USMC OFFICER

Low Altitude Air Defense Officer 7204

Low Altitude Air Defense Officer 7204

Photo by Virginia Guffey

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MOS
Officer

The U.S. Marine Corps’ Low Altitude Air Defense (LAAD) community has undergone significant transformations due to the implementation of Force Design initiatives and the establishment of Marine Littoral Regiments (MLRs). A pivotal development is the introduction of the Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS), a short-range, surface-to-air capability designed to counter low-altitude unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and fixed-wing/rotary-wing aircraft. MADIS employs real-time communication and coordination to neutralize aerial threats, thereby enhancing the air defense capabilities of the Marine Air Ground Task Force. The 3rd Littoral Anti-Air Battalion, part of the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment in Hawaii, has been among the first units to field this advanced system, marking a significant milestone in modernizing the Corps’ air defense strategy. This integration reflects a broader shift towards distributed maritime operations and the reintroduction of short to medium-range air and missile defense systems, aiming to provide LAAD Battalions with an adaptable and effective ground-based air defense capability.


The following information may be outdated given many of the recent changes surrounding the 7204 community.


The Aviation Command and Control OccFld includes the operation and management of the air command and control functions associated with the MAW. Qualifications required include manual dexterity for man-machine interface, highly developed visual/auditory skills, the ability to communicate effectively with radios, and the leadership and skills to work effectively as a member of a command and control team. The duties involve skills and procedures that are initially acquired through formal schools and further developed by individual and team training. Air Control, ATC, Air Support and AAW Marines will be required to learn the planning, emplacement, and operation of air command, control, traffic control, and AAW systems and equipment. A wide variety of FMF billets are available in the OccFld in the active and reserve forces at group, squadron/battalion, or battery level. Numerous Non-FMF assignments also exist at the Marine Corps Systems Command, Marine Corps Air Stations worldwide, in Joint Commands, liaison billets, and as instructors at MOS-producing schools.

What is a 7204?

Low Altitude Air Defense (LAAD) Officers command, or assist commanders in commanding Ground Based Air Defense (GBAD) units. They coordinate tactical employment of LAAD units through air command and control agencies, sensors, and other air defense weapons. They evaluate intelligence, plan surface to air fires at all echelons, and direct administration, communication, supply, maintenance, and security activities of LAAD units. LAAD officers also plan tactical employment and command LAAD units conducting airbase ground security operations.

Are there any prerequisites to becoming a Low Altitude Air Defense Officer?

  1. Must be eligible for a secret security clearance.

  2. Must have normal color perception.

  3. Cannot be left eye dominant.

  4. Must have 20/20 vision (may be correctable to 20/20 with eyeglasses or contact lenses.

  5. Hearing loss no greater than 15 dB between 500 Hz and 2000 Hz.

  6. Must be at least 64 inches in height.

  7. Must meet MCSs prior to graduating from TBS. See the MOS Classification

  8. Complete the LAAD Officer Course at Marine Corps Communication Electronics School (MCCES) aboard Marine Air Ground Combat Center (MCGACC) Twentynine Palms, CA. Course length is 40 training days. The purpose of the course is to provide the student with a thorough knowledge of employing a Platoon of LAAD Gunners in the MAGTF. Officer students are taught the internal components, capabilities and limitations of the stinger missile. Practical applications are employed and evaluated in all phases of instruction in the Improved Missile Tracking Simulator (IMTS) and multiple live tracking exercises where simulated firing procedures of the stinger missile are conducted and evaluated. The cumulating event of the course is the engagement of an aerial target with a live stinger missile.

  9. Complete the Aviation Command and Control Common Course (AC2CC) at MCCES aboard MCGACC Twentynine Palms, CA. Course length is 24 training days. The purpose of the course is to provide a 1000 level aviation command and control knowledge base that will establish an entry-level training paradigm creating Marine Air Command and Control Squadron (MACCS) Officers who understand all facets of MACCS employment, not just that of their primary MOS. The AC2CC builds MOS proficiency and promotes standardization and cross training for the 7204, 7208, and 7210 officer accession pipelines (7220 via accession or skills progression) necessary to support current and future MACCS concepts of operations. Emphasis is placed on civil/military airspace, fires integration, digital interoperability, planning and employment of the MACCS agencies, and instruction in joint and coalition operations. Students will have the opportunity to conduct practical application exercises of lessons they have learned prior to their performance-based examination.

Common first assignments

A typical first tour assignment for LAAD Officer is as a LAAD Section Leader or Platoon Commander within an O-5 (Lieutenant Colonel) command within a LAAD Battalion as part of the ACE of the MAGTF. There is one LAAD Battalion assigned to the Marine Air Control Group (MACG) within both 2nd and 3rd MAW: 2nd LAAD Battalion aboard MCAS Cherry Point, NC (2nd MACG) and 3rd LAAD Battalion aboard MCB Camp Pendleton, CA (3rd MACG). LAAD Section Leaders and LAAD Platoon Commanders are responsible for the tactical employment, collective training, administration, personnel management, and logistics of their section/platoon. LAAD Officers will employ their unit in support of the Battalion’s overall mission to provide close in, low altitude, surface to air weapons fires in defense of MAGTF assets by defending forward combat areas, maneuver forces, vital areas, installations, and/or units.

Recommended reading for a Low Altitude Air Defense Officer?

  • Da Nang: Diary: A Forward Air Controller’s Gunsight View of Flying with SOG. Tom Yarborough

  • Steel My Soldiers’ Hearts: The Hopeless to Hardcore Transformation of U.S. Army, 4th Battalion, 39th Infantry, Vietnam.

  • Col David H. Hackworth

  • Charlie Wilson’s War. George Crile

  • Directorate S: The C.I. A. and America’s Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Steve Coll

  • On Air Defense. James D. Crabtree

Related occupations

  • 7202, Air Command and Control Officer (I) (LtCol to Maj) PMOS

  • 7208, Air Support Control Officer (I) (Capt to 2nd Lt) PMOS

  • 7210, Air Defense Control Officer (I) (Capt to 2ndLt) PMOS

  • 7220, Air Traffic Control Officer (I) (Capt to 2ndLt) PMOS

  • 7277, Weapons and Tactics Instructor-Air Command and Control (LtCol to 1stLt) d (CWO5 to CWO2) NMOS (7202, 7204, 7208, 7210, 7220, 5902, 5910, 5950, 5970, 02)

  • 7212, Low Altitude Air Defense (LAAD) Gunner (MGySgt to Pvt) PMOS

  • 7236, Tactical Air Defense Controller (MGySgt to Pvt) PMOS

  • 7242, Air Support Operations Operator (MGySgt to Pvt) PMOS

  • 7251, Air Traffic Controller-Trainee (Sgt to Pvt) PMOS

  • 7252, Air Traffic Controller-Tower (GySgt to Pvt) NMOS (7257, 7291)

  • 7253, Air Traffic Controller-Radar Arrival/Departure Controller (GySgt to Pvt) OS (7257, 7291)

  • 7254, Air Traffic Controller-Radar Approach Controller (GySgt to Pvt) NMOS 257, 7291)

  • 7257, Air Traffic Controller (SSgt to Pvt) PMOS

  • 7277, Weapons and Tactics Instructor-Air Command and Control (MGySgt to SSgt) OS (7212, 7236, 7242, 7291)

  • 7291, Senior Air Traffic Controller (MGySgt to GySgt) PMOS