Photo By Ryan Carter | Norfolk, Va. (Dec. 06, 2024) - Carlos Santillan, a civil service mariner (CIVMAR) with...... read more read more
A Military Sealift Command Civil Service Mariner (CIVMAR) became the first to promote to third mate under the command’s Able Seaman to Mate Training Program.
Civil Service Mariner Carlos Santillan earned his third mate’s license after completing more than 25 classes at the Maritime Professional Training (MPT) School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and passing the U.S. Coast Guard’s licensing exam in October.
Santillan, a Sacramento, California, native, joined MSC as an ordinary seaman (OS) about 10 years ago. He says he learned about the program while serving aboard USNS Salvor (T-ARS 52) last year.
“My ship’s master talked with me about it and encouraged me to apply. My father is a captain and he moved up from OS as well, so I saw it as an opportunity to follow his footsteps. I left the ship in January and my first class was in February. I had classes every week up until July. I studied for a couple of months and took the exam at the Coast Guard Regional Exam Center in Long Beach, California.”
“At some points, the classes were difficult but the most stressful part was the exam at the Coast Guard, he continued. “I feel relieved having passed everything. I got my license in hand and I’m excited to sail with it and practice my new job.”
This is a game-changing milestone for MSC and the pilot program which allows the command to reward, train and promote unlicensed CIVMARs and address manning concerns in the fleet.
“It is no secret that we need to improve our manning situation, especially in our critical rates. By finding ways to train and promote our best unlicensed mariners into licensed officers, we can have direct positive and impact on that situation,” said MSC CIVMAR Program Manager, Casey L. Chmielewski.
Satillan is one in a first group CIVMARS to be selected for the program – nine others are still in training. They were all selected based on packages they submitted that included a personal statement on why they wanted to be a mate for MSC and recommendations from their chief mate and master.
While going through the program, the CIVMARs are placed in training status. They continue to earn pay and accrue leave. MSC pays for all training expenses, travel expenses and ancillary costs. The CIVMARs have no out-of-pocket expenses. Upon successfully obtaining their license, they are promoted to third mate to sail with MSC.
“This is a tremendous investment by MSC into its people,” said Chmielewski. “Just the school house training alone costs upwards of $25,000 per student. On top of the lodging, travel and salary costs, it’s close to a $75,000 investment per student. But it is absolutely an investment that is worth it to train our best mariners and provide our people a unique pathway to advancement.”
MSC is working to enter into a formal contract with a single maritime training center that will allow them to have a more structured, pipe-line training schedule. These classes will allow more of their CIVMARs to be in training together. It will also allow them to move into a formal selection process that standardizes the application and selection procedures.
“I do not know of another marine employer that invests this type of time and money into its people and it is a program that I am incredibly proud to see implemented. We have some of the absolute best unlicensed mariners in the world, and to be able to provide them a pathway to advance into our licensed community, and to do so without any out-of-pocket expenses to them, is just outstanding. It is critical that we continue to find ways to improve their quality of life and demonstrate our organizational commitment to them,” said Chmielewski.
| Date Taken: | 12.19.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.19.2024 09:14 |
| Story ID: | 487910 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Hometown: | SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 369 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Military Sealift Command Mariner First to Promote to Third Mate Under Pilot Training Program, by Hendrick Dickson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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