so to get this thread back on track…
we know that someone at MarAd reads these posts so I must ask why the silence from them? Mark Buzby once had promised to talk with John when he had called for MarAd to do more yet as far as I know, that conversation never took place?
I am making this same call to MarAd to say something here. us American mariners are ground zero in this decline in the US merchant fleet. we are the men and women who will be called upon to man the RRF if there is a mobilization yet we are not finding opportunities to work in our chosen profession and even the GAO says there will be a shortfall in manpower should that mobilization occur. I feel that MarAd owes the US citizen seafarer community as well as the Congress some explanation as to what their plan is to ensure there is enough of us qualified mariners available should there be a national emergency requiring a 1990 sized surge sealift.
But of course coming forward and making a statement here would require having courage and it is the Maritime Administration we are talking about here. Their appropriation from the Congress doesn’t include any funding to be courageous. I rather believe they can only afford to be sniveling.