Marine Corps Cpl. Matheus Stitt looks through binoculars at a control tower at Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C., on May 13, 2021. (Christian Ayers/U.S. Marine Corps)
WASHINGTON — Marines with air-control experience will be able to apply for a new warrant officer job focused on rapidly exchanging information within the service and the armed forces of other countries, the Marine Corps announced Tuesday.
The new military occupational specialty called the command and control interface control officer will be responsible for coordinating the use of networks and ensuring insights derived from battlefield data are shared between commanders.
“In support of modernization efforts, the [position] enables the Marine Corps’ continued success in the tactical information environment while enhancing our ability to conduct operations aligned with Force Design 2030,” according to a Marine administrative message about the job.
To be eligible for the job, listed as military occupational specialty 7216, enlisted Marines must have expertise in existing and emerging communication practices and technologies. That includes Link 16, a military tactical data link network used by NATO members and other nations.
The service is looking for candidates with a background in managing airspace.
The warrant officer job is open to enlisted Marines who hold the military occupational specialties of low altitude air defense gunner, tactical air defense controller, air support operations operator, air traffic controller or senior air traffic controller.
The Marine Corps is establishing the position as part of an effort to update command and control amid the service’s revamp known as Force Design, the plan to update and reshape the force and shed outdated assets and strategies.
Once Marines are selected as command and control interface control officers, they must complete the warrant officer basic course and attend the joint interface control officer course, according to the administrative message. More advanced command-and-control and air-operations courses are recommended for these warrant officers.
Marines who are interested in the promotion should look out for a future Marine administrative message called “Fiscal Year 2025 Enlisted to Warrant Officer Regular Selection Board MARADMIN,” according to Tuesday’s message. This MARADMIN is not applicable to the Marine Corps Reserve.
