Aviation Storekeeper (AK) — Discontinued

RATING EVOLUTION

1. // Decommissioned · 2009
   AK
   Aviation Storekeeper
   1948–2009
2. // Active Today · Successor
   LS
   Logistics Specialist
   View active rating →

WHY THE RATING WAS DISCONTINUED

Merged with Storekeeper (SK) and Postal Clerk (PC) into the new Logistics Specialist (LS) rating in 2009.

OVERVIEW

Aviation Storekeeper (AK) was the U.S. Navy's enlisted aviation-supply rating. AKs managed aviation repair-parts and consumables aboard aircraft carriers, in carrier air wings, on amphibious assault ships, and at every Naval Air Station. The rating operated parallel to the surface Storekeeper (SK), specializing in the unique demands of aviation logistics: high-cost rotable components, depot-level repairables, and the time-sensitive supply chain that keeps carrier-based aircraft in the fight.

AK was disestablished on 1 October 2009 when the Navy merged its aviation-supply (AK), surface-supply (SK), and postal (PC) ratings into the consolidated Logistics Specialist (LS) rating. The merger was driven by the high overlap in supply-management work and the desire to create a single cross-trained logistics force.

WHAT THEY DID

Aviation Storekeepers managed the carrier air wing's repair-parts and consumable inventory; processed Maintenance Action Forms (MAFs); requisitioned depot-level repairables (DLRs) and rotable components; tracked Aviation Material Readiness; supported the Naval Aviation Logistics Command Information System (NALCOMIS); ran the squadron supply petty officer billet; and supported carrier on-board delivery (COD) supply runs. Senior AKs ran the Aviation Stores Division aboard carriers.

NOTABLE FOR

• Managed aviation supply and repair-parts logistics for every carrier air wing for over sixty years
• Operated the Aviation Consolidated Allowance List (AVCAL) and Shipboard Consolidated Allowance List (SHORCAL) systems
• Source rating for today's aviation-side LS billets

HISTORY

Aviation Storekeeper was established in 1948 alongside the broader specialist-to-rating reorganization. As naval aviation expanded through the Cold War — Forrestal-class through Nimitz-class carriers, plus a growing inventory of carrier-based jets and helicopters — the AK rating grew with it, operating the Aviation Consolidated Allowance List (AVCAL) and Shore Consolidated Allowance List (SHORCAL) systems that drove carrier and shore aviation-supply readiness.

By the late 2000s the Navy concluded that maintaining separate surface and aviation supply pipelines was inefficient. On 1 October 2009 AK was merged into the new Logistics Specialist rating, with active-duty AKs converting to LS and aviation-specific supply work preserved as an LS sub-specialty.

TYPICAL PLATFORMS & UNITS

• Aircraft carriers and carrier air wings
• Naval Air Stations and Marine Corps Air Stations
• Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support

HISTORICAL CAREER PATH

1. E-1/E-3
   Apprentice AK
   Recruit Training followed by AK A-school at Naval Air Technical Training Center, Pensacola, FL; first tour with a fleet unit.
2. E-4/E-6
   Petty Officer AK
   Lead a AK work-center, qualify in core watchstations, and serve as the rating's section leader.
3. E-7+
   Chief Aviation Storekeeper
   Senior AK leader — Leading Chief Petty Officer of a AK division, instructor at the rating's A-school, or detailer at BUPERS until rating disestablishment in 2009.

SUCCESSOR RATINGS (ACTIVE TODAY)

• LS · Admin & Logistics
  Logistics Specialist

FOR VETERANS & FAMILIES

If a DD-214, retirement order, or family-history document lists the rating AK (Aviation Storekeeper), that is a legitimate U.S. Navy enlisted rating that was disestablished in 2009. Sailors who held this rating served in the naval aviation community during 1948–2009.

The mission of AK is performed today by Logistics Specialist (LS). For VA benefits, MOS/rating-translator services, or transcript-of-service requests, reference both the historical AK rating code and the modern successor.

Official records: National Personnel Records Center (St. Louis, MO) holds U.S. Navy enlisted service records for veterans separated more than 62 years ago; later records are held by Navy Personnel Command in Millington, TN.

RELATED HISTORICAL RATINGS

Other decommissioned ratings whose mission was absorbed by the same active rating(s) as AK:

• DK · Decom 2005
  Disbursing Clerk
• SK · Decom 2009
  Storekeeper
• PC · Decom 2009
  Postal Clerk

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• When was the Aviation Storekeeper (AK) rating disestablished?
  The AK rating was disestablished in 2009. Merged with Storekeeper (SK) and Postal Clerk (PC) into the new Logistics Specialist (LS) rating in 2009.
• What rating did Aviation Storekeeper (AK) become?
  The successor rating is logistics specialist. Active-duty AKs converted to the new rating(s) at disestablishment.
• What did a Navy Aviation Storekeeper (AK) do?
  Aviation Storekeepers managed the carrier air wing's repair-parts and consumable inventory; processed Maintenance Action Forms (MAFs); requisitioned depot-level repairables (DLRs) and rotable components; tracked Aviation Material Readiness; supported the Naval Aviation Logistics Command Information System (NALCOMIS); ran the squadron supply petty officer billet; and supported carrier on-board delivery (COD) supply runs. Senior AKs ran the Aviation Stores Division aboard carriers.
• Can I still claim the AK rating on my record?
  Yes — your DD-214 and Navy service record reflect the rating you held. The AK rating was a valid U.S. Navy enlisted rating from 1948 until 2009, and veterans who served in AK continue to use the rating designation in records, reunions, and veteran-affairs paperwork.

SOURCES

• Naval History and Heritage Command — U.S. Navy Ratings History
• NAVADMIN / OPNAV historical-rating disestablishment notices
• U.S. Navy Enlisted Career Path Reference — Aviation Storekeeper