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Coast Guard Officer specialty · Combat & Infantry

MLES Maritime Law Enforcement Specialist

Current service use not established

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

A Coast Guard officer specialty, not an enlisted rating.

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Overview

Maritime Law Enforcement Specialists develop, manage, and oversee plans, policies, and procedures for physical security, force protection, police services, and critical infrastructure protection. They direct Coast Guard police and security force operations and provide expertise in boarding and response actions, advanced weapons qualifications, harbor defense, counterterrorism, and security zone missions.

Core Skills

  • Technical guidance on maritime boarding procedures
  • Use-of-force expertise in maritime enforcement

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.

Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers

Technical expertise in Coast Guard law enforcement, boarding procedures, use of force, and maritime law provides a direct foundation for civilian enforcement work.

How to prepare: Ask a target agency to assess your Coast Guard training against its academy and appointment requirements. Most officers must complete an agency academy and on-the-job training; education, age, citizenship, and physical and personal qualifications vary by jurisdiction.

What the civilian work involves
  • Provide for public safety by maintaining order, responding to emergencies, protecting people and property, enforcing motor vehicle and criminal laws, and promoting good community relations.
  • Investigate illegal or suspicious activities.

Notes & Sources

Evidence for this guidance (3 documents)
  1. USCG authority snapshot: MLES Maritime Law Enforcement Specialist

    [1] data/authority/coast_guard-codes.json entry MLES (COOL USCG MOC Feed (uscg.json) + COOL Feed (uscg.json) + CG COOL Website); fetched 2026-07-25

    Supports: Technical guidance on maritime boarding procedures, Use-of-force expertise in maritime enforcement, Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers (O*NET 33-3051.00)

  2. O*NET: Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers

    [2] O*NET 30.3 occupational data

    Supports: Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers (O*NET 33-3051.00)

  3. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Police and Detectives

    [3] How to Become, Education, Training and Other Experience; checked September 24, 2026

    Supports: Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers (O*NET 33-3051.00)

Defense contractor jobs for MLES

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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