# § 11202. Qualified service
For purposes of this chapter, an individual shall be considered to have engaged in qualified service if, between August 16, 1945, and December 31, 1946, the individual—
**(1)** was a member of the United States merchant marine (including the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service) serving as a crewmember of a vessel that was—
**(A)** operated by the War Shipping Administration or the Office of Defense Transportation (or an agent of the Administration or Office);
**(B)** operated in waters other than inland waters, the Great Lakes, and other lakes, bays, and harbors of the United States;
**(C)** under contract or charter to, or property of, the Government of the United States; and
**(D)** serving the Armed Forces; and
**(2)** while so serving, was licensed or otherwise documented for service as a crewmember of such a vessel by an officer or employee of the United States authorized to license or document the individual for such service.
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**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 105–368, title IV, § 402(a), Nov. 11, 1998, 112 Stat. 3336; amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. G, title LVXXXV [LXXXV], § 8505(b)(12), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4752.)
## Editorial Notes
### Amendments
2021— substituted “an individual” for “a person” in introductory provisions and “the individual” for “the person” in introductory provisions and in par. (2).