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Coast Guard Rating · Logistics

SN Seaman

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 seaman maintains ship compartments, decks, deck machinery, external structures, lines, rigging, and related equipment. They stand deck and in-port watches and operate small boats, booms, cranes, and winches.

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.

Sailors and Marine Oilers

SN experience assisting with seamanship and deck operations supports the deck-side work within this occupation.

How to prepare: Request an official sea-service transcript or assignment history documenting vessel characteristics, routes, underway time, and assigned duties for Coast Guard evaluation toward a deck endorsement. An MMC authorizes service only in its endorsed capacities or permitted lower capacities.

What the civilian work involves
  • Handle lines to moor vessels to wharfs, to tie up vessels to other vessels, or to rig towing lines.
  • Stand watch in ships' bows or bridge wings to look for obstructions in a ship's path or to locate navigational aids, such as buoys or lighthouses.

Training & Development

Choose credentials for your target role. COOL funding markers describe program listings, not a guarantee of eligibility or funding.

Getting Started

  • USCG Merchant Mariner Credential

    Obtain the appropriate civilian deck endorsement for the vessel work being pursued.

    Eligibility and preparation: Applicants must meet the requirements of each endorsement sought, including any required sea service; hold a valid TWIC or show that they have applied for one; provide a qualifying drug-test result or exemption; and document applicable vision, hearing, medical, and physical qualifications or hold a valid Coast Guard medical certificate.

    For: Sailors and Marine Oilers

Notes & Sources

  • A DD-214 is not acceptable sea-service evidence. The Coast Guard evaluates military service for merchant-vessel equivalence and endorsement eligibility, normally crediting 60 percent of time onboard as equivalent underway service, subject to vessel-specific evaluation.
Evidence for this guidance (4 documents)
  1. USCG authority snapshot: SN Seaman

    [1] data/authority/coast_guard-codes.json entry SN (Go Coast Guard - Enlisted Careers (gocoastguard.com)); fetched 2026-07-25

    Supports: Sailors and Marine Oilers (O*NET 53-5011.00)

  2. O*NET: Sailors and Marine Oilers

    [2] O*NET 30.3 occupational data

    Supports: Sailors and Marine Oilers (O*NET 53-5011.00)

  3. eCFR: 46 CFR part 10 - Merchant Mariner Credential issuance requirements

    [3] 46 CFR 10.201, 10.209 and 10.225; official eCFR XML API as of 22 September 2026

    Supports: Sailors and Marine Oilers (O*NET 53-5011.00), USCG Merchant Mariner Credential

  4. USCG: 46 CFR 10.232 military sea-service evidence and credit

    [4] Paragraphs (a) and (d)(1), official eCFR snapshot September 21, 2026; retrieved September 24

    Supports: Sailors and Marine Oilers (O*NET 53-5011.00)

Defense contractor jobs for SN

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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