Merchant Mariners

Merchant Mariner Sentenced

Joseph A. Boevink (51) of Panama City, Fla., was sentenced by United States District Judge Thomas S. Zilly in Seattle to two months in custody, followed by up to 60 days in a halfway house, and two years of supervised release, for falsely claiming that he had never been convicted of a criminal offense on an application for Merchant Mariner license submitted to the U.S. Coast Guard in Seattle in January 2001. The U.S. Coast Guard is required under federal law to issue such licenses, called Merchant Mariner Documents, to individuals employed on large merchant vessels. One of the purposes of the license is to ensure that the U.S. Coast Guard knows who has access to, and is traveling on, merchant vessels that operate within United States waters. Boevink was convicted of the offense of False Statement to a United States Agency on March 10, 2004, following a two-day trial before a federal jury in Seattle. The case marks the first time a merchant mariner, identified through the nationwide U.S. Coast Guard initiative known as "Operation Drydock," has been convicted of a criminal offense at trial. Court records show that in December 2002, the U.S. Coast Guard initiated "Operation Drydock," a comprehensive criminal and counterterrorism investigation designed to identify vulnerabilities in the merchant mariner credentialing process

MSC Observes National Maritime Day

Pictured is U.S. Representative Gene Taylor of Mississippi. More than 200 guests attended Military Sealift Command's annual National Maritime Day ceremony at Willard Park on the Anacostia River at the historic Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., to honor some unsung heroes of our nation's defense -- America's merchant mariners. Vice Adm. David L. Brewer III, USN, commander, MSC, hosted the ceremony that was attended by former Maryland congresswoman Helen Bentley as well as

Merchant Mariners Honored by MSC

Air Force Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, commander, U.S. Transportation Command, and more than 150 guests paid tribute to some of the unsung heroes of national defense – merchant mariners – at Military Sealift Command’s annual National Maritime Day memorial service and wreath-laying ceremony at the . National Maritime Day was established by Congress in 1933 to honor the contributions and sacrifices of merchant mariners in defense of the nation.

Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Bill

Representative Filner (D-CA) introduced the Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2009 (H.R. 23) to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish the Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund to provide benefits to certain individuals who served in the United States merchant marine (including the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service) during World War II. (1/6/09).

First Consolidated Merchant Mariner Credential

The U.S. Coast Guard issued the first consolidated Merchant Mariner Credential May 7, during the Towing Safety Advisory Committee meeting held at Dania Beach, Fla. Jessica Dennis, a regulatory compliance manager for Hornbeck Offshore, was the first mariner to receive the new MMC as evidenced by its serial number of 000000001. Dennis is a graduate of the Texas Maritime Academy and holds domestic officer endorsements such as; second mate of steam motor vessels, able seaman

Updated Merchant Mariner Medical Eval Forms

The Coast Guard is releasing a new version of the CG-719 K (Merchant Mariner Credential Medical Evaluation Report) and CG-719 K/E (Merchant Mariner Evaluation of Fitness for Entry Level Ratings) forms to facilitate obtaining objective medical information which will enable the Coast Guard to make accurate and timely fit for duty determinations which will reduce risk to maritime safety. These forms more clearly align the Merchant Mariner Credentialing process with the policies set forth by

Merchant Mariner Credentials Extended in the Gulf Region

The Coast Guard is extending the expiration dates of licenses, merchant mariners' documents and certificates of registry held by merchant mariners impacted by the effects of Hurricane Katrina. The authority for this temporary relief measure was included in the Coast Guard Maritime and Transportation Act of 2006. Details are contained in the notice published Aug. 16, 2006 in the Federal Register. This measure applies to certain mariners holding any of the above credentials that have

Coast Guard Establishes Mariner Physical Exam Requirements

The Coast Guard recently published two Federal Register notices relating to physical examination requirements for merchant mariners, based on National Transportation Safety Board recommendations issued following the catastrophic 2003 Staten Island ferry marine casualty in New York Harbor. The first notice announces and seeks public comment on a draft Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular on medical and physical evaluation guidelines for merchant mariner credentials

Merchant Mariner ID Security Meeting

The U.S. Coast Guard is proposing to seek amendments to the merchant mariner credential statutes in an effort to modernize them and to incorporate security aspects. The Legislative Proposal has been incorporated into the official docket for this project. It is 16 pages in length and will require some study and comparison with current law to appreciate its full impact. A meeting to obtain comments from the public will be held in Arlington, Virginia on June 17

U.S. Merchant Mariner Document Renewals

The U.S. Coast Guard issued an interim rule enhancing the application procedures for the Merchant Mariner Licensing and Documentation program. The major change is that mariners seeking to renew current documents must appear in person at a Regional Examination Center (REC) for fingerprinting during the renewal process. All applicants will undergo criminal and security checks. New tamper-resistant documents will be issued. The rule comes into effect immediately