Hull Maintenance Technician

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Hull Maintenance Technician rating insignia

Hull Maintenance Technician (abbreviated as HT) is a United States Navy occupational rating.

Hull Maintenance Technicians plan, supervise, and perform tasks necessary for fabrication, installation and repair of all types of shipboard structures, plumbing, and piping systems; organize, supervise, and train personnel in maintenance and hull repair; supervise and perform tasks in procurement and issuance of supplies and repair parts; instruct personnel and enforce safety and security precautions; prepare records and reports.

An HT stationed on a Tender or other Auxiliary vessel or shore duty station, may perform far more tasks than listed here. HT's fabricate and repair all types of equipment and items. This expertise may include metal of all thicknesses with hand tools, welders and very large cutting, forming and shaping equipment. Having had other ratings such as Molder, Patternmaker, Carpenter, Pipefitter and others absorbed into the rating, HT's may be tasked with working with all types of materials. HT was and is a "Jack of All Trades". HT was further enhanced with DC (Damage Controlman-note the axe crossed with the hammer) quite some time ago and then had this designation made independent again much later on. HT also included NBC (Nuclear, Biological and Chemical) warfare. In keeping with those DC responsibilities HT's were and still are Firemen which is their designation when they are "striking for a rating" from E-1 through E-3. HT's still take an active roll in Firefighting and may indeed be the "Scene Leader" in control of a fire-fighting team.(this paragraph added by former HT2 Milt Heger 6/1/08)

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