United States Merchant Marine

The United States Merchant Marine is a fleet of ships that is used to transport both imports and exports during peace time and serves as an auxiliary to the United States Navy during times of war, delivering both troops and supplies. The merchant marine is civilian (except in times of war, when they are considered military personnel) governed under the Merchant Marine Act of 1936. A merchant mariner is a seafarer or mariner in the United States Merchant Marine.

The United States Merchant Marine's first role in war took place in 1775 when a group of Maine mariners boarded an unarmed schooner and captured the British warship HMS Margaretta. The Continental Congress and the various colonies issued Letters of Marque to privately owned, armed merchant ships known as privateers, which were outfitted as warships to prey on enemy merchant ships. They interrupted the British supply chain all along the eastern seaboard of the United States and across the Atlantic Ocean and the Merchant Marine's role in war began. This predates both the United States Coast Guard (1790) and the United States Navy (1797).

Since the First World War and World War II, many Merchant Marine officers have also held commissions in the United States Naval Reserve. Graduates of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy are commissioned into the USNR by default if they do not choose to be commissioned in another service of the armed forces. A special badge, known as the Naval Reserve Merchant Marine Badge, has existed since the early 1940s to recognize such Merchant Marine personnel who are called to active duty in the Navy.

Merchant marine officers are usually trained at a maritime academy. These include the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York and six state maritime academies: Maine Maritime Academy in Castine; Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzard's Bay; State University of New York Maritime College in the Bronx, Texas Maritime Academy in Galveston, California Maritime Academy in Vallejo and the Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Traverse City, Michigan. It is becoming increasingly difficult for unlicensed mariners to become hawsepipers and earn their merchant marine license due to increased requirements for formal training. To do so, a mariner must have sufficient sea time in a qualified rating and complete specified testing and training, such as that required by STCW.

Famous members of the U.S. Merchant Marine have included Jim Thorpe, Raymond Bailey, Carroll O'Connor, James Garner, Clint Walker, Woody Guthrie, and Jack Kerouac.

The American Merchant Marine Veterans Memorial in San Pedro, California, honors merchant mariners who have died in service of their country. The Navy-Marine Memorial in Washington, D.C. honors those who died during World War I.

The personnel of the Merchant Marine are men and women with the United States Coast Guard licenses of: Master, Chief Mate, Second Mate, and Third Mate in the deck department, and the Chief Engineer, First Assistant, Second Assistant, and Third Assistant Engineers in the engineering department. Other crewmembers may have certification as a Boatswain, Able Seaman, Ordinary Seaman, Oiler, Wiper, Tankerman, Motorman, Machinist, Electrician, or Refrigeration Engineer. All are employed by the carrier or ship operator, as employees of the transportation or utility company ashore. In times of war, Merchant Marine officers may be designated as military officers by the Department of Defense (DoD).

Some controversy exits whether or not the United States has enough ships and personnel to serve military interests should the United States be involved in a major war. In recent times, more ship owners have chosen to flag their vessels under foreign flags instead the of the United States; allowing the ship owners to avoid many of the strict regulations that the US has for vessels and personnel.

Life at Sea

Mariners live on the margins of society, with much of their life spent beyond the reach of land. They face cramped, stark, noisy, and sometimes dangerous conditions at sea. Yet men and women still go to sea. For some, the attraction is a life unencumbered with the restraints of life ashore. Sea-going adventure and a chance to see the world also appeal to many seafarers. Whatever the calling, those who live and work at sea invariably confront social isolation. Findings by the Seafarer's International Research Center indicate a leading cause of mariners leaving the industry is "almost invariably because they want to be with their families." U.S. merchant ships typically do not allow family members to accompany seafarers on voyages.

Ocean voyages are steeped in routine. Maritime tradition dictates that each day be divided into six four-hour periods. Three groups of watchstanders from the engine and deck departments work four hours on then have eight hours off. This cycle repeats endlessly, 24 hours a day while the ship is at sea. Members of the steward department typically are day workers who put in at least eight-hour shifts. Operations at sea, including repairs, safeguarding against piracy, securing cargo, underway replenishment, and other duties provide opportunities for overtime work. One’s service aboard ships typically extends for months at a time, followed by protracted shore leave. However, some seamen secure jobs on ships they like and stay aboard for years.

In rare cases, veteran mariners, having perhaps spent their early years partying, choose never to go ashore when in port. Further, the often quick turnaround of many modern ships, spending only a matter of hours in port, limits a seafarer's free-time on the beach. Moreover, some foreign seamen entering U.S. ports from a watchlist of high-risk countries face restrictions on shore leave due to security concerns in a post 9/11 environment. Life at sea can be lonely, even though a seaman is never alone. Mariners report that extended periods at sea living and working with shipmates who for the most part are strangers takes getting used to. At the same time, there is an opportunity to meet people from a wide range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Recreation opportunities have improved aboard some U.S. ships, which may feature gyms and day rooms for watching movies, swapping sea stories, and other activities. However, a mariner’s off duty time is largely a solitary affair pursuing hobbies, reading, writing letters, and sleeping.

A violent storm at sea, while infrequent, is one of the most memorable interuptions of daily life at sea. Ship masters will go to extraordinary lengths to steer clear of storms. Yet some storms are unavoidable, causing significant consequences for shipping. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration notes a pattern of increased hurricane activity that began in 1995. For instance, the record-breaking 2005 storm season saw 14 hurricanes and 26 named-storms in the Gulf of Mexico and Western Caribbean.

Modern weather forecasting technology is an aid to navigation. For instance, weather routing services are avaialable to guide ship operators around storms. In addition, world-wide weather data available to ship's officers via satellite Internet and computer modeling help navigators plot the safest and most efficient courses for ocean crossings. Additionally, commercial services now offer global networks of real-time ship positioning and tracking services. Such maritime tracking, much like air-traffic control, is increasingly seen by U.S. port authorities not only as a navigational aid but also as an integral aspect of Homeland Defense.

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Merchant marine

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Life at Sea

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