Role and Purpose

This office administers MARAD’s national security related programs. These programs provide commercial and government-owned shipping capability in times of national emergency and to meet Department of Defense strategic sealift requirements.

Major Activities

The Associate Administrator works directly for the Maritime Administrator.

The Ship Operations office manages and maintains the fleet of inactive, Government-owned vessels in the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF), including the Ready Reserve Force (RRF). The RRF currently has 58 vessels. It provides a ready source of "surge" shipping, available when needed by the Department of Defense’s U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), to support rapid deployment of U.S. military forces. All NDRF activities, including the RRF, are funded from appropriations transferred to MARAD from Navy’s National Defense Sealift Fund in accordance with a 1997 Memorandum of Agreement between MARAD and USTRANSCOM.

The National Security Planning office develops and maintains plans for carrying out transportation support activities for any military mobilizations required due to a war or a national emergency. The office also maintains emergency resource evaluation data; helps formulate international and national plans for maritime emergency and mobilization activities; and operates MARAD's emergency operations and telecommunications centers.

The Sealift Support office manages the Maritime Security Program and the Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement. These programs are designed to assure the availability of sufficient U.S. commercial sealift capability and the U.S. intermodal system to sustain U.S. military operations overseas in an emergency. This office also administers the transfer of U.S. ships to foreign interests, the disposal of obsolete vessels in the NDRF, and the transfer of vessels to states and other governmental bodies and qualified non-government parties, as required.

• Office of Ship Operations
• Office of Sealift Support

Back