Gunner's mate

Common card · No. 365010

The United States Navy and United States Coast Guard occupational rating of gunner's mate (GM) is a designation given by the Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS) to enlisted sailors who either satisfactorily complete initial Gunner's Mate "A" school training, or who "strike" for the rating by showing competence in the field of ordnance. When "striking," a sailor is not required to be a seaman, but must belong to one of three undesignated rates: Fireman (FN), Seaman (SN), or Airman (AN). It is also possible to cross rate to Gunner's Mate. Cross rating refers to the act of an enlisted sailor "crossing" from their current rating to another rating of their choice, provided their ASVAB scores are high enough and there are open slots for the rate. The Gunner's Mate "A" school is held at Naval Training Center Great Lakes, Illinois and Yorktown, VA for the USCG. In its early years, the school was very hands-on, but it is now primarily conducted through technical educational tools, such as self-study...

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