FIREMAN (FN)
The U.S. Navy general surface and combat fireman rating — FN.
OVERVIEW
Fireman (FN) is the U.S. Navy's general-detail engineering apprentice rating for non-rated Sailors at paygrades E-1 through E-3 striking for an engineering rating (MM, EM, EN, GSE, GSM, ET, IC, HT, DC, etc.). Firemen wear the red color group and serve in the engineering department of surface ships, submarines (pre-designation), and shore engineering activities.
The general community covers the U.S. Navy's traditional shipboard ratings — deck, engineering, weapons, and combat-systems Sailors who keep surface combatants and amphibious ships in the fight. Sailors in this community typically rotate between sea and shore tours and are eligible for a wide range of NECs, instructor billets, and enlisted commissioning programs.
A-school for the rating runs On-the-job training; A-school after rating designation at Fireman Apprenticeship Training, Naval Station Great Lakes IL (no formal A-school until rating designation), where Sailors complete the technical foundation needed to report to their first fleet command. Entry requires the ASVAB line score Varies by target rating and an enlistment obligation of 4–6 years. FNs advance through the standard enlisted paygrade structure (E-1 through E-9), competing in the Navy-Wide Advancement Examination (NWAE) at E-4 through E-6 and via the Selection Board at E-7 through E-9. Senior FNs typically serve as Leading Petty Officer (LPO), Work Center Supervisor, Leading Chief Petty Officer (LCPO), or Command Master Chief (CMC), and may pursue Limited Duty Officer (LDO), Chief Warrant Officer (CWO), or commissioning programs such as STA-21, MECP, or OCS.
Across the active force, FN Sailors are essential to the Navy's mission readiness, and the rating remains an in-demand career field with strong reenlistment bonuses (SRB), advancement opportunities, and pathways into Navy Reserve, civilian DoD, and industry careers after service.
WHAT FNs DO
Firemen stand engineering watches, learn shipboard mechanical and electrical systems, perform planned-maintenance under designated petty officers, and strike for a designated engineering rating during their apprentice tour.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Firemen stand engineering watches, learn shipboard mechanical and electrical systems, perform planned-maintenance under designated petty officers, and strike for a designated engineering rating during their apprentice tour.
- Stand watches and qualify on the rating's Personnel Qualification Standards (PQS), maintain training jackets, and mentor junior FNs as required by the chain of command.
- Lead the FN work center as Leading Petty Officer or Work Center Supervisor — managing maintenance documentation in 3M/MFOM, parts ordering, and personnel qualifications.
- Support general military training (GMT), damage control, force protection, and watch-bill assignments common to every Sailor regardless of rating.
HISTORY
Fireman apprentice traces to the steam-engineering era of the late-19th-century U.S. Navy, when Firemen tended boilers and steam plants. The modern Fireman rating was formalized in the 1948 enlisted restructuring as the entry-level engineering color-group rating.
Like all surface-Navy general ratings, the rating evolved alongside the U.S. Navy's transition from sail to steam, then steam to gas-turbine and electric-drive propulsion, and continues to adapt to today's distributed maritime operations and integrated combat systems.
Today the Fireman (FN) rating is overseen by the Enlisted Community Management (ECM) office at My Navy HR and the Center for Personal and Professional Development. Modern FNs benefit from the Sailor 2025 personnel-system reforms, the Ready Relevant Learning (RRL) training continuum, and credentialing through the Navy COOL program — turning rating qualifications into industry-recognized certifications and licenses.
The rating's structure, training pipeline, and operational employment continue to evolve alongside the Navy's transition to Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO), Project Overmatch, and the Force Design 2045 fleet architecture, ensuring FNs remain central to the warfighting mission.
TRAINING PIPELINE
- 1. Recruit Training (Boot Camp)~10 weeksNaval Station Great Lakes, ILInitial entry training for all U.S. Navy enlisted Sailors.
- 2. Fireman PipelineOn-the-job training; A-school after rating designationFireman Apprenticeship Training, Naval Station Great Lakes IL (no formal A-school until rating designation)Apprentice/striker training in the general accession pipeline before sub-rating designation.
TYPICAL CAREER PATH
- E-1/E-3FiremanEntry tier; fireman accession track in the general community.
- E-4Designated Petty Officer (sub-rating)Designation into a target rating with full A-/C-school qualification.
- E-7+Chief Petty Officer (sub-rating)Senior enlisted leader of the designated rating in the command.
TYPICAL PLATFORMS & UNITS
- U.S. Navy ships (engineering department)
- Submarines (pre-designation)
- Shore engineering activities
EXAMPLE NECs
- No NECs assigned at apprentice paygrades; NECs accrue after rating designation
- U.S. citizenship and minimum ASVAB Varies by target rating
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Pass the Navy physical and medical screening
- U.S. Navy ships (engineering department)
- Submarines (pre-designation)
- Shore engineering activities