Mission

AMDO Captains serve in various staff billets at OPNAV, NAVAIR, NAVSEA, CNATT, DCMA and COMNAVAIRFORCES. After two years time-in-grade, AMDO and AEDO (Aerospace Engineering Duty Officer) Captains merge into a single competitive category, the 1500 designator. 

AMDO Commanders compete in a highly selective process for CVN AIMD Officer, FRC Components Officer, JSF Deputy Squadron Commander and periodically as Officers-in-Charge.  This is the equivalent of a Commander Command tour in the Unrestricted Line. AMDO CDRs are automatically screened for eligibility for acquisition command on selection for promotion to CDR and can afterwards apply for O5 Acquisition Command (FRC WESTPAC (NAPRA), DCMA, FRC West, and FRC Northwest). An acquisition-related tour at the Commander level is essential preparation for opportunities as an AMDO Captain to compete for Major Program Manager or for Commanding Officer of a Fleet Readiness Center or larger Defense Contract Management Agency activity.

Mid-grade officers continue their professional development with the Advanced Aviation Maintenance Management course. Career milestones for mid-grade AMDOs include; CVN AIMD Assistant Maintenance Officers and Production Control Officers (both IM-1), Carrier Air Wing Maintenance Officers (CAGMO), L-Class ship AIMD Officers (LHD DH) and Squadron Assistant Maintenance Officers (AMO). As mentioned above, mid-grade AMDOs will most likely have earned at least a Level 2 in PQM as well as other Level 1 & 2 core acquisition field certifications.  Once promoted to LCDR, AMDOs are expected to apply for and obtain membership in the Acquisition Corps (AC).  Opportunities for Lieutenant Commanders and Commanders to pursue post-graduate academic work include the Naval Postgraduate School, the Air Force Institute of Technology, the Naval War College, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

AMDOs begin their professional education with a nine-week course at the Aviation Maintenance Officer School at NAS Whiting Field, FL. Junior-grade AMDOs (O1-O3) then move on to serve primarily in operational fleet billets in squadrons and Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Departments (AIMD) both ashore and afloat.   During this sequence of tours the junior AMDOs are expected to learn the core aviation maintenance competencies, earn their initial Level 1 DAWIA certifications, but more importantly earn their Professional Aviation Maintenance Officer insignia.  A junior AMDO as part of this professional development period will complete at a minimum a 30 month tour at an O-level activity (fleet squadron, FRS, or shore squadron) and 18 months at a maintenance activity such as an CVN AIMD, AIMU or shore FRC. Junior AMDOs continue their academic development through participation in a broad spectrum of maintenance/logistics oriented service courses and acquisition workforce courses.  This “continuous learning” prepares them for job assignments and postures them for the completion of a technical or business oriented master’s degree. A last note on DAWIA certifications is that the primary acquisition field for junior AMDOs is Production, Quality, and Manufacturing (PQM) but junior AMDOs will. depending upon tour assignments, cycle through billets that allow them to obtain certification in a variety of acquisition fields such as IT, Financial Management, Program Management, and Lifecycle Logistics. 

In addition to working in fleet maintenance organizations, Aerospace Maintenance Duty Officers (AMDOs) as they mature through their careers get involved in all aspects of system acquisitions and support as Program Managers and Logistics experts.  You will find AMDOs located at numerous commands within the acquisition pipeline such as NAVAIR, SPAWAR, NAVSEA and DCMA.  Eventually senior AMDOs compete with other Acquisition Corps (AC)members to become Major Program Managers (MPM) for acquisition commands (PEO, PMA, CNATT, DCMA) or Major Commands such as the large Fleet Readiness Centers (FRC). 

Aerospace Maintenance Duty Officers (1520 designator) develop, establish, and implement maintenance and material management policies and procedures to support naval aircraft, airborne weapons, attendant systems, and related support equipment fleet-wide.