Electronics Technician

About the Team

The Advanced Electronics and Computer Field (ET/FC) forms the backbone of the Navy's Combat Systems department. Sailors in this field maintain, operate, and repair some of the Navy's most sophisticated electronics and computing systems, including radar, communications, navigation, local area networks, weapons fire control, and Aegis combat systems. ETs and FCs are essential to the operational readiness of carriers, cruisers, destroyers, and other surface combatants, as well as shore-based repair and technical activities.

About the Role

As an Electronics Technician (ET) or Fire Controlman (FC), you will serve as the technical expert responsible for the ship's combat systems. Your work blends hands-on technical maintenance with high-stakes troubleshooting under time pressure to restore mission-critical capabilities. You will operate and repair complex equipment ranging from transmitters and receivers to fire control radars and weapon control consoles.

Your day-to-day involves strict adherence to safety procedures, configuration control, and technical documentation to support inspections and certifications. Whether working in radar rooms, communications centers, or electronics shops aboard a ship, or in lab-style environments ashore, you will engage in team-based maintenance and watchstanding. This role often requires rotating shifts to support around-the-clock operations and may involve working in confined areas, on ladders, or topside where noise, heat, and weather are factors.

Training and Advancement

The journey begins with Recruit Training followed by Apprentice Technical Training at Great Lakes, Illinois, covering basic electronics, circuitry, digital theory, and troubleshooting. You will then strand into either the Fire Controlman or Electronics Technician track, focusing on specific systems like ballistics or communications suites. Further training includes follow-on A School and platform-specific C Schools, with opportunities for college credit recommended by the American Council on Education.

Enlisting under the Advanced Electronics and Computer Field program allows for accelerated advancement to E4 upon completion of initial school training and requirements. Final placement into the ET or FC rating is determined by performance and Navy needs during initial training. Continued promotion is based on performance, time in rate, and professional development.

How to Apply

To join the Navy, you must meet general enlistment standards, including eligibility to serve in the United States, a high school diploma or equivalent, and specific age, medical, vision, and character requirements. You must also achieve required test scores, such as the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), and be eligible for security clearance if required.

Additional qualifications for this role include normal hearing and color perception, strong arithmetic and computing aptitude, and the physical strength to handle equipment and shipboard environments. For the most current information on incentives, bonuses, and specific eligibility, applicants must confirm details with an official Navy recruiter or authoritative Navy source.

Equal Opportunity

The U.S. Navy is an equal opportunity employer. We consider qualified applicants regardless of background, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability status.