Membership is source of pride as AMO 'turns to' for sealift service



Membership is source of pride as AMO 'turns to' for sealift service
By MICHAEL R. McKAY
The broadcast and print news media report little if anything about the role of the U.S. merchant fleet and civilian American seafarers in Operation Iraqi Freedom, so it's up to us to help tell the stories of the extraordinary services American mariners provide for U.S. Armed Forces under difficult, dangerous conditions. One such story was provided this month by Capt. Jack Hearn, whose dispatch from the roll-on/roll-off ship SS Northern Lights in Kuwait begins on our front page. In his often harrowing account, Capt. Hearn tells of how the American Maritime Officers and Seafarers International Union members on the ship braved repeated SCUD missile attacks and nerve gas and chemical agent alerts while discharging equipment and supplies for U.S. military personnel waiting to cross the border into Iraq at the outbreak of war. According to Capt. Hearn, these seagoing civilians worked with little sleep, but with no fear and no complaints, over three long days--not only to unload the ship's cargo, but to accommodate American soldiers with hot meals and showers and to provide shelter for many of them when the missile alerts sounded. What gave this story even more dimension was the fact that the SS Northern Lights, operated by Interocean Ugland Management Corp., or IUM, is a commercial ship engaged primarily in domestic trade in the Pacific Northwest under the Jones Act, the cabotage law that reserves domestic deep-sea, Great Lakes and inland waters commerce for merchant vessels owned, built, registered and crewed in the U.S. For years, Jones Act critics in government and in the private sector have claimed that the law provides no benefit to the U.S. in terms of strategic sealift and national security. With its voyage to the Persian Gulf war zone with military cargoes, the SS Northern Lights and its civilian officers and crew--much more accustomed to the mountainous vistas of Washington State and Alaska than to Kuwait's flat parched stretches of desert--provided current evidence in support of the case AMO and others have made for the Jones Act as critical to defense policy and planning. Another important story is the recent reactivation of the auxiliary crane ship Cornhusker State from the Maritime Administration's Ready Reserve Force. It was the second time the ship, also operated by IUM and manned in all licensed positions by AMO, was ordered up in support of current U.S. military operations overseas. Last year, the ship and its AMO-SIU complement won official praise for service in Operation Enduring Freedom, the ongoing war against terrorist elements in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Meanwhile, AMO members were serving aboard additional RRF ships (our union has collective bargaining agreements covering 39 of the 72 government-owned reserve ships), pre-positioned roll-on/roll-off ships, large medium-speed roll-on/roll-offs (LMSRs), fast sealift ships, tankers, freighters and special mission vessels working worldwide in military support service. AMO has the distinction of being the largest source of licensed officers for ships operating under MARAD or Military Sealift Command charter, a distinction made possible to a significant extent by the professionalism shown so consistently by AMO engine, deck and radio-electronics officers. Of course, all other seagoing unions are participating in sealift service in support of the U.S. military during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. As I explained in a March 27 letter to a Washington-based news service: "In wartime, all of the men and women of the American merchant marine 'turn to' to ensure the timely delivery of unit equipment, vehicles, ammunition and other supplies to our fighting forces overseas. In a crisis, the civilian sealift effort is a common one, and courage at sea under the U.S. flag is a common trait." But I am of course particularly proud of the men and women I am privileged to represent in AMO, those now aboard sealift ships and those standing by if the call for additional ships goes out. To each of you, I offer thanks and gratitude. From TRANSCOM: 'You have our greatest respect and admiration' AMO National President Michael R. McKay received the following letter March 25 from U.S. Air Force Gen. John W. Handy, commander of the U.S. Transportation Command, or TRANSCOM. Similar letters were received by the presidents of all other seagoing unions. On behalf of the United States Transportation Command, I extend our collective and sincere thanks to you and every member of the American Maritime Officers union. America's military now stands ready in Southwest Asia, owing in large measure to your remarkable leadership and the matchless performance of every AMO member. We proudly salute the exemplary patriotism, dedication and professionalism of the more than 500 AMO seafarers currently at sea. Once again, our nation has turned to its merchant mariners to project this country's might onto distant shores in order to preserve our freedoms and way of life. Today, your AMO seafarers have answered the nation's call, charged the gangways unhesitatingly and, in record time, ensured our readiness to surpass any challenge that might lie ahead. Responding immediately, your AMO mariners were directly responsible for the rapid activation of some 40 vessels of the Ready Reserve Force. These actions proved critical to the early movement of ammunition, tanks, aircraft, vehicles and other war fighting needs. Now embarked on over 50 vessels, AMO mariners continue to deliver critical combat material to our war fighters. Simply put, we are prepared today because of your mariners' impressive courage and determination. In times of crises, our "island nation" has always relied upon the willing sacrifice, skill and heroics of its merchant mariners. You and your AMO mariners perpetuate that sterling legacy of service, patriotism and bravery. You have our greatest respect and admiration. We salute you with pride as you provide combat power to our war fighters at this critical moment in our nation's history.

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