Two more LMSRs turned over to AMSEA

Two more LMSRs turned over to AMSEA

New jobs for AMO as American Overseas Marine Corp. assumes management of USNS Mendonca, USNS Seay for U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command


	American Maritime Officers members working aboard the USNS Seay, photographed here with AMO National Executive Board Member Bob Kiefer (right) include (left to right) First Assistant Engineer Paul Ebaugh, Master Tom Madden, Chief Mate Paul Martin, Chief Engineer Maurice Oliver, Second A.E. Danny Hayes and Third A.E. Fred Peemoeller.

	American Maritime Officers members working aboard the USNS Mendonca, photographed here with Kiefer (left) include (left to right) Third A.E. Jim Silcox, First A.E. Ed Rush, Chief Engineer Rich Whittemore, Capt. Mike Murphy, Second A.E. Vasile Grosanu and Chief Mate Sue Corliss.

      American Maritime Officers members on April 22 began work aboard the USNS Seay and USNS Mendonca as American Overseas Marine Corp. assumed management of the large medium-speed roll-on/roll-off vessels at the Tioga Marine Terminal in Philadelphia, Pa.
     The Seay and Mendonca are two of nine LMSRs that AMSEA will operate under a charter from Military Sealift Command awarded in September 2004. AMSEA took over operation of the USNS Shughart in March and will manage the USNS Bob Hope, USNS Brittin, USNS Benavidez, USNS Pililaau, USNS Fisher and USNS Yano as the MSC turnover schedule progresses.
     MSC awarded a separate charter for the operation of the LMSRs USNS Gilliland and USNS Gordon to 3PSC LLC in August 2004. The company had assumed management of both vessels at press time. Both 3PSC and AMSEA employ American Maritime Officers members in all licensed positions aboard the ships they operate and members of the Seafarers International Union in all unlicensed positions.
     The effective dates of the AMSEA and 3PSC charters were delayed until recently by the ships' sealift missions and by protests filed by companies that had submitted bids for the charters.
     The 11 LMSRs covered by the two charters had been operated for MSC under a single five-year charter by Patriot Contract Services, which has labor agreements with the International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots and the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association.
     Vessel turnovers under both charters, which were awarded following competitive bidding among several U.S.-flag ship operators, were delayed by protests. Two companies unsuccessfully disputed 3PSC's small business status, and Patriot Contract Services protested the AMSEA charter in a formal filing with the Government Accountability Office.
     All of the protests were eventually withdrawn.
     Meanwhile, MSC postponed transferring management of the ships to 3PSC and AMSEA until the second quarter of 2005 because the LMSRs were serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom III, the rotation of U.S. troops, equipment and supplies in and out of the Persian Gulf and Middle East.
     Although Patriot withdrew its protest, it filed a lawsuit in federal court in December 2004. In the action against MSC, company is asking that either the nine-ship LMSR charter to AMSEA be rescinded and awarded to Patriot Contract Services or that MSC be directed to solicit a new round of bids for the LMSR charter. Patriot also sought an injunction to prevent the LMSR turnover to AMSEA while its case was pending.
     In addition to the 11 LMSRs covered by the two charters, AMO currently represents the licensed personnel aboard eight LMSRs operated for MSC by Maersk Line Limited. They are the USNS Dahl, USNS Soderman, USNS Sisler, USNS Watson, USNS Red Cloud, USNS Charlton, USNS Pomeroy and USNS Watkins.
     The 19-ship LMSR fleet, which is comprised of a combination of new construction and converted vessels, resulted from a Department of Defense mobility requirements study nearly a decade ago. The study cited a shortage of U.S.-flagged roll-on/roll-off sealift capacity that became apparent during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf in 1990 and 1991.
     The LMSRs are pre-positioned with military cargoes abroad or held in reduced operating status for four-day breakout for surge sealift service.

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