Molder (ML) — Discontinued

RATING EVOLUTION

1. // Decommissioned · 1995
   ML
   Molder
   1948–1995
2. // Active Today · Successor
   HT
   Hull Maintenance Technician
   View active rating →

WHY THE RATING WAS DISCONTINUED

Merged into the Hull Maintenance Technician (HT) rating in 1995 after the Patternmaker (PM) absorption in 1991, as forward foundry work shrank with the Cold War tender drawdown.

OVERVIEW

Molder (ML) was the U.S. Navy's enlisted foundry rating. MLs operated the small foundries aboard submarine tenders, destroyer tenders, and at shore IMAs, pouring bronze, brass, aluminum, and iron castings to produce repair parts that could not be obtained from the supply system on deployment. The rating absorbed the Patternmaker (PM) rating in 1991, broadening to include wood-and-metal pattern work.

ML was disestablished in 1995 as the Cold War tender drawdown reduced the forward foundry mission and the small ML population fell below sustainable levels. Active-duty MLs converted to the Hull Maintenance Technician (HT) rating, which absorbed both the foundry and patternmaking skills as HT sub-specialties.

WHAT THEY DID

Molders operated shipboard and shore foundries; prepared sand molds and cores; melted and poured bronze, brass, aluminum, and iron castings; performed casting cleanup and finishing; (post-1991) crafted wood and metal patterns; and supported forward industrial-repair foundry work. Senior MLs supervised foundry work centers aboard tenders and at shore IMAs.

NOTABLE FOR

• Operated the Navy's shipboard and shore foundries — pouring bronze, brass, aluminum, and iron castings for repair-part production
• Absorbed the Patternmaker (PM) rating in 1991 before being absorbed itself into HT in 1995
• Final consolidation point for the Navy's wood-and-metal pattern-shop and foundry lineage

HISTORY

Molder was established in 1948 from earlier foundry-mechanic specialist ratings. Throughout the Cold War, MLs operated the foundries aboard tenders and at shore IMAs, supporting forward-deployed industrial repair across the fleet. In 1991 the rating absorbed the disestablished Patternmaker (PM) rating, integrating wood-and-metal pattern work into the foundry pipeline.

By the mid-1990s, with the post-Cold War drawdown of the tender force and continued shrinkage of forward foundry work, the Navy disestablished ML in 1995 and merged active-duty MLs into the HT rating.

TYPICAL PLATFORMS & UNITS

• Submarine tenders and destroyer tenders with embarked foundries
• Shore IMAs and naval shipyard foundries
• Forward-deployed industrial repair facilities

HISTORICAL CAREER PATH

1. E-1/E-3
   Apprentice ML
   Recruit Training followed by ML A-school at Naval Construction Training Center, Port Hueneme, CA; first tour with a fleet unit.
2. E-4/E-6
   Petty Officer ML
   Lead a ML work-center, qualify in core watchstations, and serve as the rating's section leader.
3. E-7+
   Chief Molder
   Senior ML leader — Leading Chief Petty Officer of a ML division, instructor at the rating's A-school, or detailer at BUPERS until rating disestablishment in 1995.

SUCCESSOR RATINGS (ACTIVE TODAY)

• HT · General Surface & Combat
  Hull Maintenance Technician

FOR VETERANS & FAMILIES

If a DD-214, retirement order, or family-history document lists the rating ML (Molder), that is a legitimate U.S. Navy enlisted rating that was disestablished in 1995. Sailors who held this rating served in the general surface & combat community during 1948–1995.

The mission of ML is performed today by Hull Maintenance Technician (HT). For VA benefits, MOS/rating-translator services, or transcript-of-service requests, reference both the historical ML rating code and the modern successor.

Official records: National Personnel Records Center (St. Louis, MO) holds U.S. Navy enlisted service records for veterans separated more than 62 years ago; later records are held by Navy Personnel Command in Millington, TN.

RELATED HISTORICAL RATINGS

Other decommissioned ratings whose mission was absorbed by the same active rating(s) as ML:

• PM · Decom 1991
  Patternmaker

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• When was the Molder (ML) rating disestablished?
  The ML rating was disestablished in 1995. Merged into the Hull Maintenance Technician (HT) rating in 1995 after the Patternmaker (PM) absorption in 1991, as forward foundry work shrank with the Cold War tender drawdown.
• What rating did Molder (ML) become?
  The successor rating is hull maintenance technician. Active-duty MLs converted to the new rating(s) at disestablishment.
• What did a Navy Molder (ML) do?
  Molders operated shipboard and shore foundries; prepared sand molds and cores; melted and poured bronze, brass, aluminum, and iron castings; performed casting cleanup and finishing; (post-1991) crafted wood and metal patterns; and supported forward industrial-repair foundry work. Senior MLs supervised foundry work centers aboard tenders and at shore IMAs.
• Can I still claim the ML rating on my record?
  Yes — your DD-214 and Navy service record reflect the rating you held. The ML rating was a valid U.S. Navy enlisted rating from 1948 until 1995, and veterans who served in ML continue to use the rating designation in records, reunions, and veteran-affairs paperwork.

SOURCES

• Naval History and Heritage Command — U.S. Navy Ratings History
• NAVADMIN / OPNAV historical-rating disestablishment notices
• U.S. Navy Enlisted Career Path Reference — Molder