Portal:United States Merchant Marine/Intro
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The United States Merchant Marine consists of the nation's fleet of non-millitary merchant ships and the people who operate them. Operated by the government or by private owners, these ships transport goods and passengers both domestically and internationally. In time of war, the merchant marine is an auxiliary to the Navy, and can be called upon to deliver troops and supplies for the military.
As of 2006, the United States merchant fleet consisted of 465 ships of 1,000 gross register tons (GRT) and over and approximately 69,000 people known generically as merchant mariners. Seven hundred ships owned by American interests but registered, or flagged, in other countries are not included in this number.
The federal government maintains fleets of merchant ships via organizations such as Military Sealift Command and the National Defense Reserve Fleet. In 2004, the Federal government employed approximately 5% of all American water transportation workers.
