Sea Year Internships

[jamzmom]

Hey KP2001 or anyone with thoughts - How does the sea year internship work & whats out there that the kids opt to do (& where do they go)? Looks like son will be going Military Sealift/Tanker this time around and wants to do his internship at the end of sea year. He's put in a request for the internship to be with the Coast Guard in Charleston. If this doesn't pan out, what are some other options of internships the academy sets up?

 

[kp2001]

JM: the internship is pretty wide ranging for KP mids. It ranges from 2-4wks. I did mine with Coscol Marine (a tanker company) in Houston for two weeks. Basically I was a glorified secretary, but I got free lunch everyday, and I wasn't looking for a job hookup.

Basically if you can think of it, you can do it, as long as it's maritime related. Work with harbor pilots (could do charleston probably), naval architect, shipyard, MSC (in the office), a brokerage company, and the ever popular naval flight squadron (hey, you might try calling the blue angels, their new CO is a SUNY Maritime grad and might be able to pull something there).

I forget if Jamz is a deckie or engineer, but if all else fails he can call the sea year guys and they will find an internship for him, they will even find one where they will put you up (sometimes the mids are responsible for their own transportation and lodging, but if the company is nice they'll put you up). This is what happened to me as what I wanted to do fell through at the last minute. (or rather KP kinda screwed me over on this one) They decided that my idea to go to Bethesda and work in the hospital was not a good internship idea. I will be working to change that in the future when I become a real doctor so that KP mids who are interested in military medicine can get a taste of it.

Anyway, hope this helps, I'm sure the CG thing will work out. If not I vote for harbor pilots in Charleston. Although most are Citadel grads (if my memory serves me correctly) there are one or two KP grads who are pilots there. Jamz may even change his mind about careers when he gets to work with what is in my eyes the best job in the maritime industry. Plus it's charleston, and although I love my Texas, Charleston is probably my favorite city in the U.S.

 

[jamzmom]

Thanks for the insight. He’s a deckie. I like to refer to him as Sybil. Remember that movie they made about the person with the six different personalities? LOL Every time I talk to him, he’s learned something new & exciting he wants to try. KP is one big open window to the world. He came back from the first sea year all hot about Harbor Pilots. I’ll have to remind him about that. I’d met a KP grad who is one in Charleston. I recall thinking how young that guy was too. Last night I’d sent the boy the email of the KP Alumni Prez here in SC hinting that he should put his feelers out to see whats goin’ on. This KP guy was a Prof. at the Citadel but has since moved on to a private port securities company. He keeps in touch with me from time to time. Sorry to say that the kid dislikes flying and anything related other than things coming out of the air to land on a ship. He jokes that on a ship, he doesn’t have far to fall.

Good for you in your endeavors to see that KP look into the medical field more for the Mids. Could they not intern on some of the hospital ships? Perhaps they do. I’m just not in the know on that one. Pretty cool if they do though. Fight the good fight on that one! It would be a great thing.

 

[kp2001]

Unfortunately the two hospital ships run by the Navy are rarely out to sea and functioning in a medical capacity. Most of the time the USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy (as depicted in my pic) are sitting dockside in Baltimore and San Diego. There is actually a slight push to get rid of them; however, they may be around a while as they showed how they could be an excellent public relations coup when deployed after the Tsunami.

Currently midshipmen from the Naval Academy can rotate through National Naval Medical Center and cadets from West Point and ROTC units can rotate through Walter Reed. We shall see how far I get on this in the future.