Kurt Peters

The Martinsburg National Maritime Center (NMC) opened on January 7, 2008. The building is a 60,000 square foot facility that houses U.S. Merchant Mariner Licensing and Documentation Production (MLD) as well as the Merchant Mariner Training Course Approval and Oversight Program.

By opening this facility, the Coast Guard has centralized its MLD program. Approximately, 212,000 actively employed merchant mariners, who serve as crew members aboard vessels operating on America’s waterways and the world’s oceans, now receive the processing of their licenses and/or credentials through the NMC.

In many ways, the NMC is like a national Division of Motor Vehicles, but instead of licensing motorists, the NMC is licensing and credentialing Merchant Mariners.

All U.S. licenses, Merchant Mariner’s Credentials (MMC) and Certificates of Registry (COR) are valid for service for 5 years from the issue date. The NMC processes all renewals, upgrades and initial applications of licenses. Every five years, current license holders must have a complete physical exam, security check and verification of sea time. The processing of these applications is a never ending one which requires many man hours to accomplish in a timely manner.

There are three parts to the licensing; security check, medical check and verification of sea time.

In an effort to process so many applications in a timely manner, the Coast Guard reached out to the Coast Guard Auxiliary looking for an Auxiliarist with a medical background to assist with the medical review part of the licensing applications. Joyce McGowan, Division 7, D5-NR Commander contacted Kurt Peters of Flotilla 79 of Forked River, NJ. Kurt is a retired physician who joined the Auxiliary in October of 2005.

Kurt joined the Auxiliary in hopes of providing a service to the community. He quickly got involved in public education, very quickly rising to the position of Vice Flotilla Commander. When McGowen contacted Kurt about possibly assisting the National Maritime Center with processing of the medical part of the licensing applications, it was no surprise that Kurt said yes.

About one week out of every month, Kurt travels to Martinsburg, West Virginia to review medical history reports as well as physical exam results of mariners applying for their licenses. In July, August and September, Kurt travelled to Martinsburg on a monthly basis staying for two weeks at a time. This is a huge commitment on his part which he has accepted with ease.

The Coast Guard was so impressed with his dedication and work ethic that the National Maritime Center asked Kurt if he would be interested in becoming a civilian sub-contractor performing the same task as he was presently doing as a volunteer. Once Kurt completes his paperwork, he will be available as a civilian sub-contractor working on an as needed basis for NMC.

~HRW