Comparison of the Watchstanding, Training, and Maintenance Processes Between the U.S. Navy Fleet and the U.S. Merchant Marine

Abstract

Recent GAO reports indicate that Navy watchstanding, training, and maintenance systems need improvement. This thesis compares (a) watchstanding regulations in the Merchant Marine to the standard watch rotation used in a Navy warship, (b) training processes and requirements for Merchant Marine Officers to those of a SWO, and (c) maintenance processes used in the Merchant Marine to offer alternative processes to those present in the U.S. Navy. Review of literature and interviews with Navy Officers and Merchant Marine Officers provide insight into the processes used in both industries. Results indicate that the Navy implements inconsistent watchstanding practices; struggles to provide adequate training through a “jack-of-all-trades” training style of officers in order to qualify them in navigation, engineering, and combat departments; and uses aging maintenance tracking systems to maintain readiness. The Merchant Marine follows the strict Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchstanding (STCW) regulations; has separate career ladders and licensing for deck and engineering officers; and uses different maintenance tracking methods. Results of the study led to several recommendations, among them to leverage licensed Merchant Mariners in the Navy’s Strategic Sealift Officer (SSO) program to augment Navy vessels and encourage cross-pollination of talents.