The U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center located in Martinsburg, W.Va., launched a new service that will automatically send e-mail notifications to mariners informing them of their credential application status as it is being processed. 

"This new automated service will help maintain confidence among mariners that their application is being actively worked by the Coast Guard,” said Capt. David Stalfort, the commanding officer of the National Maritime Center.

Mariners who provide an email address when submitting their merchant mariner credential application will receive an e-mail as their application progresses through the application process. The e-mail is automatically generated when an application and moves to the next stage of the process. Those stages include:
•    Transfer from a regional exam center to the NMC
•    Is evaluated by the medical officer
•    Is evaluated for professional qualifications
•    Approval to test
•    Approval to print the credential
•    Credential issuance
•    Confirmation of delivery and request for feedback

The automated e-mail system will also send an applicant an e-mail if the NMC needs additional information. The NMC also published its monthly performance report for November, highlighting a new record for the processing time of merchant mariner credentials of 20.8 days, below the goal of 30.  Copies of the monthly report can be found on the NMC’s web site at: http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/performance_reports/2009_november_performance_report.pdf

For more information about the National Maritime Center's mariner licensing and documentation program visit http://www.uscg.mil/nmc or the Coast Guard’s Homeport site at http://homeport.uscg.mil and then select Merchant Mariners.