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1833E1-E3

Assault Amphibious Vehicle / Amphibious Combat Vehicle Crewmember

E-1 to E-3 (Junior Enlisted) · Marines

E1–E3E-4E-5E-6E-7E8–E9
HEADS UP

You are a new Assault Amphibious Vehicle / Amphibious Combat Vehicle crewmember in one of the smallest vehicle communities in the Marine Corps. The AAV-to-ACV transition is the defining generational event — you may learn two completely different platforms in your first enlistment. Water safety is not a guideline in this MOS. The 18XX community has lost Marines in training incidents. The egress drills exist because vehicles have sunk with crews inside.

The Honest MOS Read
You enlisted 1833 — Assault Amphibian / Amphibious Combat Vehicle Crewmember — and shipped to Assault Amphibian School at Camp Pendleton after MCRD and SOI. The schoolhouse teaches you the platform: AAV-7A1 (the legacy tracked Amtrac, aluminum hull, LVTP-7 lineage, been in service since the 1970s) or ACV 1.1/1.2 (the replacement, BAE Systems 8x8 wheeled, V-hull, swim-capable). Some battalions are running both simultaneously during the transition, which means your first unit may hand you two completely different vehicles to learn. There are three active-duty Assault Amphibian Battalions — 1st AABn (Camp Pendleton, 1st Marine Division), 2nd AABn (Camp Lejeune, 2nd Marine Division), and 3rd AABn (Camp Schwab, Okinawa, 3rd Marine Division) — plus reserve units. The community is small. Everyone knows everyone by name within a year. Your track commander, your platoon sergeant, and the company gunny will know exactly how competent you are before your first swim qualification. Your day is maintenance. PMCS on the vehicle — hull integrity checks, engine, drive train, bilge pumps, weapons systems (Mk 19 40mm grenade launcher, M2 .50 cal machine gun turret-mounted), the CBRN overpressure system, communications equipment. The troop compartment that carries the infantry squad has to be clean, serviceable, and ready to keep Marines alive in the water. In the field, you handle the ramp, manage the troop compartment, communicate with the embarked infantry, and operate the turret weapons under the track commander's direction. The waterborne operations are what make this MOS distinct from every other vehicle crew in the Marine Corps. Ship-to-shore movement — launching from an amphibious ship's well deck, transiting open ocean, punching through the surf zone, hitting the beach, dropping the ramp — is the core mission. The surf zone is the most dangerous phase. A 30-ton vehicle in heavy surf can swamp, roll, or lose power. The AAV community has experienced drowning incidents in training exercises. The emergency egress procedures — hatch locations, sequence, buddy checks, the discipline to not panic in a flooding vehicle — are not academic. You will drill them until they are reflex because your life and the lives of every Marine in the troop compartment depend on it. The AAV-to-ACV transition changes the community at every level. The AAV is tracked, the ACV is wheeled. The waterborne characteristics are different — different propulsion, different stability envelope, different surf limitations. The maintenance procedures are different. The institutional knowledge that a generation of 1833 Marines built on the AAV does not automatically transfer to the ACV. You are learning the new platform while the senior Marines are teaching you lessons they learned on the old one. That tension — new vehicle, old wisdom — defines your first enlistment. Promotion math under MCO 1400.32: PFC at 6 months TIS, LCpl at 9 months TIS / 8 months TIG. The composite score for Cpl cutting scores is published monthly via MARADMIN. The 1833 community is mid-density — not as competitive as 0311 but not a ghost town either. Corporals Course is the first PME gate. The MEU deployment cycle structures your operational rhythm. Pre-deployment Training Program (PTP) workup, MEU deployment afloat with the Navy Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) on LHD/LPD/LSD-class ships, and the post-deployment reset. During the MEU you are the crew that moves the Battalion Landing Team's infantry from ship to shore. The infantry Marines in your troop compartment are counting on you. That is the job.
Career Arc
  • 01MCRD (Parris Island or San Diego) — ~13 weeks.
  • 02SOI / MCT at Camp Geiger or Camp Pendleton — ~4 weeks.
  • 03Assault Amphibian School at Camp Pendleton — platform-specific MOS training on AAV-7A1, ACV, or both.
  • 04First unit assignment: 1st AABn (Pendleton), 2nd AABn (Lejeune), or 3rd AABn (Schwab, Okinawa).
  • 05Water survival qualification and swim qualification — gated before waterborne operations.
  • 06MEU PTP workup cycle with the battalion.
  • 07PFC (E-2) at 6 months, LCpl (E-3) at 9 months / 8 months TIG.
  • 08Corporals Course — the first PME gate toward Cpl promotion.
Common Screwups
  • ×Treating water safety as a formality. The egress drills exist because Marines have drowned in these vehicles. The boot who does not take the egress training seriously is the boot the track commander removes from the crew.
  • ×NJP / DUI / liberty incident — separation under MARCORSEPMAN, clearance issues, and the 18XX community is small enough that the 1stSgt remembers your name for the wrong reasons.
  • ×Physical fitness drift. The 1833 community is a vehicle crew MOS but the Marine PFT/CFT standard does not care — a Marine who lets the physical edge slip loses standing with the platoon fast.
  • ×Assuming AAV procedures apply to the ACV because 'it is all amphibious.' The platforms are fundamentally different. The Marine who does not learn the differences is the Marine who breaks the new vehicle.
  • ×Skipping voluntary schools when offered — MCMAP progression, combat lifesaver, any water-related qualification. Visibility signals for future NCO competitiveness in a small community.

A Day in the Life

  • 0500Wake. PT gear on. Phone check for the platoon group chat — any overnight issues, any vehicle emergencies, any recall formation.
  • 0530PT formation. You take your place in the squad. Accountability to the track commander, who reports to the platoon sergeant. Missing Marine = the track commander's problem, and then yours.
  • 0545-0700Unit PT. The platoon runs together — 3-5 mile runs, interval training, strength days, MCMAP mat work. The vehicle crew MOS does not excuse you from Marine-standard PT. The platoon sergeant watches whether the crewmembers can function outside the vehicle.
  • 0700-0830Hygiene, chow, change into utilities. Head to the vehicle park — your vehicle is your workspace.
  • 0830Morning formation at the vehicle park. Track commander gives the day's priorities — PMCS schedule, maintenance tasks, training events. You get your tasking and start on the vehicle.
  • 0900-1130Maintenance and training. PMCS on the vehicle — hull integrity, engine, drive train, bilge pumps, turret weapons, communications equipment. If the battalion is in a training cycle, you may be on the vehicle running crew drills, surf-zone procedures, or live-fire turret training. Working parties and area beautification fill the gaps.
  • 1130-1300Chow. You eat with the crew. The vehicle park conversation is vehicles, the next exercise, and who is going to the next swim qualification.
  • 1300-1500Afternoon work. Continue maintenance or training from the morning. If the company has a classroom event — T&R knowledge, water safety brief, egress procedure review — you are in the classroom. Study time for Corporals Course if the track commander allows it.
  • 1500-1630Final formation. Track commander gives the next day's plan. Sensitive items check — weapons, comm gear, NVGs. You report your vehicle's status to the track commander, who reports to the platoon sergeant.
  • 1630Liberty call (garrison). Field problems, exercises, ship-board operations, and working parties break this hour.
  • 1700-2000Personal time. Gym, PME study, barracks life. The good boot uses this time for Corporals Course coursework, MCMAP progression, or extra swim training at the battalion pool.
  • 2200Lights out. Tomorrow starts at 0500.
  • Field / ship-to-shore exerciseThe clock collapses. You are on the vehicle from before dawn until the exercise ends. Well-deck launch, surf-zone transit, beach assault, recovery to the ship. Sleep in the vehicle or on the ship. The track commander runs the crew through the operation; you execute your station. A 3-week exercise at sea feels like 6 weeks.
  • MEU deployment afloat6-7 months aboard Navy amphibious shipping (LHD/LPD/LSD) with the ARG. Vehicle maintenance in the well deck, swim exercises when the MEU runs them, contingency response posture, port visits. You are the crew that moves the BLT's infantry from ship to shore. The ship is small, the berthing is tight, and the vehicle park is the well deck.

Weekly Cadence

The Mon-Fri rhythm at the junior level runs on whatever the track commander and the platoon sergeant put on the schedule. Monday is maintenance day in most assault amphibian battalions — the vehicles need constant attention, and Monday morning in the vehicle park is when the track commander walks the vehicle with the crew and identifies the week's maintenance priorities. Tuesday through Thursday is the training-and-maintenance mix — crew drills, turret live-fire if the range is scheduled, waterborne procedures rehearsal if a swim exercise is coming, classroom instruction on T&R tasks, and more maintenance. Friday is typically cleanup, final formation, and liberty. The rhythm shifts dramatically during the MEU PTP workup. When the battalion is in the pre-deployment training cycle, the garrison schedule compresses into an exercise-driven cycle — pre-exercise maintenance push, the exercise itself (ship-to-shore operations with the Navy ARG, often lasting 1-3 weeks), post-exercise recovery and maintenance, AAR, and the next exercise. The PTP cycle runs 12-15 months and the intensity escalates as the MEU deployment approaches. The week's other constant is the water. If the battalion is conducting swim exercises, the schedule revolves around tide tables, weather windows, and amphibious ship availability. Water operations are weather-dependent and tide-dependent — the surf zone is different at high tide than at low tide, and the battalion does not swim in conditions beyond the vehicle's capability. The good week includes a swim exercise, maintenance recovery, and some crew drill time. The bad week is all maintenance with no training because the vehicles are on deadline or the weather window closed.

Key Skills — How to Drill Each

  1. 01
    Conduct PMCS on the AAV-7A1 or ACV to the applicable technical manual standard — before, during, and after operations.
    Walk the TM checklist with the track commander the first three times until you can do it alone. Hull integrity on the AAV means checking every drain plug, every hull penetration seal, every bilge pump. On the ACV, the hull design is different — V-hull, different seal points, different bilge configuration. The track commander inspects your work and the battalion maintenance chief inspects the track commander. Report what you find honestly — 'all good' when there is a hydraulic leak is how vehicles sink with Marines inside. Carry the TM in your cargo pocket until you have the checklist memorized.
  2. 02
    Operate the vehicle turret and weapons systems — Mk 19 40mm grenade launcher, M2 .50 cal machine gun — including loading, clearing, and reducing stoppages.
    The Mk 19 and M2 are turret-mounted and you will operate them under the track commander's direction. Dry-fire drills in the turret until the loading sequence, the clearing procedure, and the immediate-action drills are muscle memory. A runaway Mk 19 in a formation movement kills Marines — the malfunction reduction drill must be automatic. The track commander will test you on stoppages before every live-fire exercise. Train on both weapons until the track commander trusts you to fight the turret alone.
  3. 03
    Execute waterborne entry and exit procedures — well-deck launch, surf-zone transit, beach approach, ramp operations — per the NAVMC 3500 (18XX T&R Manual).
    The well-deck launch sequence starts aboard the amphibious ship. The vehicle enters the flooded well deck, the stern gate opens, and you drive into open ocean. Surf-zone transit is the most dangerous phase — the vehicle is taking waves, the driver is fighting the current, and the troop compartment is sealed with Marines inside. Beach approach and ramp drop happen on the track commander's call. Rehearse the sequence dry on the vehicle ramp, then walk through it aboard ship before the first live swim. The T&R Manual lists every waterborne task you are evaluated on — print the individual tasks and drill them with the crew.
  4. 04
    Manage the troop compartment during ship-to-shore movement — communicate with the embarked infantry, manage the ramp, execute emergency egress procedures.
    The infantry squad in the back is not amphibian-trained. They are in a sealed compartment in a vehicle that is swimming through the ocean. Your job is to keep them informed (intercom or voice), keep the ramp secure until the track commander calls for it, and — if the vehicle floods — execute the egress sequence that gets every Marine out. Brief the infantry on hatch locations, egress sequence, and buddy-check procedures before every waterborne operation. Every time. The brief saves lives.
  5. 05
    Perform basic crew-level maintenance — engine, drive train, hull integrity, bilge pump, CBRN system — to keep the vehicle mission-capable.
    Crew-level maintenance is what keeps the vehicle in the water instead of on deadline. Learn the engine faults the track commander cares about — oil pressure, coolant temperature, transmission indicators. On the AAV, the Detroit Diesel powerpack has known maintenance patterns; on the ACV, the Caterpillar engine and the Allison transmission have different service intervals. The bilge pump is life safety — if it fails during waterborne operations, the vehicle floods. Check it before every swim. The maintenance chief will tell you what he needs from the crew; listen and do it right the first time.
  6. 06
    Operate vehicle communications equipment — vehicle intercom and mounted radio — so the track commander can talk to the platoon and the ship.
    The track commander needs to talk to the platoon leader, the ship, and the crew — simultaneously, in a vehicle that is pitching in surf. If the comm is down, the track commander is flying blind. Learn the radio presets, the intercom stations, the antenna connections. Run a comm check before every movement. The good crewmember has the radio up and the frequencies loaded before the track commander asks.

Manuals & References — What Chapters Matter

  • Applicable TMs for AAV-7A1 (TM 2510-15 series) and/or ACV (verify current TM designations against MCPEL).
    The TM is the maintenance bible for your vehicle. At the junior level you are living in the PMCS chapter — the operator-level checks that keep the vehicle mission-capable between echelon maintenance events. Carry the relevant PMCS chapter in your cargo pocket. The track commander will quiz you on fault indicators and you need to answer from the manual, not from guessing.
  • NAVMC 3500 (18XX T&R Manual) — Training and Readiness Manual for the Assault Amphibian community.
    Every individual and collective task you are evaluated on lives in this manual. At the junior level, focus on the 1000-level individual tasks — vehicle operation, weapons operation, waterborne procedures, emergency egress. The track commander signs off on your tasks; the platoon sergeant tracks them. Print the individual task list and work it down.
  • MCWP 3-33 — Ship-to-Shore Movement (verify current designation against MCPEL).
    The doctrinal framework for everything the 1833 does in the water. At the junior level you are not planning ship-to-shore operations, but understanding the doctrine helps you understand why the track commander is making the decisions he is making during waterborne exercises. Read the overview chapter and the vehicle-crew responsibilities section.
  • MCO 6100.13 — Marine Corps Physical Fitness, Body Composition, and Military Appearance.
    The PFT and CFT are the visible standard in any Marine Corps unit. In a vehicle crew MOS it is easy to let fitness slide because you spend your day in the vehicle — do not. The platoon watches whether the crewmember can function outside the vehicle.
  • MCDP 1 — Warfighting.
    Every Marine reads Warfighting. The concepts — friction, fog, maneuver warfare, the OODA loop — show up in NCO PME, in Corporals Course, and in the way senior Marines think about operations. Read it once before your first year is over.

Standards — How to Hit Each

  • 1st-Class PFT and CFT under MCO 6100.13.
    The vehicle crew is a small team — three to four Marines — and the track commander notices the Marine who cannot keep up outside the vehicle. Run three days a week, lift two, and do not skip the CFT events (movement to contact, ammo can lifts, maneuver under fire). Below 1st-Class in a vehicle crew MOS tells the platoon sergeant you are coasting.
  • Assault Amphibian School complete with passing marks.
    The schoolhouse evaluation shapes your first assignment and your track commander's initial read. Take it seriously — the instructors at Camp Pendleton are experienced 1833 Marines and they report back to the battalions. A strong school performance gets you on a better crew faster.
  • PMCS proficiency demonstrated to the track commander's satisfaction before the first waterborne operation.
    The vehicle's seaworthiness depends on the maintenance you did yesterday. The hull integrity check, the bilge pump test, the engine service — all of it has to be done right before the vehicle goes in the water. The track commander will walk through your first several PMCS reports before trusting you to do it alone. Earn the trust by being thorough and honest.
  • Water survival qualification current — the AAV and ACV operate in the ocean.
    Water survival qualification is gated before waterborne operations. The qualification includes swim assessment, equipment ditch-and-don, and the vehicle egress drills. If you are not a strong swimmer, start training now — the battalion pool is open, and the water safety instructors will work with you. Failing the qualification keeps you off the vehicle for waterborne ops.
  • Annual Rifle Qualification at Expert or 1st-Class — you are still a rifleman.
    The AAV community does not excuse poor marksmanship. You are a Marine first and a crewmember second. Shoot Expert if you can; 1st-Class is the minimum the platoon sergeant respects. Dry-fire before range week, zero carefully, and do not treat rifle qual as a check-the-box event.

Technical Mistakes — Concrete Consequences

  • Skipping PMCS steps because the vehicle 'ran fine yesterday.'
    The hull integrity check you skipped is the leak that floods the troop compartment during a surf-zone transit. The track commander eats the counseling, you eat the next one, and the battalion maintenance chief flags the crew for closer inspection on every subsequent swim. In the worst case, a missed PMCS step puts Marines in the water.
  • Failing to secure the troop compartment before waterborne operations.
    Loose gear becomes a drowning hazard when the vehicle pitches in surf. An unsecured ammo can or tool box in a flooding troop compartment blocks the egress route. The infantry Marines in the back are not amphibian-trained — they are relying on you to have the compartment squared before the vehicle enters the water.
  • Not knowing the emergency egress procedures cold.
    If the vehicle floods, you have seconds to get the hatch open, get the embarked Marines moving, and get yourself out. Hesitation is how Marines drown. The egress drill exists because AAVs have sunk with crews inside — the 2020 AAV sinking off San Clemente Island killed nine Marines and a Sailor. This is not hypothetical.
  • Mishandling the turret weapons — a runaway Mk 19 or an accidental discharge of the M2 during a formation movement.
    A weapons incident in a formation of vehicles kills Marines and ends careers. The track commander is relieved, the crew is investigated, and the battalion commander briefs the incident to the division. The immediate-action drills for turret weapons exist to prevent exactly this — learn them until they are reflex.
  • Treating the ACV transition as 'just a new vehicle.'
    The ACV is wheeled, not tracked. The waterborne characteristics are different — different propulsion system, different stability envelope in surf, different surf limitations. The operator who assumes AAV procedures apply to the ACV is the operator who puts the vehicle sideways in the surf zone. Learn the platform-specific procedures from the ACV TM before you drive it in the water.

Career Decisions at This Rank

  • Reenlistment vs. EAS at the end of the first contract.
    The first reenlistment decision in the 1833 community comes down to whether you want to be a track commander. If you re-enlist, the Sgt promotion and track commander billet are the next career steps — and track commander in the 18XX community is one of the most consequential E-5 billets in the Marine Corps. If you EAS, the civilian translation is vehicle maintenance, heavy equipment operation, and maritime operations experience — valuable in defense contracting, commercial maritime, and heavy equipment industries. SRB tier and bonus amounts for 1833 are published in current MARADMIN messages and vary year over year. Pull the current MARADMIN before you sit with the career planner.
  • Lateral move to another MOS vs. staying 1833.
    The 18XX community is small and the lateral-move conversation is real at the junior level. Marines who want infantry can attempt to reclass to 0311 or another 03XX MOS (verify current lateral-move policy against MARADMIN). Marines who want a technical MOS can pursue reclass to vehicle maintenance, combat engineer, or other fields. The honest math: 1833 is a niche MOS with limited civilian translation compared to broader vehicle-maintenance or IT fields, but the community is tight and the operational experience — waterborne, shipboard, MEU — is unique. Stay if you want the amphibious mission; leave if you want broader career options.
  • Pursue additional qualifications — combat lifesaver, MCMAP instructor, water safety instructor.
    In a small community, additional qualifications are visibility signals. Combat lifesaver is useful and expected. MCMAP belt progression (Brown Belt minimum by Cpl, Black Belt by Sgt) is visible on the composite score and on the FitRep. Water safety instructor (WSI) qualification is directly relevant to the MOS and gives you credibility in the one area that matters most — keeping Marines alive in the water. Each qualification adds to the composite score for Cpl/Sgt cutting scores.

How the Seat Varies by Unit Type

  • 1st AABn (Camp Pendleton, 1st Marine Division)
    West Coast assignment. The battalion supports 1st MarDiv infantry battalions and deploys on the West Coast MEU rotation (11th, 13th, 15th MEUs out of San Diego). Camp Pendleton has the assault amphibian schoolhouse on base, which means proximity to the instructors and the training infrastructure. Twentynine Palms (MCAGCC) ITX rotations for pre-deployment evaluation. Beach training areas at Camp Pendleton's Red and White beaches.
  • 2nd AABn (Camp Lejeune, 2nd Marine Division)
    East Coast assignment. The battalion supports 2nd MarDiv infantry battalions and deploys on the East Coast MEU rotation (22nd, 24th, 26th MEUs out of Norfolk/Morehead City). Camp Lejeune's training areas and Onslow Beach for waterborne training. Different ocean conditions than the West Coast — Atlantic surf patterns, weather, and water temperature are different from the Pacific.
  • 3rd AABn (Camp Schwab, Okinawa, 3rd Marine Division)
    Forward-deployed Pacific assignment under III MEF. Unaccompanied tour for most Marines. Training in the Pacific theater — Okinawa beaches, Philippine exercises, Korean exercises, Australian exercises (Marine Rotational Force - Darwin). Different operational tempo than CONUS — the forward-deployed posture means you are closer to the contingency response mission. The marriage and family math is different from a CONUS assignment.
  • Reserve AA units (4th AABn and subordinate companies)
    Reserve duty with one weekend per month and annual training. The reserve AA community trains on the same platforms but with significantly less waterborne time. Active-reserve integration during exercises and deployments is how reserve crewmembers build proficiency. The civilian career runs in parallel — the reserve Marine who maintains vehicle maintenance skills on the civilian side has an advantage.

What Good Looks Like at This Rank

The good junior 1833 is the crewmember the track commander trusts to PMCS the vehicle alone and report honest findings. Not 'all good' when there is a hydraulic leak. Not 'vehicle up' when the bilge pump is acting up. Honest findings, written down, reported before the track commander has to ask. By month twelve the track commander is teaching this Marine to drive — not because the Marine asked, but because the PMCS work was consistently right, the troop compartment was consistently clean, the weapons were consistently serviced, and the crew drill performance during egress exercises was consistently sharp. The track commander puts the good boot behind the wheel during a road march before putting him behind the wheel in the surf. By month eighteen the platoon sergeant has this Marine's name on the list for the next swim qualification and the Corporals Course conversation is starting. The good boot in the 18XX community is also the Marine who takes water safety seriously without being told to. Volunteers for the extra egress drill. Checks his buddy's life preserver before checking his own. Asks the track commander questions about surf conditions instead of assuming the conditions are always the same. The 1833 community has buried Marines who drowned in training — the boot who treats water safety as optional is the boot the track commander removes from the crew.

Preview — The Next Rank

Corporal (E-4) in the 1833 community is the vehicle operator rank. The track commander trusts you behind the wheel — or in the driver's station, depending on the platform — and the crew depends on you to put the vehicle where it needs to be, on land and in water. You drive the vehicle in formation, in convoy, in the surf zone, and from the well deck of an amphibious ship. You are also the junior NCO responsible for training the new crewmembers below you. The promotion math shifts at Cpl. You are tracking composite scores, you have completed Corporals Course, and the cutting score for 1833 to Sgt is the next number you watch. You write proficiency and conduct marks on junior Marines. You are responsible for the boot crewmember's training — PMCS, troop compartment procedures, turret operation, and the emergency egress drills that keep people alive. The track commander is teaching you to think about the vehicle as a system, not just as a machine you maintain. The infantry platoon your vehicle supports starts to see you as the Marine who knows the vehicle, not just the Marine who rides in it.
FAQ

1833 E1-E3 — Frequently Asked Questions

Q01What does a E1-E3 1833 (Assault Amphibious Vehicle / Amphibious Combat Vehicle Crewmember) actually do?
You graduated MCRD and shipped to Assault Amphibian School at Camp Pendleton (West Coast) or trained at Camp Lejeune (East Coast) to learn the platform — AAV-7A1 (the legacy Amtrac) or ACV 1.1 (the replacement, BAE Systems, 8x8 wheeled).
Q02What's the most important thing to know as a E1-E3 1833?
You are a new Assault Amphibious Vehicle / Amphibious Combat Vehicle crewmember in one of the smallest vehicle communities in the Marine Corps.
Q03What does a typical day look like for a E1-E3 1833?
Time-blocked day at the E1-E3 1833 rank tier: 0500 Wake. PT gear on. Phone check for the platoon group chat — any overnight issues, any vehicle emergencies, any recall formation, 0530 PT formation. You take your place in the squad. Accountability to the track commander, who reports to the platoon sergeant. Missing Marine = the track commander's problem, and then yours, 0545-0700 Unit PT. The platoon runs together — 3-5 mile runs, interval training, strength days, MCMAP mat work. The vehicle crew MOS does not excuse you from Marine-standard PT.…
Q04What mistakes get E1-E3 1833 soldiers fired or relieved?
Treating water safety as a formality. The egress drills exist because Marines have drowned in these vehicles. The boot who does not take the egress training seriously is the boot the track commander removes from the crew; NJP / DUI / liberty incident — separation under MARCORSEPMAN, clearance issues, and the 18XX community is small enough that the 1stSgt remembers your name for the wrong reasons; Physical fitness drift.…
Q05What career decisions matter most at the E1-E3 1833 rank tier?
Reenlistment vs. EAS at the end of the first contract — The first reenlistment decision in the 1833 community comes down to whether you want to be a track commander. If you re-enlist, the Sgt promotion and track commander billet are the next career steps — and track commander in the 18XX community is one of the most consequential E-5 billets in the Marine Corps. If you EAS, the civilian translation is vehicle maintenance, heavy equipment operation, and maritime operations experience — valuable in defense contracting, commercial maritime, and heavy equipment industries.…
Q06What's next after E1-E3 for a 1833 (Assault Amphibious Vehicle / Amphibious Combat Vehicle Crewmember) in the Marines?
Corporal (E-4) in the 1833 community is the vehicle operator rank.
Q07What manuals and regulations does a E1-E3 1833 need to know cold?
Applicable TMs for AAV-7A1 (TM 2510-15 series) and/or ACV (verify current TM designations against MCPEL — the ACV technical manuals are relatively new and revision-tracked).; NAVMC 3500 (18XX T&R Manual) — Training and Readiness Manual for the Assault Amphibian community (governs every individual and collective task).; MCWP 3-33 — Ship-to-Shore Movement (the doctrinal framework for everything the 1833 does in the water — verify current designation against MCPEL).

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Published by the Honest MOS Editorial DeskVerified against DoD/.gov sourcesUpdated May 2026Editorial standards