# Why would you need a security clearance - Conf/Secret to work on a merchant ship? **URL:** \ **Category:** Scuttlebutt\ **Created:** [July 22, 2012, 12:54pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/why-would-you-need-a-security-clearance-conf-secret-to-work-on-a-merchant-ship/7998 "2012-07-22T12:54:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rebel\_Rider1969](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/82dd89/32.png) [@Rebel\_Rider1969](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Rebel_Rider1969)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 12:54pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/why-would-you-need-a-security-clearance-conf-secret-to-work-on-a-merchant-ship/7998/1 "2012-07-22T12:54:51Z")
Strange huh? ---
**Author:** ![KPEngineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4491bb/32.png) [@KPEngineer](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/KPEngineer)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 1:06pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/why-would-you-need-a-security-clearance-conf-secret-to-work-on-a-merchant-ship/7998/2 "2012-07-22T13:06:21Z")
> [@"Rebel\_Rider1969"](#): > > Strange huh? Not really when you consider that some of them work pretty closely with/for the military. ---
**Author:** ![Fraqrat](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/fraqrat/32/1961_2.png) [@Fraqrat](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Fraqrat)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 1:25pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/why-would-you-need-a-security-clearance-conf-secret-to-work-on-a-merchant-ship/7998/3 "2012-07-22T13:25:23Z")
Even if you are not assigned to a govt. contract vessel the company may require you to have it. This way HR has a pool of pre cleared employees to satisfy crewing needs. ---
**Author:** ![Rebel\_Rider1969](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/82dd89/32.png) [@Rebel\_Rider1969](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Rebel_Rider1969)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 1:30pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/why-would-you-need-a-security-clearance-conf-secret-to-work-on-a-merchant-ship/7998/4 "2012-07-22T13:30:45Z")
[QUOTE=Fraqrat;75561]Even if you are not assigned to a govt. contract vessel the company may require you to have it. This way HR has a pool of pre cleared employees to satisfy crewing needs.[/QUOTE] Ya know that’s really smart. ---
**Author:** ![liftedlimo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/liftedlimo/32/73700_2.png) [@liftedlimo](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/liftedlimo)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 2:17pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/why-would-you-need-a-security-clearance-conf-secret-to-work-on-a-merchant-ship/7998/5 "2012-07-22T14:17:52Z")
Our Gov Division pays less, allot less from what I hear. ---
**Author:** ![Fraqrat](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/fraqrat/32/1961_2.png) [@Fraqrat](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Fraqrat)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 2:36pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/why-would-you-need-a-security-clearance-conf-secret-to-work-on-a-merchant-ship/7998/6 "2012-07-22T14:36:31Z")
Ours pays 10% above regular OSV day rates. To listen to them talk it sounds like they cure cancer on those boats. ---
**Author:** ![ChiefRob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ee7513/32.png) [@ChiefRob](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ChiefRob)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 6:45pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/why-would-you-need-a-security-clearance-conf-secret-to-work-on-a-merchant-ship/7998/7 "2012-07-22T18:45:48Z")
I used to work on a ATB that hauled coal into a power plant. At that plant they had 2 nuclear reactors, after 9-11 everybody that went into that plant had to get a FBI security clearance. Also now on the ROV and dive boats we have done several salvage jobs for the military and everybody that is on one of those gigs has to have a security clearance as well. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfesown47th](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@Wolfesown47th](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Wolfesown47th)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 11:06pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/why-would-you-need-a-security-clearance-conf-secret-to-work-on-a-merchant-ship/7998/8 "2012-07-22T23:06:53Z")
> [@"ChiefRob"](#): > > I used to work on a ATB that hauled coal into a power plant. At that plant they had 2 nuclear reactors, after 9-11 everybody that went into that plant had to get a FBI security clearance. > > Also now on the ROV and dive boats we have done several salvage jobs for the military and everybody that is on one of those gigs has to have a security clearance as well. Hauling coal to a nuke plant? ---
**Author:** ![ChiefRob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ee7513/32.png) [@ChiefRob](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ChiefRob)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2012, 7:38am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/why-would-you-need-a-security-clearance-conf-secret-to-work-on-a-merchant-ship/7998/9 "2012-07-23T07:38:11Z")
[QUOTE=Wolfesown47th;75634]Hauling coal to a nuke plant?[/QUOTE] It was a power plant that had 4 coal systems, 2 that burned HFO, and also 2 nukes in the same facility. They very rarely used the HFO for some reason. I think it was emissions, they were always mixing different grades of coal to get just under the threshold were the EPA would not fine them. They run the nukes 24/7, and would start and stop the coal plants as needed. They talked for years about switching the HFO units to LNG, but I don’t think they ever did. ---
**Author:** ![Rebel\_Rider1969](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/82dd89/32.png) [@Rebel\_Rider1969](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Rebel_Rider1969)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 9:49pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/why-would-you-need-a-security-clearance-conf-secret-to-work-on-a-merchant-ship/7998/10 "2012-07-24T21:49:51Z")
Well i got mine! (security clearance) Now I can see all that double-aught spy stuff. Also I thought the TWIC covered that stuff??? ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Phoenix](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/capt_phoenix/32/281_2.png) [@Capt\_Phoenix](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Capt_Phoenix)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 10:22pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/why-would-you-need-a-security-clearance-conf-secret-to-work-on-a-merchant-ship/7998/11 "2012-07-24T22:22:49Z")
> [@"Rebel\_Rider1969"](#): > > Well i got mine! (security clearance) Now I can see all that double-aught spy stuff. > > Also I thought the TWIC covered that stuff??? No, msc requires an actual federal government security clearance. The TWIC is just a background check.