News

The Wall Street Journal published an opinion piece about the U.S. Navy’s decision to retire 17 ships from the Military Sealift Command (MSC) as part of a “force generation reset” due to a shortage of mariners.

This decision will only exacerbate existing concerns about the readiness of the nation’s all-important sealift. MSC plays a central role in supporting and sustaining the Navy’s operations, and we cannot win a major war without its ability to execute a sealift. Losing these ships threatens the Navy’s ability to maintain a robust presence and logistical support across key global theaters, notably Eurasia, which is vital for countering threats from China and other potential adversaries.

MSC relies on civilian merchant mariners and naval reserve officers—most of whom are graduates of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy—to command and crew its vessels. It struggles with high demands placed on it, longer voyages, and inadequate compensation for its mariners compared to the private maritime sector.

This situation is worsened by outdated facilities and insufficient funding for the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

The author suggests that modernizing the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) is crucial. Upgrading the Academy would enhance the quality of training and increase the pool of service obligated merchant marine officers needed for MSC. Investing in the USMMA and improving MSC personnel conditions are essential for maintaining effective sea-lift capabilities and overall naval power.

Failure to address these issues could undermine U.S. strategic deterrence and operational readiness, making it imperative for Congress to act to support both the USMMA and MSC. It is important to remember that legislation to fix the Academy has already been introduced in Congress.

This article is a stark reminder of why this issue is so urgent.