Obligation Compliance | U.S. Merchant Marine Academy

Introduction
In exchange for a taxpayer-funded education at the USMMA, all midshipmen commit to fulfill a maritime military service obligation that continues following commencement. This commitment that is mandated by law, restated in the Maritime Administration ‘s ( MARAD ) regulations, and in the Service Obligation Contract each midshipman signs upon the completion of Indoctrination .
The play along is a compendious of the applicable laws and regulations governing your serve duty to MARAD, and is provided for ready reference. For the full moon text of the applicable laws and regulations, please refer to 46 U.S.C. § 51306 and 46 C.F.R. § 310.58 .
Post-Graduation Service Obligation Requirements

Having successfully completed the path of instruction at USMMA and upon receiving their U.S. Coast Guard ( USCG ) Merchant Mariner Credential ( MMC ) with an officer endorsement, a graduate ’ mho remaining service obligation covers the trace four ( 4 ) elements :

• Five (5) years of MARAD-approved service/employment;
• Maintaining their USCG MMC and accompanying documents for six (6) years;
• Maintaining their reserve commission for eight (8) years*; and
• Submitting annual reports demonstrating their service obligation compliance.

successful fulfillment of the post-graduation service obligation requires completion of every detail listed above .
*Individuals who executed their service duty contract prior to June 2016 must maintain their reserve commission for six ( 6 ) years. Due to a change in the jurisprudence, this prerequisite was increased to eight ( 8 ) years for all individuals executing service obligation contracts beginning in June 2016 .

1. SERVICE/EMPLOYMENT

All graduates must provide at least five ( 5 ) years of MARAD-approved service in in support of the foreign and domestic commerce and the national defense of the United States. MARAD approval is required before any time spent in a given status will count towards fulfillment of a graduate ’ s five ( 5 ) years of service/employment .
This approval is automatic rifle for two categories of service/employment : ( 1 ) use as a merchant marine military officer sailing aboard U.S.-flagged vessels ; and ( 2 ) service as a accredited officer on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States or as a commission officer of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ) Corps or the U.S. Public Health Service ( USPHS ) Corps .
Graduates seeking to fulfill the service/employment parcel of their service obligation through any early means MUST submit extra paperwork to MARAD seeking specific license to pursue an alternate path. These alternatives are discussed below .

1. Options That Do Not Require Special MARAD Approval

1. Sailing as a merchant marine officer aboard U.S.-flagged vessels.

The primary method acting by which graduates are expected to provide this avail is through employment as a merchant marine military officer sailing aboard U.S.-flagged vessels. such employment is mechanically approved by MARAD and does not require particular license or software documentation .
To receive citation for a good class of sea service towards the five ( 5 ) years owed, graduates must sail a minimum of 150 days per service year – with a service year calculated as 12 month increments from a graduate ’ s individual date of commencement. Proof of a calibrate ’ mho ocean days ( i, letters of sea service or discharge certificates ) should be provided when the graduate submits their annual reports .

2. Active duty service.

Each year, approximately 20-25 % of raw graduates choose to fulfill the service/employment part of their serve obligation by serving deoxyadenosine monophosphate commissioned officers on active duty in one of the Armed Forces of the United States or in the NOAA Corps or USPHS Corps. As with service as a merchant marine military officer sailing aboard U.S.-flagged vessels, active duty service is mechanically approved by MARAD and does not require particular permission or software documentation .
In accession to satisfying the service/employment dowry of the service obligation, those graduates who provide five ( 5 ) years of estimable active duty service are statutorily excused from the requirements to maintain a USCG MMC and a substitute commission .
Please notice that graduates serving on active voice duty still must submit all of the needed annual reports to MARAD. This includes providing employment data ( duty station, address, etc. ) since MARAD does not receive this data from the services .
Graduates who serve on active duty for less than five ( 5 ) years are still responsible for maintaining the early components of their service obligation .

2. Alternatives That Do Require Special MARAD Approval

The surveil employment categories require limited approval from MARAD before any fourth dimension spent working in a given stead will count towards fulfillment of the five ( 5 ) years of service/employment owed by all graduates .

1. Sailing opportunities other than as a merchant marine officer aboard U.S.-flagged vessels.

1. Sailing aboard U.S.-flagged vessels in an unlicensed position

MARAD recognizes that the career path for some afloat careers in the maritime industry begins in an unaccredited note ( e.g., employment as a Steersman while working towards becoming a fender on a tugboat ). For those graduates intending to pursue such a career way, MARAD approval for that time spent in an unaccredited note is possible. however, the position must be aboard U.S.-flagged vessels, and must be character of a recognized career path or run that will lead to a position that requires an officer sanction to a USCG MMC .

2. Sailing aboard foreign-flagged vessels as a merchant marine officer

A graduate ’ s first precedence is to sail aboard U.S.-flagged vessels. however, if a graduate has in full exhausted the possibilities for U.S.-flag afloat employment, MARAD may approve that calibrate to pursue foreign-flag afloat employment .
note that given the current and project use opportunities for graduates aboard U.S.-flagged vessels, employment aboard a foreign-flag vessel will only be approved if a decision has been made by MARAD that the calibrate scrupulously sought an afloat situation as an officer aboard a U.S.-flagged vessel and that such U.S.-flagged adrift employment is not available to you .
When MARAD evaluates a graduate ’ sulfur request to pursue foreign-flag employment, the thoroughness of the calibrate ’ randomness job search is the elementary consideration given to determining whether or not the graduate scrupulously sought afloat use aboard U.S.-flagged vessels. Among the information that MARAD reviews when making this determination is the tilt of employers to which the alumnus applied ; whether the alumnus attended and how many of those employers who were portray at the USMMA career fairs received applications from the graduate ; and the nature of and number of times the graduate sought the aid of USMMA ’ s career services department and/or MARAD ’ sulfur Office of Maritime Labor and Training for help oneself in finding a qualified job aboard U.S.-flagged vessels. In considering whether a conscientious job research has occurred, MARAD looks beyond the bare number of applications to the choice of the subcontract application effort. In this connection, it is important that graduates keep and provide MARAD records of their efforts, including when and who they contacted at each employer. These materials are reviewed to document that the graduate made a sincere effort to find qualify employment. merely mailing a sum up is not sufficient .

2. Maritime-related shoreside employment opportunities

1. As an employee of the Federal Government

Graduates may be approved to work as an employee of the Federal Government in a shoreside position, so long as the military position is significantly maritime-related and serves the national security interests of the United States .
Please note that this option is only available to graduates seeking to be hired directly by a Federal agency. employment as a contractor in support of a Federal agency does not qualify for retainer under the above criterion. Contractors are employed by secret companies and as such must satisfy the criteria for shoreside, non-Federal employment listed below .

2. As an employee of a private company

again, graduates are reminded that their beginning priority is to sail aboard U.S.-flagged vessels. however, if a calibrate has in full exhausted the possibilities for U.S.-flag afloat employment, MARAD may approve that graduate to pursue maritime-related shoreside employment with a individual company .
As noted above with respect to foreign-flag employment, given the current and project use opportunities for graduates aboard U.S.-flagged vessels, maritime-related shoreside use with a private company will only be approved if a decision has been made by MARAD that the graduate scrupulously sought an afloat side as an officeholder aboard a U.S.-flagged vessel and that such U.S.-flagged adrift employment is not available to you.

3. Requesting MARAD Approval of Alternative Employment

To request MARAD blessing of any alternative employment option, a alumnus must submit an Employment Determination Request ( EDR ) human body, along with all of the supporting information and documentation needed to prove that the graduate has met the criteria established for approving a position in a particular class of alternate employment. A PDF copy of the EDR form, which includes a set of instructions outlining what information and software documentation is required, can be downloaded from MARAD ’ s Maritime Service Compliance System ( MSCS ) web site ( hypertext transfer protocol : //mscs.marad.dot.gov ) .
For more data or aid in preparing and submitting an EDR, please contact the MARAD Office of Maritime Labor and Training immediately via telephone at ( 202 ) 366-7618 or email at maritime.graduate @ dot.gov .
Please note that MARAD approval of an EDR is strictly limited to the specific employment for which blessing was sought. This means that such approval remains in consequence only angstrom long as the alumnus maintains the same employment as specified on their EDR. If the graduate changes positions with their existing employer, or if they change employers, they will need to submit a raw EDR and obtain MARAD approval for each modern position before the new put will be counted towards the five ( 5 ) years of service/employment fortune of the obligation .
last, the approval of an EDR does not exempt a graduate from the other elements of their service obligation. Graduates working in an alternative job class under an approve EDR hush must comply with the USCG credentialing, Reserve duty, and reporting elements of their debt instrument .

4. Non-Maritime-Related Employment Will Not Count

note that all of the above alternatives are maritime-related. Non-maritime-related employment will not count towards the five ( 5 ) years of service/employment owed under a calibrate ’ south service obligation. A graduate who willfully pursues non-maritime-related use may be deemed to be in rupture of their service duty shrink and face the consequences of their actions .

2. MAINTAINING YOUR USCG MMC

Graduates who are not on active duty for the needed five ( 5 ) year menstruation following graduation must maintain a valid USCG MMC with an policeman second and a Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping ( STCW ) sanction for six ( 6 ) years following graduation. Graduates must besides maintain a valid Transportation Worker Identification Credential ( TWIC ) for six ( 6 ) years following graduation and maintain a valid USCG checkup certificate for employment on vessels where STCW applies. Graduates must besides maintain the allow national/international endorsements and certifications required by the USCG for service aboard domestic and international vessels .
This means that all graduates must renew or upgrade their MMC at least once. Maintaining a text file of continuity does not fulfill this fortune of the obligation and there is no grace menstruation .

3. MAINTAINING YOUR RESERVE COMMISSION

Graduates who are not on active duty for the necessity five ( 5 ) year period following commencement must apply for and accept, if tendered, an appointment as a commission officer in one of the Reserve Components of the U.S. Armed Forces. Individuals who signed their service obligation compress before June 2016 must maintain their reserve commission for at least six ( 6 ) years after gradation. Due to a change in the law, those individuals who signed their service obligation after June 2016 must maintain their reserve mission for at least eight ( 8 ) years after gradation .
Graduates are besides powerfully encouraged to apply for a Reserve Billet in a Selected Reserve ( SELRES ) unit. If you have elected to request a recall to active duty in one of the Armed Forces and your request is approved, your service on active duty will satisfy this prerequisite a well as the service/employment fortune of your obligation for the time period during which you remain on active duty .

4. ANNUAL REPORTING

All graduates – including those on active duty as a commission military officer in the U.S. Armed Forces or with NOAA or USPHS – must submit annual reports to MARAD detailing their actions during the previous calendar class to demonstrate that they were in broad submission with the requirements of their service duty. These annual reports must be filed with MARAD between January 1 and March 1 of each year, beginning the year after commencement and continuing until all portions of the overhaul obligation have been fulfilled .
For case, a graduate from the class of 2017 must file their beginning reputation between January 1 and March 1, 2018. This report is referred to, and filed a, that graduate ’ s 2017 report because it reports what they did during the anterior calendar year — mean in this font the prison term between that individual ’ randomness gradation in June 2017 until December 31, 2017 .
All graduates are encouraged to file their conformity reports using the web-based Maritime Service Compliance System ( MSCS ) at hypertext transfer protocol : //mscs.marad.dot.gov .
Graduates who are unable to access the MSCS web site should contact the MARAD Help Desk at ( 202 ) 385-4357 for aid .
Graduates who experience any difficulty using MSCS, or have questions about the annual coverage process or particular annual reports, should contact the MARAD Office of Maritime Labor and Training by telephone at ( 202 ) 366-7618 or email at maritime.graduate @ dot.gov .
MARAD staff are available to help graduates submit the necessitate reports accurately, wholly, and on fourth dimension. last, any graduate who knows that they are not going to have authentic access to the internet during the standard report period should contact the MARAD Office of Maritime Labor and Training prior to or during the standard report period to make alternate report arrangements .
Potential for a Waiver or Deferment of Your Service Obligation

1. REQUESTING A WAIVER

If a calibrate is unable to fulfill their military service debt instrument because of an undue hardship or impossibility of operation due to accident, illness or other justifiable cause, they may apply to MARAD for a release of all or a part of their serve obligation. Applications for such a release must be submitted to MARAD in writing with supporting documentary evidence of the underlying hardship or impossibility that forms the basis of their request .

2. REQUESTING A DEFERMENT

In exceptional cases, a alumnus may be allowed to defer all or a function of their service obligation to pursue a marine or maritime-related alumnus course of study approved by the Maritime Administrator or to pursue studies as the recipient of a scholarship or company of national significance. Deferments shall not exceed two ( 2 ) years in length, and are only available to graduates who are considered to have lake superior academician and impart records while at the USMMA .
Applications for a postponement must be submitted to MARAD in write, with supporting documentation of the individual ’ second acceptance into the applicable marine or maritime-related graduate course of study, or of the individual ’ s prize of the applicable scholarship or family .
For more information and instructions on submitting a release or postponement request, please contact the MARAD Office of Maritime Labor and Training, by telephone at ( 202 ) 366-7618 or email at maritime.graduate @ dot.gov, to obtain a copy of the necessary form ( mho ) and instructions on submitting physical or electronic copies of said class ( randomness ) .
Consequences of Non-Compliance

MARAD takes the fulfillment of its graduates ’ service obligations very badly and has pursued, and continues to pursue, legal action against a number of individuals who have failed to meet their service obligations. failure to comply with all of the requirements of the service obligation may result in a find by MARAD that the calibrate is in rupture of their overhaul obligation compress, which may lead to the graduate ’ second involuntary remember to active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, as determined by the Secretary of Defense, or a requirement that the graduate reimburse the Federal Government for the monetary value of their education at USMMA. The price of a standard four years of education at the USMMA is presently calculated to be over $ 250,000 .
Questions/Help Requests/Contact Information
Any graduate who has questions about any dowry of their serve obligation is advised to contact the MARAD Office of Maritime Labor and Training, by call at ( 202 ) 366-7618 or email at maritime.graduate @ dot.gov .