About This Career

Search and rescue operations officers are responsible for organizing and leading rescue missions to support personnel in distress. They direct and participate in Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) operations. These officers possess core survival skills, such as swimming/diving or medical aid skills, and train, develop, and assess these skills in other personnel.

This career is part of the Government and Public Administration cluster National Security pathway.

A person in this career:

• Manages personnel and equipment to collect, process, exploit, locate, identify, and analyze SIGINT information
• Reports and supervises reporting per SIGINT directives to produce combat information and intelligence
• Establishes priorities and provides guidance for collection, exploitation, analysis, and reporting missions
• Advises and assists commanders and staffs in formulating plans for SIGINT activities
• Reviews data obtained in the traffic intercept process for accuracy and relevance
• Advises commanders and staff officers on matters concerning traffic analysis and use of the data
• Manages SIGINT collection, exploitation, reporting missions, and analytic projects
• Assists in SIGINT research and development and planning processes to develop requirements, equipment, and architectures for collection, processing, location, identification, analytics, and dissemination
• Provides SIGINT recommendations and guidance on service-specific and National policies, structures, assignments, and training
• Plans and coordinates procedures for the maintenance, calibration, adjustment, and testing of electronic intercept equipment, including radios and printers

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
• Conditions are very hot (above 90 F) or very cold (under 32 F)
• Exposed to conditions such as high voltage electricity, combustibles, explosives, and chemicals more than once a month
• Exposed to hazardous situations involving possible injury such as cuts, bites, stings, and minor burns more than once a month
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
• Work in this occupation requires being outside most of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Irregular hours