Patternmaker (PM) — Discontinued

RATING EVOLUTION

1. // Decommissioned · 1991
   PM
   Patternmaker
   1948–1991
2. // Active Today · Successor
   HT
   Hull Maintenance Technician
   View active rating →

WHY THE RATING WAS DISCONTINUED

Merged into the Molder (ML) rating in 1991 as the small wood-and-metal pattern-shop career field fell below sustainable levels.

OVERVIEW

Patternmaker (PM) was the U.S. Navy's enlisted pattern-shop rating. PMs crafted the wood, plaster, and metal patterns from which shipboard and shore foundries cast bronze, brass, aluminum, and iron parts — bushings, valve bodies, propeller hubs, and a host of repair components that could not be obtained through the supply system on deployment. The rating worked at submarine tenders, destroyer tenders, IMAs, and shore foundries, supporting forward-deployed industrial repair.

PM was disestablished in 1991 as the rating's career field shrank below sustainable levels. Active-duty PMs converted to the Molder (ML) rating, which absorbed the patternmaking skill set as a sub-specialty.

WHAT THEY DID

Patternmakers designed and crafted wood, plaster, and metal casting patterns; supported the foundry's mold-making process; advised on castability and shrinkage allowances; performed precision wood-and-metal layout work; and maintained the pattern-shop tools and equipment. Senior PMs supervised the pattern-shop work center aboard tenders and at shore foundries.

NOTABLE FOR

• Crafted the wood and metal patterns from which the Navy's shipboard foundries cast bronze, brass, and aluminum parts
• One of the smallest ratings in the modern Navy at disestablishment
• Source rating for the foundry side of the later ML rating

HISTORY

Patternmaker was established in 1948 from earlier wood-and-metal pattern-shop specialist ratings. Through the Cold War, PMs supported the Navy's forward industrial repair capability — particularly aboard submarine and destroyer tenders, where the foundry could cast a needed bronze valve body or aluminum bushing without waiting for shore-depot supply.

By 1991, with the Cold War drawdown, the closure of many tenders, and the small surviving PM population, the Navy disestablished the rating and merged it into the Molder (ML) rating, preserving the patternmaking skill as a sub-specialty within the broader foundry rating.

TYPICAL PLATFORMS & UNITS

• Submarine tenders and destroyer tenders with embarked foundries
• Shore foundries at naval shipyards — Mare Island, Pearl Harbor, Norfolk
• Intermediate maintenance activities with foundry capability

HISTORICAL CAREER PATH

1. E-1/E-3
   Apprentice PM
   Recruit Training followed by PM A-school at Naval Construction Training Center, Port Hueneme, CA; first tour with a fleet unit.
2. E-4/E-6
   Petty Officer PM
   Lead a PM work-center, qualify in core watchstations, and serve as the rating's section leader.
3. E-7+
   Chief Patternmaker
   Senior PM leader — Leading Chief Petty Officer of a PM division, instructor at the rating's A-school, or detailer at BUPERS until rating disestablishment in 1991.

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 PM (Patternmaker), that is a legitimate U.S. Navy enlisted rating that was disestablished in 1991. Sailors who held this rating served in the general surface & combat community during 1948–1991.

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

• ML · Decom 1995
  Molder

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• When was the Patternmaker (PM) rating disestablished?
  The PM rating was disestablished in 1991. Merged into the Molder (ML) rating in 1991 as the small wood-and-metal pattern-shop career field fell below sustainable levels.
• What rating did Patternmaker (PM) become?
  The successor rating is molder. Active-duty PMs converted to the new rating(s) at disestablishment.
• What did a Navy Patternmaker (PM) do?
  Patternmakers designed and crafted wood, plaster, and metal casting patterns; supported the foundry's mold-making process; advised on castability and shrinkage allowances; performed precision wood-and-metal layout work; and maintained the pattern-shop tools and equipment. Senior PMs supervised the pattern-shop work center aboard tenders and at shore foundries.
• Can I still claim the PM rating on my record?
  Yes — your DD-214 and Navy service record reflect the rating you held. The PM rating was a valid U.S. Navy enlisted rating from 1948 until 1991, and veterans who served in PM 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 — Patternmaker