Chapter 20

Military Service

If you have prior military service or you still are in the military, you will be able to use your military training to your own advantage. The military offers a great deal of excellent training, and some of it is transferable into the offshore industry.

For example, if you are a mechanic in the military, you will probably have diesel and hydraulic experience. Many things offshore operate hydraulically, pneumatically, and are diesel powered. The Coast Guard prohibits gas engines offshore for industrial uses. If you worked on jet aircraft or helicopters, then you have some excellent experience to offer. Turbine engines are becoming more common all the time as power plants offshore.

All ship and boat time in the military is counted as legitimate sea-time in qualifying for Coast Guard endorsements or licenses. If I were a personnel manager, I would seriously consider a prior military person. Military people are trained to follow orders. Even in basic, they are taught how to react in emergency situations, giving them an edge over their civilian counterparts.