Radarman

Radarman was a rating in the U.S. Navy during, and after, World War II. The following ratings existed during the war for male or female enlisted personnel training, or with training, in the operation and maintenance of radar sets:

Levels of Rating

 * Radarman, striker (E-3) - designated RD or RdM.
 * Radarman 3rd class (E-4)- designated RD3 or RdM3.
 * Radarman 2nd class (E-5) - designated RD2 or RdM2.
 * Radarman 1st class (E-6) - designated RD1 or RdM1.
 * Radarman, chief (E-7) - designated RDC or RdMC.

Duties
The radarman was generally required to attend and complete a U.S. Navy Class "A" radar school at a designated Naval Training Centers (NTC) in the United States. Once assigned to a ship or shore station, the radarman was required to operate and maintain the installed radar and electronic warfare equipment. Radarmen were especially trained in emergency repair procedures, as vessels they were assigned to went into combat areas.

The Radarman (RD) rating was changed to Operations Specialist (OS) in October 1972, with its operational duties assigned to the OS rating, electronic warfare operation and maintenance to the Electronic Warfare Technician (EW), and its radar maintenance duties to the Electronics Technician (ET) rating.

Since this change Operations Specialists (OS) perform a variety of functions onboard Navy ships. Radar navigation, tactical communications, naval gunfire support, directing amphibious operations, establishing and maintaining tactical data links, Anti-Submarine Tactical Air Control (ASTAC), Air Intercept Control (AIC), Strike control, and other duties are involved in the OS rating.

United States Coast Guard
The United State Coast Guard Radarman specialized training took place at the RD "A" school located at the Governors Island New York. These men and women could serve on a variety of assignments including large Coast Guard Ships and Vessel Traffic Services. The school was later moved to United States Coast Guard Training Center Yorktown, Virginia where is stayed until 2003. The rate was changed to Operations Specialist during the "Merger of the Millennium" in the summer of 2003.