A
Master-at-Arms (
MA) is a
ratingThe term rating or rate carries different meanings depending on which navy is being discussed.- Royal Navy :In the Royal Navy, a rating or rate is a military rank that is not conferred by commission or warrant. It may refer to the rank, or may be used as a synonym for an ordinary sailor...
responsible for
disciplineIn its most general sense, discipline refers to systematic instruction given to a disciple. To discipline thus means to instruct a person to follow a particular code of conduct "order." Usually, the phrase 'to discipline' carries a negative connotation...
aboard a
naval shipA naval ship is a ship used for combat purposes, commonly by a navy. Naval ships are differentiated from civilian ships by construction and purpose...
.
The term has the senior rating, comparable in many respects to the
Regimental Sergeant MajorRegimental Sergeant Major is an appointment held by Warrant Officers Class 1 in the British Army, the British Royal Marines and in the armies of many Commonwealth nations, including Australia and New Zealand; and by Chief Warrant Officers in the Canadian Forces...
in the
ArmyThe British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland and...
and the
Station Warrant OfficerThe Station Warrant Officer is the senior Warrant Officer on a British Royal Air Force station . The SWO is responsible for discipline and is therefore comparable to the Regimental Sergeant Major in a British Army unit.Once a member of the Royal Air Force has reached the rank of Warrant Officer or...
in the
Royal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
. A
warrant officerA Warrant Officer is a member of a military organization holding one of a specific group of ranks.The rank was first used in the English Royal Navy and is today used in many other countries, essentially the Commonwealth and USA...
or
chief petty officerChief Petty Officer is a Non-commissioned officer or equivalent in many naval services and coast guards.-Canada:Chief Petty Officer refers to two ranks in the Canadian Navy...
, the MAA is addressed as "Master"; even if the rating in question is a woman, she is still addressed as "Master" and known as the Master-at-Arms. The MA is assisted by regulators of the
Royal Navy Regulating BranchThe Royal Navy Police , or Royal Naval Police, formerly known as the Royal Navy Regulating Branch, is the military police branch of the Royal Navy. Its members are known as Regulators and enforce law, order and discipline both aboard ship and in shore establishments...
, of which he is himself a member.
A
Master-at-Arms (
MA) is a
ratingThe term rating or rate carries different meanings depending on which navy is being discussed.- Royal Navy :In the Royal Navy, a rating or rate is a military rank that is not conferred by commission or warrant. It may refer to the rank, or may be used as a synonym for an ordinary sailor...
responsible for
disciplineIn its most general sense, discipline refers to systematic instruction given to a disciple. To discipline thus means to instruct a person to follow a particular code of conduct "order." Usually, the phrase 'to discipline' carries a negative connotation...
aboard a
naval shipA naval ship is a ship used for combat purposes, commonly by a navy. Naval ships are differentiated from civilian ships by construction and purpose...
.
Royal Navy
The term has the senior rating, comparable in many respects to the
Regimental Sergeant MajorRegimental Sergeant Major is an appointment held by Warrant Officers Class 1 in the British Army, the British Royal Marines and in the armies of many Commonwealth nations, including Australia and New Zealand; and by Chief Warrant Officers in the Canadian Forces...
in the
ArmyThe British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland and...
and the
Station Warrant OfficerThe Station Warrant Officer is the senior Warrant Officer on a British Royal Air Force station . The SWO is responsible for discipline and is therefore comparable to the Regimental Sergeant Major in a British Army unit.Once a member of the Royal Air Force has reached the rank of Warrant Officer or...
in the
Royal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
. A
warrant officerA Warrant Officer is a member of a military organization holding one of a specific group of ranks.The rank was first used in the English Royal Navy and is today used in many other countries, essentially the Commonwealth and USA...
or
chief petty officerChief Petty Officer is a Non-commissioned officer or equivalent in many naval services and coast guards.-Canada:Chief Petty Officer refers to two ranks in the Canadian Navy...
, the MAA is addressed as "Master"; even if the rating in question is a woman, she is still addressed as "Master" and known as the Master-at-Arms. The MA is assisted by regulators of the
Royal Navy Regulating BranchThe Royal Navy Police , or Royal Naval Police, formerly known as the Royal Navy Regulating Branch, is the military police branch of the Royal Navy. Its members are known as Regulators and enforce law, order and discipline both aboard ship and in shore establishments...
, of which he is himself a member. He is nicknamed the "jaunty", a corruption of the
FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
gendarmeGendarme can mean:* Gendarme , French medieval or early modern cavalryman* A member of a gendarmerie; the word is often incorrectly used in English to refer to any French policeman...
, or the "joss/jossman". The non-substantive (trade) badge of an MAA is a crown within a wreath.
Royal Navy MAs are infamous among young ratings for wreaking verbal havoc on the inattentive recruit who fails to notice their trade badge and addresses them as "Chief" or "Sir" (based on their substantive rank), which is all too common for new entrants to the Navy.
British Army
In the
British ArmyThe British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland and...
, the Master at Arms is a Commissioned officer of the Army Physical Training Corps (APTC) posted as an SO2 or SO3 at Divisional HQ or higher command, responsible for overseeing all fitness training in subordinate units. APTC WO1s fulfil the role at Brigade HQ, while WO2 or S/Sgt PTIs are embedded at Unit level.
United States Navy
In the
United States NavyThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
, a Master-at-Arms (MA) is the rating concerned with law enforcement, antiterrorism, force protection and expeditionary warfare. They serve as a
military policeMilitary police are normally the police of a military organization.Military police may refer to:* a section of the military solely responsible for policing the armed forces...
force onboard ships and naval installations, both Continental United States (CONUS) and Outside Continental United States (OCONUS). MAs report to the Executive Officer (XO) of the command, and provide the Commanding Officer (CO) in maintaining good order and discipline, enforcing rules and regulations, and protecting life and property. The MA rating is also supplemented by
DoD personnelThe United States Department of Defense is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the military...
and contractors. The current active duty number of MAs consists of approximately 10,000 Sailors. The expansion from 3,500 personnel in the year 2000 to the current manning level is due to the expanding role of the MAs in Antiterrorism/Force Protection (ATFP) duties rather than traditional law enforcement.
Some Law Enforcement duties may include Military Working Dog (MWD) handlers (NEC 2005/2006), Criminal Investigators (NEC 2002), Brig Afloat/Naval Corrections (NEC 2008), Patrolmen, Gate Sentries, Physical Security Specialist, Small Arms Marksmanship Instructors (SAMI) (NEC 0812), AT/FP Training Supervisor, and at some bases Harbor Patrol. In support of the Global
War on TerrorismThe War on Terrorism is the common term for the military, political, legal and ideological conflict against what the effort's leaders describe as Islamic terrorism and Islamic militants, and was specifically used in reference to operations by the...
(GWOT), today's MA force is being forward deployed to many places around the world including Cuba, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Djibouti, among other locations overseas. MAs may be assigned to a Mobile Security Expeditionary Force (MESF) or Squadrons, Riverine Squadrons (RIVRON), Maritime Civil Affairs Group (MCAG), or a
special forcesSpecial forces and special operations forces are generic terms for elite highly-trained military teams/units that conduct specialized operations such as reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, direct action and counter-terrorism actions.In the United States, the term special operations forces is...
unit where they will conduct ATFP and expeditionary missions. These missions typically include; Protective Service Specialist (NEC 2009), Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) Teams, Embarked Security Teams aboard a ships with minimal self-defense capability, fortifying landside locations, and securing foreign ports for use by U.S. warships. Most MA's who perform these type of ATFP related duties now report through the newly formed
Navy Expeditionary Combat CommandThe U.S. Navy established the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command in January 2006 to serve as a single functional command to centrally manage current and future readiness, resources, manning, training and equipping of the Navy’s 40,000 expeditionary forces who are currently serving in every theater...
(NECC) from their chain of command. In civilian life, MAs would be detectives, police officers, corrections officers, and port security personnel. MA "A" School is located at Lackland AFB,
San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio is the second-largest city in the state of Texas and the seventh-largest city in the United States. The city is characteristic of other Southwest urban centers in which there are sparsely populated areas and a low density rate outside of the city. It was the fourth-fastest growing...
. There is also an MA "A" School located at Dam Neck Annex in
Virginia Beach, VirginiaVirginia Beach is an independent city located in the South Hampton Roads area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Although Fairfax County is the most populous jurisdiction, Virginia Beach is the most populous city in Virginia and the 42nd largest city in the...
. They consist of 50 calendar days of training. Navy MAs are recognized as military police officers. MA's also receive further training and certifications depending on their specialties within the rate.
U.S. Navy MAs are often called upon by commanding officers to train ship's troops in tactical boarding and seizure to deter
piracyPiracy is a war-like act committed by private parties that engaged in acts of robbery and/or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the...
worldwide. Masters at Arms are highly trained in preplanned responses in regards to multiple variances of maritime terrorist attacks such as piracy. These highly trained individuals are designated to neutralize threats and promote safely executed maritime missions.