U.S. Marines · Aviation Maintenance

6173 Helicopter Crew Chief (CH-53)

As of July 29, 2026, Marine MOS 6173 Helicopter Crew Chief (CH-53) accepts any one of EL 105, GT 105, or MM 105, plus separate flight-duty prerequisites. When scheduled to fly, 6173 Marines operate aircraft, mission, and weapons systems for the pilot in command; when not flying, they maintain CH-53 power plants, transmissions, drive trains, fuel systems, flight controls, and rotor systems.

last verified 2026-07-29

6173 (Helicopter Crew Chief (CH-53)) is in the Marines and requires a minimum AFQT of 31 and one of these line-score paths: EL of at least 105 or GT of at least 105 or MM of at least 105. Last verified 2026-07-29 against NAVMC 1200.1L FY26 MOS Manual — MOS 6173.

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. Any one listed line-score path can qualify.

AFQT minimum 31Enter AFQT
EL minimum 105Enter EL
GT minimum 105Enter GT
MM minimum 105Enter MM

Plain requirement

What you need.

  • Min AFQT31
  • Training~23 weeks
  • EL line score≥ 105
  • GT line score≥ 105
  • MM line score≥ 105

Meet any one listed line-score path.

AFQT 31 is a percentile. The line scores above are not — they are Marines composites, weighted sums of your ASVAB subtest standard scores (EL = AR + MK + EI + GS; GT = WK + PC + AR + MC; MM = AR + EI + MC + AS — per MCO 1230.5C Enclosure 4 (Marine Corps composites), verified 2026-08-04). Work yours out from your score sheet with the Marines ASVAB line score calculator.

Source: NAVMC 1200.1L FY26 MOS Manual — MOS 6173 · last verified 2026-07-29.

Role brief

About 6173 — Helicopter Crew Chief (CH-53).

As of July 29, 2026, Marine MOS 6173 Helicopter Crew Chief (CH-53) accepts any one of EL 105, GT 105, or MM 105, plus separate flight-duty prerequisites. When scheduled to fly, 6173 Marines operate aircraft, mission, and weapons systems for the pilot in command; when not flying, they maintain CH-53 power plants, transmissions, drive trains, fuel systems, flight controls, and rotor systems.

Starting pay · 2026

What this job pays as a junior enlisted member.

Base pay is set by pay grade, not by job — every Marines 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-1Private (Pvt)$2,407after 4 months of service
E-2Private First Class (PFC)$2,698under 2 years
E-3Lance Corporal (LCpl)$2,837under 2 years
E-4Corporal (Cpl)$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 6173 candidates should check.

  • The current FY26 MOS entry lists three alternative ASVAB line-score routes: Electronics (EL) 105, General Technical (GT) 105, or Mechanical Maintenance (MM) 105. The word OR matters—an applicant needs one of the three, not all three. AFQT 31 is the separate general Marine enlistment floor for standard applicants.
  • MOS 6173 applicants must be U.S. citizens, with no waivers authorized for that requirement; be eligible for a Secret security clearance; and enlist for a five-year term.
  • Applicants must pass the rigorous aircrew flight physical. The MOS entry requires normal color perception with no waivers, normal depth perception under the cited aviation standards, and distant vision no worse than 20/70 in one eye and 20/100 in the other, correctable to 20/20 overall.
  • Applicants must volunteer for aircraft-crewmember flight duty and hold a WS-B(+) Water Survival qualification. These requirements are separate from the ASVAB score and remain subject to medical, aviation, and recruiting review.
  • The FY26 manual requires the CH-53E Crew Chief Training Syllabus (course M05AG21), Naval Air Crewmember Candidate School (N2373C3), and CH-53E Marine Enlisted Aircrew Training (M05AFA3). It does not publish one combined pipeline duration; the approximate week count shown above is planning context, not a guaranteed school schedule.
  • For Marines graduating from M05AFA3 in FY20 or later, the current entry says MOS qualification can occur without Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape training after the other listed requirements are completed. Unit and follow-on requirements can still vary.

What are the 6173 MOS requirements?

As of 2026-07-29, Marine MOS 6173 accepts EL 105, GT 105, or MM 105. Applicants must also be U.S. citizens, qualify for a Secret clearance, pass the aircrew flight physical and vision standards, volunteer for flight duty, earn WS-B(+) water survival, accept a five-year enlistment, and complete the required aircrew and CH-53 courses.

What ASVAB score do you need for Marine MOS 6173?

NAVMC 1200.1L lists three alternative line-score paths for MOS 6173: EL 105, GT 105, or MM 105. You need any one of those paths, plus the general Marine AFQT floor and the non-ASVAB flight-duty requirements.

Is MM 105 the only way to qualify for Marine 6173?

No. MM 105 is one valid route, but the current FY26 Marine MOS manual also accepts EL 105 or GT 105. Older secondary summaries that list only MM 105 omit the two alternative paths.

What does a Marine 6173 CH-53 crew chief do?

When flying, a 6173 crew chief operates aircraft, mission, and weapons systems and is responsible to the pilot in command. When not flying, the Marine works in CH-53 maintenance, including power plants, transmissions, drive trains, fuel systems, flight controls, and rotor systems.

What training is required for Marine MOS 6173?

The FY26 MOS manual names three formal requirements: the CH-53E Crew Chief Training Syllabus (M05AG21), Naval Air Crewmember Candidate School (N2373C3), and CH-53E Marine Enlisted Aircrew Training (M05AFA3). The manual does not publish one combined number of weeks, so verify the current sequence and dates with a recruiter or schoolhouse.

Do Marine 6173 crew chiefs need a security clearance and flight physical?

Yes. The FY26 MOS entry requires eligibility for a Secret security clearance and a rigorous aircrew flight physical. It also lists normal color and depth perception, specific correctable-distance-vision limits, U.S. citizenship, flight-duty volunteering, and WS-B(+) water survival.

Source: NAVMC 1200.1L FY26 MOS Manual — MOS 6173 · last verified 2026-07-29 · date retrieved 2026-07-29.

Nearby targets

Related Marines score targets.

Related

Practice AFQT plus 6173 line-score subtests.

AFQT + EL / GT / MM practice targets

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

Sources