# USCG vs NMC **URL:** \ **Category:** Professional Mariner Forum\ **Created:** [February 8, 2022, 10:51pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/uscg-vs-nmc/62238 "2022-02-08T22:51:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Offshore44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Offshore44](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Offshore44)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2022, 10:51pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/uscg-vs-nmc/62238/1 "2022-02-08T22:51:20Z")
So this is a good one. I am simply trying to add my new FRC Certificate to my U/L License. I paid the fee on line, sent everything to REC BOS, including my current Drug Free Certificate. Any guess this is good enough?? I would take the under. Nope, NMC will not accept a current Drug Free Certificate issued by my Union. It must be on a letter head. So let me get this right. Port State Control, ie. USCG will accept my current Drug Free Certificate during my Vessels US inspection but thats not good enough for the wonderful NMC? FYI, I miss Mr Conway at the BOS REC so much. Sen Robert Bird really screwed us Mariners. And they wonder why young people aren’t interested in jumping thru all these hoops to go to sea!!! ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Seadog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/67e7ee/32.png) [@Chief\_Seadog](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Chief_Seadog)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2022, 11:40pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/uscg-vs-nmc/62238/2 "2022-02-08T23:40:17Z")
NMC Drug Testing requirements ([Drug Testing](https://www.dco.uscg.mil/nmc/drug_testing/)). You can use options one, two, or three. A certificate from the Union stating you passed the Drug Test does not work unless it is signed by the MRO which it isn’t. Read the Drug Test requirements as this is nothing new. What you have to do, if the Union doesn’t readily have it, is write or email the testing lab to get the Drug Free Certificate. Include Name, SSN, Date of Test, Specimen ID, and your address. ---
**Author:** ![Offshore44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Offshore44](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Offshore44)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2022, 12:48am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/uscg-vs-nmc/62238/3 "2022-02-09T00:48:56Z")
No Kidding. Not for nutten, if my Drug Free Certificate is good enough for the USCG in all US Ports during their many Port State Control Inspections, why is it not good enough for the NMC?? Just saying! ---
**Author:** ![New3M](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/new3m/32/394_2.png) [@New3M](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/New3M)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2022, 2:34am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/uscg-vs-nmc/62238/4 "2022-02-09T02:34:13Z")
Same reason your TWIC wasn’t good enough to use as ID to get into an REC. ---
**Author:** ![CEallthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@CEallthree](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/CEallthree)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2022, 9:59am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/uscg-vs-nmc/62238/5 "2022-02-09T09:59:55Z")
I just started renewing my medical certificate starting Dec 20, 2021 and the NMC is staffed with banjo playing, pie face idiots. I hadn’t heard anything from them by Jan 7 so I emailed the help line with my reference # and got a reply for me to fill out the 719k and then they can help me. I get emails: Jan 18 say they received my information and are evaluating it, Jan 19 accepted it, Jan 20 mailing it and I should get in 10 days. Fourteen days go by and no certificate. I call Feb 4th get a nice idiot who says there is no record of me renewing my certificate after I gave her my MMD ref # and she says to make sure my 719k was sent to the correct address. I immediately call again after finding the reference number of my issuance from the email and “voila” it had been mailed and returned to the NMC due to incorrect address. My MMC documents for 17 years have gone to my PO Box in New Hampshire without issue and now some incompetent fool sends it to my house street address. The USPS doesn’t deliver on my street, which is in a small village with houses in grid like any big city. Another ax I’d like to grind with another bureaucracy. I’ll check my mail on Feb 10th and see if it is there. ---
**Author:** ![jdcavo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/jdcavo/32/108_2.png) [@jdcavo](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/jdcavo)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2022, 1:57pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/uscg-vs-nmc/62238/6 "2022-02-09T13:57:18Z")
Noting the title of the discussion, NMC is part of the Coast Guard, so it isn’t NMC vs. the USCG. Chief Seadog is correct, NMC is appropriately applying the regulations. That others may view them differently does not mean that NMC is wrong. Note also that the requirements at issue for both may be different, so it may not be an appropriate comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Offshore44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Offshore44](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Offshore44)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2022, 2:11pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/uscg-vs-nmc/62238/7 "2022-02-09T14:11:19Z")
All understood but if they are in the same organization, why don’t they interpret the regulations the same? ---
**Author:** ![jdcavo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/jdcavo/32/108_2.png) [@jdcavo](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/jdcavo)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2022, 2:20pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/uscg-vs-nmc/62238/8 "2022-02-09T14:20:26Z")
You are assuming the regulations are the same for both. I’m not ready to do that, I am only familiar with those applicable to NMC. ---
**Author:** ![shipengr](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/shipengr/32/485_2.png) [@shipengr](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/shipengr)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2022, 2:48pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/uscg-vs-nmc/62238/9 "2022-02-09T14:48:57Z")
> [@CEallthree](#): > > My MMC documents for 17 years have gone to my PO Box in New Hampshire without issue and now some incompetent fool sends it to my house street address. Having just filled out the 719K myself I’d note that it requires your street address and then has a specific section under that for a separate mailing address with a box you must check if you want it mailed there…out of curiosity did you do that? > [@Offshore44](#): > > And they wonder why young people aren’t interested in jumping thru all these hoops to go to sea!!! Jump through hoops? The NMC website couldn’t be anymore clear on what is required for a drug test. There’s a checklist, a FAQ, links to the CFR, even an optional form just so you don’t screw it up. Just because people don’t read the requirements doesn’t mean the evaluators are idiots for enforcing them. ---
**Author:** ![HuginnundMuninn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/huginnundmuninn/32/1172_2.png) [@HuginnundMuninn](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/HuginnundMuninn)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2022, 12:56am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/uscg-vs-nmc/62238/10 "2022-02-10T00:56:50Z")
“Same reason your TWIC wasn’t good enough to use as ID to get into an REC.” They wouldn’t accept my TWIC card as ID for renewing my TWIC card. ---
**Author:** ![New3M](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/new3m/32/394_2.png) [@New3M](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/New3M)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2022, 1:12am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/uscg-vs-nmc/62238/11 "2022-02-10T01:12:07Z")
> [@HuginnundMuninn](#): > > They wouldn’t accept my TWIC card as ID for renewing my TWIC card. Well duh. That just makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![jdcavo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/jdcavo/32/108_2.png) [@jdcavo](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/jdcavo)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2022, 2:20am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/uscg-vs-nmc/62238/12 "2022-02-10T02:20:32Z")
> [@HuginnundMuninn](#): > > They wouldn’t accept my TWIC card as ID for renewing my TWIC card. Just like the original post, you are faulting the peons who are following the rules. Notwithstanding what the “I” stands for, the [TWIC is not considered an identity document.](https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents) ---
**Author:** ![New3M](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/new3m/32/394_2.png) [@New3M](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/New3M)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2022, 2:30am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/uscg-vs-nmc/62238/13 "2022-02-10T02:30:23Z")
But what about the “I”??? ---
**Author:** ![Steamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Steamer](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Steamer)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2022, 1:14pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/uscg-vs-nmc/62238/14 "2022-02-10T13:14:09Z")
**T** his **W** as **I** nherently **C** orrupt It is and was a way to repay a defense contractor for “political favors.” ---
**Author:** ![Steamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Steamer](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Steamer)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2022, 1:27pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/uscg-vs-nmc/62238/16 "2022-02-10T13:27:10Z")
Our congress critters blend in quite well with the worst the 3rd world has to offer its people. ---
**Author:** ![tugsailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@tugsailor](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/tugsailor)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2022, 5:15pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/uscg-vs-nmc/62238/17 "2022-02-10T17:15:53Z")
Maybe it was this TWIC defense contractor that was employing the coal miner’s daughters. ---
**Author:** ![tugsailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@tugsailor](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/tugsailor)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2022, 5:21pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/uscg-vs-nmc/62238/18 "2022-02-10T17:21:06Z")
@Steamer That is a wonderful description of the orIgins of the TWIC acronym, and what it really stands for. Can you tell us what NMC really stands for? ---
**Author:** ![Steamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Steamer](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Steamer)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2022, 5:30pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/uscg-vs-nmc/62238/19 "2022-02-10T17:30:41Z")
Well, that’s a no brainer … **N** ational **M** alfeasance **C** enter ---
**Author:** ![HuginnundMuninn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/huginnundmuninn/32/1172_2.png) [@HuginnundMuninn](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/HuginnundMuninn)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2022, 8:09pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/uscg-vs-nmc/62238/20 "2022-02-12T20:09:27Z")
I am not faulting any individual, nor did i complain to them. That system in place for renewing the TWIC card does not allow the TWIC to be used as ID seems odd to me. ---
**Author:** ![Tcaptain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Tcaptain](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Tcaptain)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2022, 1:56pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/uscg-vs-nmc/62238/21 "2022-02-18T13:56:35Z")
Since my first license in 1994 I’VE never had an issue with drug tests/letters. Hmm