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The Ready Reserve Force (RRF) program was
initiated in 1976 as a subset of the Maritime Administrations National Defense
Reserve Fleet (NDRF) to support the rapid worldwide deployment of U.S. military forces. |
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A key element of strategic sealift, the RRF is
specifically structured to transport Army and Marine Corps unit equipment and initial
resupply for forces deploying anywhere in the world during the critical period before
adequate numbers of commercially available ships can be marshaled. Administration and
operation of the RRF is governed by a Memorandum of Agreement. |
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The Ready Reserve Force is
comprised of 47
vessels. Three (3) ships are in full operating status and are on-station overseas. |
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During Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom,
the combined strategic sealift operation provided more than 80 percent of all cargo
transportation to the theater of operations. Led by the U.S. Transportation Command, this
joint effort included the Military Sealift Command, the Military Traffic Management
Command, and the Maritime Administration. Forty (40) RRF vessels supported Army and Marine
missions during the operations providing up to 20 percent of the total combined surge
sealift capacity. |
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Ten of the MARAD ships were
activated to aid in recovery and relief efforts in Hurricanes Katrina
and Rita. This marked the first time the ships of MARAD’s Ready Reserve
Force were activated at the request of the Secretary of Transportation
to deal with a domestic emergency, and the first time training ships
provided by MARAD to State maritime academies were pressed into service
to provide food and shelter. Six ships of the Ready Reserve Force:
Cape Kennedy, Cape Knox, Cape Vincent,
Diamond State, Equality State, and
Wright; three training ships,
State of Maine, Empire State,
and Sirius, and one other
ships from MARAD’s National Defense Reserve Fleet, the
Texas Clipper II, answered
the call. They brought urgently needed supplies, including water; they
provided assistance for oil spill cleanup; they generated electricity,
and provided 269,000 meals and 83,165 berth nights for recovery workers
and evacuees. |
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The RRF made a major contribution to the
success of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm from August 1990 through June 1992, when
79 vessels were activated and operated to meet military sealift requirements. The RRF has
rightfully been called "American Seapowers Reliant Partner." |
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