The Department of Defense Oct. 26 announced it would soon adopt a controversial personnel policy opposed by labor unions at sea and ashore.
John Fay, executive vice president of the Seafarers International Union, died in a New Jersey hospital Nov. 8. He was 73.
Key lawmakers in October called for case-by-case emergency waivers of the Jones Act, the 1920 law that restricts domestic deep-sea, Great Lakes and inland waters commerce to merchant vessels owned, built, flagged and manned in the United States.
The Senate Oct. 20 approved a comprehensive appropriations measure that assures full funding of the renewed and expanded Maritime Security Program in fiscal 2006.
The USNS Red Cloud Oct. 20 hosted Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, USAF, commander of the U.S. Transportation Command, and Vice Adm. David Brewer III, USN, commander of Military Sealift Command, in Gen. Schwartz's first official visit to one of MSC's more than 115 ships that serve the U.S. military in a variety of noncombatant roles.
Military Sealift Command recently awarded a charter to Osprey Ship Management for the ice-strengthened vessel American Tern to continue its service between the U.S. East Coast and Arctic, Antarctic and European ports.
Totem Ocean Trailer Express has been awarded a Military Sealift Command charter under which a roll-on/roll-off ship will be diverted from Jones Act trade in the Pacific Northwest to the Persian Gulf.
The second waiver of the Jones Act by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security expired as scheduled Oct. 24.
The USNS Watkins recently completed research and development testing operations for the Navy's Maritime Prepositioning Force (Future) Mobile Landing Platform.
