2111 vs 2147
Small Arms Repairer/Technician (USMC) vs Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) Repairer/Technician (USMC)
The Marine Corps promised both of these would "make you a leader." The methods range from "forging in fire" to "death by PowerPoint."
If both of these MOS codes had to write an honest shift report, the 2111's would read: the M27 IAR that replaced the M249 in infantry has its own personality. And the 2147's would read: you will develop intimate knowledge of the Detroit Diesel 8V-53T and the Allison MT654CR transmission, the hydraulic turret system, and every other component that has the capacity to end your workday at 0100. Same form, different ink, completely different energy. The defense budget contains multitudes. This comparison is proof.
After the Uniform
The part the recruiter skips: what each job actually translates to once you're a civilian — and what it pays.
Salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. A guide, not a guarantee.
Recruiter vs. Reality
The pitch versus what people who actually did the job report back.
“Keep Marine Corps small arms operating at peak performance. Small arms repairers maintain pistols, rifles, machine guns, and crew-served weapons, developing precision gunsmithing skills with direct pathways to federal law enforcement armorer positions and civilian gunsmithing careers.”
You are the person every Marine needs and no Marine respects until their weapon stops working, at which point you become the most important person on the installation. The M16/M4 family, M9 pistol, M240, M249, M2, MK19 — you are expected to diagnose and repair all of them to the armorer level, which means understanding not just how they work but why they fail and how to fix failures with field-expedient solutions when the right parts aren't available. The work is precise and satisfying for people who like understanding exactly how mechanical systems function. The unit armory is your domain and units treat it with varying levels of respect, which means you will spend significant time undoing damage caused by Marines who convinced themselves they understood what they were doing. The M27 IAR that replaced the M249 in infantry has its own personality. So does every weapon that comes through your bench. Civilian gunsmithing is a craft with genuine demand. ATF armorer certifications carry weight in law enforcement.
“You'll maintain the LAV-25 — the Marine Corps' eight-wheeled reconnaissance vehicle — across all of its systems: the Detroit Diesel engine, the 25mm Bushmaster cannon drive, the hydraulic turret, and the electronics that make it functional in the reconnaissance role. LAV maintenance is a specialized skill that the defense contractor community supporting wheeled armored vehicle programs actively recruits.”
The LAV-25 is a complex vehicle that operates in environments its designers did not necessarily optimize for — desert heat, jungle humidity, Okinawa salt air. You will develop intimate knowledge of the Detroit Diesel 8V-53T and the Allison MT654CR transmission, the hydraulic turret system, and every other component that has the capacity to end your workday at 0100. The Marine Corps LAR community is small and the vehicle is aging, which means the maintenance challenges are creative. Defense contractor positions supporting LAV sustainment programs, and positions supporting successor wheeled armored vehicle programs, recruit from the 2147 background specifically. The general wheeled armored vehicle mechanic skills also transfer to international defense contractor programs operating similar platforms.
Recent Reviews
Community Takes
Be the first to share your take on 2111 vs 2147
Compare Other MOS
Search by code or title, or browse by branch