Convert Your Military Time Into a Coast Guard License

If you’ve been in the Navy or Coast Guard don’t sell yourself short if you want to enter in the civilian side of shipping.  For those who are just leaving, know what documentation you should have before leaving.  Many qualify for licenses and settle for unlicensed positions.

As a general rule, members of the Armed Forces of the United States CAN gain qualifying experience for their military sea service.

Sea service as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States will be accepted as qualifying experience for an original, raise of grade, or increase in scope of all licenses.

In most cases, military sea service will have been performed upon ocean waters; however, inland service, as may be the case on smaller vessels, will be credited in the same manner as conventional evaluations.

The applicant must submit an official transcript of sea service as verification of the service claimed when the application is submitted.

The applicant must also provide the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection other necessary information as to tonnage, routes, horsepower, percentage of time underway and assigned duties upon the vessels which he or she served.

Normally, 60 percent of the total time on board is considered equivalent underway service; however, the periods of operation of each vessel may be evaluated separately.

In order to be eligible for a master’s or chief engineer’s unlimited license, the applicant must have acquired military service in the capacity of commanding officer or engineer officer, respectively.

Service in deck ratings on military vessels such as seaman apprentice, seaman, boatswain’s mate, quartermaster, or radarman are considered deck service for licensing purposes.

**Note** Service in other ratings may be considered if the applicant establishes that his or her duties required a watchstanding presence on or about the bridge of a vessel.

Engineers

Service in engineer ratings on military vessels such as fireman apprentice, fireman, engineman, machinists, mate, machinery technician or boiler tender are considered engineer service for licensing purposes.

There are also other ratings such as electrician, hull technician, or damage controlman which may be credited when the applicant establishes that his or her duties required watchstanding duties in an operating engine room.

In Port and Training Service

In addition to underway service, members of the Armed Forces may obtain creditable service for periods of assignment to vessels at times other than underway, such as in port, at anchor, or in training.

Normally, a 25% factor is applied to these time periods. This experience can be equated with general shipboard familiarity, training, ship’s business, and other related duties.

Sea service obtained on submarines is creditable, as if it were surface vessel service, for deck and engineer licenses under the provision of paragraph (a) of this section. For application to deck licenses, submarine service may be creditable if at least 25 percent of all service submitted for the license was obtained on surface vessels (e.g. If four years’ total service were submitted for an original license, at least one year must have been obtained on surface craft in order for the submarine service to be eligible for evaluation).

Civilian Government Sea Service

Service gained in a civilian capacity as commanding officer, master, mate, engineer, or pilot, etc., of any vessel owned and operated by the United States, in any service, in which a license as master, mate, engineer, or pilot was not required at the time of such service, is evaluated by the OCMI and forwarded to the Commandant for a determination of equivalence.