5900 vs 5953
Electronics Maintenance Officer (USMC) vs Air Traffic Control Radar Technician (USMC)
Same Corps, same Commandant's Birthday Ball, same dress blues — wildly different reasons to need a drink at all three.
If a 5900 could go back to MEPS, they'd want to know: your Marines are smart, technically skilled, and perpetually frustrated by parts shortages and aging equipment. If a 5953 had the same time machine: the civilian path is one of the best in the electronics field — the FAA pays radar technicians very well ($80-120K+), and they specifically recruit from the military pipeline. Neither was briefed on any of this. Both would've appreciated the heads-up. Same flag, same anthem, same inexplicable attachment to a career that doesn't always love them back.
Recruiter vs. Reality
The pitch versus what people who actually did the job report back.
“You'll lead the Marines who keep every electronic system in the MAGTF operational — radios, radar, electronic warfare suites, navigational aids, and communication systems. You are the technical authority on electronic readiness for your command.”
You manage the shop that fixes everything with a circuit board. Your Marines are smart, technically skilled, and perpetually frustrated by parts shortages and aging equipment. Your job is to fight for funding, manage maintenance schedules, and keep readiness numbers up while the operational tempo tries to break every piece of gear faster than your shop can fix it. TBS assigns this MOS. The civilian translation is strong — electronics engineering management, defense contracting technical leadership, and telecommunications management all map directly.
“You'll maintain the radar systems that air traffic controllers use to see every aircraft in the sky around a Marine air station. Surveillance radar, approach radar, and the displays that controllers watch — all of it runs because of you. The skills transfer directly to the FAA and defense contractors.”
You maintain the ground radar that lets air traffic controllers see aircraft — the surveillance radar that shows traffic in the pattern and the precision approach radar that guides aircraft down final approach. When the radar goes down, ATC goes from radar control to procedural control, which means fewer aircraft, wider spacing, and degraded operations. Your job is to keep that from happening. The training covers radar theory, transmitter maintenance, signal processing, and antenna systems. In the fleet, you are at a Marine air station maintaining the radar site — a mix of indoor transmitter work and outdoor antenna and waveguide maintenance. The civilian path is one of the best in the electronics field — the FAA pays radar technicians very well ($80-120K+), and they specifically recruit from the military pipeline. The FAA hiring process is slow but the destination is worth it. Start the application process a year before you EAS.
Recent Reviews
Community Takes
Be the first to share your take on 5900 vs 5953
Compare Other MOS
Search by code or title, or browse by branch