STAR Center Executive Assistant and TECH Program Coordinator Grace Chrisman heads up the STAR Center exhibit booth at the Florida School Counselor Association (FSCA) Annual Conference in Orlando
STAR Center participated in the Florida School Counselor Association (FSCA) Annual Conference held in Orlando from November 13-15. STAR Center used the event as another opportunity to increase awareness of seagoing maritime careers and the broad range of untapped opportunities the maritime industry offers to Florida’s youth.
Throughout the three-day conference, STAR Center met with school counselors, career advisors and education professionals from across the state. The goal was to introduce maritime professions as viable and rewarding paths for students interested in hands-on, high demand, globally relevant and well-paying fields.
The STAR Center team provided informational materials, including brochures and digital resources, outlining how students could begin careers in deck, engine and steward departments. They also explained training requirements, certification pathways and scholarship options, helping counselors understand how to guide students toward maritime careers.
In addition, the Center’s staff discussed the increased need for skilled mariners in the U.S. maritime industry. Representatives highlighted Florida’s unique position as a major maritime hub with its ports and commercial shipping activity, making the state an ideal gateway for students considering work at sea or in the related maritime field.
Conference attendees showed strong interest in the STAR Center “TECH” hands-on apprentice engineering training program, which has been essential to American Maritime Officers in new developing USCG/STCW credentialed Third Assistant Engineers for safe and successful maritime service. STAR Center staff noted that many counselors expressed a desire for additional maritime career resources to share with students.
The STAR Center’s presence at the FSCA Conference strengthened its outreach efforts and reinforced its commitment to helping the next generation discover meaningful career opportunities in the maritime sector. By engaging directly with the educators who guide students’ career decisions, the STAR Center aimed to ensure that Florida youth were informed about the wide range of stable, well-paying, and adventure-oriented jobs available within the maritime workforce.
The following is excerpted from recent bulletins released by the U.S. Coast Guard. The first section addresses resumption of routine operations at Regional Examination Centers.
Funding for the Federal Government has been restored, and the National Maritime Center (NMC) and Regional Examination Centers (RECs) are in the process of resuming services to mariners. Full resumption of services at the RECs will be phased in to allow prioritization of our most critical services and to accommodate mariners most impacted by the furlough.
E-mail submission of applications and supporting documentation remains active. Walk-in and scheduled counter service at the RECs will remain suspended through November 21, 2025, to allow REC employees to prioritize the backlog in screening applications and scheduling mariner examinations.
Starting November 24, 2025, RECs are expected to return to routine operations, including availability to schedule exams for all mariners. Because of existing staffing shortages, some RECs may continue to have limited services.
The following information is excerpted from the most recent update on National Maritime Center operations (#3) released earlier in November:
To mitigate the impact caused by the government shutdown, the NMC has implemented the following measures:
- E-mail submission of applications and supporting documentation remains active. Processing will resume once appropriations are restored.
- Merchant Mariner Credentials (National Endorsements only) and Medical Certificates (National and Pilot expiration dates only) that expire in October and November 2025 remain valid until January 31, 2026. Mariners who are actively working on expired credentials that meet the expiration criteria must carry the expired credential AND a copy of the attached letter while sailing under the authority of those credentials. The NMC will not issue separate or replacement MMCs or Medical Certificates reflecting the extension.
The letter referred to in the above bullet point is on the third page of the USCG bulletin available on the NMC website.
- Additional information letters, approval to test letters, and mariner training course completion certificates that expire in October and November 2025 are extended until January 31, 2026. The NMC will not issue updated letters reflecting the extension.
- Qualified Assessor and Designated Examiner certification letters and course approvals that expired October 31, 2025, remain extended to February 28, 2026. Those that expire on November 30, 2025, are extended until March 31, 2026. The NMC will not issue updated certificates/letters reflecting the extension.
- Mariner Examinations:
- Mariners who began but did not complete all modules of an examination prior to October 1, 2025, may resume testing without penalty once the NMC reopens. Testing should be completed within 60 days of reopening. Contact the NMC regarding waivers due to sea service.
- 90-day retest periods are paused beginning on October 1, 2025, and will restart upon reopening. Contact the NMC regarding waivers due to sea service.
For updates on NMC and REC operating statuses, please monitor the NMC website. For questions, contact our Customer Service Center via the NMC online chat system on the NMC website, by e-mailing [email protected], or by calling 1-888-IASKNMC (427-5662).
More than 100 vessels operated under contract with American Maritime Officers were among those recognized in 2025 by the Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA) with Certificates of Environmental Achievement for attaining at least two years of environmental excellence in operations, with 29 vessels achieving 10 years or more without an incident.
The awards were presented November 12 in Washington, D.C. at the 22nd annual Environmental Achievement Awards Dinner honoring merchant mariners and maritime industry leaders for being good stewards of the marine environment. CSA awarded Certificates of Environmental Achievement to a total of 57 companies representing 1377 vessels, both domestic and foreign, which achieved a total of 13,358 years of operation without incident. Of the companies honored, 11 are contracted with AMO.
AMO members accepting Environmental Achievement Awards on behalf of Crowley companies included Nate Beckett and Jon Spiropoulos.
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, Marco Sylvester, and CSA’s Chairman of the Board of Directors, Captain Garrett Huffman of Motiva, addressed the attendees and congratulated the award recipients and the industry for their extraordinary performance.
Sean Kline, president and CEO of CSA, noted: “Tonight, we honor the men and women at sea and ashore whose commitment to safe and environmentally responsible operations sets the standard for our industry. These awards are not just about statistics; they are about a culture of stewardship that runs deep across the U.S. maritime community. Every year, our seafarers and companies prove that protecting the oceans and powering the global economy go hand in hand. Their professionalism, leadership, and dedication strengthen both our industry and our nation, and it is a privilege to recognize their achievements on behalf of the entire maritime community.”
AMO members accepting an Environmental Achievement Award on behalf of Fairwater Tanker Management were Paul Johnson, Alex Anderson and Sean Eager.
AMO-contracted companies operating vessels recognized for environmental excellence included Crescent Towing, Crowley Maritime Corporation, E.N. Bisso & Son, Fairwater Tankers, Keystone Shipping Company (Key Lakes), Liberty Maritime Corporation, Ocean Shipholdings, OSG Ship Management, Pasha Hawaii, TOTE Services and U.S. Marine Management.
Accepting an Environmental Achievement Award on behalf of Pasha Hawaii was retired AMO member Greg Johnson.
CSA represents U.S.-based companies that either own, operate or charter oceangoing tank, container, dry bulk vessels, roll-on/roll-off or special purpose vessels engaged in both the domestic and international trades and companies that maintain a commercial interest in the operation of such oceangoing vessels, including U.S.-flagged and foreign-flagged vessels.
The minutes for the regular monthly American Maritime Officers membership meeting held November 5 have been posted in the member section of the AMO website, which is accessible to active AMO members and applicants.
AMO members will need to click on the “MEMBER LOGIN” tab on the AMO website (LOGIN on mobile devices) and log into the member portal of the AMO website. Members and applicants using the updated AMO website for the first time will need to register a new account for the member portal, a link for which is featured on the MEMBER LOGIN page.
By Pete Kinsey
Great Lakes Representative
The 29 crewmembers lost on the Edmund Fitzgerald were honored during a ceremony hosted by the Great Lakes Maritime Academy on November 10 – 50 years from the date of the vessel’s sinking on Lake Superior in 1975.
STAR Center Director of Training Jerry Pannell and GLMA Superintendent Rear Adm. Jerry Achenbach delivered addresses during the memorial ceremony. American Maritime Officers East Coast Representative Marissa Cap and I attended the ceremony. We joined the community, our maritime industry partners, and GLMA cadets, alumni, and personnel in honoring the mariners lost in this tragic casualty.
In his address, Jerry Pannell spoke directly to the realities faced by mariners in licensed service on the Lakes. His message was clear, direct, and grounded in experience, resonating with those in attendance.
On November 10, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald was less than 20 miles from the safety of Whitefish Bay when it vanished from radar, Pannell said. “No distress call was sent. No survivors were found. The storm that struck Lake Superior that night was brutal – hurricane-force winds with waves exceeding 30 feet. It tested the limits of every man, every rivet, every inch of steel.
“Among those aboard were American Maritime Officers members – licensed deck and engineering officers who served with the highest professionalism and skill. Like every mariner, they understood the risks. And like every mariner, they sailed anyway.”
Pannell continued: “Today, we do not gather in grief alone. We gather in remembrance, in respect, and in renewed commitment. We remember the names of the 29 lost. We respect the gravity of what it means to work these waters.
“To the families of the 29 men: your loved ones are not forgotten,” Pannell said. “Their memory lives on in the steel of every ship, in the curriculum of every maritime classroom, and in the watchful eyes of every mariner who looks to the horizon and remembers what’s at stake.
“May the legacy of the Edmund Fitzgerald continue to guide us,” he said. “Not simply as a story of loss, but as a call to action – a reminder of why we must always put safety first, why we must support and train the professionals who crew our vessels, and why we must never take lightly the power of the Great Lakes.”
The memorial was held outdoors on the academy waterfront in below-freezing temperatures with steady snowfall. Cadets stood in formation throughout the ceremony. Following the program, attendees placed carnations into Lake Michigan. The conditions on the shoreline reflected the kind of weather Great Lakes mariners routinely face in November.
The Edmund Fitzgerald, a 729-foot Great Lakes ore carrier, sank on November 10, 1975, during a severe Lake Superior storm while sailing from Superior, Wis., to Detroit, Mich. All 29 crewmembers were lost. As noted, the officers were represented by our union, a point of lasting significance for the membership of AMO. The loss remains one of the most examined and consequential maritime tragedies on the Great Lakes.
For Great Lakes mariners, the annual memorial is not symbolic – it reflects the harsh realities of their profession. The lessons of past casualties continue to shape training, seamanship, and safety culture today. AMO’s participation in the memorial underscores the union’s continued commitment to maritime education and to the next generation of licensed officers.
Fifty years later, the names of the 29 sailors are remembered, and the responsibility and vigilance of our profession endures among those who sail today.
Applicants Must Complete Payment of Reduced Initiation Fee and Meet the Other Requirements of Membership Drive by December 31 to Avoid Paying Standard Initiation Fee
The American Maritime Officers Membership Drive Program, which provides AMO applicants with a reduced initiation fee under specific circumstances, will conclude December 31, 2025.
In order remain qualified for the reduced AMO initiation fee of $3,000, applicants for membership must complete payment of the full $3,000 reduced fee and meet the other requirements listed below no later than December 31, 2025. If the requirements listed below have not been met by December 31, 2025, the applicant will be responsible for completing payment of the full AMO initiation fee of $6,000 (minus any initiation fee payments already made).
Applicants can check their initiation balance and may make payments online in the AMO member portal by logging into their account on the AMO website. For AMO applicants who have not yet registered for an online account, a link on the login page provides access to do so. Members and applicants can also check their dues balance and make online payments for dues in the AMO member portal.
The AMO initiation fee was raised on January 1, 2024, to $6,000 pursuant to a vote by the National Executive Board, which was ratified by the membership. However, under the terms of the Membership Drive Program, a reduced initiation fee in the amount of $3,000 was established.
To qualify for the reduced initiation fee, applicants must meet the following conditions:
1. The applicant will pay the reduced initiation fee of $3,000 in full not later than December 31, 2025.
2. The applicant will provide Letters of Recommendation from at least two (2) members of American Maritime Officers in good standing.
3. The applicant will be in Good Standing, with their dues paid through the current quarter.
AMO applicants who do not pay the reduced initiation fee in full, establish good standing with the union, and submit the two letters of recommendation prior to December 31, 2025 will be responsible for the standard initiation fee for deep-sea and Great Lakes officers at the time they applied: $6,000 (minus any initiation fee payments already made).
For more information, please contact AMO National Secretary-Treasurer Bob Rice at (954) 295-6160 or via .
American Maritime Officers members working aboard the North Star in November included Chief Mate Dan Warren, Captain Matt Huyter, Second Mate Mack Parsons, Third Mate Mike Sands and Third Mate Samantha Coles.
AMO members working aboard the North Star in November included Third Assistant Engineer Devin Boone, Third A.E. Ted Harkins, Second A.E. Tyler Trott, First A.E. Michael Busque and Chief Engineer Courtney Henry. With them is TECH Program Apprentice Engineer Jesse Moses.
The M/V Everglades Trader, a chemical and oil products tanker, was reflagged into the United States registry on November 6 in Singapore by U.S. Marine Management, LLC (USMMI), bringing new job opportunities for the members of American Maritime Officers. The 182-meter long tanker was built in 2022 and will replace the Yosemite Trader, which had been on long term charter to Military Sealift Command.
AMO members who assisted in the reflag of the Everglades Trader in Singapore included Master James Very, Chief Mate Cullen Bozza, Chief Engineer Tom Balzano and FIrst Assistant Engineer Michael Raymond.
The following press release was issued November 3. American Maritime Officers members and applicants who have emergency credentialing issues should contact AMO Vice President for Government Relations Christian Spain or AMO Assistant Vice President for Government Relations Alaina Basciano.
Lapse in Appropriations and Government Shutdown
UPDATE #3: Mitigation Efforts – Extensions
This update supersedes and cancels Update #2 dated October 15, 2025.
The National Maritime Center (NMC) and all Regional Examination Centers (RECs) remain closed. Customer walk-in service at the RECs is suspended. Examinations and other REC appointments are cancelled. To mitigate the impact caused by the government shutdown, the NMC has implemented the following measures:
* E-mail submission of applications and supporting documentation remains active. Processing will resume once appropriations are restored.
* Merchant Mariner Credentials (National Endorsements only) and Medical Certificates (National and Pilot expiration dates only) that expire in October and November 2025 remain valid until January 31, 2026. Mariners who are actively working on expired credentials that meet the expiration criteria must carry the expired credential AND a copy of the attached letter while sailing under the authority of those credentials. The NMC will not issue separate or replacement MMCs or Medical Certificates reflecting the extension.
* Additional information letters, approval to test letters, and mariner training course completion certificates that expire in October and November 2025 are extended until January 31, 2026. The NMC will not issue updated letters reflecting the extension.
* Qualified Assessor and Designated Examiner certification letters and course approvals that expired October 31, 2025, remain extended to February 28, 2026. Those that expire on November 30, 2025, are extended until March 31, 2026. The NMC will not issue updated certificates/letters reflecting the extension.
* Mariner Examinations:
– Mariners who began but did not complete all modules of an examination prior to October 1, 2025, may resume testing without penalty once the NMC reopens. Testing should be completed within 60 days of reopening. Contact the NMC regarding waivers due to sea service.
– 90-day retest periods are paused beginning on October 1, 2025, and will restart upon reopening. Contact the NMC regarding waivers due to sea service.
* For questions regarding credentialing issues related to National Defense, marine employers are advised to contact our Customer Service Center.
For updates on NMC and REC operating status, please monitor the NMC website. For questions, contact our Customer Service Center via the NMC online chat system, by , or by calling 1-888-IASKNMC (427-5662).
The NMC understands the shutdown will affect our industry customers and stakeholders, and we apologize for any potential inconvenience.
Sincerely,
Patrick A. Drayer
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard
The Women Offshore Conference was held in Houston on October 9 and 10 with the theme “Anchored in Purpose, Ignited by Opportunity.” Mariners attending the eighth annual conference representing American Maritime Officers included Chief Mate Fionna Boyle, AMO Career Advancement Liaison Captain Kathleen Friel, and Johna Winters.