Is USMMA actually a Federal Service Academy?

WhatevaIdowhatIwant

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I have often heard that is an official federal service academy and I have also heard that it is a dedicated NROTC school. How does this academy work on paper? Is it a military academy? It seems to be a non-traditional military academy; those who do not go active-duty military serve as a USNR officer, which is still technically military, right? If Annapolis is the Naval Academy, would it be correct to say Kings Point is the "Naval Reserve" Academy?

Would love to hear your thoughts.
 
USMMA is unique in many wonderful ways, including its mission:

“To educate and graduate leaders of exemplary character who are inspired to serve the national security, marine transportation, and economic needs of the United States as licensed Merchant Marine Officers and commissioned officers in the Armed Forces.”

It is indeed a Federal Academy, funded by federal dollars. I don’t have the official references available that nail down whether it’s properly referred to as “military academy,” “military service academy,” or “service academy.” The answer probably lies in the CFR or other core document. There have been interesting discussions of this point over the years.

From my perspective, I would say it is definitely not accurate to call it the “Naval Reserve Academy,” in view of its diverse mission.

The Congressional Nomination Guide refers to it as a “non-DOD service academy.” The footnotes in this pub are rife with CFR and 10 USC references for the diligent among us.


I’ll be interested to see the discission.
🍿🍿
 
USMMA does not fit into any one category even though you seem to be trying. Part of the appeal of the school (at least to my kids) is that uniqueness. The only down side is trying to explain the school to those people (almost everyone) who are not familiar with it.
 
From Wikipedia:

The United States Merchant Marine refers to either United States civilian mariners, or to U.S. civilian and federally owned merchant vessels. Both the civilian mariners and the merchant vessels are managed by a combination of the government and private sectors, and engage in commerce or transportation of goods and services in and out of the navigable waters of the United States.[3] The Merchant Marine primarily transports cargo and passengers during peacetime; in times of war, the Merchant Marine can be an auxiliary to the United States Navy, and can be called upon to deliver military personnel and materiel for the military. Merchant Marine officers may also be commissioned as military officers by the Department of Defense. This is commonly achieved by commissioning unlimited tonnage Merchant Marine officers as Strategic Sealift Officers in the United States Navy Reserve.

Merchant mariners move cargo and passengers between nations and within the United States, and operate and maintain deep-sea merchant ships, tugboats, towboats, ferries, dredges, excursion vessels, charter boats and other waterborne craft on the oceans, the Great Lakes, rivers, canals, harbors, and other waterways.

As of October 1, 2018, the United States merchant fleet had 181 privately owned, oceangoing, self-propelled vessels of 1,000 gross register tons and above that carry cargo from port to port.[8] Nearly 800 American-owned ships are flagged in other nations.[9][10]

The federal government maintains fleets of merchant ships via organizations such as Military Sealift Command (part of the US Navy) and the National Defense Reserve Fleet, which is managed by the United States Maritime Administration. In 2004, the federal government employed approximately 5% of all American water transportation workers.

Simply put, a portion of the merchant fleet is subsidized, supported and tightly regulated by the US gov't for the purpose of maintaining a fleet of vessels that are US flagged and crewed and at the ready, in times of war. There needs to be a supply of US trained, military-qualified crews, including Captains, Engineers, Logicians, Naval Architects, etc. to operate the fleet--hence the purpose of USMMA. Call them what you want.

The whole discussion can obscure the fact that 3.1 million tons of merchant ships were lost in World War II. Mariners died at a rate of 1 in 26, which was the highest rate of casualties of any service. All told, 733 American cargo ships were lost and 8,651 of the 215,000 who served perished in troubled waters and off enemy shores.

I lifted the last paragraph form Wiki.
 
It is a "service academy" but it is not a "military academy". And no ... I most definitely would NOT say it is the "Naval Reserve Academy"!!!!
 
USMMA does not fit into any one category even though you seem to be trying. Part of the appeal of the school (at least to my kids) is that uniqueness. The only down side is trying to explain the school to those people (almost everyone) who are not familiar with it.

This is the most true thing I have ever seen. Ever Since I started to tell my friends/classmates that I was interested in applying to USMMA their response 99% of the time is "What is that?" "Why would you want to go to boating school" "So it's like a wanna be military school?" "Why would you wanna go to a school with less than 1000 people?"

Some people will never understand the academy and its greatness.
 

Read the open letter for this KP 2009's answer and so much more about USMMA!

The OP's link doesn't work but mine should from Dec 2019 post.
 
This is the most true thing I have ever seen. Ever Since I started to tell my friends/classmates that I was interested in applying to USMMA their response 99% of the time is "What is that?" "Why would you want to go to boating school" "So it's like a wanna be military school?" "Why would you wanna go to a school with less than 1000 people?"

Some people will never understand the academy and its greatness.

Hell, I spent most of the time when I was sailing just trying to explain the business. . . Oh, you're a marine? Oh, where are you stationed? Oh, you're in the Navy? Sigh. . . .
 

Read the open letter for this KP 2009's answer and so much more about USMMA!

The OP's link doesn't work but mine should from Dec 2019 post.
This is such an awesome Open Letter that I challenge anyone in Class of 2025 to post and get it up to the top of the threads again next year! I downloaded the letter circa 2017 and it appears the original link is not working. Here it is again! Enjoy!

I couldn't get yours to work so I've attached another post with the link. If all else fails, I saved the file and have attached it as well. Enjoy!
 

Attachments

  • Kings Point Open Letter.pdf
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I think the best term to use is a "Federal Operated Maritime Academy" and the other schools are "State Maritime Academies" which more aligns with Title 46 USC. Students sign two agreements that are coordinated, but separate; 1 with MARAD and 1 with US Navy. Yes it is "academy" in name and students incur a service obligation, but it is no the same as the Title 10 and 14 operated military academies.

Students wear school uniforms and not Navy uniforms. Students are civilians who are also in the Navy IRR. The term Midshipman is used in two different contexts...one as a maritime trainee with MARAD and one as a reservist.

Things get kinda bureaucratically weird with the school history and mainly because it is 3rd party payer the civilian students put up with a lot of BS. However, if the grocery mgr at your local store is in the Army IRR as a SGT 1st Class and you go to the grocery store, you see him in the store uniform with a title of Mgr...you dont call him SGT 1st Class, but rather Mgr is his title.

O'Neill vs Dent lays out the reasoning how the school is different. This decision led to to why students can have dependents and/or be married.

There are also various historical Decisions of the Comptroller General, here is one for reference...
 
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