The new MMC released March of this year is an insult, denigration and wholesale disrespect for our industry and maritime transportation modality. How many decades did we transit to foreign ports to join ship only to be harassed and interrogated as to why we, mariners from the lone maritime nation could not produce a Seaman’s Book, one which as the premier British Commonwealth nations had license, endorsements, health record and discharges all in one booklet. Other nations had more modest renditions but served at the very least as professionally produced License documents representing an individual as a trained licensed officer. About 10+ years ago the USCG finally produced the red Merchant Marine Credential (MMC) for officers and the Merchant Marine Document (MMD) for ratings. Yes I am somewhat familiar as to why the Continuous Discharge Books were discontinued although still in statute, discontinued if I am correct that it identified union versus non-union mariners to the master after being signed on by the port shipping commissioner during the violent and contested unionization period in the 1940’s-1960’s. Somewhere along the way this may have or may not have played a role in why a “Seamans Book” was never issued, more savvy maritime members will be able to correct me and fill in the gaps. I do know from being in the USCG at the time, that the illustrious substandard pathetic TWIC came about due to the DOS refusing to issue US mariners a real internationally compliant and scannable SID and refusing to honor international SIDS (Seamans Identification Document) after the 9/11 MTSA legislation insanity also made US mariners never mind foreign mariners virtual hostages in US port facilities. Airline pilots and flight attendants were given VIP treatment and we were treated as criminals. Back to the topic at hand. Even with the issue of the pre-March 2024 red MMC, the fact which was never addressed to my knowledge and escaped my attention as well, was the fact we lost our “Licenses” and they were replaced by “Credentials” No they are not the same and that is not a nuance. We have been issued what amounts to, at first a booklet, and now a scrap of plasticized paper, both equivalent in legal standing with a funeral parlor operator and not equivalent to a government issued license plain and simple.
Licensure, is the process where the License, a legal document the state grants of legal authority, pursuant to the state’s police powers, to practice a profession within a designated scope of practice.
License is a document issued by a governmental agency recognizing that a person has met the requirements and is allowed to perform a job in a particular area. Licenses can be issued by the federal government, state and local governments.
Credentialing, sometimes called certification, is when a private organization creates criteria to verify that a person has advanced knowledge and skills in their field.
CertificationThe federal government has defined “certification” as the process by which a non-governmental organization grants recognition to an individual who has met predetermined qualifications specified by that organization.
Basic English comprehension is apparently no longer taught at the USCG Academy or OCS as well as to regulatory bureaucrats. Now even the previous booklet has been replaced by a 6 folded plasticized card which may not even last 5 years and will be another point of derision from foreign customs and immigration agents. Correct me if I am mistaken, but we are told that the only printing machine available has no spare parts and in need of repairs as the reason the change has been made. Miraculously while US Passports as well as dozens of other professional and occupational booklets continue to be printed, it appears to be too heavy of a lift for the NMC to purchase or lease another printing machine and hire an operator capable to replacing the current one. The reason given is beyond ludicrous.
FCi Federal among many others are private contractors who do NMC work and printing. I doubt many went to USCG Academy.The USCG outsourced this years ago because private business can do a better job with less money. Or so we are told.
The dispersed system of the RECs handling the issuance of our documents seemed much more efficient. I can remember standing at the counter in Baltimore and going through my package with either a uniformed CG officer or the senior civilian who actually signed my license to ensure all was correct before I submitted it.
I liked the old paper licenses but understood the reasoning for booklets, the new origami license seems incredibly cheap and people are already saying they don’t hold up well.
The Continuous Discharge Books, also known as the “Fink Books” were vigorously fought by the unions. If you were a union supporter, when the Master filled out your Continuous Discharge Book they would make the entry in red which was a code identifying you as a “union agitator”. When you went to sign on another ship the Master would ask to see your Continuous Discharge Book. If there were entries in red, they would reject you. This would prevent you from being shipped on non-union ships and organizing. The unions eventually got the USCG to issue the Certificate of Discharge that most of us are familiar with. As late as the 1990s I would sometimes see older mariners who would have a Continuous Discharge Books to be signed and stamped.
I got one of the new MMCs a few months back. Definitely skeptical that it will hold up. I typically keep my MMC in my go bag, but I don’t think if this new paper document will hold up compared to my old booklets. Time will tell, but I’m not holding my breath.
A tiny nit to pick, it’s an MMC, period. It doesn’t matter whether you’re an officer or rating.
The MMD was discontinued when the MMC came out, it was the old ID card which was still referred to as a Z card even though that term was no longer applicable.
“… we lost our “Licenses” and they were replaced by “Credentials” No they are not the same and that is not a nuance. We have been issued what amounts to, at first a booklet, and now a scrap of plasticized paper, both equivalent in legal standing with a funeral parlor operator and not equivalent to a government issued license plain and simple.”
LOL! Do you have a drivers license? Is it issued by the government? Is it a flimsy piece of plastic?
Never seen someone so upset over word/material choices.
Perhaps seeing what a medical license in the state of FL looks like will diminish the butt-hurt.
Understand your frustration, but this is one of the solutions they came up with due to the back log they have. I think eventually it will all be paperless and avoid all the printing…
Quite aware of the contractor worker bees in Martinsburg. I am referring to the management blue suiters at HQ who made the decisions of issuing Credentials instead of Licenses. Most of us did not notice or digest the implications of doing so, including embarrassingly enough, myself. The blue suit flag level certainly must have and were quite happy with the transition and status denigration that they pulled for whatever reason. Hey Dave Cavo, any thoughts on this topic?
Hey “shit-barometer” apparently you miss several points. First the US in typical fashion cannot produce a comparable “Seaman’s Book” as every actual maritime nation with any historical ties to the term Maritime Nation has. Finally the US produces a low grade prototype for around a decade, then decides it will no longer issue any seaman’s book and will replace it with a foldable plasticized folding document. Our MMC/ MMD’s had spaces for multiple endorsements and it was not uncommon to have several retrofit prior to the five year renewal mark. A drivers license and medical tech license is not the same in complexity or in use for professional identification purposes overseas. I didn’t take the time to see what the aviation industry has as a license or are they issued a credential instead as well. The maritime profession is steeped in long tradition and regulatory oversight to have a lame excuse of a lone printer with no spare parts to determine a radical change in what we are issued. Yes we are all going paperless and always thought it insane that losing a paper copy of your license overseas as has frequently happened renders you unable to work on the assigned ship, and electronic should be accepted but with the understanding that a hard copy exists at the same time as well.
