AB vs 1320
Aviation Boatswain's Mate (USN) vs Naval Flight Officer (USN)
Two Sailors walk into liberty port. One's been staring at a radar. The other's been wrestling an engine. Both need a beer with equal desperation.
If military careers were a color wheel, AB and 1320 would be complementary colors — opposite in every way, somehow part of the same composition. The AB palette: jet blast, spinning propellers, arresting cables under tension, and aircraft moving in every direction — all on a pitching deck in the middle of the ocean. The 1320 palette: your training pipeline is just as demanding as a pilot's — you survive the same carrier qualifications, pull the same G-forces, and spend the same years at Pensacola. The Venn diagram of these two jobs is two circles in different zip codes.
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.
“You'll work on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier — one of the most dangerous and adrenaline-fueled workplaces on earth. ABs launch and recover fighter jets, manage jet fuel operations, and direct aircraft weighing 60,000+ pounds in spaces tighter than a parking lot. It's the closest thing to a controlled disaster the Navy runs every day.”
The flight deck will try to kill you. Jet blast, spinning propellers, arresting cables under tension, and aircraft moving in every direction — all on a pitching deck in the middle of the ocean. The work is physically brutal, the hours are relentless during flight ops, and the safety stakes are absolute. One wrong step and you're a statistic. The ABs who thrive love the intensity and take genuine pride in the fact that nothing flies without them. The civilian airport and aviation fueling industry hires from this background, but nothing on the outside matches carrier flight ops.
“As a Naval Flight Officer, you'll master the tactical systems that turn aircraft into weapons platforms — operating radar, weapons systems, and electronic warfare suites in the backseat of the Navy's most advanced aircraft. From E-2 Hawkeyes to EA-18G Growlers, NFOs are the tactical brains of naval aviation, directing the fight from the air.”
You are a Naval Flight Officer, the person who sits behind the pilot and makes the aircraft actually useful in combat. Pilots fly the plane. You fight it. In an F/A-18F Super Hornet, you're the Weapon Systems Officer running the radar, managing weapons, and talking to everyone on the radio while the pilot handles the stick and throttle. In a P-8 Poseidon, you're hunting submarines with sonobuoys and MAD equipment. In an E-2 Hawkeye, you're the airborne battle manager controlling the entire airspace. Your training pipeline is just as demanding as a pilot's — you survive the same carrier qualifications, pull the same G-forces, and spend the same years at Pensacola. But you'll never introduce yourself at a bar and hear 'oh cool, a Naval Flight Officer' because nobody outside the Navy knows what that means. Every NFO develops the specific frustration of being equally skilled, equally trained, and equally necessary as the pilot while receiving approximately 10% of the cultural recognition. The flying is genuinely incredible. Carrier traps at night are the most demanding thing in aviation and you're doing them regularly. Civilian airlines don't need NFOs, but defense contractors, intelligence agencies, and aviation management positions value your tactical expertise at $100-150K.
The Real Life
Same dimensions, side by side. AB on the left, 1320 on the right.
—
Operating aircraft weapons and sensor systems as the tactical operator in the cockpit. F/A-18F WSOs (Weapons Systems Officers) manage radar, targeting, and weapons employment. EA-18G ECMOs (Electronic Countermeasures Officers) conduct electronic attack. E-2C/D NFOs manage airborne early warning and control. P-8A NFOs operate maritime patrol sensors. The NFO is the tactical brain of the aircrew.
—
Flight training at Pensacola (FL) follows a similar initial pipeline as Naval Aviators — API, then primary navigation training, then advanced training in your specific aircraft. Total pipeline: 12-18 months (shorter than pilot pipeline). NFO training emphasizes tactical systems, radar operations, and sensor management rather than stick-and-rudder flying.
—
Moderate. Same flight physical requirements as pilots. G-forces in tactical jets (especially F/A-18F back seat and EA-18G) are equivalent to pilot exposure.
—
Naval Flight Officer is the tactical systems operator of naval aviation, and the role is significantly more important than most people realize. The recruiter may position NFO as "not quite a pilot" — that framing is wrong. In an F/A-18F, the WSO manages targeting, weapons, and sensors. In an EA-18G, the ECMO conducts electronic warfare that protects the entire strike group. In an E-2D, the NFO controls the airspace for an entire carrier battle group. These are immensely consequential roles. What they won't tell you: there's a persistent (and undeserved) stigma of being "the guy in the back seat." Some pilots will make jokes. Rise above it — your tactical competence speaks for itself. The career path is strong: command opportunities exist, and the civilian transition is excellent. EW-trained NFOs are in extreme demand at defense contractors ($130K-180K+). The lifestyle demands are identical to Naval Aviators — deployments, time away from family, and the physical toll of carrier aviation. A genuinely elite career path that deserves more recognition.
Recent Reviews
Community Takes
Be the first to share your take on AB vs 1320
Compare Other MOS
Search by code or title, or browse by branch