Seapower/Maritime

Sea Power, Jan 2002

In addition to the benefits provided by MSP and VISA, another feature of the MSA provides that U.S. merchant mariners who are employed in the activation or operation of government strategic sealift ships in a contingency may enjoy the same reemployment rights long ago extended to military Reservists and Guardsmen.

Ready Reserve Force

The Ready Reserve Force (RRF) ensures that the nation can maintain the surge capability needed to respond unilaterally to security threats in geographic areas not covered by NATO or other alliance commitments and to meet other national sealift requirements in the event of crisis or war. The RRF fleet guarantees quick-response shipping with 76 vessels designed to meet special military requirements such as instream discharge, non-unit containerizable equipment, or offshore petroleum delivery.

MARAD keeps RRF ships in designated states of readiness (as determined by DOD) to enable them to be activated in 4, 5, 10, or 20 days to meet military surge sealift requirements. To respond quickly to military emergencies in any area of the world, RRF vessels in higher states of readiness-- called Reduced Operating Status (ROS)-are outported with small but highly trained crews on board. Vessels in 10- or 20-day readiness status are berthed in one of the National Defense Reserve Fleet sites.

The RRF meets or exceeds every measure of reliability and performance. During fiscal year 2001, the operational reliability of ships activated from the RRF was 99.3 percent over 2,069 operational days. All 19 of the RRF vessels activated under "no-notice" criteria were available to DOD within the assigned time requirements.

In recent years, RRF vessels have provided DOD with needed surge and sustainment sealift during several operations involving U.S., NATO, U.N., and other allied forces. Those include Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm/Desert Sortie in 1990-1991, when MARAD activated 79 RRF vessels to transport urgently needed supplies and materials to the Persian Gulf. The RRF also has supported operations in Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Croatia, Australia, South Korea, and Central America, as well as returning to the Persian Gulf.

In 2001 the RRF participated in a number of notable operations: January-February: SS Cape Gi

rardeau was the first RRF Modular Cargo Delivery System (MCDS) ship to conduct underway-replenishment activities with an aircraft carrier battle group.

March 2001: In exercise Tandem Thrust, SS Cape Isabel transported equipment and supplies to Japan and Australia during the annual training of military Reservists.

Cape Hudson was activated for Exercise Cobra Gold, to lift equipment and ammunition containers, sail to Alaska and Washington State to take on Army equipment, and proceed to Hawaii to pick up more cargo before steaming to Okinawa to load U.S. Marine Corps ammunition. Cobra Gold 2001 is one of the largest exercises involving U.S. forces in the Pacific Command.

SS Curtiss was activated for a month-long exercise, Pacific Provider, testing the combined abilities of the West Coast Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron (MALS) to provide aviation logistic support to a Marine Expeditionary Force. Marines practiced receiving Harrier parts onboard ship, making repairs, and sending the parts back to the squadron.