About This Career

Artillery and missile officers manage personnel and weapons operations to destroy enemy positions, aircraft, and vessels. They direct artillery crew members as they position, maintain, and fire guns, cannons, howitzers, and rockets. They normally specialize by type of artillery.

This career is part of the Government and Public Administration cluster National Security pathway.

A person in this career:

• Directs operation, maintenance, and repair of all weapons, weapon systems, and associated equipment (e.g., air defense missiles, and antisubmarine, combat systems control, launching, fire control, or gunnery equipment)
• Performs surveillance functions; analyzes targets to determine precedence, types, and quantities of fire to be used for engaging targets
• Coordinates and directs employment of offensive and defensive weapon systems
• Oversees the maintenance and operation of artillery radars to provide target location
• Monitors equipment during testing, simulations, and missile firing exercises to detect operator error and/or systems malfunctions and initiates corrective action, if require
• Develops policies and procedures for safe and secure weapon operations
• Establishes organizational structure and determines personnel required to support mission areas
• Prepares, plans for, and coordinates the execution of naval fire surface support (NSFS)
• Supervises or assists in the handling, fueling, servicing, and firing of missiles; collects, analyzes, and interprets data secured from airborne electronics
• Advises commanding officer on weapons operations, capabilities, and problems

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
• Conditions are very hot (above 90 F) or very cold (under 32 F)
• Exposed to conditions such as high voltage electricity, combustibles, explosives, and chemicals more than once a month
• Exposed to hazardous equipment such as saws, machinery, or vehicular traffic more than once a month
• Exposed to hazardous situations involving possible injury such as cuts, bites, stings, and minor burns more than once a month
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
• Work in this occupation requires being outside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves use of special protective items such as a breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suit, or radiation protection

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Maintaining a body position that prevents falling when in an unstable position
• Identifying color and seeing differences in color, including shades and brightness
• Moving the arms, legs and torso together when the whole body is in motion
• Judging how far away an object is, or which of several objects is closer or farther away
• Using muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring
• Short periods of running, jumping, or throwing
• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Detecting sounds and hearing the differences between sounds of different pitch and loudness
• Seeing clearly up close
• Seeing clearly in low light conditions
• Seeing objects or movement to one's side when looking forward
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
• Exerting oneself physically over long periods of time without getting out of breath

Work Hours and Travel

• Irregular hours
• Overnight travel