airman

An airman is a person associated with aviation, most often a member of an air force or air service, or a civilian employee who works with aircraft. In military contexts, airmen perform a wide range of duties that support flight operations but are not the pilots or aircrews responsible for flying.

Within many air forces, airman denotes an entry-level rank for enlisted personnel. In the United States Air Force and Space Force, “Airman” is the rank designation for E-2 after completing basic training, typically followed by Airman First Class and Senior Airman. Other countries use different rank ladders, and the exact duties attached to the title can vary accordingly.

Common roles include aircraft maintenance technicians, avionics specialists, weapons technicians, loadmasters, air traffic service personnel, base security, logistics, and administrative support. Some airmen specialize in a particular field and may later advance to noncommissioned officer ranks or become warrant officers or commissioned officers, depending on the country’s system.

Training for airmen combines initial basic military training with specialized technical schooling and on-the-job instruction. Career progression is typically linked to time in service, performance, and the completion of required education or leadership courses.

Outside the military, the term may be used more loosely to describe workers on or around aircraft, but in civilian contexts the exact job titles vary and the term “airman” is less common. The word also has historical usage in some navies or air services that have since updated naming conventions.