Craftmaster Badge
Encyclopedia
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
which is awarded to those personnel who have qualified as underway boat captains of U.S. Navy small vessels and support craft. Such boat commands which would qualify a service member for the Craftmaster badge include tugboat
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
s, dredge
Dredge
Dredging is an excavation activity or operation usually carried out at least partly underwater, in shallow seas or fresh water areas with the purpose of gathering up bottom sediments and disposing of them at a different location...
s, and scow
Scow
A scow, in the original sense, is a flat-bottomed boat with a blunt bow, often used to haul bulk freight; cf. barge. The etymology of the word is from the Dutch schouwe, meaning such a boat.-Sailing scows:...
s.
The Craftmaster Badge is mainly awarded to Navy senior enlisted personnel in the Chief Petty Officer ranks. It is also a common award to those who are qualified as harbor pilots. The Craftmaster Badge is not presented to those have qualified to serve on board navy coastal warfare boats, as such personnel receive the Small Craft Pin
Small Craft Pin
The Small Craft Insignia is a decoration of the United States Navy which was first created in the 1970s following the close of the Vietnam War...
and the Combatant Craft Crewman Badge.
The Craftmaster Badge is also awarded to a select few midshipmen
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
at the United States Merchant Marine Academy
United States Merchant Marine Academy
The United States Merchant Marine Academy is one of the five United States Service academies...
, the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
, and a select few Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program is a college-based, commissioned officer training program of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps.-Origins:...
schools. Midshipmen at the Merchant Marine Academy qualify on the Academy's training ship, T/V Kings Pointer. The midshipmen who traditionally qualify are the midshipman officers on board the training vessel. The midshipmen at the Naval Academy qualify on the flotilla of Yard Patrol Craft (YPs). Most of the midshipmen who qualify are members of the YP Squadron, a midshipman-led extracurricular activity at the Academy focused on cultivating leadership and to develop professional mariners prepared for the Fleet. Midshipmen crews practice onboard Yard Patrol Craft and execute out-of-area trips to regional ports. Earning the title "Craftmaster" requires a few hundred hours spent living, working, and training on board the YP. Midshipmen dedicated to earning the badge are paired with an advising officer (usually a lieutenant) as they take navigation and seamanship tests, prepare nautical charts and underway briefings, and perform complex and highly-technical maneuvers in adverse conditions. For the final examination, or "qualification ride", the head of the Department of Seamanship and Navigation (a commander), personally reviews the command presence, naval skill, and seamanship knowledge of the aspiring midshipman as demonstrated through a pre-determined course on the Severn River. Despite the rigorous and time-consuming workload involved with earning the badge, it is not uncommon for a midshipman to fail the qualification ride. Midshipmen who gain the qualification while at NROTC units are trained on small sail training craft. A NROTC midshipman in command of the sailing training program at his or her respective university will have to spend an extraordinary amount of time working on the boats, conducting training, and planning week-long voyages.
See also
- List of United States Navy enlisted warfare designations
- Badges of the United States NavyBadges of the United States NavyInsignia and badges of the United States Navy are military "badges" issued by the United States Department of the Navy to naval service members who achieve certain qualifications and accomplishments while serving on both active and reserve duty in the United States Navy...
- Military badges of the United StatesMilitary badges of the United StatesMilitary badges of the United States are awards authorized by the United States armed forces that signify rating, qualification, or accomplishment in several career fields, and also serve as identification devices for personnel occupying certain assignments. Personal recognition is granted to...
- Obsolete badges of the United States militaryObsolete badges of the United States militaryObsolete badges of the United States military are a number of U.S. military insignia which were issued in the early 20th century leading up to and including badges issued during the Second World War. Such badges were eventually phased out of the United States armed forces in favor of the modern...
- Uniforms of the United States NavyUniforms of the United States NavyThis article examines dress uniforms, daily service uniforms, working uniforms, special situations, and the history of uniforms of the United States Navy...