Job Announcement - USCG Deck License Exams

[jdcavo]

The U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center in Martinsburg, West Virginia has an opening for the Chief of the Deck Examination Branch. The position is responsible for the examinations used on Coast Guard examinations for all deck licenses and endorsements, including the creation of exam questions, developing exam modules, and responding to examination question protests.<br><br>A current, expired or continuity license as Master of Steam and Motor Vessels of Any Gross Tons Upon Oceans is required. The ideal candidate will have experience on a variety of different ship types. The candidate should have the computer fluency and vision needed to advance the way the Coast Guard administers merchant marine examinations.<br><br>Starting pay (GS-13) is at least $82,165.00 per year. Relocation expenses may be available. You must provide your own bull's eye and "kick me" sign.<br><br><font color="#ff0000]The application period closes on September 18, 2008.</font><br><br>The job announcement and application information is at: LINK<a style="font-family: yui-tmp;" href="http://tinyurl.com/4pfrus%20] [/URL]<br><br><br>James D. Cavo<br>Chief, Mariner Training &amp; Assessment Division<br>USCG National Maritime Center<br><font color="#3354aa]James.D.Cavo@uscg.mil</font>

[jdcavo]

The announcement is open for one more week.

[El Capitan]

I know someone, somewhere, somehow, must think this is a great opportunity at NMC.<br><br>Seeing that most Masters - AGT are making at a bare bones minimum over $100k a year, I'm wondering what kind of talent NMC will be attracting from the "actively" sailing crowd with the GS-13 package listed. I would be suspect.<br><br>I hope one of our charitable brethren, that enjoys some BDSM action, and is at the point of taking his payout or pension and wants to double dip, takes pity on us and takes this job.<br><br>James needs some sane company at NMC guys; he's already admitted in another thread that he's been reading the CFR's recently for a good laugh, and sanity check. <strong>Time is of the essence.</strong> Who wants to volunteer? <br><br>I think we can even talk James into throwing in the bulls-eye and sign as a "Welcome" gift.

[Capt_Anonymous]

James I think it would be a lot more cost effective to have a thread here called" Potential Examination Questions" and let us vet them for you. We could also handle protests.

[El Capitan]

CA - That, is not a bad idea at all.

[CMA_Decky]

James what's these rumors I've been hearing about the celestial test being scrapped?

[jdcavo]

Are you the same guy who asked me that question 2 years ago during an audit of CMA? If so, read no further, my answer is the same.<br><br>It's a rumor. At IMO they are doing a comprehensive review of STCW, and there are a few countries that would like to do away with it. The US and many others feel it can be de-emphasized, but not eliminated, it is essentially a back-up system. For the indefinite future. azimuths and amplitudes will not go away, determining compass error will always be needed. <em style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);]<strong><br><br>Perhaps,</strong>[/b] in the future the "operational level" (3rd Mate/2nd Mate) may only need to do compass error, running fix of the sun,. and meridian transit of the sun (LAN). Management levelk will at least need to do star fixes and latitude by polaris. Nautical astronomy may disappear (no more "regression of the nodes...") In any event, it's not happening soon, so keep your 1981 almanac.<br><br>James D. Cavo<br>Chief, Mariner Training &amp; Assessment Duivsison<br>USCG National Maritime Center<br>James.D.Cavo@uscg.mil

[mike22]

Those rumors have been around since the Naval Academy stopped teaching
celestial 10 years ago.... but then US Naval Officers really haven't
done celestial in nearly a century. <br><br>The truth is that Cel Nav
is still used one Navy ships (done by very talented enlisted folks) and
it's still needed aboard merchant ships.

[Shellback7]

Mike, you are so right...<br><br> As I was reading this thread I was thinking back and as Quartemasters, we did it...I remember teaching a fresh LTJG how to do some of the strip forms but he insisted on his fancy smancy cel-calculator...That was great until an unknown casualty put his little gizmo out of commission...Then he comes crying to the Chief for help....The funny thing was the Chief made us all learn to do everything on scratch paper and not to rely on the strip forms...The poor JG never did gain proficiency in it...