Me neither, but buerocracy. However the hell you spell that!
Mariners who turn their applications in in a timely manner, say 2-3 months, should not lose their jobs due to the NMC’s inefficiently.
There needs to be a grace period.
I tell my crew to turn their applications in at least 3 months prior to expiration, but it would seem that’s not enough anymore either.
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For you, NO. If a medical certificate expires on a FOREIGN voyage, it’s valid until return to a U.S. port. See 46 CFR 15.1103(h)(3).
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My wife is a VA nurse and all she does is handle Veterans personal protected information from home. I was a DCSA background investigator conducting security clearance investigations for the Navy and Electric Boat…from home. Everything’s encrypted.
That’s another issue entirely. The USPS gets no taxpayer dollars but has had to try to modernize in order to stay afloat. One of the biggest financial problems they have was caused by congress. In 2006, Congress passed a law that imposed extraordinary costs on the U.S. Postal Service. The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) required the USPS to create a $72 billion fund to pay for the cost of its post-retirement health care costs, 75 years into the future. This burden applies to no other federal agency or private corporation.
UPS, Fedex and others got their minions in congress to pass this bill in hopes of killing the postal service so they could take over the business. The USPS managed to stay alive and is slowly recovering. On time delivery is up to 80-85% depending on where you live. I hope they survive because no other outfit will guarantee service to all parts of the country no matter how rural. Just look to the internet providers to see how that works. Not enough subscribers? Screw you get a satellite or do without.
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This is extremely helpful
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And the remaining 15 or 20 percent is lost forever. Dejoy literally destroyed half the sorting machinery as part of the right wing attempts to cripple vote by mail efforts. It’s time to purge the organization and rebuild it to what it was meant to be. If we, the taxpayer, can fund a $2 trillion, yes trillion with a T, F-35 program we can surely afford a working postal system.
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I think Dejoy initially wanted to destroy the USPS. After all he has many millions invested in the logistics business and doesn’t like the competition of the USPS. Back in the old days we called that a conflict of interest.
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Now it is just corruption as usual.
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Were the responses correct? I don’t see what the problem is with reading off a script. It ensures you get the right answer. Or are you saying she didn’t answer your questions and read off a script.
I’m dealing with the same. Clean 719, no complications. Filled it out as expected, have old copies I refer to to make sure everything is filled out right. Have it down to a science. Been doing this for a long time. Never waited longer than three weeks to get my medical certificate in hand but it’s been almost two months now. It has still not been assigned to an evaluator. No communication from NMC on status, just that it’s ready to be evaluated… I have the same frustration with the response on the phone, nothing but canned non-answers. Absolutely no help. I did mine 100+ days out as always and I’m still concerned I won’t receive on time. It’s unacceptable.
After a reasonable amount of time has passed without your MMC or medical getting issued it’s time to get your congressman or senator involved.
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In my experience, no.
The last time I messaged NMC with questions about the Military to Mariner program, they sent me a link that legit said to contact NMC with further questions 
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They were non answers. Waiting to be assigned to an evaluator. No answers as to when that might happen. No timeline.
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I am going to be doing that real soon.
NMC “experiencing computer issues”. No Internet, so not much getting done.
I’ve already spoken to a few who’ve said they resorted to that.
People’s livelihoods are put on hold or left in the realm of uncertainty due to gross incompetence that sadly no one will ever answer or be held responsible for.
This should be an easy, straightforward and rapid process.
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The biggest issue with all of this is utter lack of accountability when mariners have to sit on the beach because processing times are, on the whole, completely unacceptable.
Unfortunately, the only way to get this resolved is a massive letter campaign to Congress and, ultimately, the President. Being an election year, don’t expect much to change.
I have always had fast renewals from the NMC. Staff is pretty knowledgeable too. I have heard so many sailors getting crappy advice about credentials around the galley table. Always call an evaluator for advice.
The last time I dealt with the MNC was with my medical a few months ago. It was the longest it ever took for me & the notification system that used to work was a so bad it was pointless now. My last time at work, half of everyone who had a crewchange had a glitch/delay coming or going for various reasons. The new normal for air transportation is worse than the NMC imo. I guess there’s a barber shortage where I live because there’s longer wait times & the place I take my kids has put up a sign asking for patience & telling customers to be grateful for the ones that show up. Maybe I’m getting too old because I think the customer service in the restaurant industry has declined since the pandemic? The teachers & learning environment for my youngest is so different now that even my oldest is surprised & its only a 7 yr gap. Maybe getting shit service from the NMC & everywhere else is the new normal? I hope it’s not just grumpy old men syndrome.
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