Crew are the technical specialists of the ISDC and receive applied technical training in their chosen professional fields right from the beginning of their careers.

A crew specialist will develop in-depth knowledge of the ship systems within their specialisation and will be counted on not just for maintenance and repair but to provide technical options for unexpected situations faced during missions.

Career Tracks

Crew undertake technically focused careers typically within a single specialisation. Crew careers emphasise experience over formal training.

Senior crew can also be expected to supervise teams and to contribute to the training of less experienced crew.

After initial training, mission experience determines advancement until advanced training becomes appropriate at later career stages.

Ratings

When training is completed on a ship system a qualification known as a rating is awarded, so called because it means the successful trainee is now ‘rated’ to operate that system during missions.

Ratings are awarded at basic and advanced levels.

Experience

Active duty on missions is logged as evidence of crew experience, expressed in units of 100 hours.

Experience is gained at basic and advanced levels, depending on the assessed complexity of a mission.

Qualification and Advancement

Initial entry is as ordinary Crew. After common training, crew will be asked to chose a specialisation and select a rating to train towards. Promotion to Qualified Crew follows on award of the rating.

By accumulating mission experience crew can advance in rank to Senior Crew.

Petty Officers

Petty officers are team leaders responsible for the performance of the ship systems they support and the training of their crew.

Additional training is required for the rank of Petty Officer, with an advanced rating in the same specialisation necessary, along with mission experience.

Advancement to Chief Petty Officer (CPO) requires mission experience at an advanced level.

Master Chiefs

Master Chief Petty Officer (or Master Chief) is not a rank, but a CPO with a master rating.

Unlike basic and advanced ratings there is no formal training course to achieve a master rating, which is awarded on the basis of advanced mission experience and the contribution of a technical innovation within the candidate’s specialisation.

Changing Career Tracks

There is no policy preventing crew from changing to an officer career track. Ratings and accumulated experience can be transferred without penalty, with equivalent rank awarded subject to candidate suitability.