SSMP

STRATEGIC SEALIFT MIDSHIPMAN PROGRAM (SSMP)

The SSMP is an education and training program conducted by the Department of Naval Science at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and six State Maritime Academies (SMAs). The SSMP administration, eligibility, and participation requirements are directed by Naval Education and Training Command’s Naval Service Training Command (NSTC). These programs are designed to qualify participants for commissioned service into the Strategic Sealift Officer Force (SSOF).

Midshipmen who successfully complete the SSMP will receive a U.S. Navy reserve officer commission as a Strategic Sealift Officer (SSO), designator 1665, with the rank of ensign. Newly commissioned SSOs are part of the Strategic Sealift Readiness Group (SSRG) which is part of the Individual Ready Reserve and Selected Reserve.

The SSMP does NOT offer Navy ROTC scholarships, nor are Navy ROTC scholarships available to the SSMP. The Maritime Administration (MARAD) provides financial support through the Student Incentive Payments Program (SIP).

Requirements

ELIGIBILITY

• Be a U.S. citizen, naturalized U.S. citizen, or have submitted naturalization papers.
• Meet physical standards specified by the U.S. Coast Guard for original licensing as a merchant marine officer.
• Meet the Department of Defense Medical Evaluation Review Board (DoDMERB) physical qualification standards.
• Register with the Selective Service Registration Representative if required under the Military Selective Service Act (MSSA).
• Apply for, be offered, and have accepted midshipman status in the U.S. Naval Reserve and simultaneously have applied and been accepted for Enlisted Reserve Status.
• Have no moral obligations or personal convictions that will prevent bearing of arms and supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic or to taking an oath to perform such acts.
• All SSMP midshipmen are required to meet the same basic enrollment requirements as Navy ROTC midshipmen.

AGE LIMITATIONS

• Not have passed your 25th birthday on the day of enrollment at the school (SIP requirement).
• Be at least 17 years of age on or before 30 September of the year of enrollment and less than 27 years of age on 31 December of the year an applicant expects to graduate, complete all Navy ROTC training requirements, and be commissioned.
• Those with prior or current active duty in the Armed Forces may be granted age waivers equal to the number of months served.
• Those granted the maximum age waiver must not have reached their 30th birthday by 31 December of year graduation and commissioning are anticipated.

PHYSICAL FITNESS

• All SSMP midshipmen must attain a performance level of "Good" on push-ups, sit-ups, and a 1.5 mile run on their physical readiness test per Navy standards.
• All SSMP midshipmen must be within U.S. Navy height and weight standards.
• All SSMP midshipmen must participate in Unit-level physical training.
• All SSMP midshipmen must qualify as a third-class swimmer.

​Academic

• Maintain a cumulative college GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
• You must pursue a bachelor of science degree with a major in an approved USCG MMC track, such as Marine Transportation, Marine Engineering, Shipyard Engineering Management, Marine Engineering Systems, or the MMC track of Mechanical Engineering.
• Complete the following three Naval Science Courses: Introduction to the Strategic Sealift Program, Naval Science for the Strategic Sealift Officer, and Leadership and Ethics.
• Participate in a Naval Science Laboratory.
• Possess a secondary school education or equivalent, satisfactory for admission as an undergraduate to college under control of the State in which the school is located.
• Meet the requirements established by the maritime academy in regard to secondary school grades, rank in graduating class, aptitude, achievement, and qualities of leadership.

Financial Assistance

The Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) Student Incentive Payment (SIP) Program is available to State Maritime Academy (SMA) students. Students who enroll in the SIP program receive funding to offset the cost of uniforms, books, subsistence, and tuition in return for a service obligation. The SIP Program is offered at all six State Maritime Academies.

The SIP students, called cadets, receive tuition assistance of up to $8,000 per school year, not to exceed 4 years or $32,000. In exchange for the financial assistance graduates of the SIP Program all incur a service obligation.

Contact the SMA you are interested in for more information. The SMA’s are unique academic institutions that provide students with an opportunity to receive a high quality education and the necessary training to become U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) credentialed Merchant Marine Officers. The SIP program assists cadets in becoming U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) credentialed mariners who are critical to both the national security and economic needs of the nation.

Student Incentive Payment (SIP) Program Obligations

Having successfully completed the course of instruction at a State Maritime Academy for a maritime degree and upon receiving a U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) with an officer endorsement, the remaining graduate's service obligation covers the following four (4) elements:

• Service/employment in the maritime industry for three (3) years (afloat employment is priority);
• Maintaining your USCG MMC for six (6) years; with the appropriate national/international endorsements and certifications required by the USCG for service aboard domestic and international vessels. Maintaining a document of continuity does not fulfill this portion of your obligation and there is no grace period. You must also maintain a valid Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) for six (6) years following graduation and maintain a valid USCG medical certificate.
• Maintaining your Navy Reserve commission as an SSO for eight (8) years; and
• Annual compliance reporting to MARAD, until all service obligation components are fulfilled.

Fulfillment of the SIP Service Obligation requires completion of all elements listed above. The only exception to this is individuals who, serve as a commissioned officer on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States or as a commissioned officer of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS). Those SIP graduates following

graduation who provide five (5) years of honorable active-duty service will fulfill their MARAD obligation, with the exception of their annual reporting.