Navy careers
Navy
DCEngineering

Damage Controlman

Fight fires, control flooding, and perform damage control operations aboard ships. Maintain firefighting and damage control equipment.

ASVAB / entry requirement

ASVAB VE+AR+MK: 150

Enlisted
Catalog rank range: E-1 to E-8Maximum rank: E-8Initial term: 5 years

Catalog listing, not a contract offer. Confirm with a recruiter.

Inside the DC Damage Controlman job

What the job looks like

Damage Controlmen are the ship's firefighting, flooding response, and chemical defense experts. Work involves maintaining firefighting and damage control equipment across the entire ship. You train the crew, since damage control is everyone's job but yours to teach. Repairs include welding, pipe patching, shoring, and structural work. Drills are constant because the skills must be automatic before they are needed.

Skills you learn

You learn shipboard firefighting, flooding control, structural shoring, and chemical and biological defense. Welding, brazing, and pipe repair are core trade competencies. The rating teaches breathing apparatus use, confined space procedures, and rescue techniques. You gain instructional skill from training the crew continuously. Equipment maintenance across firefighting and damage control gear is constant.

What it builds in you

The job builds genuine courage and composure, since this rating runs toward emergencies. You develop teaching ability, because preparing others is half the role. It teaches thoroughness, as equipment that fails during a casualty costs lives. Damage Controlmen tend to become calm, capable, trusted people. You also gain physical resilience and comfort in confined, hot, dangerous spaces.

How it pays off after service

Municipal and industrial firefighting are direct fits, and the training substantially shortens certification paths. Industrial safety, emergency response, and hazardous materials roles hire from this background. Welding and pipefitting skills support well-paid trade careers in shipyards, construction, and manufacturing. Many veterans move into safety management, fire inspection, or emergency management. Offshore energy and maritime employers specifically value shipboard damage control experience.

Service member stories

Published personal accounts with source links. Each describes an individual experience, not a typical assignment or a guarantee of your own experience.

“I joined the Navy for the educational opportunities and the chance to travel and experience different cultures.”

“It’s also given my family financial stability and allowed my children to benefit from the unique experiences that come with military life.”

“Watching everyone prepare to be gone for a month made me realize how much there was to learn. I also hadn’t realized how many people an aircraft carrier can hold. By the end of that underway, I understood what I needed to prepare and even started to appreciate how peaceful it can be in the middle of the ocean.”

— Damage Controlman 2nd Class Crystal AvilaRTC staffRecruit Training Command; formerly USS Dwight D. Eisenhower

“The thing I like most about being a DC is that it’s a rating everyone has to know a certain percentage of.”

— Master Chief Damage Controlman Mark GeerEngineering Dept. LCPOUSS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71)

“That means lot of what we do is training. We can’t be everywhere all of the time. It’s important that we ensure the first responders to a casualty can help save the ship or save a life.”

— Damage Controlman Fireman Taylor TilsonUSS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71)

Quotes are from U.S. government public-domain news stories (DVIDS, army.mil and other official sources). Individuals and units are named as reported at time of publication.

A day in the life of a Damage Controlman

You start the day inspecting fire stations, damage control lockers, and dewatering pumps throughout the ship with your DC team. Your work is maintaining firefighting and flooding equipment, teaching damage control to the crew, and leading repair parties during general quarters. Drills in the smoke-filled trainers and CBR-D readiness checks keep your skills sharp for a real casualty.

Related career-field video—not specific to Navy DC.

No suitable exact-MOS video was verified in the recorded search. This does not establish that none exists.

Related field: shipboard hull maintenance. Source occupation: Navy HT.

Watch related video: Inside the Rough Life Episode 2: Hull Maintenance Technician
Video source and assignment context

PHILIPPINE SEA (Feb. 29, 2024) Episode two of the “Inside the Rough Life” series highlighting the Hull Maintenance Technicians aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). (U.S. Navy video by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Pimpaka Kruthun)

Official publisher description and direct video page checked; playback not independently watched. Checked 2026-10-25. This assignment may not reflect every posting in this career.

Illustrative annual base pay

$43,902–$74,948

2026 basic pay only; the same grade and service time pay the same across jobs. Promotions are assumed, not promised. Excludes allowances, bonuses and special pays.

  • E-4 · over 4 years: $43,902
  • E-6 · over 10 years: $57,114
  • E-7 · over 20 years: $74,948
Allowances, special pays, pension and full breakdownDFAS 2026 source

Training achievements and distinctions

Possibilities for serving Sailors, including those in support roles—not guaranteed admission or awards. Individual eligibility, assignment, selection, available training or competition places and successful qualification apply.

  • Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist (ESWS)

    Assignment-dependent qualification and insignia earned aboard a qualifying surface ship or afloat staff—not automatically awarded for this rating.

    Eligibility and official sources for Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist (ESWS)

    For enlisted Sailors in an eligible surface assignment, including support ratings. Complete the command's current qualification standards, assessments and approval process. A shore or submarine assignment alone does not establish eligibility; confirm current enrollment rules with the command.

  • Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist (EAWS)

    Assignment-dependent aviation qualification and insignia; support Sailors may qualify at authorized aviation commands.

    Eligibility and official sources for Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist (EAWS)

    Requires a qualifying aviation assignment or an authorized support-command arrangement, required in-rating technical qualifications and command approval. Current enrollment and pay-grade prerequisites must be checked; this is not a promotion or a badge awarded just for holding this rating.

  • Enlisted Expeditionary Warfare Specialist (EXW)

    Restricted to qualifying expeditionary assignments; recognizes tested field and unit-specific proficiency, including support duties.

    Eligibility and official sources for Enlisted Expeditionary Warfare Specialist (EXW)

    Requires assignment to a command authorized to administer EXW and completion of its general and unit-specific personnel qualification standards and approval process. Published NSW program evidence establishes this route, not that every Navy unit offers it. Confirm current command authorization and prerequisites.

Sources reviewed . Confirm current course and badge requirements with official school guidance and your unit.

Possible higher ranks and career paths

Possible higher ranks and career paths

For Navy DC Damage Controlman, official service-wide guidance and any exact feeder-list matches are distinguished below from unverified specialty-specific requirements. Ranks are not separate jobs, and these possibilities are not guaranteed promotions or available contracts.

Rank information for this listing

Rank Type
Enlisted
Catalog pay-grade range
Not independently verified for this specialty; no range asserted here.
Maximum Rank
Not independently verified for this specialty.

Examples of higher service ranks

E-5
Petty Officer Second Class
E-6
Petty Officer First Class
E-7
Chief Petty Officer
E-8
Senior Chief Petty Officer
E-9
Master Chief Petty Officer

These are service-wide rank names, not a verified promotion ladder for this specialty. Examples are not exhaustive; appointments sharing a pay grade are not additional promotion steps.

Official military rank reference

The Navy directs enlisted Sailors to rating-specific Learning and Development Roadmaps (LaDRs), and officers to their community managers and officer career-progression guidance. Rating conversion and commissioning are separate application paths, not automatic promotions.

Navy career planning: LaDRs, officer progression, and commissioning

Higher career paths — not verified

Service-level application reference—not a verified next step for this listing

Limited Duty Officer (LDO) and Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) appointments require separate applications and program-specific qualifications. The reviewed active-duty page contains FY28 cycle requirements, not Reserve eligibility. Its 1 October 2026 application deadline has passed; this is not an open application offer or a verified designator match for this listing.

Navy active-duty LDO/CWO applicant requirements

Specialty-specific advancement, senior assignments, and eligibility for a different personnel category have not been verified for this listing. No feeder eligibility or automatic transition to another specialty is implied.

Advancement depends on current service rules, performance, required education, qualifications, selection, and authorized positions—not simply years served. Confirm current requirements with an official recruiter or career counselor.

Related military jobs below are for exploration, not promised progression or confirmed transfer paths.

Sources reviewed 2026-10-03. This is a partial evidence review, not verification of every advancement route for this specialty. Source retrieval dates do not replace policy effective dates.

Civilian careers related to Engineering

Civil Engineer$99,590 / year medianConstruction Manager$106,980 / year medianIndustrial Engineering Technician$65,020 / year median

Career-field mappings, not automatic qualifications. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024 national medians). O*NET links explain each occupation; military experience does not guarantee a job or salary.

Categories & Specializations

Engineering
Damage Control
Firefighting
Emergency Response
Non-combat

DC questions, answered

What does Navy DC Damage Controlman do?

Fight fires, control flooding, and perform damage control operations aboard ships. Maintain firefighting and damage control equipment.

What can day-to-day work in Damage Controlman look like?

Damage Controlmen are the ship's firefighting, flooding response, and chemical defense experts. Work involves maintaining firefighting and damage control equipment across the entire ship. You train the crew, since damage control is everyone's job but yours to teach. Repairs include welding, pipe patching, shoring, and structural work. Drills are constant because the skills must be automatic before they are needed.

What skills does Navy DC Damage Controlman develop?

You learn shipboard firefighting, flooding control, structural shoring, and chemical and biological defense. Welding, brazing, and pipe repair are core trade competencies. The rating teaches breathing apparatus use, confined space procedures, and rescue techniques. You gain instructional skill from training the crew continuously. Equipment maintenance across firefighting and damage control gear is constant.

How can Damage Controlman experience translate after service?

Municipal and industrial firefighting are direct fits, and the training substantially shortens certification paths. Industrial safety, emergency response, and hazardous materials roles hire from this background. Welding and pipefitting skills support well-paid trade careers in shipyards, construction, and manufacturing. Many veterans move into safety management, fire inspection, or emergency management. Offshore energy and maritime employers specifically value shipboard damage control experience.

What entry requirement is listed for Navy DC Damage Controlman?

ASVAB VE+AR+MK: 150. This is the catalog's listed requirement, not an individual eligibility decision. Confirm the current standard and any exceptions with the service.

Can a civilian enter Navy DC Damage Controlman directly?

This specialty can be pursued through an initial enlistment, subject to eligibility and available contracts. Confirm the current status of this specific classification with an official recruiter.

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Sources & Review

Catalog sources consulted: 2026-09-26. This is not an entry-by-entry verification date. No record-specific verification date is recorded. Occupation audit evidence reviewed: 2026-09-26; this does not re-verify every requirement.

Official branch occupation evidence

Occupation identified. This occupation was identified in the cited source. This does not verify requirements, benefits, or a current opening.

Navy enlisted occupational standards, NAVPERS 18068F, July 2026, Appendix B (rating enumeration) · reviewed 2026-09-26

Confirmed. Catalog evidence is not an inventory of open contracts.

No dated public inventory confirmed a currently open recruiting contract for this role. This does not mean there are no openings. Confirm current eligibility and offers with an official recruiter.

Advertised — Navy, as of 2026-09-28
Signal detailsListed as a specialty on the Navy careers site. Source: Navy official careers listing. This is not a statement that a contract is open for you.

Deployment likelihood: Moderate*

* Estimated. Rank progression and specialty-pay eligibility are illustrative assumptions. Deployment likelihood, when shown, is inferred from similar specialties in the branch and career field, not a published specialty deployment rate.

Descriptions may change. No military role is free from risk of injury or death, including non-combat work. Catalog review dates do not establish current openings or re-verification of every requirement.

Recruiting signals reflect what each branch published on the dates shown. They are not offers, and they do not mean a contract is open for you. Eligibility depends on your ASVAB scores, medical qualification, security clearance eligibility, and ship date. Confirm everything with an official recruiter. See our Disclaimer and Terms.

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