[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 46, Volume 1]
[Revised as of Octobery 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 46CFR10.213]

[Page 131-132]
 
                           TITLE 46--SHIPPING
 
         CHAPTER I--COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
 
PART 10_LICENSING OF MARITIME PERSONNEL--Table of Contents
 
  Subpart B_General Requirements for All Licenses and Certificates of 
                                Registry
 
Sec. 10.213  Sea service as a member of the Armed Forces of the United 
States and on vessels owned by the United States as qualifying experience.

    (a) Sea service as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States 
will be accepted as qualifying experience for an original, raise of 
grade, or increase in scope of all licenses. In most cases, military sea 
service will have been performed upon ocean waters; however, inland 
service, as may be the case on smaller vessels, will be credited in the 
same manner as conventional evaluations. The applicant must submit an 
official transcript of sea service as verification of the service 
claimed when the application is submitted. The applicant must also 
provide the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection other necessary 
information as to tonnage, routes, horsepower, percentage of time 
underway, and assigned duties upon the vessels which he or she served. 
Such service will be evaluated by the OCMI and forwarded to the 
Commandant for a determination of its equivalence to sea service 
acquired on merchant vessels and the appropriate grade, class, and limit 
of license for which the applicant is eligible. Normally, 60 percent of 
the total time on board is considered equivalent underway service; 
however, the periods of operation of each vessel may be evaluated 
separately. In order to be eligible for a master's or chief engineer's 
unlimited license, the applicant must have acquired military service in 
the capacity of commanding officer or engineer officer, respectively.
    (b) Service in deck ratings on military vessels such as seaman 
apprentice, seaman, boatswain's mate, quartermaster, or radarman are 
considered deck service for licensing purposes. Service in other ratings 
may be considered if the applicant establishes that his or her duties 
required a watchstanding presence on or about the bridge of a vessel. 
Service in engineer ratings on military vessels such as fireman 
apprentice, fireman, engineman, machinists, mate, machinery technician 
or boiler tender are considered engineer service for licensing purposes. 
There are also other ratings such as electrician, hull technician, or 
damage controlman which may be credited when the applicant establishes 
that his or her duties required watchstanding duties in an operating 
engine room.
    (c) In addition to underway service, members of the Armed Forces may 
obtain creditable service for periods of assignment to vessels at times 
other than underway, such as in port, at anchor, or in training. 
Normally, a 25% factor is applied to these time periods.

[[Page 132]]

This experience can be equated with general shipboard familiarity, 
training, ship's business, and other related duties.
    (d) Sea service obtained on submarines is creditable, as if it were 
surface vessel service, for deck and engineer licenses under the 
provision of paragraph (a) of this section. For application to deck 
licenses, submarine service may be creditable if at least 25 percent of 
all service submitted for the license was obtained on surface vessels 
(e.g. If four years' total service were submitted for an original 
license, at least one year must have been obtained on surface craft in 
order for the submarine service to be eligible for evaluation).
    (e) Service gained in a civilian capacity as commanding officer, 
master, mate, engineer, or pilot, etc., of any vessel owned and operated 
by the United States, in any service, in which a license as master, 
mate, engineer, or pilot was not required at the time of such service, 
is evaluated by the OCMI and forwarded to the Commandant for a 
determination of equivalence.