Job Description
June 7, 2018
I was 18 years old when I graduated from the Navy’s Master-at-Arms “A” school in San Antonio, TX. I arrived at my first duty station, Naval Air Station North Island, Coronado, CA in July 2003 and was assigned to the “mids” shift–1930 – 0730. There are two other shifts: “Days” 0530 – 1430, and “swings” 1230 – 2100. I enjoyed being on mids because most of the action occurs at night. I wasn’t built for giving out tickets and harassing jaywalkers. If I was going to be a cop I wanted the adrenaline rush that comes along with arresting criminals. It was also important to me to feel like I was making a difference in peoples lives, and I could do that by keeping them safe.
As a Navy Master-at-Arms, or “MA” for short, I was responsible for knowing and enforcing both state and federal laws, as well as the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).
Specific MA duties include:
• Physical security inspections
• Base security patrols
• Coordinating UCMJ investigations
• Law enforcement operations
• Flight line and security operations
• Perform weapons and funds escorts
• Organize and train other security personnel
• Guarding high-ranking officials and dignitaries
• Operating brigs (a Navy jail)
• Conduct narcotics and explosive detection operations w/K9 military working dogs (MWD)
• Conduct river security operations
• Conduct waterborne security patrols and interdiction
• Special Response Teams (SRT)
You should also be:
• In great physical condition
• Be able to pass a federal background check
• No history of mental disorders
• Have zero drug & alcohol dependency issues
• Maintain a valid driver’s license
• Have 20/20 vision and normal color perception
toughness that sets you apart from many of the other jobs in the Navy because you are the standard by which everyone compares themselves. The demands are great, but the perks are equally rewarding. You will have opportunities for training across multiple disciplines: language, cyber, weapons, and many others. Everyone does sea duty, which usually means being assigned to a ship. I was never assigned to a ship because as an MA you can choose where you want your sea duty to be; on a ship, or on a naval installation overseas. One of my overseas jobs was conducting anti-piracy operations in the Indian Ocean, the Suez Canal, the Arabian Gulf, and the Persian Gulf. My other overseas job was conducting high value detainee operations in northern, eastern, and southern Iraq. Before my 23rd birthday I visited 14 countries on 4 continents, and when I joined the Navy at 17 I hadn’t even left Southern California. This career gave me the interpersonal communication skills to carry me in just about any situation. I have a background in a universally respected field. I’ve trained in some of the best facilities in U.S., by world class instructors, and I learned both hard and soft skills that transfer to just about any industry.
Flesch Reading Ease: 55.5
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 10.2
Passive Sentences: 0.0%.
Military Police
The first time I was arrested I was only 13 and it was for public intoxication. The second time, I was 15, and I got picked up for fighting after school. I think it’s safe to say that being an officer of the law was written into the fabric of my life’s journey. Clearly, I was going to be in arms reach of law one way or another, so I figured I might as well be on the side with some semblance of a future.I was 18 years old when I graduated from the Navy’s Master-at-Arms “A” school in San Antonio, TX. I arrived at my first duty station, Naval Air Station North Island, Coronado, CA in July 2003 and was assigned to the “mids” shift–1930 – 0730. There are two other shifts: “Days” 0530 – 1430, and “swings” 1230 – 2100. I enjoyed being on mids because most of the action occurs at night. I wasn’t built for giving out tickets and harassing jaywalkers. If I was going to be a cop I wanted the adrenaline rush that comes along with arresting criminals. It was also important to me to feel like I was making a difference in peoples lives, and I could do that by keeping them safe.
As a Navy Master-at-Arms, or “MA” for short, I was responsible for knowing and enforcing both state and federal laws, as well as the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).
The journey begins
Upon graduation from the nine-week long, MA “A-school,” you’ll have had training in law enforcement, crime prevention, anti-terrorism & force protection, Emergency Vehicle Operations Course (EVOC), and advanced fire arms. If you perform at the top of your class, you can be offered additional training to be a military working dog (MWD) handler or join Mobile Security Force (MSF). As an MA you can be assigned anywhere in the world where there is a Naval Installation. Your new command is responsible for bringing you up to speed on base policies, as each installation varies depending on the Commanding Officer (CO) of the base. Also, if you are in the U.S., there are varying state laws you need to be familiar with. For example, let’s say you’re from Texas and you landed orders to somewhere in California, it might be a shock to you to find out it’s against the law to conceal carry and/or open carry a firearm. The firearm must be in a locked case, and the magazine must be separate from the firearm, meaning not in the mag-well. So, if you’re patrolling base housing and come across someone open carrying a firearm, this person needs to be detained and investigated. Stopping to admire modifications they might have made to their trigger assembly is not advised.Force Protection Professionals
As an MA you are the Navy’s force protection specialist. Your duties will vary depending on the needs of the command you are working for, and the area of operation.Specific MA duties include:
• Physical security inspections
• Base security patrols
• Coordinating UCMJ investigations
• Law enforcement operations
• Flight line and security operations
• Perform weapons and funds escorts
• Organize and train other security personnel
• Guarding high-ranking officials and dignitaries
• Operating brigs (a Navy jail)
• Conduct narcotics and explosive detection operations w/K9 military working dogs (MWD)
• Conduct river security operations
• Conduct waterborne security patrols and interdiction
• Special Response Teams (SRT)
Qualifications & Requirements
When you join the military, there is a mandatory entrance exam everyone takes called the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). The higher you score in each area the broader range of jobs you are qualified. To become a Master-at-Arms you need to achieve a combined score of 100 on word knowledge (WK) and arithmetic reasoning (AR). Fortunately, in 2003, the Navy, for the first time, opened the rating to entry level enlistees. This was done because of the demand for security professionals in the wake of 9/11.You should also be:
• In great physical condition
• Be able to pass a federal background check
• No history of mental disorders
• Have zero drug & alcohol dependency issues
• Maintain a valid driver’s license
• Have 20/20 vision and normal color perception
A little background info
The MA rating has an interesting story. It was one of the first ratings to be established in 1794, but in 1921 the Navy decided to do away with the rating all-together and assign the job as an additional collateral duty. This means everyone, regardless of their job, pulled security watch. Back then, the biggest job for the Shore Patrol (SP), which is what they were called, was breaking up bar fights and escorting drunk Sailors back to their respective ships. Each ship had their own Shore Patrol personnel. It wasn’t until August 1st, 1973, that the Navy reinstated the MA rating. The community had to be filled by individuals who wanted to cross train into the rate and make the switch permanently.Decision time
Being an MA is not easy. You will sacrifice more than most because the “bad guys” don’t take weekends or holiday’s off, so neither do we. You will maintain a level of physical and mentaltoughness that sets you apart from many of the other jobs in the Navy because you are the standard by which everyone compares themselves. The demands are great, but the perks are equally rewarding. You will have opportunities for training across multiple disciplines: language, cyber, weapons, and many others. Everyone does sea duty, which usually means being assigned to a ship. I was never assigned to a ship because as an MA you can choose where you want your sea duty to be; on a ship, or on a naval installation overseas. One of my overseas jobs was conducting anti-piracy operations in the Indian Ocean, the Suez Canal, the Arabian Gulf, and the Persian Gulf. My other overseas job was conducting high value detainee operations in northern, eastern, and southern Iraq. Before my 23rd birthday I visited 14 countries on 4 continents, and when I joined the Navy at 17 I hadn’t even left Southern California. This career gave me the interpersonal communication skills to carry me in just about any situation. I have a background in a universally respected field. I’ve trained in some of the best facilities in U.S., by world class instructors, and I learned both hard and soft skills that transfer to just about any industry.
Flesch Reading Ease: 55.5
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 10.2
Passive Sentences: 0.0%.
Brandon, the intro was so intense! I love it! I think that was a brilliant intro that pulls readers in. When reading it, it almost felt like reality TV. It was a guilty pleasure to see/ read about the day in the life of someone else who's life is much more interesting! My boyfriend's father went to the Naval Academy as well so I particularly loved this piece you wrote because I felt like I could somehow relate and understand your experience by hearing his. Although, it's much more riveting to hear your perspective as he attended many moons ago. The level of commitment and travel you did was very compelling and it captivated me. And the amount of life you have lived by 23 is wild. I honestly appreciate the dedication, work and service you've done (and continue to do) while being an MA student majoring in such a cool major. I'm very much excited to read/ learn more about you through out the summer! Thanks for the read!
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with Matcha that the intro is very very very interesting. It directly drags me in. Also, the tone of the description fits the function of the job very well. The use of "you" makes it sounds official and serious just like the job duties.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both previous comments. The suspense at the beginning of the post had me on the edge of my seat. I loved the comparison you made that you were always within reach of the law so you might as well join in on it. I wanted to thank you for your service and everything you have done to make our country safer. Sounds like you had a pretty interesting career path, interested to see in what you decide to do moving forward
ReplyDeleteThe intro is totally captivating, as well as the rest of the description. I like how informative "the journey begins" section is, as most readers probably don't know all the possibilities after such training (I didn't). I like that the MA duties and qualifications sections were bulleted, since there is so much to cover. I want to hear more about the anti piracy overseas! That sounds wild!
ReplyDeleteYour intro really drew me in and made me keep reading to the end. It was interesting to see how events from your childhood played a part in guiding you towards the right career path for you. Overall, I liked the way you organized the different sections and walked the readers through what it truly means to be an MA.
ReplyDeleteThe final section "Decision Time" was a great conclusion. It perfectly wrapped up the paper and I really enjoyed reading about all of the benefits you received.
ReplyDeleteBrandon, I love this! The intro is really captivating, and I want to hear more about how your youth/personal history led you to joining the Navy. This is a really interesting aspect of your story and I do wish that it came back into the job description again later. I really appreciate how you explain the responsibilities of an MA and go into detail about the process of becoming one. This job description felt a lot like a letter of advise to future MA's. There are a lot of "You's" in the writing/language of this, so using "I" or another word to address your self would help distinguish when you are talking about your own experience versus when you want address the audience. This was a really informative and interesting article! Thank you for sharing :)
ReplyDelete