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The Trident Program
Trident Specialties (What you can do) |
Becoming qualified to wear the Marine Safety Device is independent of actual assignment to a position covered by one or more of the 27 specialties listed below. An Auxiliarist could conceivably meet this requirement, and maintain the right to wear the device whether or not they are currently assigned to work with the Coast Guard in any of the associated specialties.
In short, the Trident Marine Safety Device is awarded in recognition of the knowledge and skills the Auxiliarist has attained in the area of marine safety. The same standard as the US Coast Guard awards the device to Active Duty and Reserve members. The Auxiliarist is not a "free agent," and the services subsequently provided, or not provided, are determined by the Coast Guard and the particular local marine safety unit the Auxiliarist serves with. Each of the current Trident Marine Safety Specialties are listed below. The button will take you to a page that outlines the qualifications, and links to associated documents to help prepare you for your qualification. Remember, Trident is an On the Job Training program. You don't get the qualification by taking a test, you get the qualification by demonstrating to your training officer you have the expertise for doing the job.
The current specialties covered by the Trident Program are listed below, along with a description of the intent to apply the PQS requirements to positions augmenting the work of Active Duty and Reserve personnel at Coast Guard marine safety commands:
TRIDENT PQS SPECIALTY
Assistant
Contingency Planner (Formerly Assistant Contingency Preparedness Specialist)
Assistant Port State Control Examiner(Formerly Port State Control Boarding Team Assistant
)
Assistant Container Inspector
Assistant Federal On Scene Coordinator Representative (Formerly Assistant Pollution Investigator)
Assistant Harbor Safety Officer
Assistant Pollution Response Specialist
Assistant Facilities Inspector
Assistant License & Document Evaluator
Assistant License & Document Examiner
Assistant Liferaft Inspector
Prevention Outreach Specialist (Formerly Marine Environmental Education Specialist)
Marine Safety Administrative & Management Specialist
Marine Safety Watch Stander
Port State Control Dispatcher
Uninspected Passenger Vessel Examiner
Uninspected Towing Vessel Examiner
Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Examiner
Assistant Marine Casualty Investigator
Assistant Maritime Enforcement Investigator
Assistant Suspension and Revocation Inspector
Assistant T-Boat Inspector
Assistant K-Boat Inspector
Assistant Machinery Inspector
Assistant Machinery Inspector (steam)
Assistant Barge Inspector
Assistant Hull Inspector
Assistant Foreign Passenger Vessel Examiner
Assistant Foreign Freight Vessel Examiner
Assistant Waterways Management Representative
Shipmate Advice:
Effective 28 Jan 2010 the Trident specialties have been brought more into alignment with the active duty Personal Qualification Standards (PQS) that are used to qualify for the Active Duty Trident Award (M-PRO). These changes are outlined in ALCOAST 045/10, and specific changes to the Auxiliary program are effective immediately.
As stated in the ALCOAST item 4. those Auxiliarists who previously qualified in any of the revised qualifications are not required to re-qualify with the revised PQS. Members pursuing legacy qualifications must complete the certifications no later than 28 APR 2010 after which time those Auxiliarists who cannot qualify with the legacy PQS (i.e. be awarded a signed Letter of Designation (LOD) from the Unit Commander must complete the Revised PQS. Per ITEM 6 effective 28 APR 2010 AUX-EK and AUX-MSW qualifications will be cancelled to align with commensurate changes in the Active Duty side. Qualifications awarded prior to 28 APR 2010 based upon the dateof the LOD will continue to count toward the Auxiliary Trident Device although not currently active.
There are currently, as of January 2010 27 specialties from which you may select to qualify for your Trident device. Step by step instructions on the application process for the Marine Safety Device are contained in Trident Update Bulletin 005 (TB005), and the getting started page.
Note the requirements for the Trident Award are constantly evolving. Verify minimum requirements on the current Trident Application Form.
Provisions for a "Conditional Award" of the Marine Safety Device for Auxiliarists who have met all requirements except the four years of service are contained in Trident Update Bulletin 008 (TB008).
However, to initially qualify in any of the specialties, an Auxiliarist must not only meet the published PQS requirements for the specialty, but also with any other requirements set by the particular unit taking on the responsibility of signing off on each PQS, and, as mentioned previously, which are determined by the unit as meeting its needs.
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Last Updated: 30 Jan 2010 |