MMA emphasizes normalcy

In the aftermath of the attacks on New York and Washington, we have received numerous questions at the Maine Maritime Academy concerning our relationship to the U.S. armed forces. Let me try to clarify the

situation for our friends in Maine and elsewhere.

MMA is a state college, chartered in 1941 by the Maine Legislature and supervised by a 13-member board of trustees, who are nominated by the governor and confirmed by the Maine Senate. Although not a part of the University of Maine System, we maintain a close and cooperative relationship with those institutions.

The academy is not, strictly speaking, a military college. The great majority of our students are seeking are seeking credentials as civilian mariners, as engineers in shoreside power plants, as oceanographers, and as professionals in international business and logistics.

Understandably, the public is sometimes confused as to our status because our Regiment of Midshipmen has such a high profile. The regiment currently enrolls 60 percent of our 720 undergraduate students. Its purpose is not to produce military officers, but to offer leadership and management training in a structured and challenging environment. Members wear uniforms, practice professional courtesies, and learn to pay attention to detail. In the process, they acquire personal confidence and supervisory skills which give them a competitive edge in the job market.

The quality of this program is evidenced by the fact that our regimental graduates include a governor of Maine, a lieutenant governor of Rhode Island, a president of the American Bureau of

Shipping, a president of Cianbro Corp., a president of Sprague Energy, a president of Countrywide Credit Industries, and two U.S. Navy admirals.

In addition to the regiment, we take pride in the fact that MMA was the first state maritime college in t he nation to host a Naval ROTC unit. Based in Castine, it also serves students at the University of Maine and Husson College.

Our NROTC program is similar to those at Boston University, MIT and more than 50 other public and private colleges and universities throughout the United States. Students who volunteer for this training can earn reserve or active duty commissions in the Navy and Marine Corps. At MMA, undergraduates can also qualify for a commission in the U.S. Coast Guard.

In a typical graduating class, about 10 percent of our young men and women will choose active duty. Another 20 percent will receive commissions as officers in the Navy’s Merchant Marine Reserve, a designation which permits them to serve on a part-time basis while focusing on their civilian maritime careers.

Qualified undergraduates who choose the MMR option receive a federally funded student incentive payment of $3,000 a year for four years. Students who qualify for a National ROTC scholarship – the MMA has one of the highest percentages in the country – receive full tuition, feeds, books, uniforms, and a monthly stipend. They

also receive free room and board from the academy.

Merchant mariners – MMR officers and others – play a vital role in the ability of this nation to conduct military operations oversees. In Operation Desert Storm, for example, 90 percent of the equipment supporting U.S. Army and Marine Corps units in the Middle East went by sea. Most of this cargo was delivered by merchant ships, crewed by civilians, under contract to the Military Sealift Command.

Maine Maritime Academy alumni have been involved in meeting America’s sealife needs, dating back to World War II and continuing through Korea, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf. This generation of academy students may be called upon to serve in a similar way. If so, I have no doubt that they will respond with professionalism,

dedication and honor.

In peacetime or in time of conflict, virtually all of our graduating seniors are professionally employed shortly after graduation. The Class of 2001, for example, saw its members take positions with organizations such as American Hawaii Cruises, Bath Iron Works, Casco Bay Lines, General Dynamics, General Electric, Maersk Lines, Northeast Utilities, Maine Department of Marine Resources and UNUM.

Occasionally, we are asked about the status of our training ship, the State of Maine. She is owned by U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) and is assigned to MMA for the training of civilian mariners, in both deck and engine departments. MARAD, which is a branch of the U.S. Department of Transportation, allocates $200,000 annually as an operating subsidy.

While it is possible that the State of Maine could be called into federal service for an emergency, that is highly unlikely. We expect that the ship will remain in Castine, where she will continue to fulfill her intended mission.

As President George W. Bush has urged, we at the Maine Maritime Academy will carry on in a spirit of unity, emphasizing a continuation of normal operations. We assure the people of Maine that we will do everything we can to remain a credit to this state, to the nation, and to the industries that we are proud to serve.

Leonard H. Tyler is the president of the Maine Maritime Academy and vice chairman of the International Association of Maritime Universities.