Copyright © 2017 American Maritime Officers ■ editorial@amo-union.org

Page 12: USNS Brittin serves in hurricane recovery

Volume 47, Number 12 December 2017

Page 2: We’re closing out a remarkable year for AMO, which experi-enced continued expansion of its job base, sustained security of the bene-fit funds that serve all members and their families, and ongoing econom-ic reform that found our union firmly on the right side of the ledger.

AMO 2017: new jobs, secure benefitsand healthy finances

Page 2: Membership dues and initiation fees in American MaritimeOfficers will not increase in 2018. This was the unanimous determina-tion of the AMO National Executive Board after its annual review of duesand initiation fee rates as required under the AMO National Constitution.

AMO membership dues, initiation feeswill not increase in 2018

New AMO jobs as American Pride enters service

Photos: Philly Shipyard, Inc.

Philly Shipyard, Inc. (PSI), the soleoperating subsidiary of Philly ShipyardASA, on November 20 delivered theAmerican Pride, the fourth of four next gen-eration 50,000 dwt product tankers that ithas built for American Petroleum Tankers(APT), a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan, Inc.The vessel was delivered ten days ahead ofthe contract delivery date.

The American Pride is operated forAPT by Intrepid Personnel andProvisioning and is manned in all licensedpositions by American Maritime Officers.The ship has entered service under a five-year charter.

The delivery was the 28th vesselbuilt by PSI (formerly known as AkerPhiladelphia Shipyard, Inc.). The nextgeneration 50,000 dwt product tanker isbased on a proven Hyundai MipoDockyards (HMD) design that also incor-porates numerous fuel efficiency features,flexible cargo capability, and the latestregulatory requirements.

The vessel has also received LNGReady Level 1 approval from the AmericanBureau of Shipping (ABS). The 600-foottanker has a carrying capacity of 14.5 mil-lion gallons of crude oil or refined products.

The American Pride, like its three sis-ter ships — American Endurance,American Liberty and American Freedom— was originally under contract with PhillyTankers, a Jones Act shipping companyestablished in June 2014 by Philly Shipyardand certain other investors to provide majoroil companies and other end-users withmodern tonnage. In August 2015, PhillyTankers entered into definitive agreementswith APT for the assignment by PhillyTankers of its shipbuilding contracts andrelated assets to APT.

“We are proud to deliver the finalproduct tanker in the four-ship series forAmerican Petroleum Tankers that beganwith the promotion by Philly Shipyard of anew Jones Act shipping venture, PhillyTankers, over three years ago,” remarkedSteinar Nerbovik, Philly Shipyard’s presi-dent and chief executive officer. “AsAmerican Pride leaves our dock, there is apiece of each and every one of us at the yardthat leaves with her. We celebrate thisachievement and wave farewell as she joinsthe other 27 Jones Act vessels built here inPhiladelphia that are currently servicingAmerica’s ports.”

Members of American Maritime Officers attending the christening ceremony for the American Pride at Philly Shipyardincluded (left to right) Chief Mate Peter Guggina, Second Mate Boren Chambers Jr., Chief Engineer Tom Balzano, CaptainScott Davis and Chief Engineer Dan Savoie. The American Pride was delivered by the shipyard on November 20 and hasentered service under a five-year charter.

2 • American Maritime Officer December 2017

AMO membership dues, initiationfees will not increase in 2018

Membership dues and initiationfees in American Maritime Officerswill not increase in 2018.

This was the unanimous determi-nation of the AMO National ExecutiveBoard after its annual review of duesand initiation fee rates as required underArticle V (Finances) of the AMONational Constitution. The board citedour union’s solid financial standing andits positive outlook to support its findingthat there is no need to raise dues rates orthe initiation fee next year.

As a result, AMO in 2018 willcelebrate its fourth consecutive yearwithout a dues hike.

One contributing factor here isthe broad, ongoing cost containmentstrategy in place since January 2015,with significant cuts in everythingfrom payroll to printing — operatingexpenses have dropped dramatically inthe last three years.

Another is the sharp, steady paral-lel rise in timely dues payments byAMO members and soaring initiationfee receipt rates over the same period,through both direct payment to AMOand authorized dues and initiation feedeductions from benefits received fromthe AMO Vacation Plan.

Direct payment of membership duesto AMO exceed projections consistently,and the amount paid through the AMOVacation Plan continues to climb — inNovember, for example, dues paymentsforwarded to AMO from the Plan were 46percent higher than the total recorded inNovember 2016.

Initiation fee payments straight to theunion also surpass projections, but thesereceipts derived from vacation pay deduc-tions are at an all-time high — up 102 per-cent in November, compared to the totalpaid in November a year ago.

Dues and initiation fee transac-tions through the AMO Vacation Planare at such a pace that John Macuski,finance director of AMO Plans, wasmoved to note in his latest report toAMO that the volume “as of the end ofNovember this year exceeds the fullyear numbers of any of the previousyears.” Macuski has provided thesereports every month for nine years.

A third, increasingly importantinfluence is the recent growth in AMOjobs. Each additional billet results in newoperating revenue for our union.

The bottom line: AMO has a six-fig-ure operating budget surplus, nearly sevenfigures in savings and a high seven figures

in investment accounts.Given this good news, I ask that

all deep-sea, Great Lakes and inlandwaters AMO members and applicantsfor AMO membership resolve at theNew Year to increase — or begin —their participation in the AMOVoluntary Political Action Fund at lev-els they can be comfortable with. TheVPAF represents personal investmentin job and benefit security — thereisn’t a U.S. seafaring job anywhere, indomestic or international markets —that doesn’t depend on what Congressdoes or doesn’t do each year. This fundworks as intended, and its exclusivepurpose is to support federal lawmak-ers who support the U.S. merchantfleet and American merchant mariners.

Feel free to contact me withquestions or comments arising fromthis report. I can be reached on theheadquarters office line at 954-921-2221 (ext. 1001), on the toll-free num-ber at 800-362-0513, or on my cell at954-881-5651. If I can’t take your callimmediately, I will get back to you atthe earliest opportunity.

Paul DoellNational President

Season’s Greetings and Best Wishes to AMO Members,Families and Friends

AMO 2017: new jobs, securebenefits and healthy financesBy Paul DoellNational President

We’re clos-ing out a remark-able year forA m e r i c a nMaritime Officers,which experiencedcontinued expan-sion of its fleet ros-ter and job base,sustained securityof the benefitfunds that serve allAMO membersand their families, evolving opportunitiesand ongoing economic reform that foundour union firmly on the right side of thefinancial ledger.

By December 1, the AMO deep-seafleet in 2017 had grown by seven ships,most of them newly built Jones Act petro-leum product tankers delivered by PhillyShipyard in Philadelphia or by the NASS-CO yard in San Diego.

Intrepid Personnel andProvisioning, a unit of the sprawling,third-generation family-owned CrowleyMaritime Corp., operates four of thesefive vessels — the American Endurance,American Freedom, American Liberty andPalmetto State — for American PetroleumTankers (APT). Separately, one additionaltanker joined the fleet operated underAMO contract by Eco-Tankers.

In the deep-sea dry cargo sector,AMO engine and deck officers filled thelicensed jobs on two new U.S.-reflaggedroll-on/roll-off ships — the Liberty, whichis operated by ARC in foreign trade

through the Maritime Security Program,and the Liberty Peace, which does not par-ticipate in the MSP, but which is operatedinternationally under an agreementbetween AMO and North Star Shipping.

On the inland waters front, AMOmembers in the Seabulk Towing andCrescent Towing/Savannah fleets wel-comed the Advanced Rotor Tug Tridentand the tug Arkansas, respectively.

On the Great Lakes, the dry bulktrades dominated by our union were morebrisk than they’ve been in recent years. Forexample, shipments of iron ore — the prin-

cipal cargo on the Lakes — were pacingwell ahead of the volume recorded in 2016.

Meanwhile, additional tonnageheading for operation under AMO con-tract was at varied points of constructionin U.S. shipyards.

On November 20, Philly Shipyarddelivered the Jones Act tanker AmericanPride to complete a four-ship series orderedby APT. American Maritime Officers fillsall of the licensed positions on this vessel.

In March, VT Halter Marine inPascagoula, MS, launched the El Coquí,the first of a pair of LNG fueled combina-

tion container-roll-on/roll-off ships forCrowley. The El Coquí and her sister ship,the Taíno, which was launched December4, will operate under AMO contract inJones Act service between Jacksonville andPuerto Rico.

Crowley made additional newsNovember 1 when it announced that itsCrowley Alaska Tankers LLC subsidiaryhad acquired the tankers Liberty Bay,Eagle Bay and SR American Progressfrom SeaRiver Maritime Inc. These shipswill operate under AMO contract, begin-ning in 2018.

Government contract awards alsofactored into the enhanced job security ourunion gained this year.

In one example, AMO retained itsengine and deck jobs on the T-AGS vesselsUSNS Heezen, USNS Pathfinder, USNSMary Sears, USNS Henson, USNSBowditch and USNS Maury when MilitarySealift Command shifted the operatingcontract from Maersk Line’s USMMI unitto Ocean Ships Inc. — and we regained thelicensed jobs on the USNS Waters in thesame contract award.

AMO also retained jobs and jurisdic-tion on seven Bob Hope Class LMSRswhen MSC awarded the contract toUSMMI. American Overseas Marine, orAMSEA, had been the operator of theseships — USNS Bob Hope, USNSBenavidez, USNS Brittin, USNS Fisher,USNS Mendonca, USNS Pililaau andUSNS Seay.

Additional jobs came home toAMO when MSC awarded the operatingcontract governing four more LMSRs —USNS Gordon, USNS Gilliland, USNSShughart and USNS Yano — to OceanShips. Patriot Contract Services, whichemploys members of the MarineEngineers’ Beneficial Association andthe International Organization ofMasters, Mates & Pilots, had been theoperator of these vessels.

The cumulative impact of this ever-broadening AMO job base is felt as well inAMO Plans, the well-managed benefitfunds that provide diverse, comprehensiveand innovative benefits to all AMO mem-bers and membership applicants and theirfamilies. Each new job represents addition-al employer contributions to the AMOMedical, Pension, Money PurchaseBenefit, Defined Contribution, 401(k),Vacation and Safety & Education Plans.The new revenue, sound administrationand strong returns on investments had byDecember 1 combined to bring AMO Plansassets to record high value.

On the union side of FederalHighway in Dania Beach, the timely pay-ment of AMO membership dues and initi-ation fees continued to spike significantlythis year through both direct payment tothe union via several options and throughauthorized deductions from benefitsearned from the AMO Vacation Plan.Coupled with an effective operating costcontainment policy in place at AMO head-quarters, this phenomenal developmentkeeps the books in healthy income-expense balance, and I see this as a pro-ductive financial partnership between thisadministration and the seagoing AMOmembership. One result is that 2018 willmark four consecutive years without adues or initiation fee increase.

As always, I welcome commentsand questions from all deep-sea, GreatLakes and inland waters AMO memberson the topics addressed here or on anyother matter. And, on behalf of theNational Executive Board of AMO andour union’s support staff, I wish everyAMO family the healthiest and happiestChristmas holiday season and a peacefuland prosperous New Year.

American Maritime Officer • 3December 2017

Domestic maritime industry sets the record straight onimportance of the Jones Act to Puerto Rico’s recovery

The following is excerpted from anarticle released November 19 by theAmerican Maritime Partnership, a coali-tion of which American Maritime OfficersService is a member and which AmericanMaritime Officers supports.

WASHINGTON — The AmericanMaritime Partnership — the voice of thedomestic maritime industry — issued thefollowing statement to set the recordstraight on the importance of Americanmaritime for Puerto Rico recovery and thecapacity and capability of Jones Act ves-sels to meet Puerto Rico’s present andfuture needs.

“While the American maritimeindustry was delivering cargo to the docksof Puerto Rico with relief supplies withinhours of the hurricane passing, familiaropponents worked to fan debunked mythsabout our industry and the Jones Act. Thefact remains the Jones Act does not addcosts to Puerto Rico; it provides stability,jobs and reliable transportation of reliefand recovery items to our families andneighbors in Puerto Rico. We supportthose who march for the well being ofPuerto Rico, as we have been working forthe same cause since the storm, but weneed to march for what will help, not hurt,the island.” — The American MaritimePartnership

The following statements address thefalse claims reported by media and those inopposition to the Jones Act.

Fact Check on False Reported Claims inMedia:

Claim: The Jones Act prevents cargofrom foreign vessels to reach Puerto Rico.

False. Any foreign vessel can call onPuerto Rico. The GovernmentAccountability Office (GAO) noted in a2011 report that two-thirds of the ships serv-ing Puerto Rico were foreign ships. 55 dif-ferent foreign carriers provided importedcargo to Puerto Rico in a single month, ascited as an example by GAO. Foreign ship-ping companies compete directly with theAmerican shipping companies in an intense-ly competitive transportation market.

Claim: Import costs are at least twiceas high in Puerto Rico as in neighboringislands on account of the Jones Act.

There is no study that supports thisstatement in any way. In fact, anecdotalevidence about rates indicates that theopposite is true. For example, one analysisshows it is 40% more expensive to shipgoods from the U.S. mainland on foreignvessels to the U.S. Virgin Islands (not sub-ject to the Jones Act) than on Jones Actvessels to Puerto Rico. Moreover, the costof shipping accounts for a tiny fraction ofretail prices on the island. Waiving theJones Act would have no affect on retailprices in Puerto Rico.

Claim: Jones Act vessels lack suffi-cient capacity to reach communities impact-ed by Hurricane Maria.

In the immediate aftermath of thehurricane, one hundred percent of the islandwas without power, and roads were blockedby downed trees and debris. Goods arearriving to the island on vessels but bottle-necks on the roads are limiting arrival to the

communities. The largest bottleneck is notgetting goods to the island, but deliveringgoods once they arrive.

• Domestic maritime companies havethe equipment at their terminals to handlethe throughput at the terminals withoutoverwhelming the shoreside and inlandinfrastructure.

• Domestic maritime roll-on/roll-offbarges can immediately discharge cargoeswhile work is performed to restore powerfor cranes and other equipment.

• Domestic maritime containershipscan deliver cargoes from the S. mainland toPuerto Rico in three days.

Claim: A Jones Act waiver would addefficiency to the delivery of essential car-goes to impacted communities.

Because of infrastructure challenges,a Jones Act waiver could hinder, not help,relief efforts. A Jones Act waiver couldoverwhelm the system, creating unneces-sary backlogs and causing confusion on thedistribution of critical supplies throughoutthe island. Already there are logistical bot-tlenecks for Jones Act cargoes as a result ofthe inability to distribute goods withinPuerto Rico due to road blockages, commu-nications disruptions, and concerns aboutequipment shortages, including trucks,chassis, and containers.

Claim: The Jones Act adds signifi-cantly to the cost of goods in Puerto Rico.

Over the last decade, a parade ofpoliticians and “experts” have attemptedto estimate the so-called “cost” of theJones Act in Puerto Rico. Because theestimates have been wildly contradictory,

in 2012, Puerto Rico Delegate Pierluisiasked the GAO to determine the true“cost.” The GAO studied the issue formore than a year and debunked the previ-ous estimates. First, the GAO said thereare far too many factors that impact theprice of a consumer good to determine thesupposed cost related to shipping, muchless the Jones Act. Second, the GAO said,one could not truly estimate the costunless one knew which American lawswould be applied to foreign ships if theywere allowed to enter the domestic trades,which would certainly increase the cost offoreign shipping.

Claim: Changing the Jones Act inPuerto Rico will help the island, especiallyconsidering its current economic crisis.

A GAO study on Puerto Rico listeda number of potential harms to the territo-ry itself if the Jones Act were changed,including the possible loss of the stableservice the island currently enjoys underthe Jones Act and the loss of jobs on theisland. Moreover, American domestic car-riers are making some of the largest pri-vate sector investments currently under-way in Puerto Rico by investing nearly $1billion in new vessels, equipment, andinfrastructure. They employ hundreds ofPuerto Rican American citizens on theisland and on vessels serving the market,providing highly reliable, low-cost mar-itime and logistics services. These privatesector jobs and reliable services areimportant to the long-term recovery of thePuerto Rican economy and would be jeop-ardized by changes to the Jones Act.

AMO aboard tanker GardenState in Jones Act trade

Members of American Maritime Officers working aboard the Jones Act tankerGarden State in October included Chief Mate Pat Dowhan, Third Mate TylerMeyer, Chief Mate Ted Sanford, Captain Jarrod Cavicchi, Second Mate EdKern and Zach Chilcott, a Tankerman Person-in-Charge observer. TheGarden State is operated for American Petroleum Tankers by IntrepidPersonnel and Provisioning and is manned in all licensed positions by AMO.

Jones Act carriers, U.S. maritime dedicated to Puerto RicoThe following is excerpted from an

article released November 17 by theAmerican Maritime Partnership, a coali-tion of which American Maritime OfficersService is a member and which AmericanMaritime Officers supports.

Jones Act carriers have provided reg-ular, dedicated service to Puerto Rico fordecades. The Jones Act fleet servicingPuerto Rico includes modern, state-of-the-art vessels, such as the world’s first LNG-powered containerships, as part of domesticoperators’ recent investments in the tradetotaling nearly $1 billion. Puerto Rico alsobenefits from reduced backhaul rates fromPuerto Rico to the mainland and specialized53’ containers, which provide extra capacity

over standard 40’ containers. As part ofthese investments, Jones Act carriers sup-port thousands of jobs in Puerto Rico. Thedomestic maritime industry is committed tomeeting the needs of the island while alsosupporting the long-term economic require-ments of the people and communities ofPuerto Rico.

The Domestic Maritime Industry Is aKey Part of Puerto Rico’s Relief Efforts:

The hardworking men and women ofthe American maritime industry — both onthe mainland and in Puerto Rico — are ded-icated to delivering essential cargoes to areasimpacted by the storm and continuing to sup-port the long-term recovery of Puerto Rico.

• The domestic American maritimeindustry has 25 Jones Act vessels — state-of-the-art containerships, roll-on/roll-off(ro/ro) barges, load-on/load-off (lo/lo)barges, and offshore supply vessels — deliv-ering cargoes to the island efficiently andcost effectively. These 25 vessels includenine vessels that have entered the regularPuerto Rico trade since Hurricane Maria hit.

• As of November 16, these vesselshave delivered more than 36,000 containerswith millions of pounds of commercial andrelief cargo to Puerto Rico.

• Domestic carriers continue toincrease their capacity in order to betterserve Puerto Rico. Alongside the additionalnine vessels placed into the regular Puerto

Rico trade, carriers have acquired additional53-foot containers (which are routinelyused in the Puerto Rico trade and increaseload capacity by more than 40 percent ascompared to standard containers) and addi-tional chassis to support the surplus of stan-dard deliveries.

- Jones Act carriers are prepared tohandle this surplus. For example, one JonesAct carrier delivered in early November itsbiggest weekly cargo volumes sinceHurricane Maria made landfall with 3,000containers in one week — a 43 percentincrease in the carrier’s normal weekly ves-sel capacity. Another carrier has increased

See Puerto Rico ◆ Page 4

4 • American Maritime Officer December 2017

Puerto RicoContinued from Page 3their capacity by 67 percent.

• In order to handle increased volume,domestic carriers have also added mainlandports in the Northeast as ports of origin forcargoes destined for Puerto Rico. SomeJones Act carriers have increased vesselspeeds to reduce transit times, and at leastone carrier now offers sailings virtuallyevery day of the week from the U.S. main-land to Puerto Rico.

• In addition to the 25 vessels in reg-ular service, other Jones Act vessels are pro-viding occasional service to the island, withmore Jones Act vessels available if addi-tional capacity is needed. This has allowedcarriers to bring more goods to the island asrebuilding needs increase.

Jones Act Carriers Deliver Much-Needed Emergency Relief Cargoes:

Jones Act carriers continue to meetthe special needs that exist in Puerto Ricoby delivering critical relief cargoes to theisland. Below are just a few examples ofhow the industry is serving Puerto Rico:

• Carriers are prioritizing the distribu-tion of FEMA cargoes to ensure that relief isgetting to the island as quickly as possible,despite inland distribution issues.

- One Jones Act carrier alone has dis-patched 1.3 million meals and 2.77 millionliters of water to the island, providing reliefto over 60 municipalities.

- In one week, domestic operatorsdelivered nearly 7,000 TEUs of water toPuerto Rico, including 1,500 FEMA loadsof water, providing nearly 2 million litersper day to the island’s residents.

- A domestic carrier deployed 375trucks on the island to aid in distributionactivities, including supporting FEMA with

regional distribution capabilities.• Carriers have delivered thousands

of units of specialized equipment, includingrolling stock, generators, poles (electricaland communications) and other cargoesnecessary to rebuild the island.

- For example, a tug/barge unit fromLouisiana delivered self-powered cellularcommunication towers that are criticallyneeded to re-establish communication onthe island, as well as vehicles, housing, bulkfuel, and food.

- Another carrier is transporting theinitial batch of what will eventually total32,000 utility poles, which are crucial tofixing the island’s destroyed power grid.

• The domestic maritime industry isalso offering unique services during the hur-ricane season, such as: securing extra ware-housing space for cargoes; providing stag-ing/storage space for relief goods; acquiringtrucking services; performing specializedtransfer requests at the ports; providingmeals to workers; and hosting weeklyevents to support different communitiesaround the island.

The Domestic Maritime Industry IsPartnering with Organizations toDeliver Relief:

• Domestic maritime carriers areworking closely with a number of partners,including the Department of HomelandSecurity, American Red Cross, FEMA, thePuerto Rican government, theGovernment’s Elderly Support Team andcommercial customers to support theirneeds as they deliver goods to the island.

• In addition to delivering vital goods,the American maritime industry is workingwith organizations throughout the island todistribute food, fuel, water, and other dailynecessities, including hygiene and cleaningitems, meal kits, clothing, batteries, and ice.

- One domestic carrier has pre-

pared over 5,000 meal kits that feed afamily of four and is partnering withorganizations interested in deliveringmeals to Puerto Ricans.

What People are Saying about theDomestic Maritime Response in PuertoRico:

“The Jones Act has not added difficul-ties to the recovery in Puerto Rico and theVirgin Islands. The goods getting to the portwere not the problem. It was the distributionfrom the port into the country where theneed was at that was the difficulty,” saidCongressman John Rutherford (R-FL). “TheU.S. maritime industry are first respondersin times of emergency like Hurricane Irmaand Maria and Jacksonville is ground zerofor getting shipments of goods to PuertoRico quickly reliably and economically.They have proven themselves committed tomeeting Puerto Rico’s immediate needswhile also supporting the long term restora-tion of the island’s economy.”

“Finally, I hope once and for all to putthe idea to rest the idea that somehow theJones Act is inhibiting the recovery ofPuerto Rico,” said Congressman PeterDeFazio (D-OR). “The problem has beenthe logistics of getting those out of the port.”

“The men and women of theAmerican maritime industry stand commit-ted to the communities in Puerto Ricoimpacted by Hurricane Maria, where manyof our own employees and their familiesreside and are working around the clock torespond to the communities in need. As ourindustry has done in past natural disasters,

we are actively working with theAdministration, FEMA, MARAD, andrelief organizations to deploy quickly anddeliver essential goods like food, fuel, firstaid supplies, and building materials,” saidThomas A. Allegretti, Chairman of theAmerican Maritime Partnership.

“I am very grateful for the extraordi-nary work of our teams in San Juan,Jacksonville and in other parts of the coun-try,” said Tom Crowley, Crowley MaritimeChairman and CEO. “Their tireless com-mitment and focus on getting results is trulyimpressive and deserves our respect andappreciation.”

“The U.S. maritime industry was oneof the first industries to respond to theneeds of the people of Puerto Rico. Themorning after Hurricane Maria, my col-leagues and I were back in action preparingfor the first cargo arrivals,” said EduardoPagan, Vice President and GeneralManager of Caribbean Services for TOTEMaritime. “If the Jones Act were hurtingPuerto Rico, I would be opposed to it. Infact, Jones Act providers are central tohelping Puerto Rico rebuild, and they willcontinue to reliably deliver cargo long afterTV cameras have departed.”

According to Mitch Luciano, CEO ofTrailer Bridge, “As soon as it was clear thatHurricane Maria was headed to PuertoRico, we began filling containers withgoods for our team and their families there.It was important to us, to not only supportour family there, but to also ensure we sus-tained full operations for our customers andthe relief effort of Puerto Rico.”

AMO 401(k) PlanSummary Annual Reportfor calendar year 2016

This is a summary of the annual report for AMERICAN MARITIME OFFICERS401k PLAN, EIN 11-2978754, Plan No. 002, for period January 01, 2016 throughDecember 31, 2016. The annual report has been filed with the Employee Benefits SecurityAdministration, U.S. Department of Labor, as required under the Employee RetirementIncome Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).

Basic Financial StatementBenefits under the plan are provided by a trust fund. Plan expenses were $25,835,005.

These expenses included $742,528 in administrative expenses, $24,917,597 in benefits paidto participants and beneficiaries, and $174,880 in other expenses. A total of 3,449 personswere participants in or beneficiaries of the plan at the end of the plan year, although not allof these persons had yet earned the right to receive benefits.

The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan, was $355,111,921 asof December 31, 2016, compared to $331,317,647 as of January 01, 2016. During the planyear the plan experienced an increase in its net assets of $23,794,274. This increase includesunrealized appreciation and depreciation in the value of plan assets; that is, the differencebetween the value of the plan’s assets at the end of the year and the value of the assets at thebeginning of the year or the cost of assets acquired during the year. The plan had totalincome of $49,629,279, including employer contributions of $2,419,101, employee contri-butions of $19,592,449, earnings from investments of $26,021,606, and other income of$1,596,123.

Your Rights To Additional InformationYou have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, on

request. The items listed below are included in that report:

• an accountant’s report;• financial information;• information on payments to service providers;• assets held for investment;• fiduciary information, including non-exempt transactions between the plan and par-

ties-in-interest (that is, persons who have certain relationships with the plan);• information regarding any common or collective trusts, pooled separate accounts,

master trusts or 103-12 investment entities in which the plan participates;To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call the office

of BOARD OF TRUSTEES AMERICAN MARITIME OFFICERS 401k PLAN at 2WEST DIXIE HIGHWAY, DANIA BEACH, FL 33004-4312, or by telephone at (954) 920-4247. The charge to cover copying costs will be $0.15 per page.

You also have the right to receive from the plan administrator, on request and at nocharge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or astatement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both. If yourequest a copy of the full annual report from the plan administrator, these two statementsand accompanying notes will be included as part of that report. The charge to cover copyingcosts given above does not include a charge for the copying of these portions of the reportbecause these portions are furnished without charge.

You also have the legally protected right to examine the annual report at the mainoffice of the plan (BOARD OF TRUSTEES AMERICAN MARITIME OFFICERS 401kPLAN, 2 WEST DIXIE HIGHWAY, DANIA BEACH, FL 33004-4312) and at the U.S.Department of Labor in Washington, D.C., or to obtain a copy from the U.S. Department ofLabor upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the Department should be addressed to:Public Disclosure Room, Room N1513, Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S.Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210.

AMO aboard Great Republicin Jones Act service

AMO members working aboard the Key Lakes vessel Great Republic inNovember, here in Manistee, Mich. included Third Mate Kyle Leackfeldtand Second Mate Phillip Partynski. With them is AMO Senior NationalAssistant Vice President Brian Krus. The Great Republic was bound for apower plant carrying more than 18,000 tons of western coal.

American Maritime Officer • 5December 2017

AMO-contracted vessels, companiesrecognized for environmental excellence

More than 90 vessels operatedunder contract with American MaritimeOfficers were among those recognizedthis year by the Chamber of Shipping ofAmerica (CSA) with Certificates ofEnvironmental Achievement for attain-ing at least two years of environmentalexcellence in operations, with 22 vesselsachieving 10 years or more without anincident.

The event was attended by SenatorSheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and byCongressman John Garamendi (D-CA),ranking member on the Subcommittee onCoast Guard and Maritime Transportation

in the House of Representatives, whoaddressed the attendees, congratulating par-ticipants on their exceptional performance.

“These awards celebrate the dedica-tion to environmental excellence of ourseafarers and the company personnelshore-side who operate our vessels to thehighest standards. In today’s world, itseems our industry only gets front-pagenews when spills or other environmentalproblems occur. It is encouraging to seehow many vessels go for years achievingenvironmental excellence. It should beclear to the American public that we in themaritime industry take our stewardship of

the marine environment very seriously.Safe and environmentally responsibleoperations is a culture fully embraced bythe maritime industry as a whole and asevidenced by the performances of theaward recipients recognized tonight,” saidCSA President Kathy Metcalf.

Rear Adm. Linda Fagan, deputycommandant for operations, policy, andcapabilities, United States Coast Guard,participated in the award ceremony andcongratulated the award recipients andthe industry as a whole for their extraor-dinary performance.

The awards were presented

November 8 in Washington, D.C. CSAawarded Certificates of EnvironmentalAchievement to a total of 1,810 vessels,both domestic and foreign, whichachieved a total of 15,307 years of opera-tion without incident.

AMO-contracted companies operat-ing vessels recognized for environmentalexcellence included Crescent Towing;Crowley Liner Services; GeneralDynamics American Overseas Marine;Intrepid Personnel and Provisioning(Crowley); Keystone Shipping Company(Key Lakes); Ocean Duchess, Inc.; OceanShips, Inc.; OSG Ship Management, Inc.;Seabulk Tankers, Inc.; Seabulk Towing,Inc.; TOTE Services, Inc.; and U.S.Shipping Corporation.

A listing of all vessels receivingEnvironmental Achievement Awards isavailable under “Press Releases” on theCSA website: www.knowships.org.

Members of American Maritime Officers accepting Certificates of EnvironmentalAchievement on behalf of vessels operated by U.S. Shipping Corp. included (inno particular order) Captain Chris Pyne-Mercier, Captain Nick Colavito andCaptain Justin Eusepi.

AMO members accepting Certificates of Environmental Achievement on behalfof vessels operated by TOTE Services, Inc. included Captain Bryan Vagts andChief Engineer Andrew Centala.

AMO members accepting Certificates of Environmental Achievement on behalfof vessels operated by Seabulk companies included Seabulk Towing CaptainSteve Rotert and Seabulk Towing Captain Jason Frongello.

AMO members accepting Certificates of Environmental Achievement on behalfof vessels operated by Crowley companies included Captain Tom Gately.

AMO members accepting Certificates of Environmental Achievement on behalfof vessels operated by Keystone Shipping Co. (Key Lakes) included ChiefEngineer Scott McPherson.

AMO members accepting Certificates of Environmental Achievement on behalfof vessels operated by Crowley companies included Captain Tom Doane.

6 • American Maritime Officer December 2017

U.S. Merchant Marine veterans honored on ThanksgivingDay by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3457 on Saipan By Joe GelhausChief EngineerUSNS Montford Point (T-ESD-1)

On Thanksgiving Day, Veterans ofForeign Wars Post 3457 honored U.S.merchant mariners as veterans of WorldWar II by posting the U.S. MerchantMarine Crest among the five other sisterbranches of Armed Services of the UnitedStates in the post’s clubhouse in Garapan,Saipan. The post also proudly flies theU.S. Merchant Marine flag alongside theother Armed Service flags.

VFW Post 3457 is one of the firstVFW posts in the world to honor theU.S. Merchant Marine and its mariners.They have an open door policy that wel-comes every member of the U.S.

Merchant Marine to enter and enjoy theclubhouse atmosphere. VFW memberson Saipan, most of whom are Vietnamveterans, all know and say that nothingcan happen in an armed conflict withoutthe U.S. Merchant Marine first “deliver-ing the goods.”

This was all made possible by theefforts of VFW Post 3457 CommanderMike O’Kelley, who is a 30-year retiredU.S. Navy Master Chief and who earneda Bronze Star with Valor and multiplePurple Hearts during his five tours inVietnam.

Mike joined the U.S. MerchantMarine and American Maritime Officersin 1997. As an AMO member, he sailed asan assistant engineer on various vessels,mostly in the Military Sealift Command

Prepositioning Fleet, and retired a fewyears ago. He is a tireless proponent of theU.S. Merchant Marine and strives veryhard to have VFW leadership accept U.S.merchant mariners who have earned theMerchant Marine Expeditionary Medal toqualify for VFW membership. The usualhang up is that this medal is not issued bythe Department of Defense, but theDepartment of Transportation, because theU.S. Merchant Marine falls under thatdepartment’s jurisdiction. However, Mike

is persistent and vows never to stop tryingto gain recognition for U.S. merchantmariners and their service to their country.

Thanksgiving was a fitting day toinstall the U.S. Merchant Marine Crest,and I was personally thankful for that. TheVFW membership showed up later with aham and turkey feast to honor the dozensof U.S. merchant mariners, includingmembers of AMO and SIU, who were atthe VFW Clubhouse that evening. It was agreat day! Thanks Mike!

American Maritime Officers member Chief Engineer Joe Gelhaus, a Veteransof Foreign Wars Life Member through his U.S. Navy Service in OperationDesert Storm and Operation Restore Hope, thanks VFW Post 3457Commander Mike O’Kelley for his work to gain recognition for the service ofU.S. Merchant Marine veterans.

Labor leaders emphasize importance of solidarity,dedication to defending American maritime jobs

Remaining unified and devoted toone another will be key to the maritimeindustry and to the future of the NorthAmerican labor movement, declared AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka in a pre-sentation at the Maritime TradesDepartment convention in October.

Trumka praised maritime laborunions in particular for not buckling in theface of harsh and misguided public criti-cism in the aftermath of a very active anddevastating hurricane season. He pointedto ongoing relief efforts in Puerto Rico asa sign of the power of union solidarity.

“We won’t stop when politiciansstill use a hurricane as an excuse to attackthe Jones Act. And that cheap shotagainst American-flag vessels came atexactly the time you and your unionbrothers and sisters were organizing aidfor Puerto Rico,” Trumka said. “We wereputting supplies in containers on theships as they were attacking us. Theydidn’t ask us to put that on. We saw aneed, and we moved to fill that need.

“We’re doing it ourselves becausethe federal government couldn’t get thejob done without us. See, brothers andsisters, I want to tell you this — we’llstand up for the Jones Act anytime, any-place, anywhere. And we’ll do it as a sin-gle unified labor movement — all of us,

building world-class ships ... All throughthese inland waterways, you move thegoods that make our economy work.You’re moving trade across the oceans andaround the world,” Trumka said.

In his opening remarks at theMaritime Trades Department convention,Sacco spoke along similar lines on defenseof the Jones Act and U.S. maritime jobs.

“Everyone is stepping up in a mas-sive grassroots effort to protect the JonesAct — and, more importantly, theAmerican jobs that go with it,” Sacco said.

“This really has been a lesson ofwhy we have to remain politically active,and it’s also a sobering reminder that youdon’t always know who your friends are.Some of the attacks against the Jones Acthave come from unlikely sources, butwe’re working hard to educate people andset the record straight,” he said.

“And on that note, I want to take justa moment to thank everyone who’s sacri-ficing so much time and effort to help withthe relief operations not only in PuertoRico but also in the Virgin Islands. Andyes, we’re also still working to help fami-lies here on the mainland, especially in theHouston area. It’s felt almost overwhelm-ing at times, but we’ve gotten through dif-ficult situations before, and we’ll getthrough these current struggles together.”

locked arms, standing together.”Trumka commended the Maritime

Trades Department and the leadership ofMichael Sacco, president of the MTD andthe Seafarers International Union of NorthAmerica, for rallying affiliated unions tocombat all attacks against the nation’s cab-

otage laws and the maritime industry.Trumka also commented on the

important roles unionized maritime profes-sionals serve throughout the industry.

“Every single day, the workers ofour unions prove how powerful and effec-tive we are on both coasts. See, we’re

Maritime Trades Department President Michael Sacco with AFL-CIO PresidentRichard Trumka at the AFL-CIO convention in October — Sacco is also presi-dent of the SIUNA and the SIU, and was reelected as president of the MTD andvice president of the federation’s executive council at the convention.

American Maritime Officer • 7December 2017

Crescent Towing, SeabulkTowing vessels recognized atInternational WorkBoat ShowAt the International WorkBoat Show in November, held in New Orleans, La.,three tugs operated by AMO-contracted Crescent Towing and three tugsoperated by AMO-contracted Seabulk Towing were recognized among theSignificant Boats of 2017. Congratulating Crescent Towing OperationsManager Ben Morvant, AMO member Captain Steve Fazekas and CrescentTowing Chief Operating Officer Keith Kettenring at the show were AMONational Vice President, Inland Waters, David Weathers, and AMO NationalAssistant Vice Presidents Danny Robichaux and Christian Spain.

U.S.-flag Great Lakes cargoes continue to climb in OctoberU.S.-flagged Great Lakes

freighters moved 9.5 million tons ofcargo in October, an increase of 7.1percent compared with the sameperiod the previous year. Despite thegains, shipments for the month wereslightly behind the long-term aver-age for the month of October, theLake Carriers’ Association reported.

In September, U.S.-flaggedlakers carried 10.1 million tons of

cargo, an increase of 10.7 percent com-pared with September 2016, and a 3.1percent improvement over the five-yearaverage for the month of September.

In October, iron ore cargoestotaled 4.8 million tons, an increase of9.4 percent compared to a October 2016.Coal loadings rose nearly 9 percent to1.4 million tons. Limestone cargoesincreased 5.3 percent to 2.7 million tonsin October.

In September, iron ore cargoestotaled 4.9 million tons, an increase of14 percent over the same period the pre-vious year. Coal loadings approached1.9 million tons, an increase of 6.1 per-cent. Limestone cargoes increased 10.1percent to 2.7 million tons in September.

For the year at the end of October,U.S.-flagged vessels had shippedapproximately 70 million tons of cargo,an increase of 3.3 percent over the

same point in 2016, but approxi-mately 1.3 million tons below thefive-year average mark for that timeframe. Iron ore cargoes hadincreased 7.4 percent. Coal cargoeshad increased 195,000 tons. The 18million tons of aggregate, fluxstoneand scrubber stone shipped hadpulled that trade to within 2.1 per-cent of the end-of-October total for2016, the LCA reported.

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL)

AMO National President Paul Doell greets Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL) at the MaritimeTrades Department convention in St. Louis, Mo.

Influential representatives pledge support for U.S.maritime industry, highlight value of the Jones Act

Three influential U.S. congressmenwho spoke at the Maritime TradesDepartment convention in October pledgedtheir continued support for the U.S. mar-itime industry and the Jones Act, andemphasized the importance of continuing toeducate lawmakers about the value of thecabotage law and its roles in nationaldefense and the economy.

Representatives Bennie Thompson(D-MS), John Shimkus (R-IL) and MikeBost (R-IL) each spoke during the two-dayevent held in St. Louis and talked about theimportance of the U.S. maritime sector per-sistently “telling its story” in Congress.

Rep. Thompson, who is the rankingmember on the Homeland SecurityCommittee, said the Jones Act serves somany purposes for the nation, not the least ofwhich is the maritime industry’s powerfuleconomic impact.

“We have to make sure that peopleunderstand what [the Jones Act] is about.It’s a jobs program. It’s a program that’sbeen around for a long time and helpsworkers, but it also helps the owners andoperators. It’s about business,” he said.“And, so, why in the world would we doanything to something that’s working? Iwant you to help us stop Washingtonfrom attacking the Jones Act.”

The Jones Act came under fire after aseries of hurricanes hit Texas, Florida andPuerto Rico. Cabotage critics used coverageof these catastrophes to spread inaccurateinformation about the Jones Act. Rep.Thompson said, despite U.S.-flagged ves-sels delivering the vast majority of reliefsupplies and fuel to storm ravaged areas,waivers to the Jones Act were approved —demonstrating how vital it is for the mar-itime industry to stay vigilant.

“Now, somewhere in the bushes is theenemy. And the enemy is the person whowants to somehow not just waive the JonesAct but to do away with it,” he said. “So what

I want you to do is keep talking to us,because we need to know. Now, if you don’ttalk to us, your opposition, the folks whowant to do away with the Jones Act, they’regoing to talk. They’re going to come in andconvince people that, you know, the only rea-son the economy is slowing down is becauseof that Jones Act. Oh, they’re going to make

it sound good. And so the only way you cancounter that is with your message. Andyou’ve got the best message in the world.”

During his speech, Rep. Shimkusfocused on the national defense and securityaspects of the Jones Act, particularly on U.S.inland waterways. He said, even in theMidwest, where some wouldn’t think mar-

itime would have a significant presence, theJones Act has a great impact on the safemovement of goods.

“The untold story [of the Jones Act] isits inland waterway transportation system,and we want trusted users who we knowoperating. Can you imagine taking a bargesystem underneath a major metropolitanarea, underneath a bridge, (with) a foreign-flag vessel? So that’s kind of how I use it totalk to my constituents about the importanceof that,” he said.

Rep. Shimkus also spoke about effortsto get the U.S. Export-Import Bank fullyoperational to help boost cargo for merchantmariners.

Cargoes funded by the Ex-Im Bankare required to be carried by U.S.-flaggedvessels, but the financial institution has beenheld at a standstill since 2015 due to the lackof a quorum on the bank’s board. The inac-tivity of the Ex-Im Bank continues to be aproblem for the U.S. Merchant Marine, asthe bank’s ongoing inability to engage infinancing activities greater than $10 millionwithout a quorum has halted the flow of U.S.manufactured project cargoes for export thatwould be carried by U.S.-flagged vessels.

Rep. Shimkus said advocates stillbelieve in the pivotal roles of the bank, butit’s taking longer than he’d like to confirmnew members to the bank’s board.

Rep. Bost emphasized his support forthe Jones Act, and addressed the importanceof finding funding for waterway infrastruc-ture improvements.

Bost also praised the MTD for its sup-port of unions and its members when itcomes to fighting for jobs and wages. “Iwant to thank organized labor, maritimeguys and gals as well in this, because …organized labor makes sure that, one, goodjobs stay, new jobs are created, and also thenthose benefits that are negotiated for and thecontracts that are signed and agreed to andnegotiated for are met,” he said.

8 • American Maritime Officer December 2017

Radar Courses

Radar Recertification 1 day 9, 31 January 19 February 12, 13, 14, 29March 11, 12, 25, 26 April 9, 10 May 6, 7, 20, 21 June 11, 12 July

ARPA 4 days 20 February

Radar Recertification & ARPA 5 days 19 February

Original Radar Observer Unlimited 5 days 12 February

AMO Safety and Education Plan — Simulation, Training, Assessment & Research Center(954) 920-3222 / (800) 942-3220 — 2 West Dixie Highway, Dania Beach, FL 33004

General Courses

Combined Basic & Advanced Low Flash Point Fuel Operations (IGFCode/LNG Fuel) Course 5 days 11 December 26 February 16 April 23 July

Confined Space Entry 3 days 8 January 11 April 20 June

Advanced Fire Fighting 5 days 12 February 30 April

Basic Safety Training — All 4 modules must be completed within 12 months: Personal SafetyTechniques (Mon/Tues — 1.5 days), Personal Safety & Social Responsibility (Tues pm — .5 days),Elementary First Aid (Wed — 1 day), Fire Fighting & Fire Prevention (Thurs/Fri — 2 days) — not required.if Combined Basic & Adv. Fire Fighting completed within 12 months.

5 days 5 February 19 March

Basic Safety Training — Refresher 3 days 7 February 21 March

Chemical Safety — Advanced 5 days 12 February

ECDIS 5 days 11 December 22 January 16 April

Environmental Awareness (includes Oily Water Separator) 3 days 12 March

Fast Rescue Boat 4 days 16 January 5 March 30 April 25 June 23 July

GMDSS — Requires after-hour homework 10 days 5 February 16 July

LNG Tankerman PIC 8 days 19 March

LNG Simulator Training — Enrollment priority in the LNG simulator course is given to qualified membercandidates for employment and/or observation opportunities with AMO contracted LNG companies. In allcases successful completion of the LNG PNC classroom course is prerequisite.

5 days 2 April

Proficiency in Survival Craft (Lifeboat) 4 days 12 December 2 April

Safety Officer Course 2 days 1 March 14 June

Tankerman PIC DL — Classroom 5 days 8 January 30 April 11 June

Tankerman PIC DL — Simulator 10 days 22 January 5 March 14 May 9 July

Tankerman PIC DL — Accelerated Program 10 days Please Call

Train the Trainer 5 days 8 January 30 April 25 June

Train the Trainer — Simulator Instructors (Requires after hours work) 5 days 19 March

Vessel Personnel with Designated Security Duties — VPDSD 2 days 1 February

Vessel/Company Security Officer — Includes Anti-Piracy 3 days 26 February 11 June

Crowd Management 1 day Please Call

Crisis Management & Human Behavior 1 day Please Call

Basic Training & Advanced Fire Fighting Revalidation (Required by firstcredential renewal AFTER 1 Jan 2017) 2 days 11 December 11, 29 January 22 February 26 March 9 April 10 May 4, 18, June 9, 30 July

EFA (Scheduled with Basic Training Revalidation BUT NOT REQUIREDFOR STCW 2010) 1 day 13 December 10, 31 January 21 February 28 March 11 April 9 May 6, 20 June 11 July

Leadership & Management (required by ALL management level Deckand Engine officers by 1 Jan 2017) 5 days 15 January 5 February 21 May 4 June

Maritime Security Awareness 1/2 day Please Call

Deck CoursesAdvanced Bridge Resource Management — Meets STCW 2010Leadership & Management gap closing requirements 5 days 19 February 21 May 30 July

Advanced Shiphandling for Masters — (No equivalency) Must havesailed as Chief Mate Unlimited 5 days 19 March 7 May

Advanced Shiphandling for 3rd Mates — 60 days seatime equiv. for 3rdMates 10 days 8 January (PM) 12 Feb. (PM) 5 March 2 April 14 May (PM) 4, 18 June

Advanced & Emergency Shiphandling — First Class Pilots, Great Lakes 5 days 5 February

Dynamic Positioning — Basic 5 days 29 January 14 May 23 July

Dynamic Positioning — Advanced 5 days 2 April 4 June

Navigational Watchkeeping Standardization & Assessment Program 5 days 12 March 30 April 21 May 11 June 30 July

TOAR (Towing Officer Assessment Record) — Third Mate (Unlimited orGreat Lakes) or 1600T Master License required AND OICNW required 5 days 2 April 14 May

Tug Training — ASD Assist (Azimuthing Stern Drive) 5 days 25 June

Visual Communications (Flashing Light) — Test only 1 day Please Call

Medical Courses

Heat Stress Afloat / Hearing Conservation Afloat 1 day 2 April

Elementary First Aid — Prerequisite for MCP within preceding 12 months 1 day 16 January 26 March 3 April 5 June 24 July

Medical Care Provider — Prerequisite for MPIC within preceding 12months. Please fax EFA certificate when registering 3 days 17 January 27 March 4 April 6 June 25 July

Medical PIC — Please fax MCP certificate when registering 5 days 22 January 9 April 11 June 30 July

Urinalysis Collector Training 1 day 11 December 29 January 16 April 18 June

Breath Alcohol Test (BAT) — Alco Sensors 3 and 4 only 1 day 12 December 30 January 17 April 19 June

Screening Test Technician — QEDs a.m./Alco Mate 7000 p.m. 1 day 13 December 31 January 18 April 20 June

Medical PIC Refresher — MSC approved 3 days Please Call

American Maritime Officer • 9December 2017Deck Upgrade — STCW 2010 — Management Level (NVIC 10-14)— If sea service or training towards management level (Chief Mate/Master) upgrade started ON OR AFTER 24 March 2014 you must adhereto this new program of training. Completion of both required and optional courses listed below will include all Task Assessments required by NVIC 10-14 , providing ECDIS, GMDSS and ARPA have been previously completed.

Upgrade: Shiphandling at the Management Level 10 days 8, 22 January 16 April 16 July

Upgrade: Advanced Meteorology — Requires after-hours homework 5 days 15, 22 January 5 February 30 April 9 July

Advanced Stability 5 days 8 January 5 March 7 May 30 July

Search & Rescue 2 days 12 February

Management of Medical Care 1/2 day 14 February 16 May

Leadership & Management 5 days 15 January 5 February 21 May 4 June

Advanced Cargo — Optional for task sign-off 5 days 19 February 4 June

Marine Propulsion Plants — Optional for task sign-off 5 days 11 December 5 March 11 June

Advanced Celestial — Optional for task sign-off 5 days 12 March 25 June

Advanced Navigation — Optional for task sign-off 5 days 26 February 18 June

MSC Training ProgramBasic CBR Defense 1 day 11 December 25 January 16, 22 March 19 July

Damage Control 1 day 12 December 24 January 15, 21 March 18 July

Heat Stress Afloat / Hearing Conservation Afloat 1 day 2 April

Helicopter Fire Fighting 1 day 23 January 20 March 6 April 17 July

Marine Environmental Programs (with CBRD) 1/2 day 11 December 25 January 16, 22 March 19 July

Marine Sanitation Devices 1/2 day 4 April

MSC Readiness Refresher — Must have completed full CBRD & DC once incareer. 2 days 22 January 19 March 5 April 16 July

MSC Watchstander — BASIC — Once in career, SST grads grandfathered 2 days 5 February 5 March 16 April

MSC Watchstander — ADVANCED — Required for all SRF members 1 day 15 December 15 January 2, 6 February 2, 6, 16 March 13, 17, 27 April 4, 25 May 15, 29 June 13, 27 July

MSC Ship Reaction Force — Required every three years for SRF members 3 days 7 February 7 March 18 April

Small Arms — Initial & Sustainment (Refresher) Training — Open tomembers & applicants eligible for employment through AMO (w/in 1 year) orMSC on MARAD contracted vessels.

4 days 11 December 16, 29 January 12, 26 February 12, 26 March 9, 23, 30 April 21 May 11, 25 June 9, 23 July

Water Sanitation Afloat 1/2 day 4 April

NOTICE: AMO members planning to attend STAR Center in Dania Beach, Florida — either to prepare for license upgrading or to undergo specialty training—are asked to call the school to confirm course schedule and space availabilityin advance.

NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY AS TO STUDENTS: The Simulation, Training, Assessment and Research Center (STAR), established under the auspices of the American Maritime Officers Safety and Education Plan, admitsstudents of any race, color, national and ethnic origin or sex to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the Center. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national orethnic origin or sex in administration of its educational policies, admission policies and other programs administered by the Center.

Engineering Courses

Basic Electricity 10 days 29 January 30 April

Diesel Crossover 4 weeks Please Call

Gas Turbine Endorsement 10 days 5 March 14 May 23 July

High Voltage Safety Course (Classroom) 3 days 20 February

Hydraulics/ Pneumatics 5 days 11 December 22 January

Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) 5 days 12, 26 February 14 May

Refrigeration (Operational Level) 5 days 7 May 16 July

Refrigeration (Management Level) 5 days 14 May 23 July

Steam Endorsement 4 weeks 15 January 16 April 11 June

Ocean Ranger Program 6 days 9 April

Welding & Metallurgy Skills & Practices — Open to eligible Chief Mates and Masters on a space availablebasis. Interested participants should apply online and will be confirmed 2 weeks prior to start date. 2 weeks 26 February 4 June

Self-Study, CDs and Online Courses

Afloat Environmental Protection Coordinator CD

Anti-Terrorism Level 1 Online

Crew Endurance Management CD

DOT Hazardous Materials Transportation Training CD

EPA Universal Refrigerant Certification Examination Self Study

Prudent Mariner’s Guide to Right Whale Protection CD

Qualified Assessor Online

Vessel General Permit — EPA CD

Engine Upgrade — STCW 2010 — Management Level (NVIC 15-14) — If sea service or training towards management level (1A/E-Chief Eng.) upgrade started ON OR AFTER 24 March 2014, you mustadhere to this new program of training. Completion of both required and optional courses listed below will include all Task Assessments required by NVIC 15-14. By completing the series, no expiration limitation will be placed onyour STCW credential. See STAR Center’s website for full details: https://www.star-center.com/stcw2010-engine.upgrade.html

Leadership & Managerial Skills (G500 as amended) —REQUIRED 5 days 15 January 5 February 21 May 4 June

ERM (E050 as amended) — REQUIRED (unless previously takenfor gap closing or original license) 5 days 8 January 18 June

Upgrade: Electrical, Electronics & Control Engineering(Management Level) (E133 as amended) (UPGRADE with tasks)Required unless previously taken for gap closing or original license

5 days 22 January 11 June

STCW Upgrade Task Assessment — General Engineering &Procedure (E135 as amended) — OPTIONAL: Tasks can besigned off onboard

5 days 29 January 25 June

STCW Upgrade Task Assessment — Motor (E120 as amended) —OPTIONAL: Tasks can be signed off onboard 3 days 5 February 2 July

STCW Upgrade Task Assessment — Steam (E121 as amended) —OPTIONAL: Tasks can be signed off onboard 5 days 12 February 9 July

STCW Upgrade Task Assessment — Gas Turbine (E122 asamended) — OPTIONAL: Tasks can be signed off onboard 5 days 19 February 16 July

10 • American Maritime Officer December 2017

AMO NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS

DANIA BEACH, FL 33004-4109601 S. Federal Highway(954) 921-2221 / (800) 362-0513Paul Doell, National President pauldoell51@yahoo.comExtension 1001Mobile: (954) 881-5651FAX: (954) 926-5112 Charles A. Murdock, National Secretary-Treasurercmurdock@amo-union.orgExtension 1004 / Mobile: (954) 531-9977 / FAX: (954) 367-1025Joseph Z. Gremelsbacker, National Vice President, Deep Seajgremelsbacker@amo-union.orgExtension 1009 / Mobile: (954) 673-0680 / FAX: (954) 367-1029Todd Christensen, East Coast Representative tchristensen@amo-union.org / Mobile: (561) 806-3768Marie Doruth, Executive Assistant to the National Presidentmdoruth@amo-union.orgExtension 1017 / Mobile: (954) 290-8109FAX: (954) 926-5112Dispatch: (800) 345-3410 / FAX: (954) 926-5126Brendan Keller, Dispatcher (bkeller@amo-union.org)Extension 1061 / Mobile: (954) 817-4000Robert Anderson, Dispatcher (randerson@amo-union.org)Extension 1060 / Mobile: (954) 599-9771Member Services:Extension 1050 / FAX: (954) 367-1066memberservices@amo-union.org

OFFICES

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20024490 L’Enfant Plaza East SW, Suite 7204(202) 479-1166 / (800) 362-0513 ext. 7001Paul Doell, National President pauldoell51@yahoo.comExtension 7004Mobile: (954) 881-5651J. Michael Murphy, National Vice President, Government Relationsmmurphy@amo-union.org / mikemurphy68@aol.comExtension 7013 / Mobile: (202) 560-6889T. Christian Spain, National Assistant Vice President, Government Relationscspain@amo-union.orgExtension 7010 / Mobile: (202) 658-8887 / FAX: (202) 479-1188

PHILADELPHIA, PA 191131 International Plaza, Suite 550Chris Holmes, Contract Analyst (cholmes@amo‐union.org)(800) 362‐0513 ext. 4002 / Mobile: (856) 693‐0694

UPDATE CREDENTIALS, DOCUMENTS, TRAINING RECORDSSecure File Upload: https://securetransfer.amo-union.org/E-mail: memberservices@amo-union.orgQuestions: (800) 362-0513 ext. 1050

TOLEDO, OH 43604The Melvin H. Pelfrey BuildingOne Maritime Plaza, Third FloorFAX: (419) 255-2350John E. Clemons, National Vice President, Great Lakesjohnclemons@amo-union.org(800) 221-9395 ext. 6003 / Mobile: (419) 205-3509Brian D. Krus, Senior National Assistant Vice Presidentbkrus@amo-union.org(800) 221-9395 ext. 6007 / Mobile: (216) 571-9666Michelle Moffitt, Dispatcher (mmoffitt@amo-union.org)(800) 221-9395 ext. 6005 / Mobile: (419) 481-3470

GALVESTON, TX 775512724 61st Street, Suite B, PMB 192David M. Weathers, National Vice President, Inland Watersdweathers@amo-union.org(800) 362-0513 ext. 2001 / Mobile: (409) 996-7362FAX: (409) 737-4454

SAN FRANCISCO / OAKLAND, CA 946071121 7th Street, Second FloorOakland, CA 94607FAX: (954) 367-1064Daniel E. Shea, National Executive Vice President (dshea@amo-union.org)Mobile: (415) 269-5795 / (800) 362-0513 ext. 5001William Barrere, West Coast Representative (wbarrere@amo-union.org)Mobile: (415) 654-2671

NEW ORLEANS / COVINGTON, LA 70434P.O. Box 5424Covington, LA 70434Daniel J. Robichaux, National Assistant Vice Presidentdrobichaux@amo-union.org(954) 367-1036 / Mobile: (985) 201-5462 / FAX: (954) 367-1062

STAR CENTER

STUDENT SERVICES/LODGING AND COURSE INFORMATION2 West Dixie HighwayDania Beach, FL 33004-4312(954) 920-3222 ext. 201 / (800) 942-3220 ext. 201Course Attendance Confirmation: (800) 942-3220 ext. 20024 Hours: (954) 920-3222 ext.7999 / FAX: (954) 920-3140

SERVICES

FINANCIAL ADVISERS: THE ATLANTIC GROUP AT MORGAN STANLEY(800) 975-7061 / www.morganstanleyfa.com/theatlanticgroup

MEDICAL CLINIC AMO PLANS2 West Dixie Highway 2 West Dixie HighwayDania Beach, FL 33004-4312 Dania Beach, FL 33004-4312(954) 927-5213 (800) 348-6515FAX: (954) 929-1415 FAX: (954) 922-7539

LEGAL

AMO Coast Guard Legal Aid General CounselProgram Glanstein LLPMichael Reny 711 Third Ave., 17th FloorMobile: (419) 346-1485 New York, NY 10017(419) 243-1105/ (888) 853-4662 (212) 370-5100 / (954) 662-9407MikeReny@BEX.NET FAX: (212) 697-6299

Regular monthly membership meetings for American Maritime Officerswill be held during the week following the first Sunday of every month at1 p.m. local time. Meetings will be held on Monday at AMO NationalHeadquarters (on Tuesday when Monday is a holiday). The next meet-ings will take place on the following dates:

AMO National Headquarters: January 8, February 5

U.S. Coast Guard, Lake Carriers’Association sign maritime industryrescue training agreement

The U.S. Coast Guard and the LakeCarriers’ Association signed a memoran-dum of agreement for maritime rescuetraining October 31.

The agreement set forth terms formaritime industry rescue training betweenCoast Guard Air Station Traverse City,Michigan, Coast Guard Air Station Detroit,and LCA enrolled vessels.

“Having the ability to safely and effec-tively execute rescues during an emergencywill shorten the amount of time from notifi-cation to medical treatment,” said RearAdm. Joanna Nunan, commander, 9thCoast Guard District. “The opportunity tobuild familiarity and proficiency with hoist-

Monthly Membership Meetings

American Maritime Officer (USPS 316-920)Official Publication of American Maritime Officers

601 S. Federal HighwayDania Beach, FL 33004

(954) 921-2221ISO 9001: 2008 — Certificate #33975

Periodical Postage Paid atDania Beach, FL and Additional Mailing Offices

Published Monthly

POSTMASTER—Send Address Changes To:American Maritime Officers — ATTENTION: Member Services

P.O. Box 66Dania Beach, FL 33004

ing from Great Lakes commercial vesselswill better prepare our pilots for hoist opera-tions during time critical emergencies.”

The joint training is intended to simu-late real-life medical evacuations.

American Maritime Officer • 11December 2017

ObituariesSteven Baker, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died October 5, 2016, at

age 57.Eual Smith, who sailed inland waters with AMO, died October 25, 2016, at

age 67. He is survived by Barbara Smith.Frances Hackett, who sailed on the Great Lakes with AMO, died October 28,

2016, at age 81. Joseph Hanay, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died October 30, 2016,

at age 88.David Farrow, who sailed inland waters with AMO, died November 8, 2016,

at age 87.Richard Fritze, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died November 15, 2016, at

age 75. He is survived by Daisy Fritze.Earl Moore, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died November 20, 2016,

at age 74.Herman Ireland Jr., who sailed inland waters with AMO, died November 29,

2016, at age 77. He is survived by Mary Ireland.Rufus Guilford, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died December 2, 2016, at

age 89.Scott Whittemore, who sailed inland waters with AMO, died December 12,

2016, at age 48. He is survived by Cynthia Whittemore.Robert Sanford, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died December 22, 2016, at

age 76.Stephen Hamill, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died December 22, 2016, at

age 68.Timothy Madden, who sailed on the Great Lakes with AMO, died December

24, 2016, at age 68. He is survived by Liane Madden.Ignace Donajkowski, who sailed on the Great Lakes with AMO, died January

3, 2017, at age 76.Melvin Green, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died January 8, 2017, at age

87. He is survived by Deannie Green.John Grard, who sailed on the Great Lakes with AMO, died January 14,

2017, at age 64. He is survived by Cathy Grard.Jerome Renner, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died January 19, 2017, at

age 86.Rik Stern, who sailed on the Great Lakes with AMO, died January 22, 2017,

at age 67. Charles Reina, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died January 28, 2017, at age

78. He is survived by Gaylian Reina.Jerome Peschka Jr., who sailed deep sea with AMO, died January 29, 2017,

at age 73.John Allen, who sailed on the Great Lakes with AMO, died January 31, 2017,

at age 88. He is survived by Phyllis Allen.Alvin Jensen, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died February 9, 2017, at age

89. He is survived by Bonnie Jensen.David Perry, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died February 12, 2017, at age

61. He is survived by Banjamas Perry.Robert Centala, who sailed on the Great Lakes with AMO, died February 13,

2017, at age 88. He is survived by Dolores Centala.Chester Workman, who sailed inland waters with AMO, died February 22,

2017, at age 96.Gerald Hood, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died February 23, 2017,

at age 89.George Ivanoff, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died February 28, 2017, at

age 85. He is survived by Ruby Ivanoff.William Quince, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died February 28, 2017, at

age 90.William Straley, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died March 9, 2017, at age

92. He is survived by Genrose Straley.Herbert Jacobs, who sailed on the Great Lakes with AMO, died March 19,

2017, at age 85. He is survived by Olive Jacobs.William Arnost, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died March 19, 2017,

at age 66.Thomas Von Haas, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died March 20, 2017, at

age 65. He is survived by Christine Von Haas.James Sinnett, who sailed on the Great Lakes with AMO, died March 21,

2017, at age 86. He is survived by Mary Sinnett.Albert Hutton, who sailed on the Great Lakes with AMO, died March 23,

2017, at age 84.Paul Haney, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died March 25, 2017, at age 70.

He is survived by Carol Haney.Edward Rush Jr., who sailed deep sea with AMO, died March 27, 2017, at

age 63. Donald Delorie, who sailed inland waters with AMO, died April 2, 2017, at

age 74.Peter Thorpe, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died April 5, 2017, at age 71.

He is survived by Stephanie Thorpe.Yvette Pazos, who sailed on the Great Lakes with AMO, died April 14, 2017,

at age 64.Danforth Welty, who sailed on the Great Lakes with AMO, died May 1, 2017,

at age 64.

William Lambert, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died May 2, 2017, at age71. He is survived by Colleen Burke.

William Commans Jr., who sailed deep sea with AMO, died May 6, 2017, atage 86.

William Goulette, who sailed on the Great Lakes with AMO, died May 13,2017, at age 75. He is survived by Susan Goulette.

Timothy Fales, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died May 20, 2017, at age 87.Vincent Tabbone, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died May 23, 2017, at age

76. He is survived by Mariann Russo.Arthur Gapczynski, who sailed on the Great Lakes with AMO, died May 28,

2017, at age 88. He is survived by Edith Gapczynski.Suzanne Carpenter, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died May 31, 2017, at

age 63. She is survived by Kenneth Carpenter.William Dolph, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died June 11, 2017, at

age 87.William Francis, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died June 15, 2017, at

age 96.John Macaulay, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died June 17, 2017, at age

80. He is survived by Suzon Macaulay.Bernard Ross, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died June 18, 2017, at age 88.Joe Honovich, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died June 29, 2017, at age 87.

He is survived by Dorothy Honovich.Garland Shewmaker, who sailed inland waters with AMO, died June 30,

2017, at age 83. He is survived by Mary Shewmaker.Robert Schick, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died July 6, 2017, at age 71.

He is survived by Nga Schick.John Hall, who sailed inland waters with AMO, died July 6, 2017, at age 69.

He is survived by Ardis Hall.Anthony Arena, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died July 25, 2017, at age

45. He is survived by Michelle Arena.Wayne Cowles, who sailed inland waters with AMO, died August 4, 2017, at

age 91.Kenneth Marcelle, who sailed on the Great Lakes with AMO, died August 6,

2017, at age 82.Vincent Sottile, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died August 16, 2017,

at age 73.Carl Nelson, who sailed on the Great Lakes with AMO, died August 25, 2017,

at age 92.Gerald Williams, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died August 26, 2017, at

age 84.Herman Bosch, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died September 3, 2017, at

age 90.Charles Dewey, who sailed on the Great Lakes with AMO, died September 6,

2017, at age 89. He is survived by Jacqueline Dewey.Joseph Kastner, who sailed on the Great Lakes with AMO, died September

10, 2017, at age 89.James Van Dongen, who sailed on the Great Lakes with AMO, died

September 11, 2017, at age 73.Reason Sink, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died September 18, 2017, at age

82. He is survived by Lorraine Sink.Robert McKenna, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died September 19, 2017,

at age 63. He is survived by Maria McKenna.Boyd Basnight, who sailed inland waters with AMO, died September 21,

2017, at age 89. He is survived by June Basnight.Philip Rosten, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died September 23, 2017, at

age 90.Lowell McKinney, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died September 27, 2017,

at age 74. He is survived by Carol McKinney.Donald Burke, who sailed inland waters with AMO, died September 27,

2017, at age 91. George Donahoo, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died October 1, 2017, at

age 78. He is survived by Melba Donahoo.Paul Watson, who sailed inland waters with AMO, died October 1, 2017, at

age 83.Gerald Gordon, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died October 8, 2017, at age

51. He is survived by Theresa Gordon.Ronald Butler, who sailed on the Great Lakes with AMO, died October 9,

2017, at age 82.Kenneth Bagley, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died October 14, 2017, at

age 66. He is survived by Laurie Bagley.Scott Kilian, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died October 15, 2017, at age

29. He is survived by Sondra Kilian.James Lane, who sailed inland waters with AMO, died October 16, 2017, at

age 81. He is survived by Merry Lane.Theodore Kudrick, who sailed inland waters with AMO, died October 19,

2017, at age 52. He is survived by Colleen Kudrick.John Chavers, who sailed inland waters with AMO, died October 19, 2017,

at age 84. He is survived by Berta Chavers.Stanley Bossick, who sailed deep sea with AMO, died October 28, 2017, at

age 88. He is survived by Donna Bossick.

A digger derrick drives off the Military Sealift Command large medium-speedroll-on/roll-off ship USNS Brittin (T-AKR-305), which arrived at the RafaelCordero Santiago Port of the Americas on November 3 carrying the largestFEMA-funded shipment at that time of relief supplies for Puerto Rico. Focusingon equipment for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ power restoration mission,

the Bob Hope Class LMSR carried300 mobile generators, 43 buckettrucks, 33 digger derricks, one UH-60Black Hawk helicopter, and additionalsupplies on the voyage from JointBase Charleston Naval WeaponsStation, S.C. The USNS Brittinbrought a second shipment of goodsand supplies to Puerto Rico later inthe month that eclipsed the first deliv-ery, totaling upwards of 11,000 tons ofhumanitarian aid. The USNS Brittinwill make a total of six trips to PuertoRico, the U.S. Navy reported.

12 • American Maritime Officer December 2017

T.S. Kennedyreturns fromhurricane reliefactivation

The following is excerpted from a bulletin published November 17 byMassachusetts Maritime Academy. AMO-contracted General DynamicsAmerican Overseas Marine operated the Kennedy during the activation.

T.S. Kennedy returned on 0848 slack tide on 17 November after being acti-vated in early September for hurricane relief support. MMA staff combined withstaff hired through AMSEA of Quincy, Mass. crewed up the vessel for the lasttwo and half months. While deployed, the Kennedy provided berthing to federalemployees totaling in excess of 13,000 nights of lodging and over 30,000 mealsserved during this period of time. U.S. Maritime Administrator Buzby recentlysent congratulatory correspondence to all those who assisted in the relief effort.

USNS Brittin serves in Puerto Rico hurricane relief operation

U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Teresa Cleveland

American Maritime Officers member Captain Alfred Murray and Felix CamachoNogues look out from the bridge of the USNS Brittin in Ponce, Puerto Rico onNovember 3. Camacho Nogues came on behalf of Mayita Melendez, the mayorof Ponce, to thank leaders involved for the shipment of electrical equipment,which will help restore power to the island.

Photo by Steven Shepard, FEMA External Affairs