Coast Guardsmen wishing to serve in one of the ratings associated with the Airman classification do not start their career wearing the green diagonal stripes that denote that career category. Instead, they begin their careers just as all enlisted Coast Guard Personnel do: undergoing boot camp as an E-1 Seaman Recruit at Training Center Cape May in New Jersey. Guardsmen seeking a career in one of the Airman enlisted ratings (Aviation Maintenance Technician,
Aviation Survival Technician, Avionics Electrical Technician) must request to be considered for that career path; if chosen, they will be transferred to Aviation Technical Training Center (ATTC) in Elizabeth City, North Carolina and designated as E-2 Airmen Apprentice.
With promotion to E-3, they become simply Airmen. Unlike some Coast Guard ratings in which Guardsmen can “strike” for a particular job and receive on-the-job training, Airman must complete one of the three Aviation rating Class “A” schools before they can advance to the E-4 pay grade and become Petty Officers Third Class.