GUNNER'S MATE (GM)
The shipboard small-arms, missile-launcher, and gun-mount specialist — every Navy gun and Vertical Launching System is maintained by a GM.
OVERVIEW
Gunner's Mate (GM) is the U.S. Navy's surface ordnance rating. GMs operate, maintain, and load the 5-inch and 57mm gun mounts, the Mk 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS), the Close-In Weapon System (CIWS), the .50-caliber and 25mm crew-served weapons, and the small-arms armory of every U.S. Navy ship. The rating absorbed the Torpedoman's Mate (TM) and Missile Technician (MT) Surface ratings in earlier consolidations and is one of the oldest continuously rated specialties in the Navy.
GMs serve aboard every type of surface combatant, run the ship's small-arms range qualifications, and provide the boarding-team armorers and gunfighters for visit-board-search-seizure (VBSS) operations.
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 ~12 weeks at NAVSCSCOL Great Lakes, IL, where Sailors complete the technical foundation needed to report to their first fleet command. Entry requires the ASVAB line score AR+MK+EI+GS=205 and an enlistment obligation of 4–6 years. GMs 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 GMs 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, GM 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 GMs DO
Gunner's Mates load and maintain the Mk 45 5-inch gun mount, the Mk 110 57mm gun on Littoral Combat Ships, the Phalanx CIWS, the Mk 38 25mm chain gun, and crew-served .50-caliber machine guns. They load Tomahawk, SM-2/SM-6, ESSM, and ASROC canisters into the Mk 41 VLS, run the ship's small-arms armory, and serve as VBSS team gunners, ship's armorer, and range safety officer. Senior GMs become the Weapons Department Leading Chief or the Combat Systems Officer of the Watch.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Gunner's Mates load and maintain the Mk 45 5-inch gun mount, the Mk 110 57mm gun on Littoral Combat Ships, the Phalanx CIWS, the Mk 38 25mm chain gun, and crew-served .50-caliber machine guns. They load Tomahawk, SM-2/SM-6, ESSM, and ASROC canisters into the Mk 41 VLS, run the ship's small-arms armory, and serve as VBSS team gunners, ship's armorer, and range safety officer. Senior GMs become the Weapons Department Leading Chief or the Combat Systems Officer of the Watch.
- Stand watches and qualify on the rating's Personnel Qualification Standards (PQS), maintain training jackets, and mentor junior GMs as required by the chain of command.
- Lead the GM 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
Gunner's Mate is one of the original U.S. Navy ratings, dating to the Continental Navy in 1775 when the gunner was the petty officer responsible for the great guns and powder magazine of a wooden warship. The rating expanded through the missile age, absorbing torpedo and surface-missile specialties, and survived multiple consolidations to remain the Navy's primary surface-ordnance rating.
In 2007 the older Mineman (MN) and Surface Missile Technician specialties were realigned, leaving the GM rating responsible for nearly all surface-launched weapons except the Aegis combat system itself, which is operated and maintained by FCs.
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 Gunner's Mate (GM) rating is overseen by the Enlisted Community Management (ECM) office at My Navy HR and the Center for Personal and Professional Development. Modern GMs 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 GMs 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 at the Navy's only boot camp.
- 2. Gunner's Mate A-School~12 weeksNAVSCSCOL Great Lakes, ILInitial rating-skills training for GM accessions.
- 3. Fleet / Operational TourFirst sea or operational tourDDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyersOn-the-job training and qualifications in the GM rating with a fleet unit.
TYPICAL CAREER PATH
- E-1/E-3Apprentice Gunner's MateA-school then weapons-division striker tour aboard a surface combatant.
- E-4/E-6Petty Officer GMQualify on Mk 45 gun mount, CIWS, and Mk 41 VLS; serve as ship's armorer or VBSS gunner.
- E-7+Chief Gunner's MateWeapons Department LCPO, instructor at NAVSCSCOL, or Command Master Chief.
TYPICAL PLATFORMS & UNITS
- DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers
- CG-47 Ticonderoga-class cruisers
- Littoral Combat Ships and amphibious warfare ships
- Coastal Riverine Squadrons
EXAMPLE NECs
- GM-0814 Small Arms Marksmanship Instructor
- GM-0871 Mk 41 VLS Maintainer
- U.S. citizenship and minimum ASVAB AR+MK+EI+GS=205
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Pass the Navy physical and medical screening
- DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers
- CG-47 Ticonderoga-class cruisers
- Littoral Combat Ships and amphibious warfare ships
- Coastal Riverine Squadrons