page_title: Master-at-arms (United States Navy)
section_title: Mission and duties
hierarchical_section_title: Master-at-arms (United States Navy) / Duties and functions / Mission and duties
caption_attribution_description: English: Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella, Sicily (Jun. 25, 2003) -- Master-at-Arms 3rd Class Vasko Thomas and Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Gunnar Curry Gorder, assigned to Sigonella's bike patrol unit, talk with a young shopper outside the base commissary. The members of the bike patrol maintain a visible and approachable presence in the Sigonella community. NAS Sigonella provides logistical support for Sixth Fleet and NATO forces in the Mediterranean Sea. U.S. Navy photo by Journalist Seaman Stephen P. Weaver. (RELEASED)
context_page_description: The master-at-arms rating is responsible for law enforcement and force protection in the United States Navy—equivalent to the United States Army Military Police, the United States Marine Corps Military Police, the United States Air Force Security Forces, and the United States Coast Guard's Maritime Law Enforcement Specialist. It is one of the oldest ratings in the United States Navy, having been recognized since the inception of the U.S. Navy.
  It has had two rating badges during its history. Its original MA rating mark was an inverted star until disestablished. On 20 May 1958 the inverted star reemerged as a nod to the Historical MA Rating whose duty was to provide good order and discipline aboard ships over the enlisted crews. When two senior pay grades were established in 1958, a single or double inverted star was placed above the anchor for all collar devices and rating badges.
  The MCPON Rating specialty mark was established using the former MA inverted star and later expanded to the Command Rates of Fleet / Command Master Chief or Senior Chief Ratings.
context_section_description: Master-at-arms perform criminal investigations, with some exceptions. In the Department of the Navy, felony criminal investigations for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps are conducted by federal civilian law enforcement agents of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which also performs investigations in national security, counter-intelligence, and counter-terrorism. During drug interdiction operations on naval vessels, U.S. Navy personnel are augmented by the U.S. Coast Guard's Law Enforcement Detachment under Title 10, United States Code (U.S.C.) § 379 to perform those law enforcement duties, because of the DOD Regulations and Executive Orders which prevents Navy personnel from being used to enforce state laws. This also limits the ability of enlisted MA personnel from assisting civilian police.
  The duties of a master-at-arms vary from command to command. Most will primarily perform law enforcement and force protection duties, however, other types of duties are open to the rating depending on the command that they are assigned to. This can be in areas such as expeditionary warfare, special operations support, independent duty, GWOT individual augmentee, protective service detail assigned to a high-ranking official, or corrections. Master-at-arms may also serve outside of the rating, when approved by the community manager, such as in recruiting, recruit training, U.S. Embassy duty, assignment to NCIS or Afloat Training Group (ATG) as a trainer and evaluator, or to a flag or general officer's Staff.
  As the primary law enforcement organization on a naval installation, master-at-arms may perform their duties operating a patrol vehicle or RHIB; standing watch (or post) at a gate, pier or flight line as a fixed or roving sentry; conducting traffic enforcement; conducting interviews or interrogations; collecting evidence or securing a crime scene. Like any other law enforcement agency, there are also administrative duties performed by master-at-arms such as personnel management, training, inspections, records keeping, etc.
  Personnel in the master-at-arms rating can also expect to see duties on board a variety of naval warships such as an aircraft carriers' security force department; on a cruiser, destroyer, or aviation squadron as an independent duty master-at-arms; on board a naval shore or aviation installation in the United States or in overseas locations such as Bahrain and Diego Garcia, assigned to the security force or police departments; forward deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan or Africa on a GWOT IA assignment; or assigned to an expeditionary or naval special warfare unit. When assigned to these different types of units, master-at-arms are expected to achieve the same qualifications and watch stations, as the rest of the sailors assigned to that unit. This may include damage control, maintenance and material management, officer of the deck or petty officer of the watch or small boat coxswain. Overall, these specific qualifications are required of all sailors to complete their unit specific warfare qualifications, for example, enlisted surface warfare specialist or enlisted expeditionary warfare specialist.
caption: Naval security force sailors assigned to bike patrol duties.
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