Opticalman (OM) — Discontinued

RATING EVOLUTION

1. // Decommissioned · 1995
   OM
   Opticalman
   1948–1995
2. // Active Today · Successor
   MM
   Machinist's Mate
   View active rating →

WHY THE RATING WAS DISCONTINUED

Merged into the Instrumentman (IM) rating in 1995 as the population of dedicated optical-technician billets fell below the threshold for a separate pipeline.

OVERVIEW

Opticalman (OM) was the U.S. Navy's enlisted optical-instrument rating. OMs maintained, repaired, and calibrated submarine periscopes, surface optical range-finders, gun-director sights, binoculars, sextants, and the wide range of precision optical instruments used throughout the fleet. The rating worked at intermediate-maintenance activities (IMAs), at submarine tenders, and at shore optical shops, often performing depot-level work that required years of apprentice-level training.

OM was disestablished in 1995 when the dedicated optical-technician career field shrank below sustainable levels and the Navy merged the rating into the broader Instrumentman (IM) rating, consolidating optical and mechanical-instrument work under a single specialty.

WHAT THEY DID

Opticalmen disassembled, cleaned, repaired, and calibrated submarine periscopes, optical range-finders, binoculars, sextants, gun-director sights, and other precision optical instruments; performed depot-level overhaul work at IMAs and submarine tenders; supported the deployed fleet's optical-instrument readiness; and maintained shore optical-repair shops. Senior OMs supervised optical-shop work centers and trained junior optical apprentices.

NOTABLE FOR

• Maintained periscopes, range-finders, and optical fire-control equipment from WWII through the early 1990s
• Source rating for the optical side of the later IM rating
• Specialty rating with one of the smallest enlisted populations in the modern Navy

HISTORY

Opticalman was established in 1948 from earlier optical-mechanic specialist ratings. Through the Cold War, OMs were the Navy's primary periscope and optical-fire-control technicians, working at submarine tenders, IMAs, and shore optical shops to maintain the Navy's deployed optical inventory.

As digital fire-control systems and electro-optical sensors replaced legacy optical periscopes and range-finders, the OM career field shrank. The Navy merged OM into IM in 1995, preserving optical-instrument expertise as an IM sub-specialty.

TYPICAL PLATFORMS & UNITS

• Submarine tenders and intermediate maintenance activities
• Shore optical-repair shops at SUBASE New London and Pearl Harbor
• Naval shipyards with optical-instrument depots

HISTORICAL CAREER PATH

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

SUCCESSOR RATINGS (ACTIVE TODAY)

• MM · General Surface & Combat
  Machinist's Mate

FOR VETERANS & FAMILIES

If a DD-214, retirement order, or family-history document lists the rating OM (Opticalman), 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 OM is performed today by Machinist's Mate (MM). For VA benefits, MOS/rating-translator services, or transcript-of-service requests, reference both the historical OM 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 OM:

• BT · Decom 1996
  Boiler Technician
• IM · Decom 2007
  Instrumentman

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• When was the Opticalman (OM) rating disestablished?
  The OM rating was disestablished in 1995. Merged into the Instrumentman (IM) rating in 1995 as the population of dedicated optical-technician billets fell below the threshold for a separate pipeline.
• What rating did Opticalman (OM) become?
  The successor rating is instrumentman. Active-duty OMs converted to the new rating(s) at disestablishment.
• What did a Navy Opticalman (OM) do?
  Opticalmen disassembled, cleaned, repaired, and calibrated submarine periscopes, optical range-finders, binoculars, sextants, gun-director sights, and other precision optical instruments; performed depot-level overhaul work at IMAs and submarine tenders; supported the deployed fleet's optical-instrument readiness; and maintained shore optical-repair shops. Senior OMs supervised optical-shop work centers and trained junior optical apprentices.
• Can I still claim the OM rating on my record?
  Yes — your DD-214 and Navy service record reflect the rating you held. The OM rating was a valid U.S. Navy enlisted rating from 1948 until 1995, and veterans who served in OM 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 — Opticalman