U.S. Coast Guard · Aviation and Rescue

AST Aviation Survival Technician (Rescue Swimmer)

A Coast Guard Aviation Survival Technician (AST) — the service's rescue swimmer — needs a combined ASVAB score of VE+AR+MK+MC = 162 and an AFQT of at least 65 (verified June 2026). ASTs deploy from helicopters to rescue mariners and stranded persons in extreme conditions, the most physically demanding rate in the Coast Guard.

last verified 2026-06-19

AST (Aviation Survival Technician (Rescue Swimmer)) is in the Coast Guard and requires a minimum AFQT of 65 and VE+AR+MK+MC of at least 162. Last verified 2026-06-19 against U.S. Coast Guard — Aviation Survival Technician (AST) rating.

Quick check

Can I qualify for this job?

Enter the scores you already know. Leave a box blank if you do not have that score yet.

AFQT minimum 65Enter AFQT
VE+AR+MK+MC minimum 162Enter VE+AR+MK+MC

Plain requirement

What you need.

  • Min AFQT65
  • Training~24 weeks
  • VE+AR+MK+MC line score≥ 162

Source: U.S. Coast Guard — Aviation Survival Technician (AST) rating · last verified 2026-06-19.

Role brief

About AST — Aviation Survival Technician (Rescue Swimmer).

A Coast Guard Aviation Survival Technician (AST) — the service's rescue swimmer — needs a combined ASVAB score of VE+AR+MK+MC = 162 and an AFQT of at least 65 (verified June 2026). ASTs deploy from helicopters to rescue mariners and stranded persons in extreme conditions, the most physically demanding rate in the Coast Guard.

Initial training

How AST training works.

FormatBasic + AIT
LocationAviation Technical Training Center, Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Length~24 weeks

After Coast Guard basic training, AST candidates attend the 24-week AST 'A' School at the Aviation Technical Training Center in Elizabeth City, North Carolina — a swim- and rescue-intensive course. Graduates then complete a 7-week Emergency Medical Technician course at Training Center Petaluma, California, and must pass the NREMT-Basic exam. Full rescue-swimmer qualification takes roughly a year from A-School graduation.

Source: Aviation Survival Technician training pipeline (ATTC Elizabeth City + EMT at Petaluma) · last verified 2026-06-19 · date retrieved 2026-06-19.

After training

Common AST follow-on schools and paths.

  • Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification7-week course at Training Center Petaluma; AST graduates must pass the NREMT-Basic exam before qualifying.
  • Helicopter Rescue Swimmer designationEarned after the air-station qualification syllabus following A-School.
  • Rescue Swimmer InstructorSenior ASTs can return to ATTC Elizabeth City as deployment/rescue-swimmer instructors.

Starting pay · 2026

What this job pays as a junior enlisted member.

Base pay is set by pay grade, not by job — every Coast Guard enlistee at the same grade earns the same monthly base pay. These are the 2026 active-duty rates (3.8% raise, effective 2026-01-01).

GradeRankMonthly base payService
E-1Seaman Recruit (SR)$2,407after 4 months of service
E-2Seaman Apprentice (SA)$2,698under 2 years
E-3Seaman (SN)$2,837under 2 years
E-4Petty Officer 3rd Class$3,142under 2 years
  • Plus food allowance (BAS)$460/moFlat enlisted rate, tax-free, paid on top of base pay.
  • Plus housing allowance (BAH)Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) is paid on top of base pay and is tax-free, but it varies by duty-station ZIP code, pay grade, and whether you have dependents — there is no single nationwide figure. Use the official DoD BAH calculator for your assignment location.DoD BAH rate lookup →

Source: DFAS 2026 active-duty basic pay tables (3.8% raise, effective Jan 1 2026) · last verified 2026-05-23 · date retrieved 2026-05-23.

Eligibility notes

What AST candidates should check.

  • AST is gated on a combined ASVAB score of VE+AR+MK+MC = 162 plus an AFQT of at least 65. The Coast Guard (like the Navy) builds rating requirements from standard ASVAB subtest scores rather than the named line-score composites the Army and Air Force publish.
  • The 162 is a job-specific score gate, not the AFQT percentile. A candidate still has to clear the Coast Guard AFQT floor before the AST-specific 162 requirement applies.
  • AST is one of the few enlisted ratings with a physical fitness screening gate on top of the ASVAB. Published rescue-swimmer physical standards include 50 push-ups, 60 sit-ups, 5 pull-ups, 5 chin-ups, a 500-yard crawl swim within 12 minutes, four 25-yard underwater swims, and a 200-yard buddy tow. A qualifying ASVAB score does not waive the swim and fitness events.
  • Full rescue-swimmer qualification — A-School, EMT school, and the air-station syllabus — takes about a year, so AST is a multi-stage commitment beyond the initial score gate.

What ASVAB score do you need for a Coast Guard rescue swimmer?

The Coast Guard rescue swimmer rating (Aviation Survival Technician, AST) requires a combined ASVAB score of VE+AR+MK+MC = 162 plus an AFQT of at least 65. The 162 is a job-specific score gate; the AFQT 65 is the overall percentile floor.

Is a Coast Guard rescue swimmer the same as an AST?

Yes. 'Rescue swimmer' is the everyday name for the Coast Guard's Aviation Survival Technician (AST) rating. The two terms refer to the same job, and the same ASVAB and physical standards apply.

How hard is it to become a Coast Guard rescue swimmer?

AST is one of the most demanding Coast Guard ratings. Beyond the ASVAB 162 / AFQT 65 score gate, candidates must pass a rescue-swimmer physical screening (push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, a timed 500-yard swim, underwater swims, and a 200-yard buddy tow), then survive a 24-week swim-intensive A-School. Attrition is high, and full qualification takes about a year.

How long is Coast Guard rescue swimmer (AST) training?

AST 'A' School is 24 weeks at the Aviation Technical Training Center in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Graduates then complete a 7-week EMT course at Training Center Petaluma and pass the NREMT-Basic exam, with full air-station qualification taking roughly a year from A-School graduation.

Does the Coast Guard use line scores like the Army?

Not in the same way. The Coast Guard (like the Navy) builds rating requirements by adding standard ASVAB subtest scores — for AST that combination is VE+AR+MK+MC, with a minimum total of 162 — rather than the named aptitude-area composites (GT, CO, EL, and so on) the Army and Air Force publish.

What are the rating requirements for AST Aviation Survival Technician (Rescue Swimmer)?

The Coast Guard Aviation Survival Technician (Rescue Swimmer) rating (AST) requires a minimum AFQT of 65 and VE+AR+MK+MC of at least 162, with initial training of about 24 weeks. Those are the ASVAB-based entry requirements; a recruiter confirms the full enlistment picture (medical, background, and current openings). Source: U.S. Coast Guard — Aviation Survival Technician (AST) rating, last verified 2026-06-19.

Source: U.S. Coast Guard — Aviation Survival Technician (AST) rating · last verified 2026-06-19 · date retrieved 2026-06-19.

Nearby targets

Related Coast Guard score targets.

Related

Practice AFQT plus AST line-score subtests.

AFQT + VE+AR+MK+MC practice targets

Independent test-prep — not affiliated with DoD or the ASVAB program. See officialasvab.com for the test program.

Sources