I’ve been thinking about possibly joining the MMR program at the academy. If you don’t know what the program is, it is basically the naval reserve for Merchant Mariners. I understand that I would have to drill (obviously) but does anyone have any idea what would happen if I as a merchant mariner in the navy reserve would have to do if I got called up?
Has anyone on here been a part of the program? or have any info or advice on it at all?
many thanks!
As in any reserve program, if you get called up, you go where the Navy tells you to go. And as with all services what specifically you do is based on the concept of “the needs of the service”.
I’m part of the MMR at CMA and am working towards being pinned. The way it was explained to us is that the MMR is called up most often for naval guidence of shipping. The MMR officer basically acts as a liason between the merchant fleet and the navy to help the guidence go as smoothly and as safely as possible.
I’ve been in the MMIRRG for nearly 8 years now. I do two weeks a year and correspondence training on my own (online through NKO). I’m also fortunate as an employee with Military Sealift Command to obtain regular Navy training that counts as credit for retirement points. Between your two week AT, correspondence courses, and other training you need 50 points for a “good year” towards retirement.
As for getting called up for active duty…we are pretty much the last to get called. Unless you specifically ask to be called to active duty, don’t worry about it.
[quote=TwoBlocked;8255]
As for getting called up for active duty…we are pretty much the last to get called. Unless you specifically ask to be called to active duty, don’t worry about it.[/quote]
I’m an Operational Support Officer (OSO) for Military Sealift Command and I plan training exercies and projects for our Reservists. I use MMR’s for duty frequently. Your maritime industry experience is invaluable!
Regarding getting recalled, while it may be true that MMIRRG have been about the last to be recalled over the years, the current environment for Navy Reservists is radically different than even one year ago. Many people in Reserve communities that felt they would “never be called up” are finding that they are getting notified of pending mobilization, frequently to support a job that they never trained for (ie, with the Army in Afghan). I’m not expressing any opinion with regards to this policy, just stating the way it is. Consult the Navy Resevre website and magazine for more info and articles about this. Haven’t heard of any MMIRRG officers being recalled yet, but it is not an impossibility.
That said, I am activley looking for MMR’s to perform their duty with MSC at my command overseas. Please contact me if you are interested and want more info. In addition to providing the valuable operational support that MMR’s provide, I ask each MMR to give a training briefing to our staff on what you do in the Maritime industry. This is invaluable training for us!
How does one find out about joining the MMR?
Here’s a link from John’s alma mater that I think sums up the program pretty well from a cadet perspective.
Also, if you hawsepiped your Upper Level license, you may qualify for a Reserve Commission if you can meet all the pre-qualifications and requirements.
You can receive more information by calling the [B]U.S. Naval Reserve - Merchant Marine Reserve Program Office at (504) 678-0590[/B]
Recruiting info on Navy’s Merchant Marine Reserve program:
[quote=supbrow;8858]Recruiting info on Navy’s Merchant Marine Reserve program:
http://www.navyreserve.com/careers/officer/merchant-marine/[/quote]
Thanks…I know more than one guy that appreciates the link!!!
Do I get my very own Golden Chicken for applying?
[quote=albertpachino;10662]Do I get my very own Golden Chicken for applying?
[quote=Siberfire;8046]I’ve been thinking about possibly joining the MMR program at the academy. If you don’t know what the program is, it is basically the naval reserve for Merchant Mariners. I understand that I would have to drill (obviously) but does anyone have any idea what would happen if I as a merchant mariner in the navy reserve would have to do if I got called up?
Has anyone on here been a part of the program? or have any info or advice on it at all?
many thanks![/quote]
It’s a great back door into the Navy as an officer. However if you plan on getting in and doing the reserve time for the retirement don’t bother, it’s almost impossible. There are very few and I mean very few people who have managed to get the points every year to make retirement.
That said it is a great experience you’ll learn a lot and you’ll get to see the Navy side of things. My experiences are something I’ll never forget and are some of the best times I had in my life. Just deal with the BS and brush of the lame criticism you’ll get from some of the none MMR cadets. In the end it is worth your time and will open up doors that may not have been possible without that experience.
You’ll get your battle chicken during your 2nd year. If you do plan on joining do not wait till your sophomore year as you will be disqualified from SIP. And here’s a neat little heads up, if it’s a bad year for commercial cruises you can always hop on a Navy ship for 60 days and your Commander will be the one grading it, not the MT department chair that was doing it my year. Her favorite letter that year was D.
I have a couple of questions…
What are the licensing minimums for the USNR-MM program? (I’ve heard that they accept radio officer licenses… is that true?)
What rank are you commissioned in? As an ensign? Is it possible to be promoted in this program? Is it IRR or is it a drilling reservist type deal?
Are you required to have a bachelors degree prior to commissioning?
Thanks!
What is the max age to join the MMR?
Several years after seperating from the Navy I tried getting back in (active duty not reserve) and was too old. I believe the formula was that you had to have your 20 by age 62.
I think you can be any age as long as you meet all other requirments physically…etc. However, you do not get SIP if you are over 25
What’s SIP?
[B]Merchant Marine Reserve [U]S[/U]tudent [U]I[/U]ncentive [U]P[/U]rogram[/B]
[B]MISSION:
[/B]The mission of the Merchant Marine Reserve (MMR) Student Incentive Program at Texas A&M University at Galveston is to train licensed officers for the U.S. Merchant Marine Reserve Program.
[B]ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
[/B]The student must be a U.S. citizen, be 25 years old or younger on the first day of class during his/her freshman year, and have an academic major with a license option.
[B]PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:[/B]
[ul]
[li]Student must pass the Navy Physical Fitness Assessment [/li][li]Student must pass the Navy Third Class Swim Test [/li][li]Midshipmen are required to participate in the NROTC physical fitness program.[/li]
[/ul][B]CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS:
[/B]Midshipmen must complete a bachelor’s degree with a license option along with three Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps courses.
[ul]
[li]Introduction to Naval Science (NVSC 101) [/li][li]Naval Science for the Merchant Marine Reserve Officer (NVSC 204) [/li][li]Leadership and Ethics (NVSC 402) [/li][li]In addition, midshipmen must maintain a minimum 2.5 grade point average, attend Naval Science Laboratory and pass the Merchant Mariner licensing exam.[/li]
[/ul][B]STUDENT INCENTIVE PROGRAM:
[/B]MMR students may apply for the Student Incentive Program (SIP). SIP provides $4,000 annually for a total of $16,00 over four years. Application for SIP occurs during the fall semester of the midshipman’s freshman year.
[B]OBLIGATION AGREEMENT:
[/B]Midshipmen are required to complete eight years of Naval Reserve duty, which includes six years of Selective Reserves or Merchant Marine Individual Ready Reserve Group and two years of Inactive Ready Reserves. In addition, during this time the midshipmen must maintain a current Merchant Mariner License and maintain employment in the United States maritime industry. Midshipmen can apply for an active duty Navy commission as a Surface Warfare Officer, Naval Aviator or Intelligence Officer.
You will be comissioned into the MMIRRG and have the option of drilling as a SELRES. Even from the IRR it is very easy to get the 50 points a year. You get 15 for having a pulse and usually another 13 for you ADT each year. That leaves only another 22 via correspondence courses and your golden.
The bulk of drilling MMR reserve billets are within MSC, but there are a few scattered extras here and there. You can also fill billets coded for as 1000 “any line officer” or 1050 “any warfare qualified officer”. You very well may find yourself doing things very different from your Merchant Marine background. If you are a drilling reservist, expect to get recalled at some point. Even for MMRs it is a matter of when, not if and I can almost guarantee it will NOT be to man an RRF ship.
NavySWO - are you a SWO reservist? you can probably just ask to change your designator from 1115 to 1625 and tada … your now in the MMR.
FYI – I was informed that the MMR is NO LONGER ACCEPTING applications from people who’s only qualification is a Radio Officer License. They used to have an officer designator for Merchant Marine Communications where if you had a radio officer license you could apply and be commissioned, but they eliminated that avenue. Now they are only looking for, at a minimum, 3rd Mate Oceans unlimited tonnage, and 3rd assistant engineer unlimited horse.
I was in the MMR at Maine Maritime and then did my service as an officer in the USNR but never got called up; I would recommend the program to anyone interested.
it was a different world and quite an interesting time to get a chance to see how the US military worked: graduated from MMA in 1986, when the USSR was still the boogey-man, and was in the USNR Inactive till 1994 3 years after the USSR had ceased to exist as an independant nation.
my training was in “convoycom”: organizing convoys and escorting them across the atlantic to stop the soviet juggernaut. By 1992 the annual letters from the USNR had become xerox copies with nothing to say: seemingly looking for direction. confused.
the MMR program appeared to wither on the vine while I was in it, as everyone stood staring at the Soviets disintegrating all over the world.
Ended up in Istanbul, a week on the roof near Topkapi, watching the once mighty Soviet navy head north up the Bosphorus on their last trip back home to the Black Sea: it took a week for all the ships to pass. BIG SHIPS! But each ship was flying their new national flag, gone were the Red hammer and sickle, now there were russian flags, ukraine flags, etc. The Turks were celebrating out on the street, my local girlfriend, Aysha, was exceptionally passionate.
I was watching them with my brand new excellent East German Military Telescope bought for a pack of Marlboro reds at Istandbul University as Russians suddenly flooded the city.
After finishing up in Istanbul, I hopped a train from there across Bulgaria to Yugoslavia so as to get to Zagreb and the war zone.
But that’s a different story…
