If You Work on F/A-18s, Your MOS Has a Countdown Clock

The Marine Corps just published a formal transition plan for every enlisted Marine in an F/A-18 maintenance MOS.

The Hornet is going away. The billets are going away with it.

And if you're a Reserve Marine at MAG-41, your deadline is 2030.

Reference: MARADMIN 207/26, signed 4 May 2026. Tied to the 2026 Marine Aviation Plan and MCO 1040.31 (Enlisted Retention and Career Development Program).

The old problem

The Marine Corps has been transitioning to an all-fifth-generation TACAIR fleet for years.

But enlisted Hornet maintainers have been left in a holding pattern: no clear timeline, no formal MOS reclassification plan, and no answer to the obvious question.

What happens to my career when the jet goes away?

This MARADMIN answers that.

The new rule (in one line)

Every enlisted Marine in a covered F/A-18 MOS will be reclassified into a new MOS by a hard regional deadline. Whether you want that or not.

Who this covers

This applies only to enlisted Marines in these six MOSs:

✦ 6217 — Fixed Wing Aircraft Mechanic, F/A-18

✦ 6227 — Fixed-Wing Aircraft Power Plants Mechanic, F404/F/A-18

✦ 6257 — Fixed Wing Airframe Mechanic, F/A-18

✦ 6287 — Fixed Wing Aircraft Safety Equipment Mechanic, F/A-18

✦ 6317 — Aircraft Comm/Nav/Radar Systems Technician, F/A-18

✦ 6337 — Aircraft Electrical Systems Technician, F/A-18

If your MOS is not on that list, this MARADMIN does not apply to you.

The timeline: three regions, three deadlines

The reclassification happens in phases tied to where F/A-18 operations physically end.

1. Eastern Region (MAG-31, MCAS Beaufort) Deadline: 1 August 2028, or when Beaufort stops F/A-18 ops, whichever comes first. After that date, zero Hornet maintenance billets remain there.

2. Western Region (MAG-11, MCAS Miramar) Deadline: 1 August 2029. Aligned to the end of active-component Hornet operations at Miramar.

3. Reserve Region (MAG-41, NAS JRB Fort Worth) Deadline: 1 August 2030. Aligned to the end of reserve-component Hornet operations at Fort Worth.

(Yes, Reserve Marines get the longest runway. But 2030 is not far away.)

Marines affected will be notified of their new PMOS or IMOS on or about 30 September of their regional transition year.

What the reclassification actually means

A few things worth understanding clearly.

It is based on the needs of the Marine Corps. Not your preference. Not your remaining contract time. The Corps decides where you go.

Each case gets individual review. The priority destination is F-35 maintenance MOSs with comparable skill sets. Other critically short MOSs are also on the table.

You will not incur additional obligated service just because you attend a new MOS school. That is worth knowing before you assume otherwise.

If you are currently outside an F/A-18 unit (on SDA, for example), you will receive an Intended MOS (IMOS) for F-35 and remain eligible for promotion. You are not penalized for being somewhere else when this happens.

Your options before the deadline hits

You do not have to wait for the Corps to reclassify you. There are paths you can take now.

Lateral move (voluntary):

✦ FTAP Marines inside their reenlistment cohort: you can request a lateral move under normal retention procedures.

✦ FTAP Marines outside their reenlistment cohort: you will be prioritized for transition into F-35 maintenance MOSs first, then considered for other laterals.

✦ STAP Marines: lateral move requests will be processed, with F-35 maintenance getting priority consideration regardless of your cohort.

Staying until your unit deactivates:

If you want to see it through, you can request an extension of your EAS to align with your unit's official deactivation date.

That date will be published in a Marine Corps Bulletin from the Total Force Structure Division (TFSD).

You must meet standard retention eligibility to do this.

If you are stationed outside the three regions listed:

Contact the F-35 Monitor before you receive follow-on orders, or at least six months before your unit deactivates. Whichever comes first.

Why this is a big deal

Promotion and retention in these six MOSs are now tied directly to whether F/A-18 units still exist in your region.

By FY2030, when the last Hornet unit deactivates, there will be no promotion opportunities and no retention opportunities left in these MOSs.

That is not a rumor or a planning assumption. It is written policy now.

If you are a Hornet maintainer and you do nothing, the Corps will reclassify you on its timeline, into an MOS of its choosing.

The Marines who move early will have more say over where they land.

A smaller note for active-duty Marines

This MARADMIN formally applies to the active component as well, covering the same six MOSs with the same deadlines for Beaufort and Miramar. Active-duty Hornet maintainers should read paragraphs 4.d and 4.e carefully. Sergeants and below follow one processing track. Staff Sergeants and above follow a separate one, both governed by MCO 1040.31.

The bottom line

The F/A-18 is retiring. The MOSs tied to it are being reclassified out of existence on a firm schedule. Reserve Marines at MAG-41 have until 1 August 2030. Lateral moves to F-35 MOSs are strongly encouraged. If you do not act, the Corps will act for you.

What to do with this

If you are a Reserve Hornet maintainer at MAG-41:

Talk to your unit S-1 now. Confirm your MOS is on the list and understand where you stand.
Start a conversation with your career planner or the F-35 Monitor about lateral move options.
If you want to extend to the deactivation date, watch for the MCBUL from TFSD. Do not extend without confirming eligibility first.

If you are a Reserve career planner or S-1:

Identify all affected Marines in your unit by MOS.
Brief them on the 2030 deadline and what reclassification means for their promotion eligibility.
Direct questions that go beyond your scope to MMEA-24. Contacts are below.

If you are unsure whether this applies to you:

Ask your S-1 before assuming anything. Do not wait for someone to come to you.

MMEA-24 Points of Contact:

✦ Maj Melton: 703-432-9330 / brandon.melton.mil@usmc.mil

✦ MGySgt Crissman: 703-784-9949 / andrew.c.crissman.mil@usmc.mil

✦ GySgt Matthews: 703-784-9692 / courtney.p.matthews.mil@usmc.mil

This is written by a reservist, for reservists. It is not an official publication of HQMC or MARFORRES. Always verify guidance with your command or unit S-1 before acting on any article or summary.

Need a shorter version of this for a unit brief or a longer breakdown of the MOS reclassification process? Ask and I can tailor either.

F/A-18 HORNET MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTIES PERSONNEL TRANSITION