Charting a Course: Oscar Smith Seniors Explore Maritime Careers Aboard USNS Point Loma

Seniors from Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake, Va., had the opportunity to tour the Military Sealift Command (MSC) expeditionary fast transport vessel USNS Point Loma (T-EPF 15), April 30.

The tour was part of a collaborative effort between MSC and Oscar Smith to provide graduating seniors with an opportunity to learn about maritime operations and Civil Service Mariners (CIVMAR) in a shipboard environment.

Now in its sixth year of collaboration, Oscar Smith Guidance Counselor Kelly Morgan says the Merchant Marine Seniors Program is a guidance tool to assist seniors in understanding the career opportunities MSC has to offer for those interested in becoming mariners.

“The program is designed to not only familiarize the students with mariner opportunities, but get them properly credentialed as well,” said Morgan. “We help them acquire their TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Credential) card, passports, obtain physicals, and submit their applications, so that upon graduating they should have close to, if not everything, completed to be able to join MSC.”

Point Loma’s Master Capt. TJ Pekin led the tour, escorting the group through spaces such as the engine room, sleeping quarters, and medical spaces to talk about shipboard equipment and introduce them to the crew and explain their responsibilities onboard.

The tour concluded with lunch prepared by the crew and served on the ship’s mess deck, where the group was able to talk to Pekin more in depth about CIVMAR life and experiences.

“This is most of the students’ first exposure to a civilian mariner environment and see first-hand what life on an MSC ship is like, so this program and collaboration with MSC is extremely beneficial,” said Oscar Smith Guidance Counselor Fred Barber. “Every single one of these students here wants to join MSC and collaborations like this make that possible.”

MSC exists to support the joint warfighter across the full spectrum of military operations, with a workforce that includes approximately 6,000 Civil Service Mariners and 1,100 contract mariners, supported by 1,500 shore staff and 1,400 active duty and reserve military personnel.