Gunner's Mate
Encyclopedia
The United States Navy
occupational rating of gunner's mate (GM) also known as gunsmens mate 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 as a deck seaman
by showing competence in the field of ordnance
.
The Gunner's Mate "A" school is held at Naval Training Center Great Lakes, Illinois
. While the school was originally very hands-on, it is now primarily conducted through self-study computer-based training (CBT). The training focuses on the operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of Naval guns and missile launchers as well as a strong emphasis on basic explosives, guidance and tracking systems, small arms, Naval ammunition classification, and safety. Upon completion of this basic training, enlisted members often continue on to a specialized "C" school, where they learn a particular weapons system.
A GM will specialize in weapons such as the M500 shotgun, M60 machine gun
, M14 rifle
, M2 Browning machine gun, M9 pistol
, M11 pistol, M16 rifle
, M240 machine gun, M203 grenade launcher
, M79 grenade launcher
, M1911 pistol, M1 Garand
, Mk 19 grenade launcher
, Mk 18 Mod 0 Carbine Rifle, 5"/54 caliber Mark 45 gun, M242 Bushmaster
chain gun, Vertical launching system
, Missiles, torpedoes, pyrotechnics
, hand grenade
s, non-lethal weapons
, force protection
& anti-terrorism
, as well as operating shooting range
s, armories
, and the storage and issue of ammunition
.
On February 26th, 2007 the Chief of Naval Operations
approved the merger of the gunner’s mate (GM) and torpedoman’s mate (TM) ratings into the GM rating.
The move was made to leverage the strengths, knowledge, skills and abilities found in the two ratings to meet mission needs now and in the future.
The torpedoman’s mate training focuses on performing organizational and intermediate level maintenance on underwater ordnance, handling torpedoes and antisubmarine rockets and preparing underwater ordnance for launching, conduct postfire and postrun routines, and weapons performance evaluation procedures.
“The training Sailors receive after basic training for their ratings on an apprentice level has been the same for both gunner's and torpedoman's mates,” said Senior Chief Torpedoman's Mate Sherry Secrease of the Navy Personnel Command. “This makes the merger easier to accomplish.”
The Gunner's Mate rating is primarily surface warfare
-based. Closely associated Naval occupational ratings are Fire Controlman
(FC), Aviation Ordnanceman
(AO), Weapons Technician (WT), Missile Technician
(MT), and Mineman
(MN). The Gunner's Mate rating is one of the three original ratings created when the Navy introduced the rating system in 1797. The others include Boatswain's Mate (BM) and Master at Arms (MA). The rating is also among the top five source ratings for enlisted Naval Special Warfare
candidates.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
occupational rating of gunner's mate (GM) also known as gunsmens mate is a designation given by the Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS) to enlisted sailors
Enlisted rank
An enlisted rank is, in most Militaries, any rank below a commissioned officer or warrant officer. The term can also be inclusive of non-commissioned officers...
who either satisfactorily complete initial Gunner's Mate "A" school training, or who "strike" for the rating as a deck seaman
Seaman
Seaman is one of the lowest ranks in a Navy. In the Commonwealth it is the lowest rank in the Navy, followed by Able Seaman and Leading Seaman, and followed by the Petty Officer ranks....
by showing competence in the field of ordnance
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
.
The Gunner's Mate "A" school is held at Naval Training Center Great Lakes, Illinois
Naval Station Great Lakes
Naval Station Great Lakes is the home of the United States Navy's only boot camp, located near the city of North Chicago, Illinois, in Lake County. Important tenant commands include the Recruit Training Command, Training Support Center and Navy Recruiting District Chicago...
. While the school was originally very hands-on, it is now primarily conducted through self-study computer-based training (CBT). The training focuses on the operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of Naval guns and missile launchers as well as a strong emphasis on basic explosives, guidance and tracking systems, small arms, Naval ammunition classification, and safety. Upon completion of this basic training, enlisted members often continue on to a specialized "C" school, where they learn a particular weapons system.
A GM will specialize in weapons such as the M500 shotgun, M60 machine gun
M60 machine gun
The M60 is a family of American general-purpose machine guns firing 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges from a disintegrating belt of M13 links...
, M14 rifle
M14 rifle
The M14 rifle, formally the United States Rifle, 7.62 mm, M14, is an American selective fire automatic rifle firing 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition. It was the standard issue U.S. rifle from 1959 to 1970. The M14 was used for U.S...
, M2 Browning machine gun, M9 pistol
M9 Pistol
The Beretta M9, formally Pistol, Semiautomatic, 9mm, M9, is a 9×19mm Parabellum pistol of the United States military adopted in 1985. It is essentially a military specification Beretta 92F, later the 92FS....
, M11 pistol, M16 rifle
M16 rifle
The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
, M240 machine gun, M203 grenade launcher
M203 grenade launcher
The M203 is a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilize the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low. Though versatile, and compatible with many rifle models, the M203 was...
, M79 grenade launcher
M79 grenade launcher
The M79 grenade launcher is a single-shot, shoulder-fired, break-action grenade launcher that fires a 40x46mm grenade which used what the US Army called the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low, and first appeared during the Vietnam War...
, M1911 pistol, M1 Garand
M1 Garand
The M1 Garand , was the first semi-automatic rifle to be generally issued to the infantry of any nation. Called "the greatest battle implement ever devised" by General George S...
, Mk 19 grenade launcher
Mk 19 grenade launcher
The Mk 19 Grenade Launcher is a 40 mm belt-fed automatic grenade launcher or grenade machine gun that entered U.S. military service during the Cold War, first seeing action during the Vietnam War and remaining in service today.-Overview:...
, Mk 18 Mod 0 Carbine Rifle, 5"/54 caliber Mark 45 gun, M242 Bushmaster
M242 Bushmaster
The M242 Bushmaster is a 25 mm chain-fed autocannon. It is used extensively by the US armed forces, as well as by NATO's and some other nations' forces in ground combat vehicles and watercraft...
chain gun, Vertical launching system
Vertical Launching System
A vertical launching system is a system for holding and firing missiles on surface ships and submarines used by many navies around the world. Each VLS system consists of a number of cells, which can hold one or more missiles ready for firing...
, Missiles, torpedoes, pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science of using materials capable of undergoing self-contained and self-sustained exothermic chemical reactions for the production of heat, light, gas, smoke and/or sound...
, hand grenade
Hand grenade
A hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
s, non-lethal weapons
Less-lethal weapon
Non-lethal weapons, also called less-lethal weapons, less-than-lethal weapons, non-deadly weapons, compliance weapons, or pain-inducing weapons are weapons intended to be less likely to kill a living target than are conventional weapons...
, force protection
Force protection
Force protection or FP is a term used by the US military to describe preventive measures taken to mitigate hostile actions in specific areas or against a specific populous, usually Department of Defense personnel , resources, facilities, and critical information.-See also:*Pentagon Force Protection...
& anti-terrorism
Counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
, as well as operating shooting range
Shooting range
A shooting range or firing range is a specialized facility designed for firearms practice. Each facility is typically overseen by one or more supervisory personnel, called variously a range master or "RSO – Range Safety Officer" in the United States or a range conducting officer or "RCO" in the UK...
s, armories
Armory (military)
An armory or armoury is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
, and the storage and issue of ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
.
On February 26th, 2007 the Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
approved the merger of the gunner’s mate (GM) and torpedoman’s mate (TM) ratings into the GM rating.
The move was made to leverage the strengths, knowledge, skills and abilities found in the two ratings to meet mission needs now and in the future.
The torpedoman’s mate training focuses on performing organizational and intermediate level maintenance on underwater ordnance, handling torpedoes and antisubmarine rockets and preparing underwater ordnance for launching, conduct postfire and postrun routines, and weapons performance evaluation procedures.
“The training Sailors receive after basic training for their ratings on an apprentice level has been the same for both gunner's and torpedoman's mates,” said Senior Chief Torpedoman's Mate Sherry Secrease of the Navy Personnel Command. “This makes the merger easier to accomplish.”
The Gunner's Mate rating is primarily surface warfare
Surface warfare
Modern naval warfare is divided into three operational areas: surface warfare, air warfare and submarine warfare. Each area comprises specialized platforms and strategies used to exploit tactical advantages unique and inherent to that area....
-based. Closely associated Naval occupational ratings are Fire Controlman
Fire Controlman
Fire Controlman is a United States Navy occupational rating.Fire Controlmen provide system employment recommendations; perform organizational and intermediate maintenance on digital computer equipment, subsystems, and systems; operate and maintain combat and weapons direction systems,...
(FC), Aviation Ordnanceman
Aviation Ordnanceman
Aviation Ordnanceman is a United States Navy occupational rating.-Overview:Aviation Ordnancemen operate and handle aviation ordnance equipment. They are responsible for the maintenance of guns, bombs, torpedoes, rockets, and missiles. Their duties include the stowing, issuing, and loading of...
(AO), Weapons Technician (WT), Missile Technician
Missile Technician (US Navy)
Missile Technician is a United States Navy occupational rating.Missile Technicians Operate, test, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair ballistic missile weapons systems...
(MT), and Mineman
Mineman
Mineman is a United States Navy occupational rating.-Duties:* Perform organizational and intermediate level maintenance on underwater mines and associated equipment, guns, gun mounts, handling equipment, small arms, surface sonar and mine countermeasures equipment.* Assemble, test, stow, and...
(MN). The Gunner's Mate rating is one of the three original ratings created when the Navy introduced the rating system in 1797. The others include Boatswain's Mate (BM) and Master at Arms (MA). The rating is also among the top five source ratings for enlisted Naval Special Warfare
United States Naval Special Warfare Command
The United States Naval Special Warfare Command was commissioned on April 16, 1987, at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in San Diego, California...
candidates.