Careers

Career Description

Wherever the Air Force has planes, you'll find Aircraft Metals Technology specialists because when it comes to machining parts, welding and creating things from scratch, they are the best of the best. Need a bushing built? Done. Need a never-before-seen problem solved? No sweat. Need someone to wield an arc welder with the precision of a surgeon? Easy. If an Aircraft Metals Technology specialist can't make it, then it can't be made.

Career Tasks

• Measure broken or worn parts using calipers, gauges and micrometers
• Draw working sketches, make templates, consult shop drawings and select materials
• Preheat and postheat materials as needed and use tool-cutting operations to cut off stock, threads and tapers
• Weld by oxyacetylene, arc welding, tungsten inert gas, metal inert gas and other methods or processes
• Perform precision grinding and remove poisonous or corrosive deposits
• Perform maintenance on welding and machining equipment and adjust jibs, clutches and feed screws
• Write programs for machines using manual and computer-aided manufacturing methods

Relevant Interests & Skills

• Electronics
• Mechanics
• Maintenance and Repair
• Working with Your Hands
• Problem-solving
• Metalworking

Training

After eight-and-a-half weeks of Basic Military Training, every Airman goes to technical training to learn their career. Here's the basic information about Aircraft Metals Technology technical training:

School location: Sheppard AFB [TX]

Length of course: 96 days

College degree earned: Metals Technology

College credits earned: 28