List of United States Coast Guard ratings

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

United States Coast Guard ratings are general occupations that consist of specific skills and abilities. Each rating has its own specialty badge, which is typically worn on the left sleeve of their uniforms by all enlisted personnel in that particular field. On Operational Dress Uniforms, they wear generic rate designators that exclude the rating symbol. Commissioned Officers do not have ratings.

Ratings should not be confused with "rates", which describe the Coast Guard's enlisted pay-grades.

Enlisted Coastguardsmen are referred to by their rating and rate. For example, if someone's rate is Petty Officer 2nd Class and his rating is Boatswain's Mate; when combined, Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class (BM2) defines both.[1]


Contents

[edit] Rating structure

The pay grades E-4 (Petty Officer Third Class) through E-9 (Master Chief Petty Officer) fall within the rating structure.

[edit] Aviation Group

Insignia General rating Abbreviation Service rating Abbreviation


Aviation Maintenance Technician AMT
The AMT inspects, services, maintains, troubleshoots and repairs aircraft power plant, power train and structural systems. The AMT maintains metal, composite and fiberglass materials, fabricates cables, wire harnesses and structural components; and performs aircraft corrosion control, nondestructive testing, basic electrical troubleshooting and record keeping. Additionally AMTs also hold an aircrew position in specific Coast Guard aircraft
Avionics Electrical Technician AET
Inspects, services, maintains, troubleshoots and repairs aircraft power, communications, navigation, auto flight and sensor systems. AETs perform minimum performance checks, system alignments, avionics corrosion control and record keeping. Additionally, AETs hold an aircrew position in specific Coast Guard aircraft.
Aviation Survival Technician AST
The Aviation Survival Technician inspects, services, maintains, troubleshoots and repairs aircraft and aircrew survival equipment and rescue devices. Additionally, ASTs perform the duties of a rescue swimmer and provide aircrew survival training to all aviators.

[edit] Notes

[edit] Administrative and Scientific Group

Insignia General rating Abbreviation Service rating Abbreviation


Health Services Technician HS
Administers medicine; applies first aid; assists in operating room; nurses patients; and assists dental officers
Marine Sciences Technician MST
Makes visual/instrumental weather and oceanographic observations; conducts chemical analysis; enters data on appropriate logs, charts and forms; analyzes/interprets weather and sea conditions
Musician MU
Plays in the band.
Public Affairs Specialist PA
Reports and edits news; publishes information about service members and activities through newspapers, magazines, radio and television; and shoots and develops film and photographs
Storekeeper SK
Orders, receives, stores, inventories and issues clothing, food, mechanical equipment and other items; and serves as a payroll clerk.
Food Service Specialist FS
Cooks and bakes; prepares menus; keeps cost accounts; assists in ordering provisions; and inspects food.
Yeoman YN
Performs typing and filing duties; operates office equipment; prepares and routes correspondence and reports; and maintains personnel records and publications.

[edit] Notes

[edit] Deck & Weapons Group

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Insignia General rating Abbreviation Service rating Abbreviation


Boatswain's Mate BM
Operates small boats; stores cargo; handles ropes and lines; and directs work of deck force. Performs navigation of ship's steering; lookout supervision, ship control, bridge watch duties, visual communication and maintenance of navigational aids.
Gunners Mate GM
Operates and performs maintenance on guided missile launching systems, rocket launchers, guns and gun mounts; inspects/repairs electrical, electronic, pneumatic, mechanical and hydraulic systems
Operations Specialist OS
Operates telecommunications equipment and sensors and controls operations in Rescue Coordination Centers, cutters and stations
Intelligence Specialist IS
Intelligence Specialists are involved in collecting and interpreting intelligence especially about enemies or potential enemies. They analyze photographs and prepare charts, maps, and reports that describe in detail the strategic situation all over the nation.

[edit] Notes

[edit] Engineering & Hull Group

Insignia General rating Abbreviation Service rating Abbreviation


Damage Controlman DC
Fabricates, installs and repairs shipboard structures, plumbing and piping systems; uses damage control in fire fighting; operates nuclear, biological, chemical and radiological defense equipment; construction work. [2]
Electricians Mate EM
Tests, maintains and repairs aviation electronics equipment including navigation, identification, detection, reconnaissance, special purpose equipment; operates warfare equipment.
Electronics Technician ET
Maintains all electronic equipment used for communications, detection ranging, recognition and countermeasures, worldwide navigational systems, computers and sonars.
Machinery Technician MK
Operates, maintains and repairs ship's propulsion, auxiliary equipment and outside equipment such as steering, engineer, refrigeration/air conditioning and steam equipment
Information Systems Technician IT
Operates communication equipment; transmits, receives and processes all forms of military record and voice communications. Installs and maintains telecommunications equipment ranging from towers, antennas, pole lines and underground cables to computer-based data communications and processing systems, telephone and data switching systems and networks, and public address, security and remote control systems

[edit] Notes

Wrong insignia for IT rate. Should be telephone on top and globe underneath.

[edit] Reserve Specific Group

Insignia General rating Abbreviation Service rating Abbreviation


Port Securityman PS
Support of Department of Defense national-defense operations overseas as a member of a Naval Coastal Warfare Squadron, or a Coast Guard Port Security Unit. Work at a Sector to ensure the physical security of a major U.S. port, or be a member of a maritime safety and security team (MSST). MSSTs are capable of being deployed throughout the United States to provide heightened waterside and shoreside security in support of maritime homeland security operations.

[2]

Investigator IV
Provide support to Coast Guard law-enforcement and intelligence missions. Conduct both criminal and personal background checks and investigations, collect and analyze intelligence information and provide personal protection services to high-ranking Coast Guard officials and other VIPs.

[edit] Notes

These two ratings are only used in the USCG Reserve.

[edit] Obsolete Ratings

Insignia General rating Abbreviation Service rating Abbreviation


Fire Control Technician FT
This rating no longer exists in the Coast Guard. Members were moved to other ratings, including Electronics Technician.
Quartermaster QM
This rating no longer exists in the Coast Guard. It was merged with Boatswain's Mate. Some Quartermasters moved to the Operations Specialist rating when it was established.
Radarman RD
This rating no longer exists in the Coast Guard. Members were moved to other ratings, including Operations Specialist
Data Processing Technician IT
This rating was reported to have been a reserve only rating.

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the United States Coast Guard.
  1. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named BLUE
  2. ^ a b U.S. Navy Enlisted Ratings. University of California Berkeley, Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps. U.S. Navy. Retrieved on 2006-12-27.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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