They perform duties as varied as aerial gunners, rescue swimmers, radar and sonar operators, airborne mine countermeasures system operators, strategic communications systems specialists, loadmasters, repair technicians, and various other functions depending on the specific aircraft type in which they fly.

In addition to Sailors in the AW rating, other Sailors primarily in aircraft maintenance ratings had been flying as crewmen aboard the Navy's various fixed and rotary winged utility, cargo or special mission aircraft performing airborne mine countermeasures, logistics, communications relay, airborne repair or maintenance of critical systems, flight engineer, loadmaster or other specialized functions.

Upon satisfactory completion of the program and demonstration of the required knowledge by sitting for a qualification board of the squadrons leaders, the new AW is awarded the Gold Naval Aircrew Warfare Specialist "Wings" and the designation "NAC" is added to the Sailor's title or rate in the following manner "AWO2(NAC) John Smith."

All AWs must attain a minimum amount of education and training in several fields of science, technology, and aviation at several different schools.

The curriculum also includes advanced first aid and CPR and physical training with road runs up to 3-6 miles and one-mile swims.

Reading sonograms, magnetic anomaly detection equipment, physics, wave propagation, oceanography, meteorology and working with classified information are included in this phase of training.

The Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) course is designed to provide Level "C" Code of Conduct training to pilots, flight officers, intelligence officers, aircrew, and other designated high-risk-of-capture personnel, as directed by respective TYCOMs/MCCDC in accordance with DOD Instruction 1300.21 and the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency (JPRA) executive agent instruction.

It is based on and reinforces the values expressed in the code of conduct while maintaining an appropriate balance of sound educational methodology and realistic/stressful training scenarios.

Because SERE training is physically demanding, students must comply with their own service's body fat standards and have successfully passed their most recent physical-readiness test.

Additional training can be acquired to qualify rotary wing AWs as Combat Search and Rescue(CSAR) crewman.

Sailors who choose this career path need to possess above-average maturity and the ability to stay calm in high-stress situations.

AWRs perform the same jobs as regular AIRR crewman (AWS) as well as locating submarines using acoustics sensors, which has earned them the nickname "Subhunters".

The AW is responsible for the analysis of all sensor data and must interpret this data in order to search for, localize and track, determine spatial orientation and vector, identify, assess condition of, establish attack parameters on a single, or multiple surface or subsurface contacts.

Non-acoustic AWs, also known as "sensor 3s" or electronic warfare operators, (EWO's), currently fly in P-3 Orion aircraft, they will be transitioning to the P-8A Poseidon beginning in 2013.

Non-acoustic operators also work with the flight station and navigator to ensure safety-of-flight conditions are maintained.

They coordinate ASW information-gathering throughout the battle group, operate various under-sea warfare and non-under-sea warfare related sensor systems to extract, analyze and classify data obtained; perform specified pre-flight, in-flight and post-flight operations in a multitude of naval aircraft serving anti-surface, USW, mine countermeasures, electronic, counter-narcotics, and land and sea rescue missions performance; operate tactical support center systems to analyze and classify USW and non-USW data; assist in aircrew briefing and debriefing; and provide data base information to the tactical commander for use in prescribing mission objectives and tactics.