Careers

Career Description

When a doctor looks at an x ray, they see inside a body. As a Nondestructive Inspection specialist, you'll do a similar thing using everything from x rays to ultrasound to inspect jets, missiles, ground vehicles and more. A sharp mind and attention to detail are a must as it's up to you to spot the smallest imperfections, wear and cracks that if missed could have catastrophic effects.

Career Tasks

• Determine what test method to use and prepare fluids and parts for inspection
• Analyze wear metal content on engine-lubricating oil and other fluids and recommend corrective action
• Establish radiation areas for radiographic operations and compute and monitor personal exposure areas for radiographic operations and monitor personnel exposure data
• Perform NDI on structures, components and systems
• Detect cracks, delaminations, voids, processing defects and heat damage
• Operate, maintain and inspect the nondestructive equipment and perform operator maintenance and service inspections on shop equipment and tools
• Proficient in metals identification, detecting metal discontinuities and flaws, radiological safety and radiation monitoring procedures and interpreting technical orders and directives

Relevant Interests & Skills

• Maintenance and Repair
• Computer Science
• Engineering
• Mathematics
• Chemistry and Physics

Training

After eight-and-a-half weeks of Basic Military Training, every Airman goes to technical training to learn their career. Here's the basic information about Nondestructive Inspection (NDI) technical training:

School location: Sheppard AFB [TX]

Length of course: 49 days

College degree earned: Avionic Systems Technology

College credits earned: 17