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MSC has force in reserve

MSC PAO 03-14
May 7, 2003
For more information, contact:
Marge Holtz or Dan Kuester
(202)685-5055

Almost every tank used to liberate Baghdad was brought to Southwest Asia aboard Military Sealift Command ships. And nearly all the helicopters and humvees used in Operation Iraqi Freedom were also brought to the region by MSC.

During the peak days of the military buildup in the U.S. Central Command area, nearly 100 ships were being used by MSC just to transport cargo to Southwest Asia.

MSC's total ship inventory is normally around 120 ships and swelled to more than 200 ships during much of the buildup. To obtain much-needed sealift, MSC activated ships that were previously inactive and chartered others. The command also went to a ship source that it has used for more than a quarter of a century: The U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration.

MARAD manages a fleet of 68 ships in their Ready Reserve Force. The ships are maintained solely for use by MSC in times of war or contingency. Ordinarily, RRF ships are kept in reduced operating status with small crews aboard and can be fully activated within four, five, 10 or 20 days.

When MSC receives an order from the U.S. Transportation Command to sealift cargo, MSC marine transportation specialists evaluate the order to determine how many and what type of ships can best complete the job. If appropriate ships are not readily obtainable in the U.S.-flagged charter market or from MSC's inventory of available ships, MSC asks MARAD to activate the best-suited ships from the RRF.

MARAD springs into action. All RRF ships are operated by commercial ship operating companies under contract to MARAD, and when MSC calls, the companies are ordered to ready the required type and number of ships for sea.

Mariner crews report to the ships, break out all the needed equipment, activate all the mechanical systems, take on supplies and fuel and prepare to take the ships to sea. When all is readied, the ships undergo sea trials under the watchful eye of MSC engineers. Sea trails are designed to test if the ship is ready for the mission, much like test driving a car. When ships are fully operational and have passed sea trials, they can officially transfer from MARAD to MSC operational control. All this must happen within the four, five, 10 or 20 day limit.

During Operation Iraqi Freedom and the months prior to the conflict, MARAD handed over operational control of 36 ships from the RRF to MSC. Four ships were already on long-term assignment to MSC, so at the peak of OIF, a total of 40 RRF ships were active.

Turning over control of more than half the RRF to MSC may seem logistically difficult, but through close coordination and cooperation, MSC and MARAD made this transfer go smoothly.

"We did a lot of communicating up front with MSC," said Kevin Tokarski from MARAD's office of ship operations.

"Many times, MSC has special requirements that we have to meet before we can transfer a ship to them," said Tokarski. "Force protection issues, security concerns and preparing for the eventual cargo that MSC will put aboard are all important to know before hand. And when we are working together, it makes it all work better."

During the military buildup, a MARAD senior staff member attended the daily operations briefings at MSC headquarters on the Washington Navy Yard, and MARAD representatives were active participants in the Sealift '02 war game conducted last year.

"The RRF is a valuable national asset," said Vice Adm. David L. Brewer III, USN, Commander, MSC. "But it is the teamwork between MSC and MARAD that makes the RRF so successful."