Tactical Air Control Operator
Provides air command and control for the MAGTF, naval, and joint force operations. Manages assigned forces and air operations using voice and data communications, tactical data links, and radar systems, and directs aircraft executing the six functions of Marine aviation. Conducts airspace surveillance and provides positive and procedural control of friendly aircraft in combat airspace, including defensive counter air, offensive counter air, and armed interdiction flights. Coordinates electronic warfare, aerial reconnaissance, and aerial refueling, processes immediate requests for close air support, CASEVAC, MEDEVAC, and assault support, and integrates aviation with other supporting arms. Typically employed in the Multifunction Air Operations Center (MAOC), air control elements within the Littoral Anti-Air Battalion (LAAB), and the Tactical Air Command Center (TACC); during amphibious operations also in the Navy TACC Afloat, Supporting Arms Coordination Center, and Landing Force Operations Center. Created 1 October 2025 by the merger of 7236 and 7242 (MARADMIN 248/25). Grades MGySgt to Pvt.
“You'll run the air battle. Radar, tactical data links, and a radio that reaches every aircraft over the MAGTF — you decide who goes where, you clear the airspace, and you get bombs and medevac to Marines who are calling for both. Brand-new MOS, built by merging the two halves of Marine air control, so you'll be trained on all of it instead of half.”
The merger is real and it is the whole story of this MOS right now. On 1 October 2025 the Corps folded 7236 (air defense) and 7242 (air support) into one code, because Force Design wants Marines who can do both inside a Multifunction Air Operations Center. That means a broader pipeline than either legacy MOS had, and it means the Marines senior to you learned one half and are being retrained into the other — some of them are carrying a draw case code until they finish it. Expect the seniors in your shop to be genuinely expert in half your job and learning the rest alongside you. The work itself: long watch hours on a scope, procedures you have to know cold, and a radio voice that a pilot has to trust immediately. A bad call here is fratricide or a missed intercept, and everyone in the room knows it within the hour. You need a CL or GT of 100 and a secret clearance. School is at Twentynine Palms, which is exactly what you've heard. The clearance and the battle-management experience are what civilian employers actually pay for — FAA air traffic control and defense-contractor C2 work are the usual landing spots.
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7240 Tactical Air Control Operator — FAQ
Q01What does a 7240 do in the Marines?
Q02How long is 7240 training and where is it held?
Q03What's the recruiter not telling me about 7240?
Sources:Branch MOS catalog · DTMO pay tables · DoD/.gov benefits references · O*NET civilian career mapping · verified service-member reviews