01 / Occupational profile
Your 1833 occupational profile
Whole-body vibration and impact in the crew compartment
Common occupational factor
AAV crew and troop compartments transmit sustained vibration and impact during overland and surf operation, a recognized spinal load for tracked-vehicle crews.
Weapons station and engine noise
Common occupational factor
Operating the MK19 and M2 .50 cal from the weapons station, along with the AAV's diesel engine and water-jet or track noise, are sustained noise sources.
Water operations and vehicle mishaps
Assignment-dependent
Surf transit, well-deck launch and recovery, and amphibious operations carry a recognized capsizing and drowning risk documented in Marine Corps safety reviews across multiple eras.
02 / Your service
What did you actually do?
Your MOS is the starting point. Your actual assignment, era, equipment, location, and duties determine which parts of the occupational history are relevant. Use the Evidence Builder below to select your actual duties and see records that may corroborate them.
1833s crew assault amphibious vehicles, employing them for ship-to-shore movement of troops and equipment and subsequent operations ashore, and operating the up-gunned weapons station (MK19 40mm grenade launcher and M2 .50 cal machine gun). Duties include preventive and corrective maintenance, pre-combat checks and inspections, headspace and timing on crew-served weapons, boresighting, and preparing fire plans and range cards. Crew compartments transmit vibration and impact both on land and in water transit, and water operations (surf transit, well-deck launch and recovery) carry drowning and capsizing risk recognized in Marine Corps safety investigations over multiple eras.
AAV fleets and weapon stations were upgraded over time, including the up-gunned weapons station (UGWS) with MK19 and M2 .50 cal; later eras also introduced the Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV, MOS 1834) alongside the AAV. The vehicle, weapon station, and unit matter more than the code.
Duties that may vary by assignment
- Operating the AAV for ship-to-shore and overland movement
- Operating the up-gunned weapons station (MK19 and M2 .50 cal)
- Preventive and corrective maintenance on the vehicle and weapons systems
- Headspace, timing, and boresighting of crew-served weapons
- Pre-combat checks, inspections, and fire-plan preparation
- Water operations including surf transit and well-deck launch and recovery
Related historical codes: Historically referenced as Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV) Crewman
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Military Occupational Evidence Builder
Based on what you actually did in the military, what records might document it? Select only what applied to you. No name, file number, contact details, free text, or upload. Nothing is saved or sent.
Military service
Marine Corps · 1833 Assault Amphibious Vehicle Crewmember
For another specialty, open its guide from the MOS library. A job code alone does not establish individual duties or exposure.
Era(s) of service
Deployments
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Your Evidence Builder identifies records that may document your service history. If VA has already decided your claim, the next question is different: what did VA accept, what did VA reject, and why?
Request a free decision review03 / Corroboration
Building your occupational history
Records matter because they can connect a job title to an individual's actual work and circumstances.
Whole-body vibration and impact in the crew compartment
Records that may corroborate it
- · Assignment records identifying AAV crew duties
- · Evaluations describing vehicle operation and maintenance duties
- · Sick call entries for back complaints during the assignment
Limit: Crew duties alone do not establish that a current spine condition is related to service; a current diagnosis and medical opinion are required.
Weapons station and engine noise
Records that may corroborate it
- · Hearing-conservation audiograms (DD 2215/2216) and DOEHRS-HC records
- · Range and qualification records for crew-served weapons
- · Evaluations describing crew duties
Limit: Documented noise supports the in-service event only. A current hearing disability under 38 CFR § 3.385 or a tinnitus complaint, and a medical link, are still required.
Water operations and vehicle mishaps
Records that may corroborate it
- · Unit command chronologies and mishap or safety investigation records
- · Statements from Marines in the same crew or unit
- · Award citations, where applicable
Limit: A documented event is one element. A current diagnosis and a medical opinion linking it are still required.
04 / Evidence standard
What your MOS can — and cannot — establish
May help document
Work performed, circumstances of service, consistency of an alleged exposure, and the nature or duration of duties where supported by individual records.
Does not automatically establish
A diagnosis, medical causation, severity, percentage, presumption, or entitlement to service connection.
05 / Medical evidence
Conditions that may be relevant to the occupational history
This is not a list of conditions to claim. A veteran's actual diagnosis and individual service record determine relevance; occupational evidence is not medical causation.
Spine +
Lumbar and cervical spine conditions
Why the occupation may matter: Sustained vibration and impact in the AAV crew compartment are a recognized spinal load for tracked-vehicle crews.
Records and clinical evidence: Current diagnosis, duty records, and a medical opinion.
Occupational history alone does not establish this diagnosis or its medical relationship to service.
Hearing +
Tinnitus and hearing loss
Why the occupation may matter: Crew-served weapons and engine noise are sustained in AAV crew operations.
Records and clinical evidence: Audiometry meeting 38 CFR § 3.385, service audiograms, and a medical opinion.
Occupational history alone does not establish this diagnosis or its medical relationship to service.
Mental health +
PTSD from water-operation mishaps or combat events
Why the occupation may matter: Surf and well-deck operations and amphibious combat missions carry documented risk of serious incidents.
Records and clinical evidence: Current diagnosis, corroborated stressor, and a medical opinion.
Occupational history alone does not establish this diagnosis or its medical relationship to service.
06 / Exposure record
ILER and toxic exposure
For applicable exposure-related claims, VA may review the Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record (ILER) and a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) memorandum along with deployment and occupational records. An ILER entry does not automatically establish exposure or service connection.
07 / After a decision
Why a 1833 claim may still be denied
An exposure finding is not the same as a grant. These are examples from the researched guide, not predictions about a particular case.
VA may accept
A duty or event consistent with the service record
But may deny
A diagnosis, medical relationship, or rating element
Record to examine
Decision findings, service and private treatment records, examination rationale, and medical opinions.
Vibration-related back condition with no in-service treatment
AAV crewmembers often worked through back pain; assignment records, evaluations, and buddy statements may help document the duty history.
Water-operation stressor not verified
Mishaps during surf or well-deck operations may not appear in individual records; unit mishap reports and command chronologies may corroborate them.
Hearing link rejected on separation audiogram
A normal separation audiogram alone does not decide a hearing claim, but examiners often rely on it without addressing the full noise history.
Oakridge Claims / Appeals Focused
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The important question is what VA accepted, what it rejected, and why. A decision review considers the decision, examinations, and the complete record — including private and VA records that may need development. Oakridge is appeals-focused — core work is post-decision, but initial and new claims are accepted on a case-by-case basis (no fee for pre-decision work).
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1833 questions
Does my 1833 MOS prove which weapons station or vehicle variant I crewed?
No. It shows the occupational field. Assignment records and evaluations describing your specific duties are the usual sources for that detail.
I was never injured in a documented mishap, but the ride itself was rough for years. Is there anything to look for?
Possibly. Assignment records, evaluations, and statements from fellow crewmembers may help document the duty demands, though none of them guarantees an outcome.
Is AAV crew service the same MOS as the newer Amphibious Combat Vehicle?
No. The ACV crewmember designation (1834) is a separate, later MOS for a different vehicle platform; 1833 covers the AAV.
Sources and legal references
General education only; not legal or medical advice. Oakridge Claims is a private business, not affiliated with or endorsed by VA. Nothing here establishes a representative-client relationship or guarantees a result. Free accredited VSO help is available.