We are the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
The United States Merchant Marine Academy, one of the five federal service academies, educates and graduates leaders who are committed to serving American national security and critical economic interests. As licensed Merchant Marine Officers and commissioned officers in the Armed Forces, graduates of the academy are essential for securing the country’s commerce in peacetime and delivering our warfighters, weapons, and military supplies during conflict. Due to their elite training and real-world experience, graduates are ready to go on day one in service of American military strength and economic power.
The Facts
For 80 years, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy has prepared leaders of exemplary character, skill and commitment to serve America’s marine transportation and defense needs in peace and war.
Recent Developments
The U.S. Navy is turning 250. Celebrate with a shipbuilding revival. October 12, 2025
The Washington Post ran a timely op-ed by Stephen Flynn calling for a national shipbuilding revival. The USMMA Alumni Association & Foundation, Inc. President/CEO Capt. James F. Tobin followed up with a letter to the editor to make sure two critical points didn’t get lost: we can’t activate a rebuilt fleet without enough Merchant Marine Officers to command them and we can’t execute a military sealift without enough service-obligated Merchant Marine Officers to sail into contested waters. He also pointed out the vast majority of this cohort are USMMA graduates, who’ve received their training on a campus largely unchanged since its founding in 1943.
In Washington, there’s growing recognition that the nation is woefully unprepared for a major conflict and that our military sealift is not where it should be. Congress is getting serious through bipartisan legislation like the SHIPS for America Act, and the White House has put maritime dominance back on the national security agenda through executive action.
Reps Call for Focus on Merchant Marine Academy Modernization May 29, 2025
Six bipartisan congressional members of the USMMA’s Board of Visitors sent a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and federal Management and Budget Director Russell Vought calling for the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy’s modernization plan to be a focal point of the national maritime strategy.
“We cannot rebuild maritime power without first rebuilding the institution that produces the officers who will lead it,” the letter states. “Long-term modernization of USMMA must not be a side initiative—it should be a foundational element of this strategy.”
“Our maritime industry has been outpaced by adversaries not due to a lack of capacity or talent among our mariners, but because they have been underserved by policy, left without the investment and infrastructure they need to compete,” they continued.
Restoring Maritime Power Requires Service Obligated Merchant Marine Officers May 21, 2025
This article in RealClearDefense is published in honor of Maritime Day 2025. Thanks to the efforts of many, there is growing recognition of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy’s mission, the value of its militarily obligated graduates, and the urgent need to modernize the Academy’s physical infrastructure.
The op-ed highlights progress made in Washington over the past several months. It is encouraging to see Republicans and Democrats coming together around the goal of restoring America’s maritime strength. The White House, Congress, and the Department of Transportation are united in their commitment to revitalizing U.S. shipbuilding, strengthening military sealift, and investing in the development of militarily obligated Merchant Marine officers—efforts that include long-overdue repairs and upgrades to the USMMA campus.