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The history of Sea Power is largely,

though by no means solely, a narrative
of contests between nations, of mutual
rivalries, of violence frequently
culminating in war. The profound
influence of sea commerce upon the
wealth and strength of countries was
clearly seen long before the true
principles which governed its growth
and prosperity were detected. To
secure to ones own people a
disproportionate share of such
benefits, every effort was made to
exclude others, either by the peaceful
legislative methods of monopoly or
prohibitory regulations, or, when these
failed, by direct violence.

A. T. Mahan, The Influence of Sea Power
Upon History (1890), 1.
The war navy of the United States has had
many, the merchant navy few,
historians. Yet the two services are
joined by an intimate relationship: they
are indispensable the one to the other;
they have the same brave, vigorous
traditions, and for many years they were
cherished with equal pride by the people
of the nation whose flag they bore to
victory. Now our war fleet, after a period
of neglect and decline, has again grown
strong and prosperous, while our
merchant fleet on the high seas has
shrunk to a mere shadow of its ancient
greatness. It is in the firm belief that the
renaissance of the merchant navy also
will come.

Winthrop L. Marvin, The American Merchant
Marine: Its History and Romance from
1620 to 1902 (1902), vii.
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SEALIFT
1898 vs. PRESENT
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Merchant Marine Act of 1936
It is necessary for the national defense and development of its foreign
and domestic commerce that the United States shall have a merchant
marine

(a) sufficient to carry its domestic water-borne commerce and a
substantial portion of the water-borne export and import foreign
commerce of the United States and to provide shipping service on all
routes essential for maintaining the flow of such domestic and foreign
water-borne commerce at all times,
(b) capable of serving as a naval and military auxiliary in time of war or
national emergency,
(c) owned and operated under the United States flag by citizens of the
United States insofar as may be practicable, and
(d) composed of the best-equipped, safest, and most suitable types of
vessels, constructed in the United States and manned with a trained
and efficient citizen personnel.

It is hereby declared to be the policy of the United States to foster the
development and encourage the maintenance of such a merchant
marine.
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The United States Merchant Marine at War (1946)
The United States was a
member of a fighting
team of United
Nations that won the
greatest war in
history. There were
three major players
who represented the
United States on that
team: Our fighting
forces overseas, the
production army here
at home, and the link
between themthe
United States
Merchant Marine.

US merchant fleet 12/7/41 1,340 dry cargo ships and tankers
US merchant fleet 9/2/45 4,221 dry cargo ships and tankers
(75% Liberty ships)
Large US merchant ships sunk 733
Cargo Delivered overseas 12/7/41 to 9/2/45
Dry cargo 203,500,000 Long Tons
Liquid cargo 64,700,000 Long Tons
Average delivery rate 1945 17,000,000 pounds of cargo every
hour
Personnel transported overseas 7,300,000
Customers 75% Army and Navy; 25% Allies
Cargo carried overseas Ammunition, airplanes, aviation
fuel, explosives, tanks, trucks,
medicines, landing craft,
locomotives, food. In 1944, just
from West Coast ports, 2,727
airplanes, 993 boats, 296
amphibious craft, 1,223 vehicles
were shipped as deck cargo.
Cargo to U.S. 12/7/41 to 9/2/45
Dry cargo 70,500,000 Long Tons
Liquid cargo 35,000,000 Long Tons
Imports carried Bauxite (to make aluminum),
copper, nitrates, manganese, wool,
petroleum products, sisal.
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Military Sea Transportation Service
August 2, 1949
The Military Sea Transportation
Service is established in order to
provide, under one authority,
control, operation and
administration of ocean
transportation for personnel,
material, mail, and other cargoes
for all agencies or departments of
the National Military
Establishment and as authorized
or directed for other government
agencies or departments of the
United states subject to
established priorities.
William M. Callaghan
Commander, MSTS 1949 -1952
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Military Sea Transportation Service 1949
Troopships Tankers Freighters
USS Gen. A. E. Anderson
USS Gen Wm. A. Mann
USS Gen H. W. Butner
USS Gen Wm. Mitchell
USS Gen G. M. Randall
USS Gen J. Breckinridge
USNS Gen Daniel I. Sultan
USNS Gen Hugh J. Gaffey
USNS Gen Alexander M. Patch
USNS Gen Simon B. Buckner
USNS Gen Edwin D. Patrick
USNS Gen Nelson M. Walker
USNS Gen Maurice Rose
USNS Gen William O. Darby
P2
C3
USS President Adams
USS President Jackson
USS Thomas Jefferson
USNS Frederick Funston
USNS James OHara
USNS David C. Shanks
USNS Fred C. Ainsworth
USNS George W. Goethals
USNS Henry Gibson
C4
USNS Gen R. L. Howze
USNS Gen W. M. Black
USNS Gen S. D. Sturgis
USNS Gen C. G. Morton
USNS Gen R. E. Callan
USNS Gen M. B. Stewart
USNS Gen A. W. Greely
USNS Gen C. H. Muir
USNS Gen H. B. Freeman
USNS Gen H. F. Hodges
USNS Gen Harry Taylor
USNS Gen W. F. Hase
USNS Gen E. T. Collins
USNS Gen M. L. Hersey
USNS Gen J. H. McRae
USNS Gen Mason M. Patrick
USNS Gen W. C. Langfitt
USNS Gen R. M. Blatchford
USNS Gen A. W. Brewster
USNS Gen D. E. Aultman
USNS Gen C. C. Ballou
USNS Gen W. G. Hann
USNS Gen Stuart Heintzelmann
C2
USNS Pvt. Elden H. Johnson
USNS Pvt. William H. Thomas
USNS Sgt. Charles E. Mower
VC2
USNS Pvt. Joe P. Martinez
USNS Sgt. Jonah E. Kelley
USNS Sgt. George D. Keathley
USNS Sgt. Joseph E. Mueller
C1-M
C2
USS Titania
USS Oberon
USS Andromeda
USS Thuban
USS Virgo
USS Achernar
USS Alshain
USS Chara
USS Diphda
USS Leo
USS Muliphen
USS Oglethorpe
VC2
USNS Greenville Victory
USNS Haiti Victory
USNS Kingsport Victory
USNS Pvt. John R. Towle
USNS Pvt. Francis A. McGraw
USNS Sgt. Andrew Miller
USNS Bald Eagle
USNS Blue Jacket
USNS Golden Eagle
USNS Sgt. Archer T. Gammon
USNS Sgt. Morris E. Crain
USNS Lt. James E. Robinson
USNS Pvt. Joseph F. Merrell
USNS Sgt Jack J. Pendleton
C1-M
USNS Grommet Reefer
USNS Capt. Arlo L. Olsen
USNS Col. William J. OBrien
USNS Pvt. John F. Thorson
USNS Sgt. George Peterson
USNS Short Splice
USNS Laurentia
USNS Pvt. Frank J. Petrarca
EC2
USNS Albert M. Boe USNS Cardinal OConnell
FS
USNS T-AKL 15
USNS T-AKL 16
USNS T-AKL 17
USNS T-AKL 18
USNS T-AKL 19
USNS T-AKL 20
USNS T-AKL 21
USNS T-AKL 22
USNS T-AKL 23
USNS T-AKL 24
USNS T-AKL 25
USNS T-AKL 26
USNS T-AKL 27
USNS T-AKL 28
USNS T-AKL 29
USNS T-AKL 30
USNS T-AKL 31
USNS T-AKL 32
USNS T-AKL 33
USNS T-AKL 34
USNS T-AKL 35
USNS T-AKL 36
Tugs
USNS T-ATA 239
USNS T-ATA 240
USNS Col. T. E. Clifford Jr.
USNS Sgt. Clarence W. Foss
USNS Pvt. Gabriel Chavez
USNS Sgt. Fred N. Coleman
USNS T-YTB 746
Landing Craft
USNS T-LST 742
USNS T-LST 802
USNS T-LST 883
USNS T-LST 898
USNS T-LST 975
USNS T-LST 1048
USNS T-LST 694
USNS T-LST 1010
USNS T-LSU 1362
USNS T-LSU 1460
T3
USS Chikaskia
USS Aucilla
USS Marias
USS Manatee
USS Nantahala
USS Severn
USS Taluga
USS Chipola
USS Tolovna
T2
USS Kennebec
USS Merrimack
USS Kankakee
USS Mattaponi
USS Monongahela
USS Tappahannock
USS Neches
USNS Suamico
USNS Tallulah
USNS Pecos
USNS Cache
USNS Millicoma
USNS Saugatuck
USNS Schuylkill
USNS Cossatot
USNS Chepachet
USNS Cowanesque
USNS Escambia
USNS Kennebago
USNS Cahaba
USNS Mascoma
USNS Oklawaha
USNS Pamanset
USNS Sebec
USNS Tomahawk
USNS Soubarissen
USNS Anacostia
USNS Caney
USNS Tamalpais
USNS Cohocton
USNS Shawnee Trail
USNS Mission Buenaventura
USNS Mission Capistrano
USNS Mission Carmel
USNS Mission De Pala
USNS Mission Dolores
USNS Mission Loreto
USNS Mission Los Angeles
USNS Mission Purisima
USNS Mission San Antonio
USNS Mission San Carlos
USNS Mission San Diego
USNS Mission San Fernando
USNS Mission San Francisco
USNS Mission San Gabriel
USNS Mission San Jose
USNS Mission San Juan
USNS Mission San Luis Obispo
USNS Mission San Luis Rey
USNS Mission San Miguel
USNS Mission San Rafael
USNS Mission Santa Barbara
USNS Mission Santa Clara
USNS Mission Santa Cruz
USNS Mission Santa Ynez
USNS Mission Solano
USNS Mission Soledad
USNS Mission Santa Ana
USNS Cedar Woods
USNS Muir Woods
USNS Pioneer Valley
USNS Sappa Creek
T1
USNS Peconic
USNS Tonti
USNS Kern
USNS Wabash
USNS Susquehanna
USNS Ontonagon
USNS Rincon
Fuel Barges
USNS T-YO 242
USNS T-YO 243
USNS T-YO 244
Korean War 1950-1953
Breakbulk, Containerization,
& Roll-on/Roll-off
Mariner class 1952
SS Ideal X 1956
USNS Comet 1956
Vietnam War 1950-1975
Sealift Renaissance
Floating Forward Depot 1963
Fast Deployment
Logistic Ships 1968
Ready Reserve Force 1977
Afloat Prepositioning Force 1980
Fast Sealift Ships 1982
The Mobility Requirement Study
Large Medium Speed Ro/ros MPF Enhancement
RRF Expansion
Maritime Security Program
Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement
Twenty-first Century MSC
Joint High Speed Vessel
Afloat Forward Staging Base Mobile Landing Platform
Dry Cargo/Ammunition
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