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AVIATION BOATSWAIN'S MATE (AIRCRAFT HANDLING) (ABH)

The carrier aircraft-handling rating — every taxi, spot, chock, and tie-down on the flight deck and hangar deck.

Rating Badge

Rating Code

ABH

Community

Naval Aviation

Paygrade Range

E-1 to E-9

ASVAB Minimum

VE+AR+MK+AS=185

A-School

Naval Air Technical Training Center, NAS Pensacola, FL · ~7 weeks

Clearance

Standard

Obligation

4 years

OVERVIEW

Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Aircraft Handling), or ABH, is the U.S. Navy's carrier aircraft-handling rating. ABHs direct every aircraft movement on a carrier flight deck and hangar deck, operate the aircraft elevators, supervise the chock-and-chain crews, and lead the carrier's crash and salvage ("crash-and-smash") teams. The "yellow shirts" of the carrier flight deck are ABH aircraft directors.

ABHs serve as the Aircraft Handling Officer's enlisted leadership and as the senior watchstanders on the V-1, V-2, and V-3 divisions. The senior ABH on a carrier is typically the V-1 Division Master Chief.

The aviation community covers Sailors who maintain, operate, and support U.S. Navy aircraft — fixed-wing fighters, maritime patrol, helicopters, and unmanned platforms — both on aircraft carriers and at shore-based naval air stations. The community follows the Aviation Maintenance Officer (AMO) construct and emphasizes Naval Aviation Maintenance Program (NAMP) qualifications.

A-school for the rating runs ~7 weeks at Naval Air Technical Training Center, NAS Pensacola, FL, where Sailors complete the technical foundation needed to report to their first fleet command. Entry requires the ASVAB line score VE+AR+MK+AS=185 and an enlistment obligation of 4–6 years. ABHs advance through the standard enlisted paygrade structure (E-1 through E-9), competing in the Navy-Wide Advancement Examination (NWAE) at E-4 through E-6 and via the Selection Board at E-7 through E-9. Senior ABHs typically serve as Leading Petty Officer (LPO), Work Center Supervisor, Leading Chief Petty Officer (LCPO), or Command Master Chief (CMC), and may pursue Limited Duty Officer (LDO), Chief Warrant Officer (CWO), or commissioning programs such as STA-21, MECP, or OCS.

Across the active force, ABH Sailors are essential to the Navy's mission readiness, and the rating remains an in-demand career field with strong reenlistment bonuses (SRB), advancement opportunities, and pathways into Navy Reserve, civilian DoD, and industry careers after service.

WHAT ABHs DO

ABHs direct every aircraft on the flight deck and hangar deck of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, operate the four catapult-deck and one elevator-pit aircraft elevators, supervise the chock-and-chain crews that secure aircraft on a moving deck, and lead the carrier's crash and salvage crews. They are the Aircraft Handling Officer's enlisted leadership, the supervisors of the V-1 (flight deck), V-2 (hangar deck), and V-3 (aircraft elevator) divisions, and the people who keep two squadrons of jets moving safely on a deck the size of a football field.

RESPONSIBILITIES

ABHs direct every aircraft on the flight deck and hangar deck of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, operate the four catapult-deck and one elevator-pit aircraft elevators, supervise the chock-and-chain crews that secure aircraft on a moving deck, and lead the carrier's crash and salvage crews. They are the Aircraft Handling Officer's enlisted leadership, the supervisors of the V-1 (flight deck), V-2 (hangar deck), and V-3 (aircraft elevator) divisions, and the people who keep two squadrons of jets moving safely on a deck the size of a football field.
Stand watches and qualify on the rating's Personnel Qualification Standards (PQS), maintain training jackets, and mentor junior ABHs as required by the chain of command.
Lead the ABH work center as Leading Petty Officer or Work Center Supervisor — managing maintenance documentation in 3M/MFOM, parts ordering, and personnel qualifications.
Support general military training (GMT), damage control, force protection, and watch-bill assignments common to every Sailor regardless of rating.

HISTORY

Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Aircraft Handling) was carved out of the post-WWII Aviation Boatswain's Mate rating in the late 1940s along with ABE and ABF. The "yellow shirt" aircraft director — guiding multimillion-dollar jets within feet of the carrier deck edge — has been a defining image of U.S. naval aviation since the colored-shirt system was standardized.

Today ABHs run the most choreographed real estate in the Navy: a 4.5-acre flight deck with 60+ aircraft, jet blast, arresting cables, and steam catapults all working at once.

The aviation rating structure traces to 1921 when the Bureau of Aeronautics was established and the Navy formalized aviation enlisted ratings to support the rapid growth of carrier aviation between the world wars. Successive consolidations through the 1948 enlisted-rating reorganization and the modern Naval Aviation Enterprise (NAE) shaped the current pipeline.

Today the Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Aircraft Handling) (ABH) rating is overseen by the Enlisted Community Management (ECM) office at My Navy HR and the Center for Personal and Professional Development. Modern ABHs benefit from the Sailor 2025 personnel-system reforms, the Ready Relevant Learning (RRL) training continuum, and credentialing through the Navy COOL program — turning rating qualifications into industry-recognized certifications and licenses.

The rating's structure, training pipeline, and operational employment continue to evolve alongside the Navy's transition to Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO), Project Overmatch, and the Force Design 2045 fleet architecture, ensuring ABHs remain central to the warfighting mission.

TRAINING PIPELINE

1. Recruit Training (Boot Camp)~10 weeks
Naval Station Great Lakes, IL
Initial entry training for all U.S. Navy enlisted Sailors at the Navy's only boot camp.
2. Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Aircraft Handling) A-School~7 weeks
Naval Air Technical Training Center, NAS Pensacola, FL
Initial rating-skills training for ABH accessions.
3. Fleet / Operational TourFirst sea or operational tour
Aircraft carriers (CVN-68 Nimitz / CVN-78 Ford)
On-the-job training and qualifications in the ABH rating with a fleet unit.

TYPICAL CAREER PATH

E-1/E-3
Apprentice ABH
A-school at NAS Pensacola; first tour aboard a CVN as a chock-and-chain runner or elevator operator.
E-4/E-6
Petty Officer ABH
Qualify as aircraft director ("yellow shirt"), elevator operator, and crash-and-salvage team leader.
E-7+
Chief ABH
V-1, V-2, or V-3 Division Chief; carrier Air Department Master Chief; instructor at NAMTRAGRU.

TYPICAL PLATFORMS & UNITS

Aircraft carriers (CVN-68 Nimitz / CVN-78 Ford)
Amphibious assault ships (LHA-6 / LHD-1)

EXAMPLE NECs

ABH-7042 Crash and Salvage Crewman
ABH-7044 Flight Deck Director

How to address

As an enlisted Sailor by paygrade and last name (e.g. "Petty Officer Smith" for E-4–E-6, "Chief Smith" for E-7+). The rating abbreviation "ABH" is appended to the paygrade in writing — e.g., ABH1 Smith for ABH Petty Officer First Class.

Prerequisites

U.S. citizenship and minimum ASVAB VE+AR+MK+AS=185
High school diploma or equivalent
Pass the Navy physical and medical screening

Common assignments

Aircraft carriers (CVN-68 Nimitz / CVN-78 Ford)
Amphibious assault ships (LHA-6 / LHD-1)

RELATED RATINGS

RELATED BASES

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

On a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier flight deck, aircraft directors wear yellow jerseys to be identifiable from afar. The colored-shirt system has been standardized since World War II.

All three are Aviation Boatswain's Mate sub-ratings. ABE (Equipment) handles catapults and arresting gear; ABF (Fuels) handles JP-5; ABH (Aircraft Handling) directs aircraft and operates the carrier elevators.

ABH A-school is at the Naval Air Technical Training Center on NAS Pensacola, FL.

SOURCES

Last updated 2026-05-02

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