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Army MOS · Logistics

880A Marine Deck Officer

Current service use not established

This code is listed in the directory. Inclusion alone does not confirm current service use.

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Overview

A Marine Deck Officer commands Army watercraft and oversees vessel operations, crew discipline, safety, and seaworthiness. This officer operates deck machinery and navigation systems, communicates with vessels and shore stations, and directs cargo stowage, emergency steering, firefighting, lifesaving, and damage control activities.

Minimum clearance: Secret

Core Skills

  • Cargo stowage and securing for seaworthiness
  • Celestial navigation and electronic position finding
  • International visual signaling and maritime communications
  • Emergency steering and damage control operations

Civilian Career Paths

Career associations are editorial assessments of the cited evidence, not an official crosswalk unless the evidence explicitly says so. O*NET supplies civilian occupation information, not proof of a military match. Related experience does not confer civilian qualifications. Tasks and tools below describe civilian work, not military training.

Vessel Captain or Mate

Army vessel command, ship handling, navigation, and responsibility for crew safety directly overlap with civilian captain and mate duties.

How to prepare: Compile your sea-service records and compare them with National Maritime Center requirements for your intended vessel and service. Army command authorization does not replace the civilian USCG Merchant Mariner Credential and applicable endorsements; qualifying sea time, approved training, and written and physical examination requirements must be assessed without assuming a particular tonnage or route endorsement.

What the civilian work involves
  • Prevent ships under navigational control from engaging in unsafe operations.
  • Consult maps, charts, weather reports, or navigation equipment to determine and direct ship movements.
  • Steer and operate vessels, using radios, depth finders, radars, lights, buoys, or lighthouses.

Notes & Sources

  • Most water transportation jobs require a TSA Transportation Worker Identification Credential; security or drug screening may also apply.
  • Open-ocean service requires USCG-verified STCW training.
Evidence for this guidance (3 documents)
  1. Army COOL MOC feed: 880A Marine Deck Officer

    [1] data/authority/army-codes.json entry 880A (OSD COOL feed, fetched 2026-07-25); DB rank warrant_officer, authority codeType warrant_officer

    Supports: Cargo stowage and securing for seaworthiness, Celestial navigation and electronic position finding, International visual signaling and maritime communications, Emergency steering and damage control operations, Vessel Captain or Mate (O*NET 53-5021.00)

  2. O*NET: Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels

    [2] O*NET 30.3 occupational data

    Supports: Vessel Captain or Mate (O*NET 53-5021.00)

  3. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Water Transportation Workers

    [3] How to Become; training, licenses and related experience; updated August 27, 2026, checked September 23, 2026

    Supports: Vessel Captain or Mate (O*NET 53-5021.00)

Defense contractor jobs for 880A

Descriptions may be summarized for clarity. Verify all information with your branch career counselor or official military documentation before making career decisions.

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