Is 6842 (METOC Analyst Forecaster) a Good MOS?
United States Marine Corps · Military Occupational Specialty
Quick Facts — 6842 (METOC Analyst Forecaster)
AIT / Training
36 weeks
Training Location
Keesler AFB, MS (joint service METOC training) then follow-on at Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center, Monterey, CA
Career Field
Meteorology and Oceanography
Verdict: Not enough data
Based on 0 community reviews from verified service members
Score Breakdown
About 6842 METOC Analyst Forecaster
Collects, analyzes, and interprets meteorological and oceanographic data to produce forecasts and environmental assessments supporting Marine Corps operations. Provides tactical weather briefs to commanders, pilots, and operational planners. Analyzes atmospheric conditions, sea states, surf zones, tides, and littoral environments. Operates meteorological observation equipment, satellite imagery systems, and numerical weather prediction models. Supports amphibious operations with beach and surf forecasts, aviation with terminal aerodrome forecasts, and ground forces with tactical weather windows. One of the smallest MOS communities in the Marine Corps.
36 weeks
Keesler AFB, MS (joint service METOC training) then follow-on at Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center, Monterey, CA
Meteorology and Oceanography
Recruiter vs. Reality
What the Recruiter Says
You'll be the weather expert for an entire Marine Air Ground Task Force. Commanders rely on your forecasts to plan operations — when to launch aircraft, when to send amphibious craft through surf zones, whether conditions support a mission or scrub it. It's a highly technical MOS with direct operational impact. You'll work with cutting-edge satellite systems and weather models. The schooling is long but thorough, and the skills transfer directly to civilian meteorology careers with NOAA, the National Weather Service, or private sector forecasting.
What It's Actually Like
This is one of the most niche MOSs in the entire Marine Corps — the community is tiny, maybe 200-300 Marines total. That's both a strength and a weakness. Strength: you are genuinely important to every operation. A bad forecast can get people killed or strand an amphibious assault in impossible surf. Commanders actually listen to you. Weakness: there are so few billets that your duty station options are extremely limited. You'll likely rotate between a handful of locations — METOC detachments are at MAG/MAW level, not battalion. Training is at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, Mississippi alongside Air Force and Navy weather students. The course is demanding — heavy math, atmospheric physics, and oceanography. If you can't do calculus-level weather dynamics, you will struggle. The civilian transferability is real — NWS, NOAA, private forecasting firms, and aviation weather services all want people with operational METOC experience. But getting the degree to back up the experience matters. Many 6842s pursue their meteorology degree while serving using TA. The daily job varies wildly: some days you're in an air-conditioned ops center staring at satellite imagery, other days you're on a beach with a Kestrel weather meter measuring surf conditions for an amphibious landing. It's one of the few MOSs where being wrong has immediate, visible consequences — if you say the weather is good to fly and it isn't, everyone knows.