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11C Career Guide

Army

11C: Mortarman

Career transition guide for Army Mortarman (11C)

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Tech Roles You Could Aim For

Real industry tech roles your 11C background maps to — picked from BLS-anchored occupations using your training, cognitive skills, and systems experience.

Data Analyst

Data

SOC 15-2051
Good match

Your experience with fire planning, target lists, and overlays translates well to the analytical mindset needed for a data analyst role. Skills with map overlays and coordinate systems can be applied to data visualization. Your background involves system modeling, which is transferable to data modeling.

Typical stack:

SQLExcel / Sheets at expert levelOne BI tool (Tableau, Power BI, Looker)Statistics fundamentalsStakeholder communication

DevOps Engineer

DevOps / Platform

SOC 15-1244
Moderate match

Experience maintaining secure communications equipment, along with performing NBC operations, aligns with the security and systems thinking needed in DevOps. Your experience with fire direction center operations translates to understanding complex systems.

Typical stack:

CI/CD tooling (GitHub Actions, GitLab, Jenkins)Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Pulumi)Containers (Docker, Kubernetes)Cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure)Linux

Technical Program Manager

Product

SOC 11-3021
Moderate match

Your experience planning, coordinating, supervising, and reporting activities of subordinate mortar sections and squads is directly applicable to program management. Leading teams translates to managing projects and people.

Typical stack:

Software systems literacy (read code, read architecture diagrams)Cross-team coordinationRisk and dependency managementWritten communicationStakeholder reporting

Computer Systems Analyst

Customer / Field

SOC 15-1211
Moderate match

Your work with fire control equipment, maps, and overlays can be transferrable to analyzing and improving computer systems. Your training plan development experience can be applied to requirements elicitation and documentation.

Typical stack:

Software systems literacyProcess mappingRequirements gatheringSQLStakeholder communication

Skills You Already Have

Concrete bridges from 11C experience to tech-industry practice.

  • Indirect Fire ProceduresData Analysis
  • Forward Observer TechniquesData Visualization
  • Maintaining Communications EquipmentSystems Administration
  • Rapid PrioritizationIncident Management
  • System ModelingData Modeling
  • LHMBC (Lightweight Handheld Mortar Ballistic Computer)Ballistic trajectory calculation and fire control software
  • M95/M96 Mortar Fire Control SystemComputerized fire control and targeting systems

Skills to Learn

The concrete gap to bridge — specific to the roles above, not generic.

SQLPython pandasAWS basicsLinux fundamentalsAgile methodologiesJira

How VWC fits

Vets Who Code accelerates the parts we teach — software engineering fundamentals, web development, AI tooling. For everything else above, the path is doable independently with the resources we link to.

See VWC Programs

Civilian Career Pathways

Top civilian roles for 11C veterans, with average salary and market demand data.

Construction Manager

$98K
Good matchHigh demand

Skills to develop:

Project Management Professional (PMP) CertificationOSHA Safety TrainingBlueprint Reading

Logistics Manager

$85K
High matchGrowing demand

Skills to develop:

Supply Chain Management CertificationExperience with specific logistics software (e.g., SAP)APICS Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM)

Emergency Management Specialist

$78K
Good matchStable demand

Skills to develop:

Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) credentialHAZMAT trainingIncident Command System (ICS) certifications

Security Consultant

$82K
Moderate matchGrowing demand

Skills to develop:

Certified Protection Professional (CPP) certificationCybersecurity knowledgeRisk assessment methodologies

Training and Development Manager

$92K
Good matchHigh demand

Skills to develop:

ATD Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD)Instructional design principlesE-learning platform experience

Salary estimates from VWC career data

Hidden Strengths

Cognitive skills your 11C training built — and where they transfer.

System Modeling

Computing mortar firing solutions accounting for distance, elevation, wind, charge, and target movement

Working with complex variable models — transferable to engineering analysis, data modeling, and logistics optimization

Rapid Prioritization

Processing multiple fire missions simultaneously while prioritizing based on tactical urgency and troop safety

Managing competing urgent demands with precision — applicable to emergency dispatch, production scheduling, and incident management

Team Synchronization

Operating as part of a mortar squad where precise timing and coordination between crew members is essential for accuracy and safety

Executing choreographed team procedures under pressure — valued in manufacturing, surgical teams, and broadcast production

Non-Obvious Career Matches

Land Surveyor

SOC 17-1022

Your proficiency with map reading, terrain analysis, distance calculation, and coordinate systems translates directly to land surveying — same math, different application.

Manufacturing Production Supervisor

SOC 51-1011

Coordinating crew operations, maintaining strict safety protocols, and managing sequential production processes mirrors your mortar section leadership experience.

Training & Education Equivalencies

Infantry OSUT, Fort Moore

640 training hours16 weeksUp to 6 semester hours recommended

Topics Covered

  • Mortar Weapon Systems (60mm, 81mm, 120mm)
  • Indirect Fire Procedures
  • Forward Observer Techniques
  • Fire Direction Center Operations
  • Land Navigation
  • NBC Operations
  • Mine Warfare

Certification Pathways

Partial Coverage

OSHA 30-Hour Construction60% covered

OSHA regulations, construction-specific hazards, safety management systems.

Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)40% covered

Formal project management methodologies, the PMBOK guide, and project management terminology.

Recommended Next Certifications

Project Management Professional (PMP)Six Sigma Green BeltLean Six Sigma Black BeltAssociate Safety Professional (ASP)

Technical Systems Translation

Military systems you've used and their civilian equivalents for your resume.

Military SystemCivilian Equivalent
LHMBC (Lightweight Handheld Mortar Ballistic Computer)Ballistic trajectory calculation and fire control software
M95/M96 Mortar Fire Control SystemComputerized fire control and targeting systems
DAGR (Defense Advanced GPS Receiver)Precision GPS navigation and positioning systems
Forward Observer Software (FOS)Geospatial targeting and coordinate calculation tools
Blue Force Tracker (BFT)Real-time GPS fleet and asset management systems

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