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ETE4

Electronics Technician

E-4 (Specialist/Corporal) · Navy

E1–E3E-4E-5E-6E-7E8–E9
HEADS UP

The crow means you own the fault, not just the MRC. When the OOD calls the work center at 0300 with a radar casualty, the call comes to you — and the division officer will ask what TM chapter you used and what the CSMP entry says. The NEC pipeline decision is real now: if you have not had the conversation with the career counselor and the LCPO, you are letting the detailer make it for you. The ET1 NWAE BIB is worth pulling before the cycle announcement.

The Honest MOS Read
Electronics Technician Third Class (ET3, E-4) is the first paygrade where the rate expects independent technical performance. The ETSN operated under supervision at every stage; the ET3 is the petty officer the LPO sends to the fault first. The crow on the sleeve is not ceremonial — it means you own the work center's operational picture on your watch section, you are responsible for the ETSNs under your observation, and the division officer expects your assessment to be technically defensible when he relays it to the combat systems officer. The assigned systems concept becomes real at ET3. You are not rotating through whatever MRC the LPO assigns each morning — you are the custodian of specific electronic systems in the work center, responsible for their PMS currency, their CSMP discrepancy status, their calibration records, and the parts-ordering pipeline for the equipment your bench owns. On an Aegis DDG or CG, that means a section of the combat direction system suite or the SPY-1 radar support equipment; on a non-Aegis surface ship, it means the AN/SPS-67 surface search radar or the AN/SPS-48E air search radar or the navigation suite, depending on the work center's equipment baseline. You brief the division officer on the material condition of your assigned systems — not the LPO for you, but you, with current numbers. The ETSN training role is the part of ET3 that catches most first-time petty officers off guard. The LPO watches whether you teach or just do. When a new ETSN shows up and the LPO assigns him to your bench, the expectation is that you run the ETSN through the PMS procedure as a training evolution — explaining each step, checking the result, signing the PQS line item — not that you complete the maintenance faster by doing it yourself while the ETSN watches. The ETSN who cannot execute that MRC without you in six months is a training failure the LPO notes on your evaluation. The NEC conversation is the most consequential career decision of the ET3 tour. NEC 1426 (ET-Radar) is the surface radar maintenance pipeline, leading to advanced surface radar billets and the associated operational tempo and sea-shore rotation. NEC 2791 (Combat Direction Systems Technician) is the CDS maintenance pipeline for surface combatants with combat direction system suites. NEC 2879 (Aegis Weapons System) is the Aegis-specific pipeline — the highest-profile surface ET track, producing maintainers for the Navy's most complex electronic combat system. The submarine track (Nuclear Power School followed by Basic Enlisted Submarine School at Groton) is a completely different career trajectory: a different qualification culture, a different sea-shore rotation, a different community, and a post-service market that values nuclear operations experience distinctly from surface electronics experience. The decision belongs to you, informed by your technical aptitudes, your family situation, your post-service goals, and the honest counsel of the LCPO and the career counselor — not to whoever gave you advice at the last deployment debrief. The NWAE for ET2 is not abstract at ET3. The FMS — Final Multiple Score — combines exam score, eEVALs, time-in-rate, awards, and education. The ET3 who is ranked above peers in the section and carries a documented NWAE study log is the one closing the ET2 advancement slate. Pull the current BIB from MyNavyHR / NETC before the cycle is announced and build a study schedule with milestones. The ET3 who walks into the exam with two months of coverage is the ET3 watching the slate from the bench. The technical depth at ET3 is measured by the fault-isolation tree, not the PMS card. The difference between an ETSN and an ET3 on a casualty is that the ET3 is expected to reach a diagnosis — replaceable assembly identified, TM section cited, CSMP entry written in language the supply petty officer can act on — before calling the LPO. Not every fault yields to the junior petty officer; the ones that require the ET2 or the ET1 should be escalated with what you have already determined, not with 'I looked at it and I am not sure.' The system you were sent to diagnose needs the TM chapter you referenced and the steps you ran before the escalation is credible.
Career Arc
  • 01Check into ET3 with PQS complete or near-complete from the ETSN tour; the first counseling session with the LPO defines the NEC pipeline timeline and the ET2 NWAE preparation schedule.
  • 02First six months: assigned systems ownership established — CSMP currency, parts pipeline, calibration records, PMS completion rate briefable by you without LPO intermediary.
  • 03ETSN training role running: at least one ETSN advancing through PQS under your training plan, PQS line items signed, system walk-throughs documented.
  • 04NEC pipeline packet in motion — C-school application submitted, submarine volunteer status documented, or current-cycle NAVADMIN pulled and career counselor briefed on target NEC and cycle.
  • 05ET2 NWAE BIB study log on the LCPO's table, eEVAL traits tracked at the section level, warfare device (SW, SS, EXW depending on platform) in progress or pinned.
  • 06Pre-transfer: CSMP discrepancy closure rate on assigned systems defensible at division officer level; at least one ETSN certified on a system you trained him on; NEC awarded or C-school date on the record.
Common Screwups
  • ×Closing a 3-M CSMP discrepancy as 'repaired' without verifying system operability post-repair. The division officer reads the CSMP entry when the system fails the next operational check, and if your name is on the closed discrepancy and the system is down again, the combat systems officer is looking at a pattern — not an isolated fault. The sign-off on a CSMP closure is the statement that the system is functional per the operability procedure. If the procedure was not run, the closure is fraudulent.
  • ×DUI or alcohol-related misconduct at ET3. NJP under Article 111 UCMJ, command-level notification, security clearance flag, and a service record notation that follows the advancement board review at every subsequent paygrade. The rate takes clearances and conduct records seriously; an NJP at E-4 is still visible to the Senior Chief board at E-8.
  • ×OPSEC violation involving combat system capabilities, radar system performance data, or watch section details posted publicly or discussed outside the appropriate classification boundary. The security clearance the ET rate depends on is contingent on demonstrated trustworthiness with classified information. NCIS investigations at the E-4 level are not resolved with a counseling chit.
  • ×Failing to route a command-required action — a tag-out authorization, a maintenance deferral requiring the LPO's signature, an equipment casualty that meets the reporting threshold — through the appropriate chain before proceeding. The ET3 who decides the LPO does not need to know about the tag-out deviation because 'it was quick' is the one explaining the safety deviation to the JAG investigator. Route it. Always.
  • ×Financial mismanagement that triggers NJP, command-level involvement, or a debt referral to the command financial specialist at the E-4 pay scale. The car note, the credit card debt, and the cash-advance cycle that consume the ET3's paycheck are visible to command leadership faster than most junior petty officers expect. Security clearance financial fitness is a real requirement, and a sustained pattern of financial problems at E-4 is reviewed at the E-5 advancement board.

A Day in the Life

  • 0530-0630Command or divisional PT. As a petty officer at ET3, your presence and performance at PT is visible to the senior ETs in a way it was not as an ETSN. No falling out; no excuses before the LPO.
  • 0630-0730Hygiene, chow, utilities on. Pre-quarters: pull OMMS-NG and review the status of your assigned systems — MRCs due today, open CSMP discrepancies and their parts-ordering status, any overnight write-ups that have your systems' equipment numbers. Brief yourself before the LPO briefs the division.
  • 0730-0800Quarters. The LPO assigns the day's maintenance tasking. At ET3 you are receiving a tasking for your assigned systems and the ETSN training evolution scheduled for the morning. Listen for any system casualty from the overnight watch that needs your attention before the maintenance period.
  • 0800-1130Primary maintenance period. Your assigned systems' MRCs run first; if a CSMP discrepancy is active, the parts-ordering follow-up or the troubleshoot continuation runs in parallel. If a new ETSN is assigned to your bench, this block is when the training evolution runs — brief the safety precautions before the ETSN touches the equipment, supervise each step, debrief after. Do not complete the MRC for him.
  • 1130-1230Chow. Tool accountability completed before leaving the space — your tool sub-account is your responsibility at ET3. The tool that walks out with you and does not come back is the FOD investigation that starts with your name.
  • 1230-1430Afternoon maintenance or qualification block. If a calibration or operability check is scheduled, it runs in this period. If the morning fault-isolation produced a parts order, the CSMP entry is reviewed for completeness and the parts tracking status is updated. ETSN PQS sign-off sessions run in the afternoon if the LPO scheduled them — be prepared to run the system walkthrough, not just observe it.
  • 1430-1530NWAE study block. BIB section for the week — 30-40 minutes minimum. The ET3 who protects this block against maintenance urgency is the one who arrives at the exam with actual coverage. Log it in the study calendar.
  • 1530-1600End-of-day OMMS-NG audit on assigned systems: completions logged, deferred MRCs entered with authorization, CSMP entries reviewed. Brief the LPO on the day's status if any system is down or has a new CSMP entry.
  • 1600-1630Liberty or duty watch rotation. Duty day means the watchbill picks up — qualified watch station in CIC or electronic warfare spaces, or a casualty response if the overnight system condition warrants.
  • 1630-1900Liberty. As a petty officer, the expectation of conduct and financial management is higher than it was as an ETSN. The LPO hears about the ET3's liberty decisions faster than the ET3 usually anticipates.
  • 1900-2100NWAE continuation study, NEC pipeline research (pulling the current NAVADMIN for the target NEC, reading the NAVPERS 18068 catalog entry), or ETSN training preparation for tomorrow's maintenance evolution.
  • 2100-2200Wrap up. Prep the next day's maintenance brief in your head — which MRCs are running, which ETSN is on which system, what the division officer needs to know about the CSMP status before his morning brief.
  • UnderwayWatchbill rotation drives the schedule. On a three-section rotation, off-watch time compresses into maintenance periods and training blocks. The ET3 on watch in CIC at 0300 when the surface search radar degrades is the one the OOD calls by name — own the casualty response, use the TM, and report status with a TM reference and a repair timeline.
  • Pre-INSURV workupThe maintenance tempo elevates and every CSMP entry on your assigned systems is being reviewed. The ET3 whose CSMP entries are already clean and whose calibration records are current will experience the workup as a verification of existing practice. The ET3 whose records need retroactive cleanup will experience it as the most stressful period of the tour.

Weekly Cadence

The ET3 work week runs on the assigned-systems maintenance rhythm and the ETSN training cycle simultaneously. Monday quarters sets the week's maintenance plan — which MRCs run which day, which ETSN is on which training evolution, which CSMP discrepancies have new parts-ordering status. The ET3 who arrives at Monday quarters knowing the OMMS-NG status of his assigned systems before the LPO reads it out is the one the LPO trusts to run the systems without daily check-ins. Tuesday and Wednesday are the core maintenance execution days. Primary system MRCs run, fault-isolation evolutions work if CSMP discrepancies are active, and the ETSN training evolutions run in parallel during the afternoon blocks. The ET3's most visible contribution in these two days is whether the ETSN under his supervision is advancing on PQS at the pace the training plan specifies and whether the CSMP entries coming out of his bench are complete without LPO corrections. The LPO notes which ET3 requires the fewest corrections and which requires the most. Thursday and Friday carry the documentation load. OMMS-NG entries reviewed for accuracy, CSMP status updated, parts-ordering pipeline checked against expected ETA. The weekly counseling touchpoint with the LPO on Friday covers the system status summary, the ETSN's PQS progress, the NWAE study log, and any NEC pipeline update. The ET3 who brings a prepared summary to the Friday touchpoint is the one the LPO briefs as 'manages his systems independently' on the next evaluation. Underway operations collapse the administrative rhythm into the watchbill rotation; maintenance and training compress into off-watch periods, but the CSMP and OMMS-NG logging discipline does not compress.

Key Skills — How to Drill Each

  1. 01
    Isolate a fault on an assigned radar or navigation system down to the replaceable assembly level using TM fault-isolation procedures — and write the CSMP discrepancy entry clearly enough that the supply petty officer can order the correct part without a follow-up call.
    The fault-isolation tree in the TM is not an outline — it is the procedure. Start at the symptom, follow each branch, and run each test in sequence before concluding anything. The ET3 who skips to the likely culprit because it matches a fault he has seen before will swap a $40,000 LRU and find the fault is still present because the isolation was incomplete. When you reach the replaceable assembly, write the CSMP entry in this format: symptom, TM section and procedure steps run, result, assembly identified, and what post-repair operability verification is required. The supply petty officer needs the part number and the nomenclature; the division officer needs the TM reference and the timeline. One CSMP entry should answer both.
  2. 02
    Stand a qualified CIC or electronic warfare watch in whatever designation the ship's PQS program requires — qualified per the 301-series checklist, not provisional.
    Watch qualification is the public record of what you can do operationally, not just on the maintenance bench. The ET3 who is signed off on the watchbill as a qualified watch stander — not 'under instruction' — is the one the OOD calls by name. Study the watch station procedures, understand the casualty actions, and rehearse the emergency response verbally before requesting the board. After the qualification is signed, the next responsibility is owning the watch station completely when you are on it — not calling the ET2 for the routine casualty that your qual covers.
  3. 03
    Train an ETSN on a PMS MRC from start to finish — have him execute it while you supervise, sign the card, and explain why each step matters.
    Training an ETSN is not watching him work — it is running the evolution as a structured instruction event. Before the MRC: brief the safety precautions and why they exist, review the equipment function so the ETSN understands what the maintenance step is preserving, and identify what a correct result looks like. During: supervise each step without completing it for him unless safety requires it. After: debrief what he did right, what he got wrong, and what he should check differently next time. The ETSN who can execute the same MRC independently three months later because of how you trained him is the training outcome the LPO is measuring.
  4. 04
    Execute a radar calibration or system operability check per the applicable NAVSEA TM, log the results in OMMS-NG, and pass the results to the combat systems officer without the LPO rechecking your numbers.
    Calibration and operability checks are the evidence the command relies on for materiel readiness reporting. Run the full sequence per the TM, record each measurement in the OMMS-NG completion entry, and flag any out-of-tolerance results as CSMP discrepancies before closing the card. When the division officer briefs the combat systems officer on radar readiness, he is using your numbers. The ET3 who runs the operability check correctly and logs the result cleanly is the one whose numbers do not get rechecked before the brief. The one who takes shortcuts is the one whose calibration records the INSURV inspectors audit first.
  5. 05
    Brief the division officer on the material condition of assigned systems — current discrepancies, deferred MRCs, deadlined equipment, parts on order, ETA from supply.
    The brief should be thirty seconds long and answer every question before the division officer asks it: 'SPS-67 is up, two deferred MRCs — lube schedule deferred to next maintenance period with LPO authorization, surface scan calibration deferred pending the test set we have on order, ETA from supply is fourteen days. One open CSMP on the transmitter power supply, part ordered, expected two weeks.' That is a complete readiness picture. The ET3 who arrives at the briefing and says 'it is mostly working but there are a couple of things' gets the follow-up questions because the picture is incomplete. Prepare the brief like it is going to the CO — because on a bad day, it is.
  6. 06
    Operate the IETM / tech-pub system to locate a current configuration document, an engineering change notice, or a calibration procedure under time pressure.
    Configuration control is a real maintenance discipline. The system's engineering change history determines which TM version applies to the installed configuration — and running an outdated procedure on a system that has received an engineering change is a maintenance deviation regardless of whether the result was correct. Before any significant maintenance evolution on a system you have not recently worked, pull the current configuration status from the IETM portal and verify the TM version matches the installed configuration. The ET3 who does this habitually is the one who does not produce the maintenance finding that traces to a superseded procedure.

Manuals & References — What Chapters Matter

  • NSTM Chapter 320 — Electronics (NAVSEA) and NSTM Chapter 300 — Electric Plant / ESWP
    At ET3, NSTM Chapter 320 is the technical governance document you reference on every radar and electronics casualty — the inspector asks which chapter section you used, not whether you 'looked it up.' Chapter 300 ESWP is the authority you cite when the LPO asks why a tag-out was required before that maintenance step. At this paygrade you should know which chapter covers which category of maintenance action without going to the index first.
  • NAVSEA technical manuals for your specific assigned systems: AN/SPS-67 TM, AN/SPS-48E TM, AN/SPY-1 / Aegis Weapons System documentation (SWOS/NAWS pipeline), AN/UYK computer system TMs
    The system-specific TM is the fault-isolation and calibration authority for the equipment your name is on in the CSMP. At ET3 you should know which TM section covers the fault-isolation tree for your primary assigned systems and which section covers the calibration and operability check procedures. 'I found it in the TM' is not a complete answer to the division officer; 'I ran the fault isolation in chapter 4, section 3, identified the power supply as the replaceable assembly, and opened the CSMP discrepancy per OPNAVINST 4790.4' is.
  • OPNAVINST 4790.4 — Ships 3-M Systems Procedures (current series)
    At ET3 you are the person defending your own CSMP entries and deferral authorizations when the 3-M coordinator or ISIC inspector asks. Know the deferral authorization process, the CSMP entry requirements, and the corrective action documentation standards chapter and verse — not as a summary, but as the specific procedure you are following when you create each entry. The inspector reads OPNAVINST 4790.4 before he reads your entries; you should have read it before he got there.
  • NAVPERS 18068 Vol II + the current NEC source-rating NAVADMIN for your target NEC pipeline
    The NEC pipeline decision is the most consequential career choice of the ET3 tour. Pull both documents — the NAVPERS 18068 catalog entry for NEC 1426, 2791, or 2879, and the current-cycle NAVADMIN that supplements the catalog with active quotas and pipeline requirements — before any career counselor conversation. The NEC catalog entry describes the source rate requirements, the school location and duration, and the follow-on billet pipeline. The NAVADMIN updates it with what is actually available this cycle. Informal advice from the mess deck is not a substitute for reading the source documents.
  • NWAE Bibliography for Advancement (BIB) for the ET2 cycle — current, from MyNavyHR / NETC
    Build a daily study plan from the BIB rather than a reading list. Identify which BIB sections correspond to systems you are maintaining and studying operationally — these sections will score higher on a study plan that builds from familiarity — and schedule the less familiar sections for the longer study blocks. The ET3 who passes the ET2 NWAE on the first cycle with a documented study log is the one whose FMS is competitive; the one who takes the exam cold is statistically going to the bench.
  • NAVSEA SW000-BA-MMA-010 (SUBSAFE / Deep Submergence baseline) if the NEC path or ship type includes submarine systems
    If the submarine track is under consideration, the SUBSAFE program documentation is the governance framework that defines how submarine systems are maintained, certified, and documented — and it is fundamentally more rigorous than surface ship maintenance governance. Understanding the scope of what SUBSAFE means before volunteering for the submarine program is part of making an informed career decision. The surface ET who volunteers for the submarine pipeline without understanding SUBSAFE will find the qualification culture significantly more demanding than surface ship 3-M.

Standards — How to Hit Each

  • NWAE for ET2 prep on the LCPO's timeline — the ET3 who walks into the exam cold is watching the advancement slate from the bench.
    Start the BIB the week the advancement cycle is announced — or before, if you pulled the BIB during the ETSN tour as recommended. Build a milestone calendar: which BIB sections are covered in which weeks, with a completion date that leaves the final two weeks for review rather than initial coverage. Bring the study log to the monthly counseling session and let the LPO review the pace. The ET3 who can show the LPO a study log with sixty days of documented coverage at the advancement worksheet review is the ET3 the LPO can defend at the FMS meeting.
  • NEC pipeline packet in motion — C-school application submitted, submarine volunteer documented, or current-cycle NAVADMIN on file and career counselor briefed.
    Pull the current NAVADMIN before any NEC conversation and build the packet from the current-cycle requirements, not the previous cycle's memory. The packet requirements — qualifying scores, clearance verification, screening requirements, command endorsement timeline — take longer to assemble than most ET3s expect. Start the packet process at the twelve-month mark of the ET3 tour; the ET3 who starts the packet the month the NAVADMIN drops is the one who submits rushed documentation that reflects it.
  • PMS completion rate on assigned systems at or above work-center average; CSMP discrepancy entries accurate, no deferred MRCs past the authorization window without documentation.
    Own the systems OMMS-NG report for your assigned equipment. Track it weekly — MRC currency, deferred items with authorization dates, open CSMP discrepancies with parts-ordering status. When the 3-M coordinator asks for the status of a specific system's MRC schedule, the ET3 who can answer without looking at the coordinator's printout is the one who knows his systems. The one who has to look up what the coordinator already printed is the one who is not managing his assigned equipment.
  • PRT Good Medium or better; BCA in standard. Submarine candidates meet additional medical screening requirements — know the timeline before volunteering.
    Good Medium at E-4 is the floor for the advancement-competitive ET3. Build three run days and two strength days per week as a baseline training program and treat the biannual PRT as a test of the training program, not as the training itself. Submarine medical screening includes specific physical and psychological fitness criteria that differ from standard Navy requirements — if the submarine track is under consideration, request a pre-screening medical consultation through the command medical department before formally volunteering, so the screening result does not surprise the timeline.
  • All watchbill qualifications complete or on the LCPO's sign-off schedule — the petty officer who shows up to the watchbill without the 301-series qual signed is a liability on every underway.
    Map the watch qualifications required for your billet and build a completion calendar with the LPO at the start of the ET3 tour. Every qual on the calendar needs a board date — a specific day the LPO knows about and has endorsed as the qualification event. The ET3 who requests the board before the LPO asks is the one the watchbill coordinator can plan around; the one who waits to be asked is the one the watchbill still has as 'under instruction' during the next underway.

Technical Mistakes — Concrete Consequences

  • Replacing an LRU without first running the TM fault-isolation tree — swapping boxes by feel instead of procedure.
    An LRU replaced without completing the fault-isolation procedure leaves the actual fault potentially unresolved and produces a CSMP entry that the supply officer and the division officer read as 'component replaced' when the real fault may be upstream. When the system fails again after the LRU swap, the investigation starts with the CSMP entry and the question of whether the TM procedure was followed. A $40,000 component replaced unnecessarily because the fault-isolation was bypassed is a finding the combat systems officer briefs to the department head with the ET3's name on the work order.
  • Closing a 3-M CSMP discrepancy as 'completed' before verifying system operability post-repair.
    The operability verification is the proof that the repair was effective. The CSMP closure without it is a statement that the repair was complete and the system is operational — a statement the division officer relays to the combat systems officer and that goes into the readiness report. When the system fails the next operational check and the CSMP shows a recent closure with your name on it, the investigation asks whether the operability procedure was run. 'I thought it was working' is not an answer; the TM section and the procedure step are the answer, and they need to be in the CSMP entry before you close it.
  • Working around the ESWP (Electrical Safety Working Procedures) because the work seems routine.
    NSTM Chapter 300 exists because the routine work is where the routine injury happens. The ESWP deviation — skipping a tag-out because the equipment looks de-energized, working hot because the tag-out process takes twenty minutes and the watch team is waiting — is the scenario that produces the electrocution investigation. At ET3 the investigation conclusion is the same as it would be for any paygrade: the worker bypassed the safety procedure, the system was energized, and the outcome was predictable from the deviation. Your LPO will know you took the shortcut the same day the event happens.
  • Logging calibration results that are within spec on paper but the full test sequence was not run.
    The INSURV inspector reads the calibration log alongside the system performance data from the recent operational history. The calibration entry that shows a compliant result for a test sequence that takes four hours but was logged in forty-five minutes is the entry the inspector flags for further review. The ET3 whose calibration records show implausible completion times for known-duration test sequences is the one being interviewed by the ISIC coordinator. The radar test director at an INSURV visit has run these procedures enough times to know how long they take.
  • Telling the OOD a surface search radar is 'operational' when it passed the quick-check but the full operability procedure was not run.
    The OOD logs your assessment in the OOD journal and briefs the navigator that the surface search radar is operational. During the next restricted-water transit, the radar degrades and the investigation asks what check was run before the bridge was told the system was up. 'I ran the quick-check and it seemed fine' is the answer that ends the transit investigation at the ET3's service record. 'I ran the operability procedure per TM chapter and section, result was operational, log entry is in OMMS-NG' is the answer that ends it at the equipment. Run the procedure.

Career Decisions at This Rank

  • NEC pipeline selection — 1426 (ET-Radar), 2791 (Combat Direction Systems), 2879 (Aegis Weapons System), or submarine track
    This is the most consequential career decision of the ET3 tour and the one most often made with insufficient information. NEC 1426 opens surface radar maintenance billets across the surface fleet — broad applicability, solid technical foundation, but not the highest-profile billet pipeline. NEC 2791 is the combat direction systems pipeline for surface combatants with the full CDS suite — more operationally focused, strong linkage to the Aegis community's adjacent requirements. NEC 2879 is the Aegis pipeline: the most complex surface electronics system in the fleet, the highest-profile surface ET credential, and the one that produces the technical foundation the defense market (Raytheon, L3Harris, Lockheed Martin's Aegis program) specifically values at separation. The submarine track is a fundamentally different career: Nuclear Power School is academically demanding at a level that selects for specific aptitudes, and the submarine community's qualification culture, sea-shore rotation, and post-service market (nuclear power industry, federal nuclear program positions) are distinct from surface ET. Pull the current NEC NAVADMIN, read the NAVPERS 18068 catalog entries, and talk to at least two ETs who have completed each pipeline before committing. The career counselor will tell you what is available; only the ETs who have been through it will tell you what it actually costs.
  • Re-enlistment at the first contract window — stay for the NEC and ET2, or separate as ET3
    The ET3 who separates at the end of the first contract before completing an NEC is leaving significant credential value unrealized. The NEC — particularly 2879 Aegis — combined with a warfare device and Navy COOL credentials documenting electronics experience is worth considerably more in the defense and federal civilian market than the title 'former ET3' without credentials. The re-enlistment math: base pay plus housing allowance plus SRB (pull the current NAVADMIN before any number is real) versus the specific civilian offer you have, not a hypothetical. The ET3 who re-enlists to complete the NEC pipeline, earn the warfare device, and build the credential stack is positioned at separation differently than the one who separated early and spent two years working up to the same credential level in a civilian program. Run the actual math against an actual offer; do not re-enlist to solve a short-term financial problem and do not separate before building the foundation that makes the civilian transition competitive.
  • Warfare device — Surface Warfare Specialist, Submarine Warfare Specialist, or platform-applicable device — and when to start
    The warfare device is the single most visible qualification credential on the dress uniform and the most frequently cited bullet in the evaluation block. The ET3 who is pinning a warfare device on the way to ET2 is the one the LPO can write a concrete evaluation bullet around; the ET3 who is 'working toward it' at ET3 is the one the evaluation has to hedge. The PQS for the Surface Warfare Specialist device on a surface ship takes roughly six to twelve months at a realistic pace — starting at the twelve-month mark of the ET3 tour is not early. If the submarine track is in consideration, the Submarine Warfare Specialist device is the parallel credential and the qualification culture around it is different in significant ways from the surface track. Start the PQS for the applicable device, request the board at the eighteen-to-twenty-four month mark, and pin it before the ET2 NWAE cycle.
  • LDO / CWO (Limited Duty Officer / Chief Warrant Officer) electronics track — is the ET3 too early to think about it?
    The ET3 is too early to apply but is not too early to understand what the path requires. The LDO and CWO electronics tracks require a competitive enlisted record — eEVAL rankings, warfare device, NEC, command endorsement — that is built during the ET2 and ET1 tours. The ET3 who understands what the LDO board reads is the ET3 who builds the ET2 and ET1 record intentionally, not reactively. Talk to an LDO or CWO in the electronics community about what the board reviewed in their package; the MILPERSMAN articles governing LDO and CWO selection are the starting point for understanding the requirements. The decision is years away; the preparation starts now.

How the Seat Varies by Unit Type

  • Aegis DDG / CG (Arleigh Burke / Ticonderoga, NEC 2879 billets)
    The ET3 on an Aegis combatant is in the highest-inspection-scrutiny, highest-technical-demand environment in the surface ET rate. The AN/SPY-1 radar and the MK-7 Aegis combat system set the technical bar, and the INSURV and ISIC inspection standard reflects it. The work center is populated with NEC 2879-coded senior ETs who hold the technical authority; the ET3 is developing toward that NEC on a visible timeline. The technical pressure is high, the CSMP entries are reviewed closely, and the LPO's standards are specific. The advantage: the post-service value of verified Aegis system experience is recognized at a premium in the defense market.
  • Non-Aegis surface combatant (LHA/LHD/LPD or older surface types)
    The ET3 on a non-Aegis surface combatant maintains a broader but less concentrated electronics baseline — AN/SPS-67 surface search, AN/SPS-48E air search on platforms where installed, navigation suites, interior communications. The work center is less technically specialized than an Aegis shop, and the NEC 1426 and 2791 pipelines are more typical than 2879. The inspection standard is high but the depth of specialization in any single system family is lower. The ET3 on a non-Aegis platform builds broader-baseline familiarity, which is a different credential than the Aegis depth that NEC 2879 represents.
  • LCS (Littoral Combat Ship)
    The LCS ET3 operates in a smaller crew and smaller work center, which means higher individual visibility — to the LPO, the division officer, and the combat systems officer — than a large surface combatant assignment. The electronics suite is modular-mission-package dependent and the system baseline changes with mission package configuration. The smaller division means less senior ET depth on the bench; self-directed learning and direct engagement with the technical publications are more important at LCS than at a DDG with deep bench depth. The LCS sea tour builds independence faster than a large combatant assignment.
  • Submarine (nuclear pipeline — Nuclear Power School + BESS Groton)
    The ET3 on a submarine went through Nuclear Power School (NPS, Goose Creek, SC) and Basic Enlisted Submarine School (Groton, CT) before checking aboard. The qualification culture is different in kind from surface ship: the submarine's watch qualification process, SUBSAFE program, and the COB and ship's qualification board standard are more demanding than surface ship equivalents. The goat locker culture on a submarine is small and close — there are very few senior enlisted aboard, and the ET's performance and conduct are more visible than on a large surface ship. The post-service market (nuclear power industry, federal nuclear positions) is distinct from the surface ET track.
  • FTSC / shore technical command
    The ET3 at a Fleet Technical Support Center or shore technical command is working in a maintenance-advisory and depot-maintenance environment rather than an operational ship assignment. The career implication is real: shore-duty credit accumulates, operational experience does not. The NEC progression may be slower because the billet pipeline feeds differently than a fleet assignment. The ET3 who spends the full ET3 tour at a shore command needs to be intentional about sea-duty credit math and the operational experience the ET2 billet will expect.

What Good Looks Like at This Rank

The good ET3 is the petty officer the LPO trusts with the pre-INSURV material inspection lineup because the CSMP entries under his name are clean, the PMS cards are signed honestly, and the division officer has not had to recheck his numbers before a readiness brief in the last six months. The ETSN he has been training for two months can now execute the morning PMS evolution on the AN/SPS-67 without the ET3 over his shoulder on every step. The LPO knows this because the ET3 told him during Friday counseling — not because the LPO had to go check. His NEC pipeline direction is documented with the career counselor, his NWAE study log is on the table at the monthly counseling session, and the BIB coverage milestone for the current month is on schedule. When the LPO asks which BIB section was covered this week, the ET3 can answer with the section name and what system on the bench it maps to. The study log is not a performance — it is the actual preparation record the LPO defends at the FMS meeting. His warfare device PQS is in progress or already pinned; he did not wait to be asked. On the casualty, the good ET3 is the one the combat systems officer calls when the air search radar goes degraded during a live-fire exercise — not because he is the most senior available, but because the LPO knows his fault-isolation is systematic, his CSMP entries are complete, and his brief to the division officer will include the TM reference and a realistic repair timeline. He does not tell the OOD the system is 'probably fine.' He runs the operability procedure, logs the result, and delivers a specific, defensible statement. That is the ET3 who becomes the ET2 the work center misses when he transfers.

Preview — The Next Rank

ET2 (E-5) is the working senior ET — the rank where the LCPO starts using the informal title 'LPO' in daily conversation because the section is yours whether the watchbill says so or not. The ET3s and ETSNs under your supervision call you by your initials and your name, and the division officer is starting to route technical questions directly to you rather than to the ET1. The technical expectations at ET2 are multi-system and multi-section. The ET3 owned assigned systems; the ET2 runs a work center — PMS review for the section, CSMP management across multiple system families, parts-ordering pipeline that the division officer briefs, and the NEC pipeline input for the ET3s under his supervision. The troubleshoot at ET2 implicates multiple systems simultaneously — the power distribution fault that is also a cooling system issue that is also a software configuration issue — and the brief to the wardroom has to address all three without the LPO filling in the gaps. The Chief board is not yet on the horizon at ET2, but the eEVAL ranking against peer ET2s in the section is the FMS lever that determines whether the ET1 slate is competitive. The eEVAL at ET2 is about section outcomes — CSMP closure rate, INSURV posture, ET3 advancement, NEC pipeline output — not individual maintenance performance. Start thinking in section terms at ET3 so the transition to section-level accountability at ET2 is not a surprise. The ET3 who arrives at ET2 already managing the section training plan and the CSMP status brief is the ET2 the LCPO can trust to run the section unsupervised during a detachment or surge from the first month.
FAQ

ET E4 — Frequently Asked Questions

Q01What does a E4 ET (Electronics Technician) actually do?
You own a work center, a watch section in CIC or the electronic warfare spaces, or a bench in the combat systems department.
Q02What's the most important thing to know as a E4 ET?
The crow means you own the fault, not just the MRC.
Q03What does a typical day look like for a E4 ET?
Time-blocked day at the E4 ET rank tier: 0530-0630 Command or divisional PT. As a petty officer at ET3, your presence and performance at PT is visible to the senior ETs in a way it was not as an ETSN. No falling out; no excuses before the LPO, 0630-0730 Hygiene, chow, utilities on. Pre-quarters: pull OMMS-NG and review the status of your assigned systems — MRCs due today, open CSMP discrepancies and their parts-ordering status, any overnight write-ups that have your systems' equipment numbers. Brief yourself before the LPO briefs the division, 0730-0800 Quarters.…
Q04What mistakes get E4 ET soldiers fired or relieved?
Closing a 3-M CSMP discrepancy as 'repaired' without verifying system operability post-repair. The division officer reads the CSMP entry when the system fails the next operational check, and if your name is on the closed discrepancy and the system is down again, the combat systems officer is looking at a pattern — not an isolated fault. The sign-off on a CSMP closure is the statement that the system is functional per the operability procedure. If the procedure was not run,…
Q05What career decisions matter most at the E4 ET rank tier?
NEC pipeline selection — 1426 (ET-Radar), 2791 (Combat Direction Systems), 2879 (Aegis Weapons System), or submarine track — This is the most consequential career decision of the ET3 tour and the one most often made with insufficient information. NEC 1426 opens surface radar maintenance billets across the surface fleet — broad applicability, solid technical foundation, but not the highest-profile billet pipeline. NEC 2791 is the combat direction systems pipeline for surface combatants with the full CDS suite — more operationally focused,…
Q06What's next after E4 for a ET (Electronics Technician) in the Navy?
ET2 (E-5) is the working senior ET — the rank where the LCPO starts using the informal title 'LPO' in daily conversation because the section is yours whether the watchbill says so or not.
Q07What manuals and regulations does a E4 ET need to know cold?
NSTM Chapter 320 (Electronics) and the NAVSEA technical manuals for your specific installed systems — the TM number on the equipment nameplate is your starting point every casualty.; OPNAVINST 4790.4 — Ships 3-M Systems Procedures; the OMMS-NG user guide for your platform (3-M paperwork is the inspector's first file).; Aegis Technical Training program documentation (SWOS/NAWS pipeline) if you are on an Aegis platform — the AN/SPY-1 and combat direction system TMs are not optional reading.

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