Guide
Getting your A&P with military experience
How military aircraft maintenance counts toward the FAA A&P: the 8610-2 military blocks, the JSAMTCC certificate, and what the FSDO checks.
Does military experience count toward an A&P?
Yes. The FAA rule asks for practical experience with the tools, materials and methods used on airframes or powerplants. Military aircraft maintenance can meet it. You need 18 months for one rating, or 30 months doing both kinds of work at the same time. [14 CFR Part 65, § 65.77(b)]
The time rule is the same as for civilians. What changes is how you show it.
Which part of the 8610-2 is for military?
Section II, box B: "Mechanic, Military Experience." Every military applicant fills in blocks B1 to B3. Blocks B4 to B6 are only for people who finished a JSAMTCC program. If you also have civilian time, mark box A too. [FAA Form 8610-2, Section II.B, p. 5]
| Block | What to enter |
|---|---|
| B1. Military service | Your branch |
| B2. Rank or grade | The highest rank or pay grade you held |
| B3. Specialty code | Your military specialty code (or your branch's equivalent) where you got the experience |
| B4. JSAMTCC curriculum | Only if you finished JSAMTCC: which curriculum |
| B5. Completion date | Date on your JSAMTCC Certificate of Eligibility |
| B6. Certificate control number | The number on that certificate |
Then fill in Section III, one row per assignment, with dates and the type of work. Describe the work itself. The form says job titles are not a description of the work. [FAA Form 8610-2, Section III, p. 5]
What is the JSAMTCC certificate?
JSAMTCC is the Joint Services Aviation Maintenance Technician Certification Council. If you finished one of its programs, you get a Military Certificate of Eligibility. The test center accepts that certificate as permission to take the tests it lists. Those can be General and Airframe, General and Powerplant, or all three. [FAA-G-ACS-1, Ch. 3, p. 12]
Without JSAMTCC, you take the usual path. Bring your 8610-2 and proof to the FSDO, and an inspector signs Section V. [FAA Form 8610-2, Section V, p. 6]
What proof should you bring?
Bring records that show what you worked on and for how long. The rule asks for "documentary evidence, satisfactory to the Administrator." It does not list exact papers, so your FSDO decides. [14 CFR Part 65, § 65.77(b)]
Veterans often bring their service record showing their specialty and dates, training records, and letters from supervisors that describe the work. Call your FSDO first and ask what they want to see.
Does every military maintenance job count?
Only work that matches the rating you want. Airframe time counts toward Airframe. Engine and propeller time counts toward Powerplant. For both ratings, you need 30 months doing both kinds of work at the same time. Avionics-only or support jobs may not count. Ask your FSDO. [14 CFR Part 65, § 65.77(b)]
Next steps
- Run the eligibility checker. It asks about your service and tells you which blocks to fill in.
- Read the civil experience guide for more on Section III.
- Ready to study? Take the free General diagnostic.
Questions people ask
- Does military experience count for the A&P?
- Yes. The rule asks for practical experience, and military aircraft maintenance can meet it. You need the same 18 months for one rating or 30 months for both, with proof the FSDO accepts.
- What is JSAMTCC?
- The Joint Services Aviation Maintenance Technician Certification Council. If you finished a JSAMTCC program, its Military Certificate of Eligibility lets you take the tests it lists, in place of a signed 8610-2 for testing.
- Can I mix military and civilian experience?
- Yes. Mark both box A and box B in Section II of the 8610-2, and list every job in Section III.
Sources
Every fact above comes from one of these FAA or eCFR documents. Page numbers are the PDF page unless marked. The full list of what we use is on the sources page.
- 14 CFR Part 65: 14 CFR Part 65: Certification: Airmen Other Than Flight Crewmembers (eCFR current as of 2026-10-28)
- § 65.77 Experience requirements, p. 65.77
- FAA Form 8610-2: Airman Certificate and/or Rating Application: Mechanic and Parachute Rigger (07-23)
- Instructions, Section II.B Mechanic, Military Experience, blocks B1 to B6, p. 5
- Instructions, Section III Record of Experience, p. 5
- Form page 1, Section V FAA Endorsement, p. 6
- FAA-G-ACS-1: Airman Certification Standards Companion Guide for Aviation Mechanics (with Changes 1 and 2)
- Chapter 3, documents that authorize testing (JSAMTCC), p. 12