U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Matthew Cox uses a grinding wheel to fabricate an M240B machine gun mount aboard USS Harpers Ferry, June 22, 2019. The Marine Corps is merging Metal Worker MOS 1316 and Machinist MOS 2161 into a new Fabrication Specialist MOS 1321, effective Oct. 1, 2026. (Adam Dublinske/U.S. Marine Corps)
Marines working as machinists and welders will have their respective specialties combined into one new designation, a move designed to boost both their versatility and their chances for promotion.
As of October, they will be recategorized as fabrication specialists, according to a message to the force in late May. That means a new military occupational specialty numbered 1321.
In addition to traditional welding and machining skills, the new training pipeline will place greater emphasis on additive manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing, which creates objects by building them up layer by layer rather than cutting material away.
Military services have increasingly adopted 3D-printing technology at the unit level in recent years, using it to quickly and cheaply produce replacement parts for equipment and, in some cases, entire drones.
The new MOS will train fabrication specialists to manufacture parts in remote environments, reducing reliance on traditional supply chains, Marine Corps spokesperson Lt. Col. Melanie Salinas said Friday.
The active-duty fabrication specialist field will include about 390 Marines, combining the Corps’ current population of 236 metal workers and 157 machinists, Salinas said.
In the future, Marines in the new MOS will train on hybrid systems that combine 3D printing with traditional machining and milling methods, Salinas said.
The merger is part of broader service efforts to retain talent and develop Marines with a wider range of technical skills, the service message said.
Another aim of the consolidation is to create a clearer path for advancement in the senior enlisted ranks.
Historically, metal workers faced limited promotion opportunities beyond staff sergeant because they competed against Marines from other engineering specialties, Salinas said.
Machinists encountered similar challenges when competing with ground ordnance maintenance Marines for promotion beyond gunnery sergeant.
“Fabrication specialists (will) compete exclusively against their peers, ensuring an impartial promotion system and streamlined career options,” Salinas said.
At present, 36 Marines are in the training pipeline to become fabrication specialists and are projected to graduate before the merger is implemented, she said.
