USMMA Service Obligation

jamzmom

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JAM had asked a while back about the service obligation of a USMMA Grad going Active duty vs. Reserves. I meant to answer but forgot until someone just ask me today about it. Sorry JAM, I didn't mean to ignore the question. Now, I'm not a whiz at this because its about the most complicated deal I think I've ever seen. :biggrin: In short, active duty has a 5 year requirement and must keep up their 3rd mates license for 6 years. Reserves serve 8 years with the license obligations as well:

Reserve Military Duty -
In order to comply with your service obligation
you must apply for and accept an appointment
as a commissioned officer in the U.S.
Naval Reserve, U.S. Coast Guard Reserve, or
any other Reserve unit of an armed force of
the United States. With the recommendation
of the Officer-In-Charge, Department of Naval
Science, and the Academy superintendent,
you will receive your appointment at graduation.
Although officer appointment applications
may be made to any armed force, the majority
of graduates will be appointed as ensigns in
the Merchant Marine Reserve, U.S. Naval
Reserve. After appointment as Ensign, USNR,
you must perform satisfactorily in the Naval
Reserve for eight years. An individual’s
requirements and options under this program
will vary depending on whether the graduate
is working at sea or ashore. Details will be
provided by the Naval Science Department
either through their course of instruction or
upon request.

Graduate Service Obligation
Employment:
A graduate may fulfill the employment obligation
portion of his/her service obligation in
five ways as follows:
Serve in the foreign and domestic commerce
and the national defense of the U.S. for
at least five (5) years following graduation as:
1. a merchant marine officer in the U.S.
flag fleet;
2. a commissioned officer on active duty in
the U.S. Armed Forces or the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) Corps;
3. with the federal Government in a maritime-
related position that serves the
national security interest; or
4. if a determination has been made that
no afloat positions are available for you,
you may serve ashore in a U.S.
maritime-related industry, profession or
marine science.
5. By combination of the services specified
above.
Maintenance of Coast Guard License:
Maintain (or upgrade) the license as an
officer in the U.S. merchant marine, including
all endorsements held at graduation, for six (6)
years following graduation.
Service as a Commissioned Officer in
the Reserves of the U.S. Armed Forces of
the United States:
Apply for and accept, if tendered, an
appointment as a commissioned officer in the
reserves of the U.S. armed forces for at least
six (6) years following graduation.
Report Compliance to MARAD:
Report to MARAD annually concerning
your compliance with the foregoing maritime
service obligations, as set forth in the next
paragraph.
You are required to report in each year following
your year of graduation to inform
MARAD about your compliance with your service
obligations. Regardless of the date of
your graduation, each graduate must submit
a service obligation report from between January
1 and March 1, starting the first January
1 after graduation and for at least an additional
six (6) consecutive years thereafter.
Graduates are required to file reports through
to the last report that demonstrates that all
obligations have been satisfied. If a graduate
completes the service obligations within the
six years following graduation, each graduate
should only have to file a total of seven (7)
reports in order to give information on all six
(6) years of service obligations.


http://www.usmma.edu/admissions/PDFs/Catalog3.pdf

The Reserve information above is located on page 28 of the KP catalog. Page 26 is where it gives details of Active duty. If you go check out the Active Duty obligations, the kids have a boat load :biggrin: of choices to make in how they will serve. Page 27 of the catalog just plain looks like jibber jabber to me. LOL HEY! This stuff makes my head hurt! :smile:
 
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This a nice article about a current KP Midshipman. His service obligation is mentioned.

Merchant marine gets experience

Heeding the call to sea


Jeff Chrjapin knows what veteran sailors mean when they speak of a captivation with the sea.

"There's definitely ... a draw," said the Clarks Hill, S.C., resident. "You always hear people say there's a draw to the ocean, to the sea, and there is."

The 20-year-old son of Karen Chrjapin, the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce executive director, knows from experience.

Chrjapin already has spent more than four months sailing the waters of the Atlantic and Indian oceans and the Red and Mediterranean seas to such locales as Malaysia, Sri Lanka and the Arabian Peninsula.

Instead of a traditional college or military academy, Chrjapin chose to ship off to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in 2006 after his graduation from Westminster Schools of Augusta. Recently, he completed his sophomore year with a major in maritime operations and technology.

The academy, in Kings Point, N.Y., offers a blend of technical expertise of merchant shipping and extensive travel experience, said Martin Skrocki, the public information officer for the academy. Students will spend a year at sea learning merchant vessels between their sophomore and junior years.

"The kids have such a wonderful opportunity," Skrocki said. "By the time they graduate, they have typically been to 16 or 18 foreign countries."

Chrjapin said that while at sea he gained a valuable education working beside veteran merchant mariners.

"That is a very hands-on experience," Skrocki said. "Not only are they aboard an operating merchant ship but they are doing things. They are working with their hands. They are working with their heads. They are fulfilling sea projects that the academy tells them to do.

"So when they graduate, they've already been there and done that in a lot of cases. They have the chance to put theory into practice."

Chrjapin, whose father, Victor, is a Navy veteran, originally had his eye on the U.S. Naval Academy. As the Merchant Marine Academy started recruiting him to play basketball, Chrjapin said, he learned more about the experiences and post-graduate opportunities the academy offered over traditional military academies. He played NCAA Division 3 basketball his freshman year, but decided to focus on his studies his sophomore year.

When he graduates, Chrjapin will have a merchant marine third mate's license in addition to being a qualified member of the engineering department.

Because his education is paid for by the federal government, Chrjapin has an obligation to serve five years as a merchant marine, most likely working aboard merchant vessels such as oil tankers, cargo ships, tugboats or other civilian-operated vessels, and must spend time in the Naval Reserve.

Chrjapin also has the option to continue his education or serve five years in any active military branch instead of the Merchant Marine, Skrocki said.

Still uncertain about what he would like to pursue after graduation, Chrjapin has planned a few summer internships that he hopes will help him decide. This summer, he intends to intern with the Charleston (S.C.) Pilots Association.

Chrjapin said he also hopes to spend the summer between his junior and senior years on a naval cruise to help him decide whether a naval commission is the right option for him.

Last Monday, Chrjapin flew to Japan to board an oil tanker contracted by the Navy to refuel fleet ships at sea. Because the ship could go on military missions, he didn't have details of his trip other than it could be up to 110 days and the ship could travel anywhere in the Navy's 7th Fleet's area, which runs from west of Hawaii to west of India.

No matter what he chooses to do after graduation, Chrjapin said, he's prepared to spend a career at sea.

"You kind of get away from stuff," Chrjapin said. "Then, when you go into port, it is real exciting because you've been staring at water for two weeks straight."



Click here to return to story:
http://newstimes.augusta.com/stories/031608/new_191042.shtml
 
Because his education is paid for by the federal government, Chrjapin has an obligation to serve five years as a merchant marine, most likely working aboard merchant vessels such as oil tankers, cargo ships, tugboats or other civilian-operated vessels, and must spend time in the Naval Reserve.

Chrjapin also has the option to continue his education or serve five years in any active military branch instead of the Merchant Marine, Skrocki said.

The mentioned Naval Reserves is 8 years. However, the reporter was correct on having the five year active duty obligation correct. Great article though! I can say first hand that MIDN Chrjapin is an outstanding young man.
 
just for clarity

sorry to be pedantic, but it is the US Navy Reserve, not US Naval Reserve. Thanks
 
sorry to be pedantic, but it is the US Navy Reserve, not US Naval Reserve. Thanks

That was actually a fairly recent change as you can tell by the wording in the quotes from the first post by Jamzmom which still refer to it by "Naval Reserve". You are quite correct though that it is now known as the Navy Reserve. I forget the reasoning for the change, but it was something along the lines of 'make all the Navy including the Reserves sound the same'. To me sounds like someone needed a project to make Admiral :)
 
Do the four years at the academy count toward retirement if you choose active service?
 
Career Miltary Option

Toddman,

From what I understand, the 4 years at the Academy count as college just like at a non-service academy education, and not towards the active duty requirement for retirement. I've also heard some talk that this may change.
 
Your time at an academy does not count towards retirement. I don't agree with it, but that's the way it is.
 
LITS is correct....there is always some low level rumbling about trying to get it changed; however, I wouldn't hold your breath.
 
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