You will instruct new hires who posses a room temperature IQ. Also sometimes travel to ships for afloat training team.
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Thanks for the reply, is this primarily a shore based assignment? If so, is a lot of travel involved ?
“Candidates selected required to sail 30-45 days on annual basis during high relief request seasons and mission contingencies. When assigned to a ship, DCO comes under the administrative supervision of the ship’s Master.” I believe they also travel to ships coming out of the yards for afloat training.
Its mainly shore based either at Fort Eustis, Norfolk, or San Diego.
I don’t think they make that much overtime but not 100% sure.
They usually teach the MSC classes. The name Damage Control Officer is kind of a misnomer. On an MSC ship, the chief mate is in charge of damage control in a casualty situation.
Seems like an OK gig if you are trying to transition shoreside. Knowing MSC however, they may use and abuse you as there is no limit on travel in the job description.
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magic…NO. Whitchcraft…YES!
fify 
I was on the Wilkes in 1985-86 Got aboard in Mombassa and got off in Sasebo Best ship I was ever on in MSC!
IIRC the DCO is paid at the base rate for a Chief Mate There is also an Asst DCO who is paid at 2/M rate When I was with MSC (1980-1997) we rarely saw them on a ship
sail with msc on the least coast for a bit and you’ll know who the real racist biggots in this country are. i have never met anyone at the pool that didnt hope for a west coast ship to get away from all the racial “stuff”
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Yup, its eye opening. Only those that have never experienced it first hand refuse to believe it exists.
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SealiftCommand.com now shows the real wages (base + average OT). Not bad. 3rd AE $190,000 plus a $30,000 sign on bonus. Keep in mind you need to be on a ship about 10 months a year to make that. Not sure about all the east coast/west coast noise. The ships are all the same, about 80 complete idiots with 20 people who know what the hell is going on.
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Is it even possible to ship only 6 months a year or less?
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Maybe, they do have this “mixed work schedule” offer for some officer positions. I am not too sure how it works. That’s the problem with MSC though, too little time off. Work 4 months…get a month off. Stay on a ship for 4 years…get a month off. Key is to find a ship you like (and they like you) and then take ship’s funded leave at every opportunity. Make your home in Hampton Roads VA and you will be home a lot.
Topics like this about MSC always remind me of my interview with “King George” (king of assholes) who halfway through it lost his mind because of personnel issues and began hammering the table demanding I commit to 20-30 years with MSC.
Are timely and predictable crew changes there just beyond their comprehension? You’d think by now they know why manpower problems like these pop up.
I’ve never been to the MSC offices where the dispatchers operate but based on who they hire for sea going position, picture a miniature copy of the Washington DC swamp.
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MSC takes what they can get. With the leave schedule which is mandated by congress it has always been hard to find people. However, the MSC swamp is nothing compared to the oil business. The OSV and oil rig workers are gig workers for the most part, zero job security. At least with MSC if you can put up with the BS there is a pension which is unheard of in the oil business.
Can you direct me to where this is? I’ve never heard of it being Congress mandated.
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That claim has been mentioned here several times but I’d like to see the source.
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Is that entirely true? Aren’t there some oil patch jobs that are union?
Not that I am aware of in the US GOM. If there are any I am sure someone will let us know.
Ask the MSC union rep why the leave cannot be changed, they will explain. MSC wage mariners are represented by MEBA and SIU I know but there may be others.
Doesn’t appear to be an MSC union rep on this thread. You made the claim so can’t you explain your basis for it?