You are correct Domer. SSO is part of the program.Yes, the three years they are at there are in the regiment and studying for their license and degree is quite a heavy academic load, The year at sea is a bonus. 4 year degree in basically three years. They go to sea in their second and third year. Have to have 360 days on the water total. We did lose a few for poor commitment completing sea project. The nonperformers were either setback or discharged. As I said, no sympathy for the ones that didn’t take advantage of a great opportunity. We lost most in the first and second year.
I guess we got off the point what the original poster was asking. if his folks will pay for a maritime school, no matter what school it is, go for it… Up to you to complete it. Don’t make your parents sad, if you don’t commit., You leave room for other young folks that may do quite well. about all I can say. Good luck young person.
The King’s Point graduating class of 2019 was 200 people, that’s about the same as Maine, Mass, SUNY, and Cal (some of those graduate more than KP). No, KP doesn’t graduate significantly more licenses than the state schools and unless something has changed recently most of those at KP have no desire to sail as a career and only do the minimum to satisfy their commitment before quitting. There are also known ways around the commitment at all that many students exploit, like going directly into federal service with certain federal agencies or active duty in the military.
I think he was saying that they won’t pay for maritime school because they don’t approve of that career choice.
Hey, I joined the Army as a soldier mariner, 88L, watercraft engineer. I got all my basic USCG credientals and more. I got to man vessels out of Yokohama, Kuwait and up and down the east coast. Worked my butt off and my chief engineer sent me to Army 20 school. I got marine electrical and refer USCG certs, all for free. I also got seatime and pay. The Army also paid for my TWIC and MMC with qmed rating. I am getting out after my 4 years with a gi bill and have been accepted into maritime academys for marine engineering LO. I know my time in helped a lot getting LORs and essays. Not to mention I know when I get on the vessel I will have a leg up on my classmates They probably have never been in a hot engine room with gens and mains booming, let alone in Kuwaitie heat. They never fired up a gen, know the sound of a permanent magnet being loose in the gen, or hand traced all lines on the vessel from the bilge up. Not to mention the other 4 years worth of experience.
What I am saying is if you really have no other option but know that is your passion look at joining the US Army as an 88K, watercraft operator. As a 10 level you would learn knots and how to handle lines, proper placement, navigation, underway watch, chartwork, and so much more. If your hot shit you could get 20 school, which come with radar classes and other USCG certs. Plus deckside transitions better cert wise than engine side. HOWEVER IT IS A COMMITMENT and not for everyone. It is still the US Army.
Anyways goodluck with whatever you choose.
KP requires SSO participation so yeh, they of course graduate more SSO’s than everyone else.
They do not “graduate more licenses” than the state schools. They’re all roughly graduating a similar level of licensees.
The place is supposed to train merchant marine officers, nothing else. Allowing it to be a pipeline for every single service commissioning program means spots that could have been given to a young man or young woman who was serious about going to sea as a merchant marine officer are lost to someone who wants to fly jets for the Navy or some other non-sequitur.
And I might add there are literally hundreds of ROTC programs at pretty much every damn public university where you can get your college paid for and go fly jets or whatever. Why send the kid to KP again?
I was Kings Point ‘19. And some of my classmates work ashore in the private sector. I cadet shipped with 5 other kids. 3 are Navy officers, 1 is air force and the other works ashore I think. I work at MSC as a 3rd Mate though so at least I’m doing something like what the school wanted.
I get around 4 to 6 KP cadets aboard every year. I would estimate half of them are military bound and don’t have much interest in being a professional mariner. Some will tell you right out of the gate what their career aspirations are, others will not. The proof is typically in their enthusiasm for learning the job.
I think, if nothing else, it’s a shame that our commercial vessel cadet slots get priority to KP if the kids being forced to come out to sea and train are not planning on using their license. A state school kid who willingly wants to learn more about the industry would be far better served with that berth. That has been my observation anyway.
How does KP get priority? That’s definitely not based on CFR or anything so you should probably take that up with the company. I was never really enthusiastic about being a cadet. Wasn’t till I had my first mate spot on a coastal tanker that I took it serious.
Part of MSP. You want that money from the government? You give them berths for the federal academy.
Sorry I missed that his folks won’t help with a Maritime school. Misread that part. That sucks.
The Kelly twins were astronauts. One attended Suny, one attended USMMA. Glad they got the chance at their respective schools.
The state maritime schools are fairly cheap. Few students pay the full retail price, most get some financial aid. Assuming that you complete a maritime school, get a license, and sail on it for three years, then any student loans are no big deal.
If you are worried about student loans, don’t go to college, become a plumber or electrican.
My last port captain before I retired was a Suny grad. He never sailed on his ticket, much less could handle a light boat. He got the"Safety Department " gig at our respective company out of school. A fellow classmate of his is a pilot in the Gulf and sailed on his ticket. Many of the Academy guys, not just USMMA are in the same category that you seem to have a problem with are just as complacent. As long as they meet their commitment, really don’t have a problem with it. Some, well, perhaps I understand your negative feelings. I can’t speak for class of 2019, but majority of the Grads from 2015 went on to sail. What they are doing now after first renewal is up to them. If a better opportunity comes to them and be home with family, good for them. I tried for 30 plus years to be home, but opportunity was better where I was at, and I actually liked my job.
Complicit was the better term.
Yeah, our paths may well have crossed at some point. My career has spanned almost the full spectrum of the maritime biz, from ULCCs to tugs, drilling rigs, DSVs and lay barges. And yeah, some of my career choices were certainly suspect. . . .but I have no regrets. One of the issues with KP entrance is that there are those like myself, that were angling to get into one of the other service academies. KP ended up being a much better fit for me. With the current state of the maritime industry, I feel that there are a lot of kids angling for KP just for the opportunity offered the armed services offered at graduation. That said, for me, the training, and especially Sea Year were instrumental in my career.