“Wait a minute Christiaan, this school year’s not even over and you’re already talking about next Sea Term? What’s up with that?”

Since Sea Term is such a large undertaking, as soon as we return from one the planning begins for the next one.  One of the biggest decisions that has to be made is what ports of call we will make.  Fortunately, the cadets get to have some input on this decision.  A few weeks ago, there was an open meeting for all cadets going on Sea Term 2009 to vote on the choices the Sea Term planners had narrowed down.  The decisions then had to be finalized, and we now know which ports we will be stopping in:

1. Nassau, Bahamas
2. Tampa, FL
3. St. Thomas, USVI

Due to the price of fuel, we can’t go as far afield as was possible in previous years, which is why we’re not too far into the Caribbean, let alone South America or Europe.

A few weeks ago I posted about TWIC, the new identification system for mariners from the TSA.  I picked up my TWIC card here at school today. The TSA has come to us to do enrollment and delivery, which has been very convenient as it keeps us from having to travel to get it. This week they’ve been back on campus delivering TWIC cards that have been created and ready for use.

My appointment was at 0945 this morning. I got there right on time, and was able to immediately walk in and sit down with the agent. he pulled out my card from a stack of them being delivered, stuck it in the chip reader, and started the process. He asked for my photo ID, had me enter the 6-8 digit PIN I had selected for my card, and then had me fill out a survey about the TWIC process while we waited for everything to be registered. By 1000 I was out the door and continuing on my way. All in all, my TWIC experience was pretty painless.

A number of other cadets have had experiences not nearly so positive this week, however. I’ve talked to some kids who were there for over an hour between waiting in line and actually working with the agent activating the card. Apparently the TSA’s database system is a tad on the slow, bogged-down side, which means that the transaction between the issuing point and the central database takes a long time. In fact, of the 15 minutes I was in the room, 10 of them were spent waiting for the computer to finish updating the system. One cadet was told that it’s better in the morning, but later in the day when the west coast issuing points start coming online it gets bogged down more. This makes me a little concerned, since this system is intended to be used 24/7 around the country once it’s fully up and running. Hopefully this slowness is being addressed, and will be resolved before the required registration date in April 2009.

On an interesting side note, I asked the agent about how this was going to work on the end-user side - when we come into port and have to present the card to the authorities. He told me that the person checking your TWIC will have a chip reader similar to the one he was using today. He’ll insert your card, which will pull up your profile (including your photo) from the database, so they can verify that your card is not counterfeit. You will then be required to enter the PIN you’ve chosen, and have your right index finger’s print read for identity verification. It certainly sounds like a pretty watertight security measure (excuse the pun). However, it also sounds like a potential source of long lines and big delays. We’ll have to wait and see how this plays out.

This week the 1st class cadets in license majors are taking their Coast Guard license exams. The exams last all week, and are given in the gym. Since four years of school and training has been leading up to these exams, it’s obviously a stressful time for these seniors.

This week is different for all cadets. We have “short mofo” in the morning, which means that instead of forming up across the entire parade field, we form up in a half circle around the patio by the mess deck. This makes morning formation much shorter, so that we don’t disturb testing. In the dorms, we’re supposed to be quiet to allow the kids taking tests to study. Freshmen have closed door study hours, so we keep our doors shut but have the deadbolt out so that the doors are propped open to allow squad leaders to come in. License seniors are also exempt from all classes this week. A few of my classes are with seniors, so there are a number of people missing.

The school makes efforts to help the license seniors prepare and perform better on the exams. The library has had longer, more accessible hours to allow better studying. There were massage therapists on campus this week to help testers relax, and reduce tension and stress from taking the exams.

1st Company is in a little bit of an awkward situation at the moment, in that we have Admiral’s Inspection next Wednesday. Usually Admiral’s is held on a Monday, but they’ve pushed it back a couple of days to let us prepare after Coasties are over. That said, it usually takes the week before Admiral’s to get ready, so we have to work on cleaning in off hours when testing is being done, so we don’t disturb the seniors who are studying.

I’ve found it pretty interesting to watch the Deck seniors as they’ve been getting ready for, and taking, the Coast Guard exams. Since I’ll be in that position in 3 years myself, I’ve been curious to see how they’re handling it. From what I’ve heard, the Deck tests have gone very well so far.

Good luck to all the seniors in testing right now. Hopefully you all pass with flying colors.

I found this video while surfing YouTube, and thought it would be interesting to share:

Looks pretty awesome to me! It certainly provides motivation to do well here.

The Department of Homeland Security and Transportation Security Administration have created a federal identification system for all personnel working in the maritime industry. The ID is called Transportation Worker Identification Credential with the intention of more effectively regulating and maintaining port security.

All license track cadets here at Mass Maritime are required to enroll in TWIC to be in compliance with maritime regulations. We’ll need these cards when we do our commercial shipping co-op in Junior year, as well as once we graduate and are employed in the maritime industry.

Today I had my appointment for enrolling with TWIC. The process requires either a U.S. Passport or two state or federal IDs. They go through all the basic personal information (name, address, phone number, etc.) to make sure they have proper records. They also take fingerprints and a photograph. Unfortunately there is a $132.50 fee associated with registering, and since the card is only good for 5 years the majority of that time it will be unused while we’re in school.

Luckily, since there are so many of us doing it, registration is being done right on campus, and cards will be delivered to us on campus as well. That way, we can avoid problems like Capt. Rodriguez encountered both in enrolling and receiving his card.