Good morning everyone, i am currently active duty USCG. I am an MK1 with 4 years seatime on 210 WMEC cutters, 5000 bhp. I am at 9 years time in service. Well i’m comming to that point in my career where i’m looking for other options, specifically NOAA. I’ve already aquired my Transcript Of Sea Service, showing my seatime on different cutters, I have copies of my Engineer of The Watch Letters for engine room watch, and copies of different schools attended.
What exactly do i need for a QMED? How does it all work? Do i just set up an appt with my nearest NMC office and bring eveything i have? I guess my main goal would be to see if i could be eligible for a junior unliscensed eng job on NOAA ships. Thanks in advance for the help, -Brian
If you’re setting your sights on NOAA, call them directly and ask 1. are they hiring. and 2. what requirements do they have for the position you are seeking.
You need to figure out what license you are qualified to sit for, and then study for the exams. Unless things have changed, you will still need to test out to get a license. Isn’t that typical of the USCG? You have worked for 5 years in their organization, and to do this outside you have to show further proof of competency! Anyway, You go to your nearest REC and apply, they have a check list with all the requirements. Once you have a completed application (meaning all the required forms, info, course certifications, physical, drug test, and the USCG application forms) that will all be sent to West Virginia to be ‘evaluated’ and they will let you know what you have to do to test out or if you’re really lucky they will just give you a qmed (not likely though:-()
In this economy, why would you think of getting out? NO where, and I really mean NO where will you get a pension and medical benefits like you can get in Uncle Sams Confused Group. Stay until you get a pension of some level. (Just my advice)
suggest you begin here:
http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/checklists.asp
**also you will find a wealth of information by merely taking the time and effort to “search” this forum!!
best luck in your quest!!
[QUOTE=olypenjeeper;30738]Good morning everyone, i am currently active duty USCG. I am an MK1 with 4 years seatime on 210 WMEC cutters, 5000 bhp. I am at 9 years time in service. Well i’m comming to that point in my career where i’m looking for other options, specifically NOAA. I’ve already aquired my Transcript Of Sea Service, showing my seatime on different cutters, I have copies of my Engineer of The Watch Letters for engine room watch, and copies of different schools attended.
What exactly do i need for a QMED? How does it all work? Do i just set up an appt with my nearest NMC office and bring eveything i have? I guess my main goal would be to see if i could be eligible for a junior unliscensed eng job on NOAA ships. Thanks in advance for the help, -Brian[/QUOTE]
Ya, you will be elegible for for a a QMED with all unlicensed ratings [I]except[/I] Deck Engine Mechanic and Engineman. They will give you those also but you will have to show 180+ sailing on steam vessels of 4000+hp. If your still serving then MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR ASSESMENTS FOR RFPEW. This is what gave me trouble. The transpcipt and everything else will work great for your QMED ect but for your STCW RFPEW you NEED to get someone on your current ship to sign off all your assesments( and have them signed by cheng). You have to send all your stuff into the REC(do not send military/cg evaluations to the NMC, they have to go to the REC) and then if your evaluator has any questions they will contact you. You can drop it off in person but they are not going to let you try and make your case to the evaluator that day. Actually if you can meet the recency requirements you should be eligible for a 3rd A/E as long as you have the EOOW letter according to the regs. Check “Marine Safety Manual Vol 3 Chpt 2” or “46 CFR 10.2” Goodluck shipmate
I agree with Cappy that it would be stupid for you to get out out this point. You only got 11 yrs left! He was wrong about something though, You DO NOT have to test. You will be evaluated and given a mmc(either a QMED or 3rd). When and if you decide to upgrade that license you will have to test though.
Oh, and one more thing. Make sure YOU do all the homework to what is the real regulation, print it out, and lay it out in order so the evalutor can be educated while they thumb through it. Most of the evaluators do not know what the regs are and if you dont show if to them they are going to say “no you have to test” or something else they are trained to spout out by default. You basically have to do thier job for them, lay it all out so they can understand it, and then hope they arent having a bad day. I printed out and highlighted the applicable things from the CFR and Safety Manual and then slipped the pages in my app showing them what reg’s to use when evaluating it. The Safety Manual V3 Ch2 say specifically “When evaluating military personel use the following guidlines…” but many evalutors have no idea there is a guide in there for them. Do your homework and organise your app right you should have no prob
What 210’s have you been on? I did some 210 time myself
i was on Steadfast out of Astoria oregon from 01-04 and now I am currently on Vigorous out of Cape May NJ from May 09-present. I appreciate everyone’s input and help. I plan on getting my stuff together when we get back inport a few weeks from now.
Don’t know if it is still the case but used to be that if you had an EOOW letter you could qualify for a license. I believe that NMC has a different section for evaluating military sea service. Takes a little longer but my experience was that drowning them with documentation helped you get want you want. Try to determine what you are eligible for by researching it in the Marine Safety Manual & then apply for the highest possible license you think you qualify for. And when you apply, include every piece of documentation you have, including copies of any qualification books you had to complete during your career. Also include a copy of every eval you have received while in service, don’t leave any out. As a result, you may get additional sea time you did not think you were eligible for.
Good luck.
Hello,
I’ve been in the industry for awhile now. I was never able to use my CG seatime due to my command not forwarding the info on to the appropriate government office. I tried the SF 180 route a few times, but they have nothing, i tracked down an officer i sailed with and asked him to write a seatime letter, he graciously did. no luck. military seatime has to be on the ‘transcript of sea service’ form.Ship is decommisioned. Is this time lost or is there a trick I’m missing?
Thanks,
Tony O.