Navy Aircrew Survival Equipmentman (PR) Career Guide For 2026

Navy Aircrew Survival Equipmentmen are responsible for the inspection, maintenance, and repair of aviation survival equipment.

Their work supports aircrew safety by ensuring critical gear meets required standards before use.

The role involves technical precision and adherence to established Navy procedures.

What Is A Navy Aircrew Survival Equipmentman (PR)?

Navy Aircrew Survival Equipmentman are tasked with maintaining parachutes and other survival gear that are essential for the safety of the Navy personnel that count on them.

Here are some of the duties that are required of a Navy Aircrew Survival Equipmentman:

Inspect, maintain and repair survival equipment, flight gear, and high-altitude protective clothing (such as anti-gravity suits)
Operate, adjust, maintain and repair heavy capacity sewing machines
Repair, pack and rig several different styles of parachutes
Troubleshoot, repair, and test oxygen systems, oxygen regulators and liquid oxygen converters that have been removed from aircraft.
Operate and maintain carbon dioxide transfer and recharge equipment
Equip and pack lifesaving rafts
Be able to manufacture various types of fabric work and webbing assemblies that will be used to repair all different types of survival equipment
Supervise the operation of and maintain parachute lofts and other survival equipment work centers
Conduct scheduled and random inspections of survival equipment

Being a Navy Aircrew Survival Equipmentman is a demanding job that requires extreme precision but it can also be rewarding and fun at the same time.

Related Article – Navy Operations Specialist (OS): Career Details

Check out these YouTube videos if you want a little more detail about what an Aircrew Survival Equipmentman does:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxr2xAkqMJU]

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGCiKelTPFg]

What People Get Wrong About Navy Aircrew Survival Equipmentman (PR)

The Navy Aircrew Survival Equipmentman role is often assumed to involve flying duties, even though it is primarily ground-based.

Some people believe the job focuses only on parachutes, when it also includes a wide range of aviation survival systems.

It is commonly thought that the work is repetitive, despite the variety of equipment types and inspection requirements involved.

There is a misconception that technical skill is optional, even though precision and manual dexterity are essential.

Some assume the position requires minimal training, despite formal technical schooling and ongoing qualification requirements.

The role is sometimes viewed as isolated, when coordination with aircrew and maintenance personnel is routine.

It is also assumed that the job has limited responsibility, despite its direct impact on aircrew safety.

Aircrew Survival Equipmentman Requirements and Qualifications

Here is what it takes to qualify to start training to become an enlisted Aircrew Survival Equipmentman in the US Navy.

Educational Requirements

High School Diploma
GED

ASVAB Requirements

Minimum combined ASVAB Score of 185 on Verbal Expression, Auto and Shop Information, Arithmetic Reasoning and Math Knowledge.

-OR-

Minimum combined ASVAB Score of 140 on Auto and Shop Information, Assembling Objects, and Math Knowledge.

Additional Qualifications

Age eligibility is determined by current Navy enlistment standards and applicable waivers
Not required to be a United States Citizen
Normal color perception is required
Possess good manual dexterity skills
Successful completion of 8 weeks of Navy Basic Recruit Training held at Great Lakes Naval Training Center which is located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, close to Chicago. (Not required of those with prior military experience or training)
Depending on their duty assignment, may be required to complete a current Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI) that will allow that enlisted person to obtain a Secret level or higher security clearance

Training and Career Path to Become an Aircrew Survival Equipmentman

Here are the training requirements that must be completed before any Seaman can be considered a competent Aircrew Survival Equipmentman.

Navy Technical Training Information

Aircrew Survival Equipmentman technical training is conducted at an assigned Navy A School training location.

This course lasts slightly longer than 3 months.

During this period a Seaman is taught the fundamentals of what it takes to perform his or her duties as an Aircrew Survival Equipmentman.

On the Job Training

Navy parachute riggers (PR) inspect a jump master. Image: Wikimedia.org

At their first duty assignment, a Seaman recruit can expect to go through an extensive on the job training regimen.

The length of this training period will depend on how quickly a Seaman shows proficiency at handling the basic duties that are required of an Aircrew Survival Equipmentman.

How Much Are Navy Aircrew Survival Equipmentman Paid?

Aircrew Survival Equipmentman pay is based on an enlisted member’s current rank and the amount of time they have spent in the military.

An Aircrew Survival Equipmentman that has no prior military experience will start out at the pay grade of Seaman Recruit (E-1).

Those that have job applicable skills or schooling may start out with the initial rank of Seaman Apprentice (E-2) or Seaman (E-3).

Here is the current pay table for Navy enlisted based on rank and time in service:

Insignia	Pay Grade	Rank	Abbreviation	2026 Minimum Monthly Pay (<2 Years)
N/A	E-1	Seaman Recruit	SR	$2,407.20 (after 4 months; $2,225.70 for first 4 months)
	E-2	Seaman Apprentice	SA	$2,697.90
	E-3	Seaman	SN	$2,836.80
	E-4	Petty Officer Third Class	PO3	$3,142.20
	E-5	Petty Officer Second Class	PO2	$3,342.90
	E-6	Petty Officer First Class	PO1	$3,401.10
	E-7	Chief Petty Officer	CPO	$3,932.10
	E-8	Senior Chief Petty Officer	SCPO	$5,656.50 (starts at over 8 years)
	E-9	Master Chief Petty Officer	MCPO	$6,910.20 (starts at over 10 years)
	E-9	Fleet/Command Master Chief Petty Officer	FMCPO/CMCP	$6,910.20 (starts at over 10 years)
	E-9	Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy	MCPON	$6,910.20 (starts at over 10 years)

Advancement through the Seamen ranks (E-1 to E-3) is done simply by time in grade.

To become a non-commissioned officer in the Navy (E-4 and above), a Seaman will need to achieve a good test score that is combined with their current time in grade to advance to the next rank.

Miscellaneous Pay, Allowances, and Incentives

Here are some other pay additions that may be given due to a Seaman’s current location or specific job assignment.

These include:

Housing allowance for those that live off base (BAH)
Subsistence allowance (Food – BAS)
Temporary duty pay
Hazardous duty pay
Sea duty pay (Separation pay)
100% paid healthcare
Tuition reimbursement

What’s Life Like as a Navy Aircrew Survival Equipmentman?

There is a wide variety of working environments that an Aircrew Survival Equipmentman may be asked to perform their assigned tasks in.

This can be assigned to a ship, a naval air station or attached to a specific Navy air squadron.

With each type of assignment come somewhat different lifestyles.

Those assigned to ships or navy air squadrons will be gone from home for long periods of time and this may make it difficult for those Aircrew Survival Equipmentman that have families.

For those that want to see the world, this is a great navy career to choose.

An Aircrew Survival Equipmentman can expect to spend at least half of their time on active duty assigned to shipboard duty or assigned to a Navy air squadron that rotates out to sea on a regular basis.

Work settings involve everything from spacious facilities when working on a base to much smaller confines when working on a ship.

In peacetime, all Navy active-duty personnel are allowed shore leave, weekly days off, and 30 days of paid leave each year.

Job Reviews

Here is what some enlisted members who served as a US Navy Aircrew Survival Equipmentman had to say about their experiences on the website Indeed.com:

Those who like to travel and did not mind some long working days at times seemed to enjoy their time spent as an Aircrew Survival Equipmentman.

Navy Aircrew Survival Equipmentman Civilian Career Opportunities

Although there are not an abundance of jobs in the civilian world that can use the skills of an Ex-Navy Survival Equipmentman, there certainly are some decent paying civilian alternatives that come with this type of Navy training.

Here are some examples of civilian companies that hire Ex-Navy Survival Equipmentman:

Complete Parachute Solutions, Inc. – Coolidge, AZ
TRAX International – Dyess AFB, TX
PAE Government Services Inc. – Fallon, NV
TRAX Test Services – Yuma Proving Ground, AZ
Airborne Systems – Santa Ana, CA
Lockheed Martin Corporation – San Diego, CA
Augustine Consulting Inc. – Fort Bragg, NC
S&K Global Solutions – Kāne‘ohe Bay, HI
Kay and Associates – Camp Pendleton, CA
Modern Technology Solutions, Inc. – Niceville, FL

There is also a shortage of people that know how to pack parachutes and maintain aircraft safety equipment in the military too.

So many times these jobs are given out to civilian contractors.

That means there are opportunities for Ex-Navy Survival Equipmentman to work for the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Air Force Reserve in government contracting positions.

If an Ex-Navy Survival Equipmentman worked in a capacity where they were given a Secret or better security clearance, that security clearance has value and may lead to even more civilian employment opportunities.

References:

navydads.ning.com

Navy PR Rating Card

Navy COOL Summary – PR

Author
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Craig S.

Craig spent many years on active duty service in the Air Force stationed in such places as Okinawa, Japan and SAC Headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. While in the military, he spent time analyzing imagery from a variety of aircraft such as the SR-71. He was also one of the first enlisted members in the Air Force to experience working with near real time satellite imagery. Craig currently resides in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and runs his own business.