Sea Year Stand Down - Just about Lifted

MMA19kid

Banned
Joined
Sep 13, 2015
Messages
318
Anyone Concerned,

The DOT's Sea Year Stand Down is essentially not going to be a factor anymore. MARAD approved Maersk, APL, and Crowley for cadets with many others in the process including Matson, etc.

Just wanted to let you guys know.
 
Below is the official announcement from MARAD

MARAD 01-17
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Contact: Kim Strong
Tel.: (202) 366-5807

United States Merchant Marine Academy Announces Resumption of Commercial Sea Year
Implements Strict Zero-Tolerance Policies


WASHINGTON – The United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) today announced that Sea Year training for USMMA Midshipmen will resume on three commercial carriers beginning in March 2017. The reinstatement of the program follows the implementation of comprehensive new policies, including a zero tolerance policy for sexual assault and sexual harassment to ensure that the Academy’s standards for behavior, leadership and integrity are upheld.

“I commend the maritime industry’s efforts to combat sexual assault, sexual harassment and other coercive behaviors, particularly Crowley, Maersk and APL, which are the first companies to meet MARAD’s Sea Year requirements,” said Maritime Administration Executive Director Joel Szabat. “Commercial Sea Year training is a core training component of the Academy and its Midshipmen, and critical to the success of the industry, as today’s Midshipmen are tomorrow’s operators.”

“The results of these collaborative efforts establish a formal protocol that will improve conditions for the United States Merchant Marine Academy Midshipmen. These young men and women will receive valuable training on commercial ships that will strengthen the industry overall,” continued Szabat.

Crowley Maritime Corporation, Maersk Line Limited, and American Presidents Line (APL), comprised half of the Academy’s commercial Sea Year program before it was suspended.

By order of then-Secretary Foxx, Midshipmen training on commercial vessels was suspended in June 2016, while the Maritime Administration (MARAD), industry and labor examined ways to ensure that training was conducted in a safe and respectful environment.

Since that time, MARAD, along with the industry and unions, has worked to establish requirements for companies providing Sea Year training opportunities for Midshipmen. These requirements include zero tolerance for sexual assault sexual harassment (SASH), vetted mentors, regular crew training, and no fraternization between crew and Midshipmen. These requirements will be reviewed after six months, and annually thereafter.

A consortium of maritime industry companies and labor organizations is working with MARAD to develop computer based training programs and best practices to combat SASH. In addition, the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2017 requires a working group to report to Congress in September 2017 on efforts to further address SASH prevention and reporting.

In addition to the initial three shipping lines, MARAD is reviewing applications from other companies that have applied to meet the Sea Year requirements.

A full list of requirements is available on MARAD’s website at https://www.marad.dot.gov/criteria/

###
 
Be careful of wide, general statements. The Sea Year portion of the curriculum continues to be a part of the curriculum that is under attack. Legislation pushed through in December as an outgoing administration's poison pill, arguably puts sea year in the hands of a state maritime college panel, which now may have the emphasis on the possible use of state training vessels in 3d year and commercial in 2d year. All designed to spend 1.8 billion on state training vessels. And, as long as the holdover leadership at dot, marad and KP remain, you may want to remain vigilant on keeping Sea Year on track. These folks that remain are the same ones who moved to gut the training, and the schools budget to fund alternative training. The attack will now move from sash to "the mids need more training to have Sea Year on commercial vessels be an effective training tool". I.e.--put them on a training ship first so they can "learn". If that should occur, as a policy, I think Sea Year on commercial vessels will die. Should training vessels become a permanent part of the training curriculum, there is very little to keep all training from shifting to training vessels. It looks like the current administration supports KP, and that Sen. Wicker, who is slated to become chair of the BOV supports KP, but, King looked like he supported KP as well, and seems to only have used the chairmanship to pat himself on the back. So, the battle may have been won, but the war is far from over. It is no time to become complacent. However, the movement is certainly in the right direction.
 
Yes, but the next likely and big hurdle will be the proposed elimination of MARAD itself. The new OMB Director will be posting his proposed agency cuts within the next week or so, and MARAD elimination will likely be on the list per various news sources (which I don't think are promoting fake news in this instance). Where KP might wind up should that occur is anybody's guess ... under DOD/MSC? ... long shot.

Appears the USCG may get whacked too per same articles. Half of the organization to be civilianized; the remaining uniformed half under DOJ (USCG viewed as law enforcement ... not military) or Navy as a close water auxiliary.

The 3 military DOD academies not affected.

Could be interesting.
 
Yes, but the next likely and big hurdle will be the proposed elimination of MARAD itself. The new OMB Director will be posting his proposed agency cuts within the next week or so, and MARAD elimination will likely be on the list per various news sources (which I don't think are promoting fake news in this instance). Where KP might wind up should that occur is anybody's guess ... under DOD/MSC? ... long shot.

Appears the USCG may get whacked too per same articles. Half of the organization to be civilianized; the remaining uniformed half under DOJ (USCG viewed as law enforcement ... not military) or Navy as a close water auxiliary.

The 3 military DOD academies not affected.

Could be interesting.

That's great that the OMB is doing something productive for once, rather than finding additional ways to squander government funds. MARAD should be eliminated, and the USCG should not be a military service. This stuff should've been done a decade ago. I would go even further...reducing the USCG's personnel and budget by half and make it a 100% civilian agency.
 
That's great that the OMB is doing something productive for once, rather than finding additional ways to squander government funds. MARAD should be eliminated, and the USCG should not be a military service. This stuff should've been done a decade ago. I would go even further...reducing the USCG's personnel and budget by half and make it a 100% civilian agency.
Don't count the USCG gone yet. They maintain continuous representation on the Hill (by design and for this type of situation) and will fight like hell to maintain their bureaucracy ... just like every other DC bureaucracy would including DOT/MARAD. My guess is that at a minimum their "marine safety" program will return to being run by civilians ... most of those officers have either never been to sea (and sadly, it's shows), or assigned to a ship for 3 years at most if USCGA grads. Looking upon that group as military is a bit of a joke ... but a very expensive one to the taxpayer, i.e., these guys can retire after 20 years of civilian work, and collect a pension and have family health care forever. A GS employee generally has to wait until at least 55 to retire. Anyway, we'll see, but if the marine safety program goes, there's not a lot left.
 
Curious what new sources talk about the pending MARAD elimination?

"MARAD elimination will likely be on the list per various news sources"
 
It looks like MARAD has been on the heritage Foundation's hit list for 10-20 years, but, besides those recommendations/talking points, I haven't seen anything more.
 
It looks like MARAD has been on the heritage Foundation's hit list for 10-20 years, but, besides those recommendations/talking points, I haven't seen anything more.

Correct re the 10-20 years. We'll have to wait and see ... should know in about a week or so.
 
Back
Top