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The Damage Controlman rating is an extremely diverse rating. A single Damage Controlman in the Coast Guard has the knowledge and skills of numerous civilian professional trades. Welding is one of the primary trades and skill sets of a Damage Controlman. Damage Controlmen are responsible for various repairs and fabrications requiring proficiency in welding. Cutting metal for fabrication and repairs goes hand in hand with the welding skills required for a Damage Controlman. Proficiency with oxygen/acetylene requires practice performing cuts of various shapes. Damage Controlmen are the Coast Guard’s firefighters. When the fire alarm sounds, you'll be the one expected to react to the situation. Students attending Damage Controlman school receive live firefighting training and classroom theory. Damage Controlman maintain and train with the equipment used for protection, detection, and decontamination in the event of exposure to chemical, biological, or radiological hazards. At many shore units in the Coast Guard, Damage Controlman perform various construction and building maintenance. Repairing plumbing systems and fixtures, both on ships and at shore units, is another skill set of the Damage Controlman. Repairs and instalation of common residential and commercial fixtures and systems are performed by Damage Controlmen. A key role of the Damage Controlman on ships is the maintenance and repair of watertight closures. In the event of damage sustained to the ship, watertight closures are secured to prevent the spread of flooding. Watertight closures aboard a ship include doors, hatches, and scuttles. Practical damage control requires the knowledge, skills, and ability to act quickly in making damage control repairs to your ship or other vessels. As a Damage Controlman, you will be an expert in emergency repair to keep the ship afloat.

Qualifications:

If you think you may be interested in a career that challenges your abilities in problem solving, allows you to fabricate repairs, provides you with the satisfaction of creating and building, and calls on you to act quickly in the event of an emergency, then the Damage Controlman rating is for you.

ASVAB Score Requirements: VE+MC+AS OF 152

Training:

Training to become a Damage Controlman can be accomplished by on-the-job training or by attending Damage Controlman ”A” in Yorktown, VA. In the 13 weeks of DC”A” school, students will have classroom instruction and lab time in each of the following areas: welding; oxy-fuel gas cutting; firefighting; carpentry; plumbing; watertight closure maintenance; chemical, biological, and radiological warfare defense; and shipboard damage control. Advanced training in welding, firefighting, and shipboard damage control procedures are available for DCs assigned to Cutters.

Related Civilian Jobs:

Firefighter
Carpenter
Welder
Construction Foreman
Safety Engineer
Vocational Teacher
Building Superintendent/Inspector
Plumber

Above Information Courtesy of United States Coast Guard

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