WASHINGTON — President Trump signed an executive order Monday to aid service members and veterans transition into the US Merchant Marine.
The order waives government fees and credits military training for sea service veterans seeking to join the civilian service, which is facing a manpower shortage, according to White House officials.
“We’re working on many fronts to make sure that our veterans and their spouses are able to seamlessly transition into the civilian workforce in a way that provides them with good paying jobs that benefit themselves and this country,” said Peter Navarro, director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy.
The Merchant Marine carries supplies and troops during wartime and carries cargo around the world during peacetime.
About 12,000 qualified mariners are needed to maintain the Military Sealift Command fleet and that’s exactly number currently available — leaving no room for sickness or attrition, according a US Naval Institute report.
Mark Buzby, the Administrator of the Maritime Administration (MARAD) warned Congress last year about a shortage of qualified mariners to crew all the commercial cargo ships needed to support military operations in a sustained conflict.
The civilian mariners are needed to crew the ships that carry tanks, supplies, guns and more to service members.
“MARAD is concerned that there might not be enough qualified mariners with required endorsements to operate unlimited horsepower and unlimited tonnage necessary to sustain a prolonged activation of the entire sealift fleet,” Buzby told Congress Jan. 17, 2018.
Meanwhile, enrollment at the US Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point has remained steady at about 900 to 1,000 students per year, according to the school.
Administration officials say Trump’s order will serve two purposes: get veterans high-paying jobs and boost military readiness.
The executive order will work in conjunction with the existing Department of Defense program, known as Military to Mariner, to credit military sea service, Navarro said.
“Currently, we face a shortfall of merchant mariners and they have serious national security implications,” Navarro said.