Fire Controlman	FC
	Fire Controlmen (FC) provide system employment recommendations; perform organizational and intermediate maintenance on digital computer equipment, subsystems, and systems; operate and maintain combat and weapons direction systems, surface to air and surface to surface missile systems, and gun fire control systems at the organizational and intermediate level.

Fire Controlmen (FC)

Fire Controlmen provide system employment recommendations; perform organizational and intermediate maintenance on digital computer equipment, subsystems, and systems; operate and maintain combat and weapons direction systems, surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missile systems, and gun fire control systems at the organizational and intermediate level; inspect, test, align, and repair micro/minicomputers and associated peripheral equipment, data conversion units, data display equipment, data link terminal equipment, print devices, and system related equipment; make analyses for detailed systems, computer programs, electronics, and electronic casualty control; and operate associated built-in and external test equipment; load, initialize, and run preprogrammed diagnostic, performance and testing routines for digital computer equipment, digital subsystems, digital systems, and overall combat systems. 

What they do:

•  inspect, test, align, and repair micro/minicomputers and associated peripheral equipment, data conversion units, data display equipment, data link terminal equipment, print devices, and system related equipment;

•  make analysis for detailed systems, computer programs, electronics, and electronic casualty control;

•  operate associated built-in and
external test equipment; load, initialize, and run preprogrammed diagnostic

•  operate the Aegis Weapon System, which includes one of the most powerful air-search radars, deployed at sea around the world, the SPY-1, as well the MK99 Fire Control System, used for terminal guidance of Standard Missiles, and the Aegis Computer Suite.

•  run performance and testing routines for digital computer equipment, digital subsystems, digital systems, and overall combat systems.

Working Environment

FCs usually work indoors in a clean, comfortable shop-like environment and computer equipment rooms. They work closely with others and require little supervision.

Career Path After Recruit Training
Enlistees are taught the fundamentals of this rating through formal Navy schooling. Advanced technical and operational training in these ratings are available during later stages of career development.

Apprentice Technical Training, Great Lakes, IL 9 weeks of Basic electronics and electronic circuitry, safety, digital theory, microcomputers, fiber optics, test equipment and trouble-shooting techniques.

FC Strand, Great Lakes, IL 20 weeks of 2-D and 3-D radar, Troubleshooting procedures, Missile and Gun System Ballistics, and Firecontrol Basics.

After "A" school FCs continue on to advanced "C" school. School lengths and content vary, but many colleges and universities offer college credits for these Navy courses. During a 20-year period in the Navy FCs spend about 60 percent of their time assigned to fleet units or remote shore stations throughout the world and 40 percent to shore stations in the United States.

Qualifications and Interests
Fire Controlman must be U.S. citizens eligible to meet security clearance requirements. Important qualifications include knowledge of arithmetic, the capability to understand modern computing devices, the ability to speak and write well, function as a member of a team, do detailed work and keep accurate records. Additionally they must possess some physical strength, good manual dexterity and normal color perception.

Advancement
The Navy's FC Rrating is part of the Advanced Electronics/ Computer Field and offers extensive training in all aspects of electronics including computer systems, radars, and weapons fire control systems such as the Navy's advanced missile system and Aegis radar.

Enlistees enter as E-1s (seaman recruits). Advancement to paygrade E-2 (seaman apprentice) will be made after successful completion of recruit training. Advancement to E-3 will be made after completion of all advancement-in-rate requirements (including minimum time and course work). Advancement to paygrade E-4 (petty officer third class) will be made after successful completion of initial school training and after all advancement-in-rate requirements (including minimum time and course work) are completed.

FC - Fire Control Administrator

Fire Control Administrators manage and supervise the operation and maintenance of weapons systems in both tactical and training environments. They collect administrative data from various shipboard systems in order to maintain combat readiness. They plan and evaluate weapon system exercises/engagements. They manage personnel and training operations. They develop and conduct briefs/debriefs for Combat System evolutions.

FC - Fire Control Operator

Fire Control Operators initialize, configure, operate and collect data for weapons direction systems, displays and weapon consoles in both tactical and training environments. They have a comprehensive knowledge of warfare fundamentals and the fire control problem. They must be aware of the tactical and training environments they are operating in and provide weapon system employment recommendations.

FC - Fire Control Technician

Fire Control Technicians maintain, troubleshoot, repair and collect data for auxiliary equipment, computer, computer peripheral, display, shipboard radar, shipboard optics, weapon and weapon delivery systems, as well as Micro-Miniature (2M) and fiber optics repair at the organizational and intermediate maintenance level. They pack and unpack ordnance; operate, maintain, and troubleshoot ordnance handling equipment; review and maintain system logs and records.

Opportunities

Over 5,500 men and women currently work as FCs in the Navy. Opportunities are excellent for qualified candidates.

Security Clearance Requirement: Secret

101023-N-6632S-013 ATLANTIC OCEAN (Oct. 23, 2010) Fire Controlman 1st Class Scott M. Altis, left, and Fire Controlman 3rd Class David M. Lazcos perform pre-fire checks for a standard missile (SM-2) launch aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64). Gettysburg is part of the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group and is conducting training operations in the Atlantic Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Kevin J. Steinberg/Released

100927-N-7680E-067 CARIBBEAN SEA (Sept. 27, 2010) Fire Controlman 2nd Class Jacob Beebe, from Modesttown, Va., mans the local control panel of a Phalanx Close-In Weapons System (CIWS) during a test fire aboard the multi-purpose amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Zane Ecklund/Released

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