Merchant Marines – What Is It About And Job Qualifications

By Author: greme
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Merchant marines are a well known shipping fleet in US. They are jointly owned by the US government as well as by private sector, and hence they perform a number of functions relayed to the needs of both the sides. For instance, they can often function as a military help or assistance while providing army provisions, when the need arises for such help in the US navy.
The mariners working with the merchant navy are also required to be trained in the functions served by US navy men, in case they get called upon to work with the armed force. During the time of peace, the merchant marine ships have to perform the regular transportation activities, ferrying cargo as well as passengers.

It is interesting to note that the shipping ports in the US tend to be almost always busy with all kinds of activities going on at the very same location at any given point of time. Merchant marine ships hardly ever get a chance to remain idle, thus proving to be important assets in the trade and commerce of the US economy.

It can be said that they help US in maintaining good trade relations and a contact with the other countries ...
... by way of commercial activities, while helping keep US safe when the situation demands. Anyhow, most of the times, the basic activities include transportation carried out through dredges, ferries, tugboats, with all other kinds of vessels including and resembling ships over seas, across oceans , and sometimes even rivers and lakes.

Needless to say, the ships have to be manufactured using good technical expertise of both trading and war fields. Also the merchant mariners, working on these ships need to be not only highly trained, but also be able adaptable to the radically shifting demands of the government as well as the civil sector owners. Operating with the merchant marine ships is not an easy task at all.

Thankfully, owing to the growing demand in the US for efficient merchant mariners, now there is no dearth of universities that provide the specific type of training which imparts the kind of education and awareness needed for the job. One such university that students like to count on is the USMMA which stands for United States Merchant Mariners Academy, (often referred to as the ‘King’s Point’)
United States Merchant Mariners Academy or the USMMA is considered as one of the top 5 academies for service job training academy, and a certificate from this place is an assurance enough for any company to know that the candidate is highly qualified and capable of serving well, taking good decisions and making right life choices.

In fact, this is a training institution that is known to have developed such reputation and credentials that students not only crave to be a part of it, but also once they get into it- they know that USMMA is truly a big deal. The selection method is tough and apart from the SAT scores of the candidates, the GPA is also taken into account. To be able to apply, one needs to have a nomination from the House of Representatives- U.S, or a nomination from the U.S senator (representing the candidate’s residential state).

Other tests required to enter the maritime industry include the candidate fitness assessment or the CFA, and one needs to clear the interview process and assure the judging panel that they truly are capable of serving the merchant marine. However, as already said, the reputation of this institution makes the effort all worth it in the end of the day and once you have passed the tests, you know that a successful career is right ahead of you.