement records and incident management systems

To learn08

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

+Security fundamentals (CompTIA Security+)+Network security principles+SIEM tools (Splunk, QRadar)+Intrusion detection and prevention systems+Risk management frameworks (NIST, ISO 27001)+Compliance standards (HIPAA, PCI DSS)+Troubleshooting techniques+Operating systems (Windows, Linux)

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

Security Guard/Officer

$40K

High match

Stable demand

Skills to develop

— State-specific security licensing
— Customer service skills

P.02

Police Officer/Sheriff's Deputy

$65K

High match

Stable demand

Skills to develop

— Police academy certification
— Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) certification

P.03

Corporate Security Manager

$95K

Good match

Growing demand

Skills to develop

— Project management
— Risk assessment certification (e.g., CPP)
— OSHA safety standards

P.04

Loss Prevention Specialist

$55K

Good match

Stable demand

Skills to develop

— Retail loss prevention certification (e.g., LPC)
— Surveillance techniques
— Interviewing and interrogation techniques

P.05

Emergency Management Specialist

$75K

Moderate match

Growing demand

Skills to develop

— Emergency management certification (e.g., AEM, CEM)
— Disaster planning and response training
— HAZMAT training

/ 04 · Hidden Strengths

What the code built.

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

S.01

Pattern Recognition

Identifying suspicious behavior, threat indicators, and security vulnerabilities during force protection and law enforcement operations

Transfers to

Detecting anomalies in behavior and environments — the same skill used in fraud investigation, cybersecurity monitoring, and quality inspection

S.02

Adversarial Thinking

Anticipating how threats will attempt to breach physical security, exploit access controls, and evade detection

Transfers to

Thinking like an attacker — essential for security consulting, penetration testing, and risk management

S.03

Procedural Compliance

Enforcing military justice, security regulations, and use-of-force policies while maintaining detailed incident documentation

Transfers to

Operating within strict regulatory and legal frameworks — transfers to corporate security, compliance, and regulatory enforcement

S.04

Situational Awareness

Monitoring security systems, access points, and personnel movements to detect threats across naval installations

Transfers to

Processing multiple security inputs in real time — valued in security operations centers, campus safety, and loss prevention

/ 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.

Corporate Security Manager

SOC 33-1099

You've managed force protection programs, conducted threat assessments, and implemented security protocols. Corporate security management is the same work protecting companies instead of bases.

Adjacent · Match

Cybersecurity Analyst

SOC 15-1212

Physical security and cybersecurity share the same methodology — identify threats, monitor for intrusions, respond to incidents. Your security mindset transfers; you just need the technical tools.

Adjacent · Match

Insurance Fraud Investigator

SOC 13-1031

Your investigative skills, interview techniques, and evidence documentation experience transfer directly to insurance fraud investigation.

Adjacent · Match

/ 06 · Training & Certs

What you trained on.

SOURCE · DOD + ACE\nVALIDATED

Academy

Master-at-Arms A School

Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek, VA

560hHours

10wkWeeks

ACECredit

Up to 10 semester hours recommended

Topics · 7

Law enforcement and physical security
Force protection
Anti-terrorism operations
Weapons qualification
Detention operations
Crime prevention
Access control and investigations

Partial coverage · 2

Certified Protection Professional (CPP)50%
Enterprise security management, corporate risk assessment, and business continuity
Physical Security Professional (PSP)60%
Commercial access control design, intrusion detection systems, and CPTED

Recommended next · 03

State Peace Officer LicenseAdjacent
CPPAdjacent
PSPAdjacent

/ 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
DBIDS (Defense Biometric Identification System)	Biometric access control and identity verification systems	Operations
NCIC (National Crime Information Center)	Criminal justice information and background check databases	Operations
CCTV / IPCAM Surveillance Systems	IP camera surveillance and video management systems (Genetec, Milestone)	Operations
PACS (Physical Access Control Systems)	Physical access control and security management platforms	Operations
RMS (Records Management System)	Law enforcement records and incident management systems	Data

/ Translator · Live

Translate MA 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.

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